using minesight to explore open stoping
TRANSCRIPT
Using MineSight for to Explore Open Stoping
©2009 Dr. B. C. PaulNote- This slide set uses views taken from Mintec’s MineSight
software program and utilizes files created for Mintec Underground training or from their seminars for demonstration purposes.
What is MineSight?
• It is a mine planning and design computer software package– It works in true 3D Cad making it suitable for
complex underground metal mines and structures
• This slide set and following assignment are intended to orient you only to basic operations of views and visualizing within the program.
Why a Computer Package?
• Most mines today use one or more computer packages to speed the engineers design process and productivity– The ability to do computer aided design will
increase your marketability and speed of orientation to engineering jobs in industry
Why MineSight?• There are multiple packages out there
– MineSight– Vulcan– Datamine– Gemcon– Carlson
• Each has a following– SIU has MineSight and Carlson
• Knowing one makes picking up another easier since they do similar things with varying ease and efficiency.
Limitations Comments• Carlson is easiest to learn
– Has very limited 3D visualization (its an autocad overlay)
– Was built for underground coal with simple deposit bedding
• Applications are very focused on day to day cad mapping– Planning Optimization functions and routines are limited
• Has the best survey input connectivity in the business– Very good for using surveys to keep up mine maps or advance
operations• About 90% of coal industry in U.S. uses
– Performance for true 3D metals, industrial minerals or more complex coal is poor
True 3D Packages
• Datamine came out of a computer graphics company– Has some remarkable visual tricks including
3D movies– Allows variable size blocks to be used for
deposits• Very helpful for underground vein deposits
– Does not have the add on features of for mine planning
• Was developed to capitalize on graphics more than mining
More True 3D• Gemcon
– Functions highly broken down by modules– Little simpler than some true 3D but lacks versatility
and forces assumptions and approximations.• Vulcan
– Part of a more comprehensive software company– Prob better underground than surface– Prob one of most windows like
• Software design not strictly mine focused• Prob most like MineSight• Reputed to be one of the most unfriendly and hard to use
MineSight• Was born out of software development in Mining
in the 1960s– Built up an independent 3D interface– Prob the most comprehensive set of optimization
programs in the business– Still a Mining focused software company– Built for and dominates open pit metal– (We also have a number of alums there and get really
good service)– For flat 2D bedded deposits the flexibility (and
required decision making that comes with it) resembles nuking an ant hill
Starting Up MineSight
Click Start Select All Programs Pick MineSight Select MS3D
(of course you canDo this from aDesktop icon too).
MineSight’s “Splash Screen” comes up
Click browse toWork your wayTo the directoryWhere yourAssignment filesAre located
If you have beenWorking a lot ofProjects recentlyYou can pickFrom a drop downList (since thisWill be a first timeFor you this won’tHappen now)
The Browse Screen Comes Up
The browseScreen works justLike windowsAnd windowsexploring
Pick the Starting Directory and Click Ok
The Directory Comes Up in the Screen
Click Ok
MineSight Will Start Up(your opening a completed project)
The viewer isWhere youSee you image
Data ManagerIs a twoTiered WindowsExplorer
The top levelShows whereThe folder is
The bottomShows whatsIn the folder
More FeaturesDrop downMenus at the topBring up optionsAnd function
Icons provideShort cuts to manyOf the most usedFunctions
The information lineShows coordinatesAnd distances etc.
The messageWindow tells youWhat MineSight isLooking for next.
Lets Experiment with Data Manager and See How it Works
Use a click of yourLeft mouse buttonTo pick 2007Seminar in theData Manager
Note the plusBeside it – left clickThe plus
(Ok this is just likePicking things inWindows – not soHard for peopleWith computerExperience)
Note Clicking the Plus Expands and shows the files below
(Yes this works just like Windows Exploring)
Left click on theCompletedDevelopmentFolder to pick it(it turns blue)
Note that theBottom part ofData ManagerNow shows youWhat files areIn the folder.
We Can Close Everything
Left click 2007Seminar toPick the folder
Right click – upComes the pop-Up
Move the curserOver close untilIt turns blue
Left click it toClose everythingIn that folder.
We Are About to Examine an Underground Open Stoping Mine
Move your curserOver 3ddevp inThe upper part ofData Manager andLeft click it.(yes it turned blueAnd all the files inIt appeared inThe lower windowOf Data Manager.
Lets Take a Look at How Our Mine is Accessed
Move your mouseOver 3DshaftsAnd X cuts inThe lower part ofData Manager.
Left click withYour mouse. TheSelection willTurn blue.
Now withoutMoving yourMouse right click.This will bring upA Pop-Up Menu
Move Your Curser Up the Menu to Open (note that options turn blue as the curser
moves over the top)
When you getTo open leftClick it with yourMouse.
