Efficiency of a Bucket Wheel Excavator Lignite Mining System

Bucket Wheel Excavator (BWE) based systems are used worldwide in open pit mining of soft to medium hard rock materials such as lignite, phosphate, etc. This paper presents a 15-year analysis of actual performance data of a Greek, medium-sized, lignite open pit mine. In this mine, BWEs are used for the continuous, selective mining of lignite. Conveyor belts are used for transporting the excavated material to stackers at the lignite stockyards or to the waste dumping sites. The basic excavation equipment had already been used in another mine. As a result, the BWEs examined are rather old machines and their combined service life has exceeded 40 years. Remarkably, no decrease in the overall performance was observed and further utilization of these BWEs is scheduled.