Short-term planning optimization model for underground mines

摘要

Scheduling activities in an underground mine is a very complex task. Precedence relations, the great number of resources and the large number of work sites are some of the reasons for this complexity. This paper presents an optimization model for short-term planning that takes into consideration all parts of the development and production as well as specific limitations on equipment and workers. A preemptive mixed integer program is used in order to produce optimal planning over a short-term time horizon. Multiple tests made with various data sets and scenarios are then presented, including a comparison to a non-preemptive model and a case study. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.