Authors: V.V. Zinoviev, I.S. Kuznetsov

Title of the article: The use of computer simulation and animation methods to identify and eliminate “bottlenecks” in the operation of excavator-truck systems

Year: 2026, Issue: 3, Pages: 26-48

Branch of knowledge: 2.8.8 Mining machines, geotechnology (engineering)

Index UDK: 622.015:004.94

DOI: 10.26730/2618-7434-2026-3-26-48

Abstract: In open-pit mining, the excavation, loading, and transportation of rock mass are typically carried out by excavator-truck complexes, whose operational efficiency is significantly affected by downtime of dump trucks waiting to be loaded or downtime of excavators waiting for dump trucks, creating so-called “bottlenecks” that hinder productivity. This study aims to improve the efficiency of an open-pit mining site with five excavator-truck systems by identifying and eliminating “bottlenecks” through the rational allocation of dump trucks among the excavators. Since the problem is complicated by the dynamic and stochastic aspects of loading and transport processes and is difficult to formalize, computer simulation and animation methods were applied to solve it. A discrete-event model was developed using queueing theory to represent the interaction between excavators and dump trucks in time and space, and it was implemented in the GPSS World Core simulation modeling language. An animation model was created using the Proof Animation software to visualize the simulation process on a mnemonic diagram of the equipment’s operation. The number of simulation runs required to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the simulation results was determined. Computational experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficiency of excavator-truck systems based on operational productivity indicators, the average number of dump trucks waiting to be loaded, and the excavator utilization rate. Bottlenecks were identified, and recommendations for eliminating them were provided; these recommendations were verified using the developed models.

Key words: open-pit mining excavator-truck system “bottlenecks” simulation modeling computer animation computational experiments Proof Animation GPSS queueing theory queueing systems

Receiving date: 21.04.2026

Approval date: 03.07.2026

Publication date: 17.09.2026

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