Leica Geosystems’ Jigsaw360 Dispatcher

Optimizer Training Module

 Agenda and Objectives

• Equipment Cycle Overview

• The Theory behind the Optimizer
• How the Optimizer work
• How to influence the Optimizer
• Summary
 Equipment Cycle

Empty

Waiting
Traveling

Tipping

Spotting

Backing

Queued
Loading
Hauling
Truck Cycle Activities
Traveling Traveling Empty to Empty trucks automatically enter the traveling activity after ready or
the Shovel after departing from a dump more than departure radius of the
tipping point .
Waiting Waiting at the Shovel Starts when Truck stops in the loading area within the shovel
waiting radius

Spotting Spotting at a Shovel Starts when Truck starts backing at the shovel within spotting
radius of shovel

Loading Loading at the Starts after first dipper from VIMS/TPMS/PLM, or truck in reverse
Shovel stops (speed = 0) within the shovel loading radius

Hauling Hauling from the Starts when the Truck leaves the Shovel and traveled by more
Shovel to a Dump than shovel departure radius
area

Queued Queued at the Dump Starts when truck stops within the Dump boundary
area

Backing Backing at Dump Starts when truck backs at Dump area

area

Tipping Tipping at Dump Starts after stopping after backing at Dump and VIMS/TPMS/PLM
area tipping detected
Shovel/Truck Cycle
Additional Activities

Out of Cycle Activities for Trucks

Inactive Any delay or down status

Empty Truck is empty and ready waiting for an assignment

Loaded Truck is loaded and ready waiting for an assignment

Moving Empty Truck is traveling to a Shop or Shift Change location and is

empty

Moving Loaded Truck is hauling to a destination that is not a dumping area

The Theory behind The Optimizer

• Truck dispatch problem in open pit mining is dynamic and consists in

answering the following question: „Where should this truck go when it
leaves this place?‟.

• The Dispatcher has to decide where is the best destination to send a truck
in order to satisfy the production requirements (Alarie and Gamache, 2002)

• Truck Dispatch problem can be solved using mathematical approach to

find the optimal solution.

• “Optimizer” is Jigsaw360 Module which do the automatic truck dispatching

based on mathematical model.
The Theory behind Optimizer

• Mine is really a series of location / node that are connected by roads or

Path

• Optimizer maximise the production by allocated (assign) the trucks along

the roads based on the capacity of the diggers.

Shovel A
3000 Tons/Hour
Dump 1

Shovel A
2000 Tons/Hour

Dump 2
Segregated Circuits

1 min

14 min 4 min

9 min

Capacity * Cycle Times = Number of Trucks

(1 truck/4 min) * (14 + 1 + 9 + 4 )min= ¼ * 28 = 7 Trucks

1 min 19 min 5 min

15 min

(1 truck/4 min) * (19 + 1 +15 +5)min= 1/5 * 40= 8 Trucks

 Optimized Circuits
1 min

14 min

Capacity * Cycle Times = Number of Trucks

4 min

5 min
(1 truck/4 min) * (14 + 1 + 6 + 5 + 20 + 1 + 5 + 4 )min
6 min
= ¼ * 56 = 14 Trucks

1 min

20 min

5 min
How the Optimizer work

• Optimizer maximise production of the mine centrally on the server through

assignments carried out on trucks in the pit.

• There are 2 Layer of Optimizer Calculation : Linear Programming (LP)

Layer and Dynamic Programming (DP) or Assignment Layer

• LP layer output will produce an input for DP layer which then use by DP
layer to make an truck assignment decision.

Truck
Inputs LP DP Assignment
How the Optimizer work : LP Layer

Shovel Capacity Haulage

Constraints

Nodes
Inputs LP Outcome

Paths

• Linear Programming is the use of mathematical algorithms to maximise an

outcome based on given inputs and known constraints.
• The Inputs are Nodes (Dump and Shovel) and The Paths (Roads) between
the Nodes
• The Constraints are Shovel Capacity Constraints and Haulage Constraints
How the Optimizer work : LP Layer

• Shovel Capacity Constraints is maximum shovel capacity in term of

loading tonnes per hour inclusive of shovel spotting time. Shovel Capacity
is calculated as:

Standard Truck Size Tons

(Standard Truck Size / Dig Rate) + (Shovel Spotting Time / 3600 ) Hour

• Standard Truck Size is the weighted average truck factor for the mine.
Calculated as : Sum all Truck with its Capacity / Total Number Of Trucks

• Dig rate is The moving average load rate of the shovel over 4 loads
How the Optimizer work : LP Layer

• Example calculation for Shovel Capacity

Standard Truck Size 100 Tons

Shovel Digging Rate 3400 Tons/Hour
Shovel Spotting time 20 Seconds

100
Shovel Capacity = = 2859,81 Tons/Hour
(100 / 3400) + (20 / 3600 )
How the Optimizer work : LP Layer

• Haulage Constraints is the available truck along given paths inclusive of

the locked trucks. The haulage constraint will not take into account the
down trucks.

