Abstract
This study aims to provide a digital twin tool for mining and construction companies to evaluate the effect of operator behaviors on the truck-loading process, focusing on swing and bucket rotation. While equipment performance estimators are available, there are few tools to assess the influence of operators. The aim is to create a discrete event simulation (DES) model in Arena® to evaluate how variations in swing and bucket angles affect hydraulic excavator production rates. We validated the DES model using real-world data from a case study to assess the differences in behavior among four operators. Results showed that Operator 1 was the most efficient, with a production rate of 78.2 tons/min. Operators 3 and 4 had lower rates of 58.0 and 55.4 tons/min, respectively, despite having shorter cycle times than Operator 2. These results emphasize that the simulator can elucidate the balance between loading time and payloads.
Recommended Citation
M. F. Montenegro Defaz and K. Awuah-Offei, "Utilizing Digital Twins to Model and Optimize Hydraulic Excavator Operator Performance Through Arena Simulation," Mining Metallurgy and Exploration, Springer, Jan 2026.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-026-01598-w
Department(s)
Mining Engineering
Publication Status
Open Access
Keywords and Phrases
Arena simulation; Digital twins; Discrete event simulation; Operator performance optimization
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
2524-3470; 2524-3462
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2026 Springer, All rights reserved.
Creative Commons Licensing
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Publication Date
01 Jan 2026
