Success of the maintenance optimation pilot project at Darkov

DARKOV – The Continuous Improvement (CI) project became the greatest late summer hit in the OKD mines. It made a successful start in the Darkov Mine as well. In particular, the results of the Maintenance Optimation Project implemented during the first two September decades in the stope No. 140 912, Plant 2, are encouraging.

“The project addressed optimation of the entire set of activities, from the preparation of machinery for mining, through the extraction itself, to drawing. The project included miners involved in stoping, as well as electricians, fitters-specialists or coal drawing operators. Antonín Míra, master mechanic of the stoping operation, considerably contributed to the success as well. He arranged special supplies of spare parts and carefully supervised the maintenance of the shearer loader. Due to careful co-ordination of all related activities, each member of the team exactly knew what to do and the entire production process ended up as a masterly well co-ordinated concert. It is almost a pity that the stoping was already completed and the entire project ended,“ Česlav Lincer, Head of the CI project in the Darkov Mine, concluded.

The result: Increase in the output and in daily advances

Due to the optimum approach of the employees to the project and to the implementation of the CI elements, the average time of operation of the mining machinery was extended to full 50 percents of the total working time (the district-wide average is 30 percents – Editor’s Note) and, proportionately, the production figures were increased as well. The daily output from the stope increased from 2100 tons coal in August to 2800 tons of coal and the daily advances from 4.1 to 5.1 metres!

Stope No. 140 912, currently under liquidation, was equipped with a KGS 645 shearer loader, a Fazos 15/31 shield support, a PF 04 face conveyor and other equipment. It was operated by the stoping team of Rostislav Walica, the chief foreman, which was one of the best that the Darkov Mine can offer. “An excellent team!“ that is how Ivan Hrubý, chief of the section, describes its quality.

Walica: A challenge, motivation and miner’s honour

That is also a reason why Walica´s miners accepted the maintenance optimation project within the Continuous Improvement programme with understanding and fully endorsed it. “I was almost surprised to see how the men identified themselves with this idea and adopted it,“ Rostislav Walica, head of the team, confessed. “We did not need to persuade anybody. We discussed it at production meetings and talked to the shift foremen. The truth is that the men are used to work fast; they know what miner’s honour is and, to them, the optimation project represented a new challenge and motivation. Therefore, in September we again achieved another output limit,“ the chief foreman summarised.

The project will continue

The success of the team led by Rostislav Walica and other stope No.140 912 operators offers a motivation to continue in the maintenance optimation project implementation in other workplaces of the Darkov Mine. “In October, we will address another stoping team,“ Česlav Lincer, mentioned. “Experience from stope No.140 912 show that this is a way how to ensure better use of the equipment and thus also increased productivity. After all, one day, the operation time of the stoping set reached as many as 1000 minutes, i.e. almost 70 percent of the working time of the entire day,“ the Darkov head of the Continuous Improvement project outlined the possibilities of continuous improvement.

(Bohuslav Krzyžanek)