System and method for mining site production planning

1. A system for mining site production planning, comprising:

a mining site including loading tools, processors and production arcs; and a control system configured to:

specify a problem-solving technique and associated optimization problem for the mining site by:

setting production goals for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs;

sorting the production arcs in an order based on travel distances;

modifying the order of the sorted production arcs based on the production goals for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs; and

setting target values for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs according to the modified order of the sorted production arcs; and

solve the optimization problem to produce production values for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs based on the target values.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured to determine route assignments for a plurality of mining machines based on the production values for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the production arcs are sorted in an ascending order based on the travel distances.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured to specify the problem-solving technique by:

associating a loading tool capacity and a processor capacity to each of the modified order of the sorted production arcs; and

setting the target values for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs based on at least one of the loading tool capacity and the processor capacity.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the production goals for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs are set based on capacity of at least one of the loading tools, processors and production arcs.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the production goals for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs are set based on a number of mining machines available for the production arcs.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the production goals for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs are set based on a total production capacity.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the order of the sorted production arcs is modified based on an inverse priority ordering of the production goals.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein production restrictions are set for each of the modified order of the sorted production arcs.

10. A method for mining site production planning, wherein a mining site includes loading tools, processors and production arcs, the method comprising:

receiving production goals for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs, at a controller;

sorting the production arcs in an order based on travel distances, using the controller;

modifying the order of the sorted production arcs based on the production goals for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs, using the controller;

setting target values for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs according to the modified order of the sorted production arcs, using the controller; and

producing production values for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs based on the target values, using the controller.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining route assignments for a plurality of mining machines based on the production values for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

associating a loading tool capacity and a processor capacity to each of the modified order of the sorted production arcs; and

setting the target values for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs based on at least one of the loading tool capacity and the processor capacity.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the production goals for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs are set based on capacity of at least one of the loading tools, processors and production arcs.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the production goals for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs are set based on a number of mining machines available for the production arcs.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the production goals for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs are set based on a total production capacity.

16. A control system for mining site production planning, wherein a mining site includes loading tools, processors and production arcs, the control system comprising:

a controller programmed to:

specify a problem-solving technique and associated optimization problem for the mining site by:

receiving production goals for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs;

sorting the production arcs in an order;

modifying the order of the sorted production arcs based on the production goals for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs; and

setting target values for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs according to the modified order of the sorted production arcs; and

solve the optimization problem to produce production values for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs based on the target values.

17. The control system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is further programmed to determine route assignments for a plurality of mining machines based on the production values for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs.

18. The control system of claim 16 , wherein the production arcs are sorted in an ascending order based on travel distances.

19. The control system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is further programmed to:

associate a loading tool capacity and a processor capacity to each of the modified order of the sorted production arcs; and

set the target values for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs based on at least one of the loading tool capacity and the processor capacity.

20. The control system of claim 16 , wherein the order of the sorted production arcs is modified based on an inverse priority ordering of the production goals.