Systems and methods for monitoring extraction height and volume of material extracted for a mining machine. The method includes operating the machine using a shearing motion at a plurality of cut locations. The method includes receiving boom height data and power consumption data. The method includes determining a cut start time, based on a conveyor motor start time, and a conveyor motor stop time. The method includes determining whether a relocation has occurred. The method includes, when the relocation has occurred: determining a cut end time based on conveyor motor stop time and the relocation; and storing, in a memory, the cut start and end time, and the boom height and power consumption data. The method includes adjusting the operation of the mining machine based on the cut start and end time, and the boom height and power consumption data for at least one of the cut locations.

Systems and methods for monitoring extraction height and volume of material extracted for a mining machine. The method includes operating the machine using a shearing motion at a plurality of cut locations. The method includes receiving boom height data and power consumption data. The method includes determining a cut start time, based on a conveyor motor start time, and a conveyor motor stop time. The method includes determining whether a relocation has occurred. The method includes, when the relocation has occurred: determining a cut end time based on conveyor motor stop time and the relocation; and storing, in a memory, the cut start and end time, and the boom height and power consumption data. The method includes adjusting the operation of the mining machine based on the cut start and end time, and the boom height and power consumption data for at least one of the cut locations.

The invention relates to a milling machine having a replaceable milling drum, different types of milling drums being capable of being associated with the milling machine; and having a control unit for controlling the milling machine, machine parameters of the milling machine being settable by way of the control unit. Provision is made that the milling machine has associated with it at least one means that is designed to detect at least one characteristic feature of the milling drum; that the at least one means is connected to the control unit; and that the control unit is designed to specify for at least one machine parameter, indirectly or directly from the characteristic feature, a value to be set, and/or a setting range. The invention further relates to a corresponding milling drum and to a corresponding method. The milling machine, milling drum, and method allow the selection of machine parameters for operation of the milling machine to be simplified.

The invention relates to a milling machine having a replaceable milling drum, different types of milling drums being capable of being associated with the milling machine; and having a control unit for controlling the milling machine, machine parameters of the milling machine being settable by way of the control unit. Provision is made that the milling machine has associated with it at least one means that is designed to detect at least one characteristic feature of the milling drum; that the at least one means is connected to the control unit; and that the control unit is designed to specify for at least one machine parameter, indirectly or directly from the characteristic feature, a value to be set, and/or a setting range. The invention further relates to a corresponding milling drum and to a corresponding method. The milling machine, milling drum, and method allow the selection of machine parameters for operation of the milling machine to be simplified.

A system and method of onboard and offboard visualization of material characteristics in mining is provided. According to one aspect, the method includes a step of providing a voxel representation of a mining area. The voxel representation includes a plurality of voxels. At least one voxel of the plurality of voxels is compared to a geological model of the mining area, and at least one material characteristic is assigned to the at least one voxel based on the geological model of the mining area. In another aspect, the method includes calculating a volume of extracted material, assigning at least one quantified material characteristic to the volume of extracted material based on a geological model, and displaying a visual representation of the volume of extracted material and at least one quantified material characteristic using a visualization tool.

A system and method of onboard and offboard visualization of material characteristics in mining is provided. According to one aspect, the method includes a step of providing a voxel representation of a mining area. The voxel representation includes a plurality of voxels. At least one voxel of the plurality of voxels is compared to a geological model of the mining area, and at least one material characteristic is assigned to the at least one voxel based on the geological model of the mining area. In another aspect, the method includes calculating a volume of extracted material, assigning at least one quantified material characteristic to the volume of extracted material based on a geological model, and displaying a visual representation of the volume of extracted material and at least one quantified material characteristic using a visualization tool.

A control system for controlling operation of a cutter motor and a cutter boom movement mechanism of a machine includes a sensor that measures an amount of load associated with the cutter motor. A controller determines whether the load on the cutter motor is different from a cutter motor load limit. If so, the controller is configured to adjust a velocity of the cutter boom movement mechanism relative to a tip velocity of a rotary cutting tool associated with the machine based on the difference between the measured cutter motor load and the cutter motor load limit until a torque error of the cutter motor reaches a particular value, for instance, zero. Moreover, the controller may also adjust a current speed of the cutter motor in driving the rotary cutting tool based on the adjusted velocity of the cutter boom movement mechanism.

A control system for controlling operation of a cutter motor and a cutter boom movement mechanism of a machine includes a sensor that measures an amount of load associated with the cutter motor. A controller determines whether the load on the cutter motor is different from a cutter motor load limit. If so, the controller is configured to adjust a velocity of the cutter boom movement mechanism relative to a tip velocity of a rotary cutting tool associated with the machine based on the difference between the measured cutter motor load and the cutter motor load limit until a torque error of the cutter motor reaches a particular value, for instance, zero. Moreover, the controller may also adjust a current speed of the cutter motor in driving the rotary cutting tool based on the adjusted velocity of the cutter boom movement mechanism.

A method for assigning a set of tasks to a plurality of mining machines, said machines being arranged to be driven between positions for performing tasks is provided. The method includes defining a first set of constraints to be fulfilled finding an overall solution fulfilling the first set of constraints by solving each constraint as a sub-problem, a solution to at least one sub-problem being dependent on the solution of at least one other sub-problem; the overall solution fulfilling the first set of constraints being an overall solution where a first of said sub-problems is validated by solutions of others of the sub-problems, and assigning tasks to the machines according to the determined validated overall solution, wherein tasks are arranged to be carried out at least partially overlapping in time by the mining machines.

Metal bioremediation and metal mining strategies can include compositions and methods.