Book Description

The mining industry globally is moving towards exploiting more mineral deposits by underground methods for several reasons. Large scale underground block/panel caving mining methods are becoming more popular due to the low operating costs associated with economies of scale. However, the planning for a caving mine is very challenging. Simulation techniques have been used successfully by many industries for a long time. They have proven to be valuable in assisting the mine planning process, forecasting the performance of modeled systems, and testing alternatives at very low cost. Simulation is a flexible methodology we can use to analyse the behavior of a present or proposed business activity, new product, manufacturing line or plant expansion, and so on. By performing simulations and analysing the results, we can gain an understanding of how a present system operates, and what would happen if we changed it -- or we can estimate how a proposed new system would behave. Often -- but not always -- a simulation deals with uncertainty, in the system itself, or in the world around it. Simulation is one of the most widely used quantitative methods -- because it is so flexible and can yield so many useful results. The use of simulation in a project management can illustrate visual display of the project objective and the process virtually but realistically. This book investigates the valid benefits of using simulation technique for a mining project. The book illustrated the advantages of using computer aided simulation and animation for an optimisation project. Discrete Simulation and Animation for Mining Engineers presents a comprehensive yet accessible treatment of mine simulation and animation useful in increasing the efficiency of industrial mining processes. This book aims to contribute to future software development that delivers more reliable and functional simulation tools for mining engineers. These should realise significant safety, financial and environmental advances through improved scheduling for Pre-production development in the next generation of large, complex underground mines.