An Approach to Assess Influence of Rock Properties on the Operating Parameters of Surface Miner

Application of Surface Miners has increased phenomenally all around the world for rock excavation in varied rock mass conditions. There are numerous models of surface miners with wide range of specifications. Ability of surface miner to operate and cut effectively in rock is limited to strength property of rock. An exhaustive knowledge of rock and machine interaction is imperative for smooth operation and mass production of surface miner. The paper presents the influence of machine operating parameters on power consumption with respect to rock strength. Operating parameters such as cutting depth and cutting speed can be controlled by estimation of power required for cutting. Uniaxial compressive strength is almost exclusively used for description of the strength of the rock. The effect on power in relation to depth of cut were analysed for varied strength of rock. Cutting speed was also studied for different uniaxial compressive strength at varied depth of cut