Overview

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Some users may wish to exclusively link one Agent with one Loader (for reasons discussed in TS. Schedule Logic Overview). This can be done by ticking the Use as Agent option in the loader definition. 

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More detailed explanation on Use as Agent option for Loaders is given below.

Fleets

Fleets provide a means to switch between different truck-and-loader groups for given times, locations, materials and destinations.

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Agents pick blocks during a period until stopped by Dependencies or Constraints.

Avoid using the Proportional Extraction setting. It is a specific tool that affects your schedule speed significantly, by making selected Agent to mine every material in multiple passes instead of one pass.

Schedule Transactions

To understand the relationship between Agents, Fleets and Loaders, the schedule transaction process needs to be reviewed. A scheduled transaction is defined as moving an amount of material between a source and destination with a specific truck and loader. The basic steps in this process are reviewed below. 

1. An Agent uses the user-defined Dependencies and Incentives to generate a ranked list of blocks to be mined. 

2. With the highest ranked blocked selected, an Agent goes through the Destination Logic until it finds a rule that meets all of the criteria.

3. Once an Agent knows the source, material and destination, then it uses the Step Logic to look up the step(s) and fleet(s) for the transaction
   

   1. The Step Logic rule will contain one or more "steps" from the original source to the final destination. Each "step" will be associated with a fleet.

   2. An Agent goes through each "step" and picks the relevant loader/truck pairing with available hours remaining from the associated fleet.

4. The Agent queries Haul Infinity for a cycle time for the given source, material, destination, truck, and loader. Hours are then depleted at the dig rate for the specified truck and material.

   1. This process is repeated for all the "steps" associated with the Step Logic rule.

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Agents and Fleets logics

As an Agent executes schedule transactions, Fleets are triggered in the Step Logic component of the transaction. By default, the relationship between Agents and Fleets is a many-to-many meaning the Agent has access to multiple Fleets and a Fleet is able to be accessed by multiple Agents.

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The configuration of the Fleets "Loader-Truck" pairings determines what Loader an Agent assigns to a movement. If a fleet comprises of multiple line items in its "Loader-Truck" pairings, then the Agent will deplete hours from the equipment in the order they are listed.

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• Utilise the EX123 until it runs out of CAT785D hours

• Utilise the SHV123 until it runs out of CAT785D hours

• Utilise the LDR123 on all remaining truck hours

Once a Loader has been assigned to a movement, then its hours are depleted at the dig rate for the specified truck and material.

Loader as Agent

Sometimes we may wish to establish a one-to-one relationship between an Agent and a loader type so that an Agent can only ever represent one loader type, and a loader type can only be represented by one Agent.

Checking the Use as Agent option for a loader type establishes this relationship and results in a (bold, blue) linked Fleet and linked Agent being automatically added to the project whose name match that of the loader type. 

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The "Loader-Truck" Pairings of the automatically generated Fleet can only incorporate the loader type that it is mapped to. Mixed loader types are not allowed and you will be presented with an error which will prevent you from moving forward if this is detected.

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Using Product Optimisation short-cuts the capacity and time usage constraints, resulting in Infeasible Solution and Overflow warnings respectively.