An application of gis system and rcm strategy in maintenance management in coal mine

Facilities and technical systems used in coal mines have limited durability. This is the result of very difficult conditions in which they are used. In particular it applies to environmental conditions and not entirely predictable load states of these facilities. Mining machines and devices are also exposed to various types of hazards, which in many cases significantly reduce their durability. For this reason, it is very important to properly use them and supervise and monitor their work. In this respect, huge responsibility falls on the maintenance services, which should continuously monitor the parameters of their work and the condition of these machines. The data obtained in this process should be used to develop and implement a rational strategy for servicing these machines and devices. The article presents a proposal for the use of GIS systems and RCM strategy for this process. The RCM strategy includes optimization of the machine exploitation process by providing them with adequate reliability. It is based on effective service management in order to ensure the reliability of a given technical facility. The solution proposed in the article includes the practical use of both of these tools to support the maintenance management process in a mining company. Because the conditions of machine operation, as well as machine maintenance / repair may occur in specific geographic locations, an opportunity to improve the decision process in the discussed area is the use of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) in the maintenance management in mines. In this case, selected layers of the GIS system may contain data on the exploited objects, and the remaining ones on the conditions of their operation, i.e. factors that affect them. Based on these data, you can indicate tasks (maintenance, repairs) to be performed in technical facilities exploited in specific geographic locations. Such linking of the GIS system to the RCM strategy should result in improved effectiveness of maintenance services. For the needs of research, in terms of supporting service task planning, GIS systems were integrated with the computer maintenance management system, as well as with the system supporting the implementation of the RCM philosophy. The work also presents a practical example of the application of the developed solution. The authors assume that the introduction of this solution will improve the reliability of machines and the efficiency of their use, and thus improve the efficiency of the entire production process.