We See Our Shaft Coming from the surface and going down to 4 different shaft stations
From eachStation on the shaftThere is a cross-cutThat moves towardThe orebody
The shaft continuesDown below theBottom station toAn ore pocket at theBase where oreCan be collected andHoisted to the surface
Note What Happened in Data Manager
The 3D Shaft &Xcuts file turnedRed. (This meansThe file is openIn the viewer)
I Wonder How the Ore Gets Down to that Ore Pocket at the Bottom of the Shaft
Move your curserTo 3Drockpass inThe lower windowOf Data ManagerAnd left click (pickIt so it turns blue)Now right click forThe pop-up menu
Move your curserTo open andRight click it
There is the Rock PassEquipment in theUnderground mineCarries ore toThe rock passAnd dumps itDown the shootWhere it goes toThe ore pocket.
LHD Moving Ore
Use the Same Procedure To Open 3Dfwhaulage
Equipment drivesAround undergroundIn the haulageDrifts.
Note that theCross-cuts fromThe shaft stationsProvide accessTo the haulageDrifts.
Note also that theHaulage drifts goOver to the orePass.
Miners and Equipment Like to Breath
We can use ourObject openingProcedure to open3Dvents.
We can see thatThe undergroundHaulage waysGo to air shaftsWhere fresh airCan be circulatedInto the mine.
One Problem With Underground Equipment is Moving it from One Level to Another
Many mineShafts are notBig enough toAllow fullyAssembledEquipment toMove from oneLevel to anotherSo the oftenBuild ramps forEquipment toDrive from oneArea to another
We used ourOpen procedureTo open3D ramps.
Our View is Now Getting A Little Hard to See
Move your mouseOver to the viewer.
Depress and holdBoth the left andRight mouse keysAnd move themouse
Note that you can rotate the angle you view the mine from
Now hold downThe left mouseButton and theCenter button orRoller
Move the mouseDown.
Note that you Zoom Out – That didn’t help us see much
Holding the sameLeft and centerMouse buttons downMove your mouseup
Note That You Zoom In
Now hold downThe right andCenter mouseButton and moveYour mouse
Note that you can pan around the screen
Move yourMouse aroundAnd try to lookAt things toHelp you betterUnderstand howThe undergroundMine works.
Here is Another View
When Things Were Rotten
Sometimes youAre trying to panAnd rotate aroundAnd you can’t keepYour objectCentered and itRotates right offThe screen.
You Are Suffering From a Poorly Placed Viewing Camera
To fix things, panYour view backOnto the screen
Left Click the Pretty Camera Icon
Then left clickA spot near theCenter of theObject you areLooking at.
Now the cameraIs close to yourObject andYour rotationsWill stay onscreen
Much Better
We Know They Are Mining Ore But Where is it?
In the top ofData ManagerLeft click onPlnore
Now in the lowerPart of DataManager useYour openingProcedure andOpen 66-solid.
Note that in most Underground Mining the mine working are put in underneath the
orebodyWe say that weAre putting ourDevelopment inThe footwall.(you can imagineWhat wouldHappen if wePut them in the“hanging wall”And then minedOut a holeUnderground thatThings cavedInto later – ieDropped out fromUnder you).
When We Rotate Around to Look At Things we find some views kind of blocked
Lets try someTricks
Move your mouseOver to 66 solidAnd make sure itIs blue (ie – hasBeen picked byLeft clicking). NowRight click to getThe pop-up menu
Highlight and Select Properties
The Object Properties Window Opens
We can changeThe waySurfaces areDisplayed.
Point your mouseTo wireframeOnly and leftClick the radioButton.
Well I Can Definitely See Through that but Wireframes confuse some people
Ok – I’m going toLeft click facesOnly and looseThe wireframe
I might like to playWith the colorJust for grins andA little detour –Left click theGlobal Color icon
Up Comes My Color Pallet
I think I will pickA light yellowBy left clickingIt and thenLeft clicking Ok
(this looks prettyMuch like theStandard colorPallet stuff mostWindowsPrograms have)
Hmm – I wonder what I can do for solid gold.
One thing I kindOf dislike aboutSurface is that itStill looks likeA rough web ofTriangles(it was made byTriangulatingBetween contourLines of the oreBody)
Left click on theSurfaces tab ofThe ObjectProperties
If I Left Click on the box by Smooth Shading it Smoothes those rough edges
Hay I Found a Cure to My Orebody Hiding My Mine Works
I left clicked theTransparent Faces box andThen increasedThe numberBeside it – theHigher the numberThe more see-Through (this is75)
I’m going toLeft click ok toGet out of thisFor now.
I Think I Will Get My Surface showing too
I picked Topo onThe upper partOf Data ManagerAnd then used myOpening procedureOn the tri-topoFile.
MineSight lets youSet up and nameFiles and folders forThings as you likeSo the namingScheme for thingsCan very with theDesigner.
These Views are Nice But How Do We Know What to Mine?
Computer modelsDivide orebodiesUp into stackedBlocks. TheAverage grade ofEach block asWell as otherInformation aboutThat part of theOre is stored inThe program.These are calledBlock Models.
Lets take a look at our block modelLeft click on thePln-ore folderIn the top ofData Manager
This time Right Click the Folder After it is Picked
A pop up menuAppears hereToo
Move the curserOver close soThat it turns blue-Then left click it
(The trick here isThat I can openOr closeEverything in a Whole folder thisWay)
Go to Data Manager and Left Click on Model
Now go to UG66In the lower partOf Data ManagerAnd use yourOpeningProcedure.
