Pre-Spotting & Double-Sided Loading

Pre-spotting and double-sided loading are techniques known to improve throughput and reduce costs in open-pit mining. Surprisingly, many mines abandon this proven methodology when safety questions are asked. In fact, most open pit mines can use this technique safely and to great effect when all departments work together to find a way. In some cases, this means reevaluating pit design (ramps, benches, sequencing, lighting, floor control, and extensive training) followed by coaching and mentoring in the field. In some areas this may not be possible but that should not result in ignoring other areas where it may be used successfully.

Coordinating the movements of multiple trucks, shovels, and loading equipment to ensure efficient pre-spotting and double-sided loading can be complex, requiring precise scheduling and communication between operators to prevent congestion and delays.

When these techniques are executed effectively, companies stand to gain significant improvements in mining costs, increased productivity and optimized equipment utilization.

Key Client Challenges:

1. How do we use mine topography, traffic patterns and operational data to determine the optimal pre-spotting locations for trucks on-site?
2. What technologies should we invest in, such as fleet management systems, autonomous haulage or GPS tracking for pre-spotting and double-sided loading?
3. How can we improve our communication and coordination between loading equipment and trucks to successfully carry out pre-spotting or double-sided loading?
4. What are the best practices for minimizing risks associated with close interaction between our heavy equipment and vehicles during pre-spotting and double-sided loading?
5. How do we effectively train our employees to efficiently operate trucks and vehicles to carry out loading techniques?
6. How do we establish key performance indicators and methods for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of pre-spotting and double-sided loading techniques?

Skilled operators are needed to efficiently carry out pre-spotting and double-sided loading. Inexperienced operators may struggle with positioning trucks correctly or coordinating their movements effectively. Managing traffic flow within the mine, especially in congested areas, is essential to prevent bottlenecks and delays and proper road design and traffic management protocols are also necessary.

Effective communication between operators, dispatchers, and other personnel is vital to ensure that trucks are pre-spotted and loaded in a timely manner. With the use of integrating systems for real-time tracking, monitoring, and decision-making, as well as technologies such as fleet management systems, pre-spotting and double-sided loading can be executed productively.

Our experts at Unison Mining can work with your teams to ensure that the systems, processes, KPIs and controls are developed and implemented to ensure employee buy-in when introducing these techniques. When shifting to pre-spotting and double-sided loading, comprehensive training, behavior change and adjustments to new ways of working are necessary for successful implementation and to reap the ROI of these changes.