Determination the influence of the rock mass density on the productivity of wheel loaders at the iron ore pit mining

Aim. To establish the dependence of the front loader performance on the bulk density of the rock mass at the mining of iron ore deposit. Research methodology. At the developing the methodology, analytical and computational research methods were used to determine the time of working off rock mass of different density by a front loader. Appropriate calculation methods are relevant for determining the required amount of technical equipment and are acceptable for modern mining. Research results. A method has been developed for establishing the duration of the working cycle and the productivity of a front-end loader when mining different types of rock mass at an iron ore pit mining. Efficient parameters of rock extraction have been established, depending on changes in rock density. In the course of the study, the relationship between the density of the rock mass and the coefficient of filling and the coefficient of loosening of the rock was established. The influence of these coefficients directly on the performance of front loaders is determined.The indicators of these coefficients depend on the physical and mechanical properties of soft and rocky rocks and can change the performance of front loaders up to 5 times. Scientific novelty. It has been established that the duration of the working cycle is based on the time of digging (depending on the specific gravity of the rock mass), the time of maneuvering and the time of unloading, which are determined by the technical characteristics of mining machines. The influence of the bulk density of the rock mass on the duration of the working cycle and the performance of the front loader is determined. The required number of front-end loaders of different capacities was calculated as excavation and loading equipment in the conditions of the iron ore deposit mining. Practical value. The developed method for calculating the performance of a front-end loader depending on the density of the rock mass makes it possible to determine the effective number of loaders in the conditions of mining iron ore pits, which is confirmed by the example of the Eristovsky MPP.