Now We See A Block Model ofOre Body
The block colorCoding actuallyRepresents howRich the ore is.
Now Lets Think About Planningan Open Stope Mining Sequence to Get
This Good Stuff
Often When We Mine We Plan to Go After the Best Ore First
I like the looks ofThis stuff
Open Stoping Takes Ore Out of the Ground leaving an open void behind
Here you seeThe first stopeOf ore I dugOut. You canAlso see it hitsSome of theJuiciest ore blocksAround
(Ok you alsoNoticed that IMade my blockModel partlyTransparent soYou could seeWhat I wasWacking out)
I Think I Will Go After the Next Best Ore on the Top Level
Next I think I willGo to the bestOre on the levelBelow.
MineSight Has a Part Called Activity Planner that Can Keep Track of My Ore Grades from Stopes as
I Mine them.
I think I will tryGoing in herenext
The View Shows all My Underground Support Workings
In practice asI see where IWill go first IMay developAll theUndergroundWorkings in theOrder neededTo stay aheadOf mining.
(The fact thatThe productionShaft lined upWith the first oreI would mineWas not anAccident)
And So I Continue to Sequence for the Best and Most Profitable Ore
Eventually We Are Left With a Series of Hollow Open Stopes in the Ground
The ground isNow supportedBy pillars that runAcross the top ofThe open stopes(Called CrownPillars)
A pillars betweenOpen stopes(sometimes calledRibs or RibPillars)
And Pillars Between StopesThese areCalled ribs,Or rib pillars
The Value of the Ore Remaining in Pillars Determines What Happens Next
If the ore in thePillars is valuableEnough the openStopes areFilled with mixturesOf sand (or millTailings) andCement
With the Stopes Backfilled Mining of the Pillars Can Begin
The Pillars Can Be Mined(Frequently some backfilling will be required)
Wow!Wait a minute –The backgroundWas black –What happened?
The Funny Little Blue List is the Viewer Properties
Left click on theViewer properties
Up Comes the Viewer Properties Window
The backgroundColor is controlledFrom the littleColor palletDown here
Left click on it
Pick Your Color With a Left Click
Then left click ok
Hmm – Ok Hot Pink is a Little Over the Top
The Lighting Tab lets you Adjust Lighting Effects on Your Mine Drawing
I bet you figuredOut that I leftClicked myViewer propertiesAnd changed theBackgroundColor back beforeGoing here toPlay with theLighting.
I Can Go for the Spot Light
Left click the littlePull down arrow
Move the curserOver the spot lightTo turn it blueAnd then left click.
You Can Experiment with Lighting Effects
With Spot Light With Distant Light
I Can Also Change the Color And Brightness of the Lights
Ok – Maybe that light effectKind of stinks.
Of Course We Still Have Not Explained How We Got the Rest of the Way Over to the Ore Body to
Mine It
Cross Cuts Are Developed From the Foot Wall Haulage Drifts to the Orebody
You Then Develop A Drill Drive Down the Center of the Deposit
From the drillDrive drillingWill be doneUp into theOrebody to blastDown ore.The ore can bePulled out usingLHDs workingFrom theCross-cuts intoThe orebody
(If you suspect ITurned off theRamp to clear upThe view youAre right)
Jumbo Drill Advancing A Drill Drift
Stopes Are Started By Putting UpSlot Raises from the Drill Drifts
In order to blastOre there hasTo be a placeFor the brokenRock to go.The first sliceOf ore will beBlown into theSlot raise.
Once A Slice Has been Cut Out all Across the Orebody Later Slices are Blasted into
that Void
There Are Variations of Open Stoping That Depend Mostly on Where the Drill Drifts are
LocatedSome varietiesPut the drill driftOn top of theStope.
Other have drillDrifts on theSides of theorebody
Your Assignment Opportunity
• In this assignment you will perform work and then document your work using screen shots that you will save to a Word document.
Get A View That You Want on Your Screen
On yourKeyboardDepress theControl andPrint screenKeys at theSame time
Go to Your Word Document and Left Click the Paste Icon
Now For the Things You Get to Show
• Start MineSight and Take a Screenshot of your “splash screen”
• When the Project Opens Take a Screen Shot.• Go to the 3D Development Folder and open the shaft
and crosscuts, footwall haulage drifts, Rock Pass, Vent shafts, and ramp – take a screen shot
• Rotate your view around and take another screen shot• Zoom in and take a screen shot• Zoom out and take a screen shot• Zoom to a convenient point and pan your view and take
a screen shot.• Change the background color of your viewer and take
another screen shot.
Continued Work• Go to the plnore folder and open the file 66solid – take a
screen shot• Rotate your workings around so you can see where they
are relative to your ore body – take a screen shot• Now adjust your ore body to have a smooth, semi-
transparent surface so that you can see your mine workings from the hanging wall side of the orebody – take a screen shot.
• Turn in your word document with your name and the required screen shots.
• Also go to the working directory for your project and find the file msAudit.txt and make a copy of this file to turn in.
• Note that this assignment is best submitted by e-mail attaching a word file and a copy of the msAudit.txt file.