An Approach to Locate an In Pit Crusher in Open Pit Mines

Haulage costs accounts for 45 to 60% of the total operating costs in large open pit mines. Cost efficiency and high reliability of semi mobile or combined "In Pit Crushing-Conveying (IPCC) and truck" systems compared to conventional truck-shovel systems alone, makes it more appealing to be utilized in modern mining activities. Semi mobile systems have the advantages of both systems, and its operating costs depend on the location of the in pit crushing unit. In this paper, the effective factors on determination of a suitable location of an IPCC are studied and it is investigated as a single hub location problem. The main concerns of the optimum location are minimizing haulage costs and choosing a location regarding the environmental concerns. The method is applied in Sarcheshmeh Copper Mine (SCM), and according to the results, locations C1 to C4 are candidate locations, and applying the hub model, location C2 on level 2450 is suggested to locate the IPCC.