The Maintenance department of Premogovnik Velenje oversees the implementation of two main processes:
• installation, dismantling and maintenance of mining equipment, and
• transport of coal, materials, equipment and people.
Installation, dismantling and high-quality maintenance of mining equipment are the basic prerequisites in coal production and in undisrupted operation on faces and at preparation sites. The difficult conditions in which coal is produced make Maintenance a very important department. For a thorough control over all activities, the current situation and maintenance costs for all 45000 active pieces of equipment currently used in coal production, we use the advanced EAM system Maximo, which offers many different possibilities of use. The biggest part of maintenance is preventive measures, which are taken in order to secure the required operational reliability by carrying out regular inspection of equipment and regular maintenance. The Maximo system has brought the conventional control and overview of costs, shut-downs and activities based on reports to a new level. Effective control is exercised with the help of KPI (key performance indicators), which are used for timely indication of all deviations and changes.
In coal production, we use the most advanced mining equipment and increasingly work towards automation of individual machines or sets of machines. This requires qualified employees in the Maintenance department, and their regular training.
Coal is transported from the depth of 500 m to the surface with chain and belt conveyors. The vital part of coal extraction takes place at the main extraction size Pesje, which is comprised of six fully automated conveyors of 1400 mm in width.
In the mine, materials and equipment are transported along a floor-mounted rail system and a suspended rail system. Transport units and equipment are fitted with barcodes in order to enable control over the supply of material in and out of the mine.
People are transported into the mine through a shaft with a conveyor, and along the mine with a suspended rail system with a diesel engine and a chairlift with detachable chairs.
The Maintenance department is comprised of the following organisation units:
• Coal mine mechanical engineering unit
• Coal mine electrical engineering unit
• Coal mine transport
The Coal mine mechanical engineering unit also manages ad coordinates activities of the HTZ OUTN unit (Servicing and management of transport equipment).