ABSTRACT
This paper uses reliability modelling and discrete-event simulation to compare two levels of automation on a diamond drill to the performance of the non-automated drill. Improvements in sub-system life and drill-bit life are incorporated into the simulation to provide a truer comparison. Results show that including such process improvements, which result from automation, is imperative for a comprehensive evaluation of automation benefits. A sensitivity analysis, using a series of simulations, is then performed to investigate how changes in the failure characteristics of the various subsystems would affect the drill’s mechanical availability. The sensitivity analysis is used to identify where efforts should be focused for reliability growth, and what targets those efforts should have.
