MECHANISED COAL
n Increase of safety level of mining works
n Consistency of underground development
n Increase of efficiency and cost effectiveness
of production
n Fulfilment of planned production in order to
satisfy demands of the region’s power stations.
Throughout 2017, Becker-Warkop is delivering
another mechanised complex to Zenica mine.
Roadheaders/CMs
Steady-state production from the Kakanj
longwall is 2,000 t/d. The mineable seam
thickness is 3.2 m, face length 120 m, panel
length 500 m and seam inclination up to 8°. It’s
an Eickhoff SL-300 shearer with Becker-Warkop
supports, face conveyor, reloader and crusher
On July 19, 2016 acceptance and testing of the
purchased equipment took place at Becker-
Warkop's production plant in Świerklany
(Poland). As a result of the tests, all required
specifications were confirmed. The hydraulic
support system delivered to Kakanj mine was
tested for 60,000 working cycles and consists of
the following Becker-Warkop equipment:
n Hydraulic supports BW 15/36 POz (80 in total)
n Face conveyor PZS BW 230/750
n Reloader PZP BW 230/750
n Crusher KDBW 800-1200 produced by Becker-
Warkop.
The shearer is an Eickhoff SL-300.
Becker-Warkop says this new mechanised
complex provides:
The largest Russian coal producer, Siberian Coal Energy Co (SUEK), recently placed an order with the
regional Cat ® dealer, Vostochnaya Technica (VT), for a complete AFC system to equip the company’s
second 400 m longwall face. The longwall will operate in the mine in Kemerovo District named after
V.D. Yalevskyi, Yalevskogo Seam #52 (formerly Mine #7), with commissioning planned for early next
year. In April, SUEK commissioned the first 400 m (1,300 ft) longwall face in Russia in the same mine,
but in Seam #50, formerly called Kotinskaya. Previously, the widest longwall face in Russia was 300
m. The equipment for the face extension and the upgrade of the AFC system was manufactured by
Caterpillar and assembled and commissioned by VT.
The longwall systems at the two faces average cutting heights of approximately 4 m. The new
system for Yalevskogo consists of a Cat AFC PF6/1142 with three drives of 1,000 kW each and Cat
CST65 gear boxes, a Cat PF6/1342 beam stage loader with a Cat SK11/14 crusher and a belt return
unit. The AFC system will go into operation with Cat roof supports. With its patented trough concept
and durable pan design, the Cat AFCPF6 face conveyor is particularly suited for applications in
longwalls with extended face length and for panels with coal reserves of 10 Mt and more. The
innovative design of the PF6 line pan allows the separation of wear parts and structural parts. Very
hard, wear-resistant materials are used for wear parts, while the structural parts are made of high-
strength steel
44 International Mining | SEPTEMBER 2017
Roadheaders and continuous miners (CMs) are
generally the machines of choice to develop
longwalls, and CMs are of course the preferred
primary mining machine for room and pillar
mines. However, roadheaders are getting much
better at cutting tough rock. At Barrick Gold’s
Cortez mine, a Sandvik MH620, one of the
world’s largest roadheaders is steadily cutting
two new declines to the lower section of the
operation’s underground deposit.
Barrick chose mechanical cutting instead of
traditional drill-and-blast to develop the new
portals, the first time a roadheader has ever been
used at the mine. The company is also set to
introduce a roadheader for ore production at its
nearby Turquoise Ridge gold mine in 2017.
It’s a paradigm shift towards continuous
mining that Barrick expects will bring significant
economic and safety benefits to its Nevada
operations.
Jim Wieser is the safety manager for Drill Tech
on the Cortez contract. He says “roadheaders are
definitely better for long-term development.”
Roadheaders are often a more cost-efficient
alternative, eliminating the need for drilling,
blasting and mucking and reducing ground
support costs. Rock is conveyed directly onto
haul trucks as the roadheader continuously
carves out an extremely accurate tunnel,
minimising overbreak.
Weighing 125 t, the Sandvik MH620 cutting the
declines at Cortez is one of the world’s largest
roadheaders. A 300 kW cutting motor drives twin
rotating cutter heads that are manoeuvred by a
large hydraulically-operated boom. It is
engineered for economical excavation of hard,
abrasive rock with compressive strengths
exceeding 120 MPa. A robust, hydraulically
stabilised telescopic cutter boom optimises
cutting power, ensuring rapid roadway development.
Wieser, who’s operated smaller roadheaders
from Sandvik predecessors Voest-Alpine and
Dosco in previous projects, estimates some of
the hardest black limestone Drill Tech has
encountered at Cortez to be in the 12,000-15,000
PSI range.
“The MH620 has no trouble cutting it,” Wieser
says. “The roadheader itself stays stable and
doesn’t move around and jump around and beat
itself to death. It’s a great machine for the harder-
type material.”