• Given the inputs, the known constraints and the object to maximise
production, the Optimizer utilizes the LP Simplex algorithm to calculate and
store the optimal tonnes per hour across each path, called the LP Rate.

• LP Rate is the optimal rate in tonnes per hour across each path between
shovels and dumps and vice versa. This calculation is carried out based on
real time inputs every 0.5 seconds.

• Using LP Rate, the Optimizer calculate and stores Required Haulage for
each path and each shovel within the mine.
How the Optimizer work : LP Layer

Shovel Capacity Haulage

Nodes
Required
LP LP Rate
Haulage
Paths

• Required Haulage is number of truck which required to achieve the optimal

output and calculated as:

LP Rate x ( (truck cycle time to shovel ) + (z / 3600) )

where z is: (shovel spotting time + 3600) x (standard truck size / dig rate )
How the Optimizer work : LP Layer

• Example calculation for Required Haulage

LP Rate or Feed Rate 2580 Tons/Hour

Standard Truck Size 100 Tons
Shovel Digging Rate 3188 Tons/Hour
Shovel Spotting time 30 Seconds
Truck Cycle Time 600 Seconds

Z = (30 + 3600) x ( 100 / 3188 ) = 113,86

Required Haulage = 2580 x ( 600 + 113,86 ) = 511,60 Tons/Hour
3600
Number of Trucks required = 511,60 / Standard Truck size (100) = 5.12 Trucks
How the Optimizer work : DP Layer

• Dynamic Programming Layer or Assignment Layer is the Part of Optimizer

which produce truck assignments to optimize production within the Mine.
• Assignment Layer using the output of LP layer.
• Within the Assignment Layer, there are two type of truck assignments
which made :
1. Truck to Shovel Assignments
2. Truck to Dump Assignments

Truck to Shovel
Assignment
Inputs LP DP Truck to Dump
Assignment
How the Optimizer work : DP Layer
Truck to Shovel Assignments

• Truck to Shovel Assignments made when truck dumps it loads and

therefore need a new shovel assignment.
• The following logic is used;
Find Truck
Find a neediest Find a Free Lowest
Find a Best Path
shovel Truck Assignment
Cost
Not Locked to a shovel
Greater Diff Delta
Not Traveling
Priority Not Spotting
Queue Capacity Not Waiting
Not Down

Required haulage – Actual Haulage

How the Optimizer work : DP Layer
Truck to Shovel Assignments

• The process to find the “neediest” shovel will be repeated.

• Restricted : By shovel, By Dumps, By Grades, By Queue Capacity and By
Location

Find a neediest Find a Free Find Truck Lowest

Find a Best Path
shovel Truck Assignment Cost

Y
Find the next Restrict
Lowest Cost ed ?

N
Repeat Update Actual
Haulage Assign!
How the Optimizer work : LP Layer
Assignment Cost
 The optimizer continuously recomputed the next shovel assignment for
each ready truck using the current truck positions and projected arrival
times of trucks at shovel (ETA), then
 The algorithm computes a set of assignments, which minimize the total
cost C.

C = Ct * Ti + Ci * (Hi + Wi)

 Where :
• Ti Travel time of i'th truck assignment to a given LP path.
• Hi Projected shovel hang time at the time of truck arrival at shovel
• Wi Projected truck waiting time at the time of truck arrival at shovel
• Ct Relative cost for excess travel time, default 1.5
• Ci Relative cost for idle time, default 1.0
How the Optimizer work : LP Layer
Assignment Cost
 This means, from formula, the trucks likely will assigned to the closer
shovel
 Optimizer dynamic truck allocation aggressively minimizes truck and
shovel idle times
 By using current truck position and ETA, Optimizer create ordered queue
of trucks at each shovel.

Shovel A
Projected Shovel Hang Time

LP Path 1 Truck Current Position

Truck #1 to Shovel A
Truck #2 to Shovel B

Shovel B
LP Path 2
Dump

Projected Truck Waiting Time

How the Optimizer work : DP Layer
Truck to Dumps Assignments

• Truck get their assignments to Dumps when they finished loading and start
hauling
• The Logis is follows;

Dump Request Y
Trucks Enter Dump
for Given Assign!
Hauling State Locks?
Material/Grade

Event no
Y Loop all Dumps that
Find Active Paths
Assign! are connected to the
Dumps? shovel truck loaded at

N Find Nearest
Dump
How to Influence Optimizer

 There are 2 ways to influence or control the optimizer:

