If continuous mining systems are to be successfully applied in
metalliferous mines then reliable models will be needed to predict rock
cutting machine advance and tool wear rates for effective machine
selection before mining commences. Many of the predictive models
developed to assess cuttability in situ are over-simplistic. As a result they
tend to be both site and/or machine specific. Nevertheless very detailed
models have been developed for full face machines which are capable of
accurate cuttability predictions in a variety of rock mass conditions and
for a variety of machine and tool configurations. However, models to
predict productivity and tool consumption for partial face machines are
not as well advanced. There is a need to develop reliable models for
partial face machines such as Roadheaders, the Robbins Mobile Miner
and the HDRK-Wirth CMM, as these types of machine are likely to
predominate in a mining environment. The paper outlines the current state-of-the-art for predicting cutting
machine performance and the work being carried out within the Centre
for Mining Technology and Equipment (CMTE), in collaboration with the
Australian mining industry, to advance our capability in this area.