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| Underground nickel - rapid start up/commissioning |
Context / Scope of project
This new underground nickel mine was in the last stage of commissioning. Management wanted to put in place the right systems and processes from the get-go to ensure the site would achieve a high performance throughout the mines life. They also wanted to establish an effective continuous improvement culture in a basin that had traditionally resisted change.
Client achieved:
- 7 consecutive weeks above steady-state production rate within 6 months of the first blast
- 9% increase in lateral development rate
- 10% increase in critical fleet availability
- A sustainable continuous improvement culture improvement idea pipeline continued post-PIPs departure
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What we did:
- Increased lateral development rates by focusing on shotcreting, the cycle step that was the least reliable. This was achieved by introducing the delivery of shotcrete at the end of the prior shift, rather than the beginning of the new shift (sitter loads). Because all three levels shared the same slick line, delivering shotcrete at the end of the prior shift helped alleviate congestion at the beginning of the shift, allowed to increase the total number of deliveries and increased the time window to shotcrete a heading.
- Increased availability of shotcreter by implementing a pre/post-op checklist. Because of the lack of operator skills on how to properly clean the new shotcreters, plugged nozzles and broken hoses resulted in increased downtime. A simple pre/post-op checklist along with operator training helped reduce machine downtime.
- Established Results Action Review (RAR) meetings from GM down to front-line supervisors that include:
- Giving management visibility on what the main issues were in a culture where underground crews tried to hide problems for fear of being reprimanded
- Morning KPI review of progress and productivity on critical headings and panels with General Foremen, Mine Manager, and supporting functional areas
- High visibility white boards
- Maintenance shift KPI review of planning and maintenance crews
- Operations shift review performance relative to shift expectations
- Engineering weekly review of critical activities (e.g. sign-offs, ground checks, etc.) required to advance stopes and headings
- Established and implemented a pipeline of ideas that included the following:
- Maintenance oil sampling program and issue resolution on all prime moving production equipment
- Operations implemented a new brow support and fill fence design to reduce panel cycle time and the need for lateral development to remove undercut fill
- Maintenance process increased the catalogue and stock of high usage OEM parts on prime moving production equipment to increase availability
- Engineering implemented a new sump design and sump mucking schedules to reduce full mine dewatering delays
- Technical services implemented new overcut stope drilling and undercut snow bank recovery methods to increase overall stope recovery
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