You are here: Setup Schedule > About > Targets > Material Ratio Targets
GEOVIA MineSched

Material Ratio Targets

You use a material ratio target to target a constant strip ratio. For example, when you want to mine fixed quantities of ore and waste in each scheduling period and the ore and waste material is not spatially separated.

The material ratio target determines where the resources are allocated so that the ratio of ore to waste removed from the mine is as similar as possible for each scheduling period.

You use the Material ratio targets data grid to define material ratio targets for the schedule. The material ratio is calculated by dividing the From material classes in the From destinations by the To material classes in the To destinations. You can also define a priority for each material ratio target, allowing you to identify the relative importance of each target when multiple targets are defined.

Usually, you set up material ratio targets between destination locations. You can also set up material ratio targets between material classes in the same stockpile. You cannot set up material ratio targets between material classes in the same process.

Note: If a single material class in your scenario can be moved from a mining location to more than one destination, and you have set up quality targets for the destinations, you must define material ratio targets for the destinations. The quality targets define the qualities of the end products you want to achieve. The material ratio targets define the quantities of your end products that you want to produce. If you do not define material ratio targets, MineSched does not know how much of the material to move to each destination and the schedule will not run.

You can define new targets or change the values and priorities of existing targets at the start and end of each scheduling period. If you define a change to a target partway through a period, it is not applied until the start of the next period.

Columns in the Material Ratio Targets Data Grid

Column Description
From
Destinations

The location or locations to which the target applies.

This destination is the numerator of the ratio.

Tip: You can use wildcards to specify more than one location. To specify the locations using the Wildcard Expression Builder, click the Ellipsis button.

Materials

The material class or classes for the numerator destination.

You must specify a material class only if you are creating a material ratio target for different materials in the same stockpile. If you are creating a target between different destinations, leave the default value of all material classes.

Tip: You can use wildcards to specify more than one material class. To specify the material classes using the Wildcard Expression Builder, click the Ellipsis button.

To
Destinations

The location or locations to which the target applies.

This destination is the denominator in the ratio.

Tip: You can use wildcards to specify more than one location. To specify the locations using the Wildcard Expression Builder, click the Ellipsis button.

Materials

The material class or classes for the denominator destination.

You must specify a material class only if you are creating a material ratio target for different materials in the same stockpile. If you are creating a target between different destinations, leave the default value of all material classes.

Tip: You can use wildcards to specify more than one material class. To specify the material classes using the Wildcard Expression Builder, click the Ellipsis button.

Value (from : to) and priority
Value

The target value for the ratio.

The value can be any real number greater than or equal to zero. For example, if the Value is 2, the target is to deliver twice as much material to the From Destinations as is delivered to the To Destinations.

Ratio unit

The unit that is used to define the ratio. Options are:

  • MASS
  • VOLUME
  • any aggregate quality
Priority

The relative importance of each target.

The priority value can be any numeric value greater than zero. The lower the value the higher the priority. The default value is 100.

Note: You can turn a target off by setting a priority of zero.

Timing
Date/event

The date on which the target is applied.

You can use a calendar date or an event. The date or event plus the Delay determines the actual start date.

You use the Calendar button to select a date from a calendar. You use the Ellipsisbutton to select an event using the Event Builder.

Note: You can set targets for the same destinations over different periods of time with different values for the Value, Ratio Unit, and Priority. Changing targets is only sensible at the start of each new scheduling period. If you set up a change to a target during a scheduling period, the change is applied at the start of the next scheduling period.

Delay

The delay, after the Date/event, before the target is applied.

The default delay is 0. The delay can be any positive number.

Note: Part days are expressed as decimals, not in HH:MM:SS format.

Usually, delays are used when the Date/event is an event, and the actual date that the event occurs is not known until the schedule is run.

Comments Any notes you want to record about the target.

See also