Influence the LP layer and Influence the DP (assignment) Layer.
 LP Layer : Adjust the Shovel Coverage
 DP Layer : Adjust the Priority, Change the Queue Capacity or Create
Reassignment callpoint
How to Influence Optimizer : LP Layer
1. Percent Shovel Coverage

Shovel Capacity x % Coverage = New Shovel Capacity

LP LP Rate

• Percent Shovel Coverage is parameter that can be used by Dispatcher to

influence the output of LP Layer.
• Percent Shovel Coverage value is multiplied againts the calculated
capacity before used as a constraints.
• For example, 3000 Tons/Hour Shovel with 50% coverage will only produce
LP constraints = 3000 x 0.5 = 1500 tons/hour
How to Influence Optimizer : LP Layer
1. Percent Shovel Coverage

 Percent Shovel Coverage is useful to move the loads from Big Shovel
to Small Shovel

 It would be possible in some scenarios for the larger capacity shovel

with 100% coverage to consume all trucks in an under trucked mine.

 If we want to move material from some of the smaller shovels, we

might reduce the coverage percentage on the larger shovel to allow
some trucks to be assigned to the lower capacity shovel.

 Remember : Cutting down the big shovel coverage while the Shovel
have high Capacity / Digging Rate, will reduce the shovel productivity,
which may decrease the Mine productivity in general.
How to Influence Optimizer : DP Layer
2. Shovel Priority

 As mentioned briefly earlier, Shovel priority is taken into account when

finding the next “neediest” shovel to assign a truck to.

 The values associated with the priorities are as follows:

Low: 0.75
Normal: 1.0
High: 1.25

 Shovel Priorities are multiplied against the Required Haulage before

they are used in calculation between the Required Haulage from the LP
Layer and the Actual Haulage
How to Influence Optimizer : DP Layer
2. Shovel Priority

Required Haulage x Priority= New Required Haulage

New Required Haulage - Actual Haulage Delta

Shovel Required Priority Actual Delta

Haulage Haulage
Shovel A 2580 Low:0.75 1200 735
Shovel B 2300 Normal:1.0 1500 800
Shovel C 3188 High:1.25 1000 2985

Neediest Shovel
How to Influence Optimizer : DP Layer
3. Reassignment callpoint

 Sometime the Assignment that is made at the time tipping/dumping is

not always the best assignment as the truck nears the shovel it is
assigned to.
 Jigsaw has what called “Reassignment callpoint” to gets around this.
 Reassignment callpoint is the regular callpoint that configured as the
Reassignment callpoint.
 Reassignment callpoint will:
 Look at all the shovels ahead of the reassignment callpoint
 Re-evaluate the current assignments when the truck enter the road
segment to reassignment callpoint
 Using the same logic as “Truck to Shovel Assignments” above to
determine the best shovel to go to.
How to Influence Optimizer : DP Layer
3. Reassignment callpoint

 Notice: Using too much reassignment callpoints will reduce the

effectiveness of Optimizer and create an inefficiencies to the mine. Use
only at key locations only.

Shovel A DT001
Enter CP1->CP2 road segment
Assignment change to Shovel B
DT001
Reassignment CP2 After tipping : Shovel A

CP1

Shovel B
Dump
How to Influence Optimizer : DP Layer
3. Reassignment callpoint

There is a reassignment cost involved,

which is the cost that is calculated if the
shovel is not the current assigned shovel.

The system defaults the reassignment

cost to: 240.

Refer to Assignment Cost Formula, the

extra cost will be add into the Assignment
cost.

C = Ct * Ti + Ci * (Hi + Wi) + 240

How to Influence Optimizer : DP Layer
4. Queue Capacities

 Shovel and dumps can have a queue capacity set for them.
 By using these capacities we can limit queuing at these locations.
 It is rare that this property has to be used, but in rare events, it can be
used to limit truck assignments
Summary
 In summary the Jigsaw 360 Optimizer is a complex system that utilises
powerful Linear Programming algorithms to determine Required Haulage
rates for mine paths connecting nodes.

 While it is complex, it is also simple in that the Dispatcher can only control /
tweak four various input to adjust trucking assignments.

 The four inputs that can be adjusted to control assignments that have been
outlined above, outside of restrictions, are;
• Percent Coverage
• Shovel Priority
• Reassignment Callpoints
• Queue Capacities
Do not play too much with the inputs, in most case only Percent Coverage
and Shovel Priority that need to be adjusted
Summary
 To run the Optimizer effectively, you need to monitor the hanging and
queuing of the shovels regularly as well as the LP vs Actual on the MTC.
By using the above, we can ensure the Mine is running as optimally as
possible and therefore production is maximised

 it is essential that the road network is maintained and callpoint elevations

are correctly entered. This is important to accurately calculate the Travel
time for free trucks being assigned. It allows the system to calculate
accurate assignment costing.
Thank You!

Questions?