Mining Vehicle & Underground Equipment worked example

Dust Protection Cost at 92% points needing upgrade: a worked example

Push points needing upgrade up to 92% and the picture changes. This example computes every intermediate figure at that operating point. An equipment builder specifying dust protection for an underground loader operating in high respirable-dust conditions.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Sealed enclosures and filters: 24 units (unchanged)
  • Cost per sealing point: 320 $/unit (unchanged)
  • Points needing upgrade: 92 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 80)
  • Pressurization system charge: 4,500 $ (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Dust protection cost = sealing points x cost per point x upgrade share % + pressurizer) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 11,566 $ for total dust protection cost, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 482 $ / piece for dust protection cost per unit.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 7,066 $ for variable dust protection cost.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 4,500 $ for fixed dust protection cost adder.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where points needing upgrade sits at 80% and the headline result is 10,644 $, this scenario comes in 8.66% above the baseline at 11,566 $.
  • It computes the total dust protection cost as sealing points multiplied by cost per point and the upgrade share, plus a fixed pressurization system charge. The value of this scenario is the size of the gap it exposes: that gap, priced out over a year, is the budget you can justify spending to close it.

Results at a glance

  • Total dust protection cost: 11,566 $ (headline result)
  • Dust protection cost per unit: 482 $ / piece
  • Variable dust protection cost: 7,066 $
  • Fixed dust protection cost adder: 4,500 $

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Dust Protection Cost calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.