COAL AND SOFT-ROCK DEVELOPMENTS
longwall PRSs from US coal producer Warrior Met Coal . These Joy-designed supports also included Joy ’ s Faceboss RS20s electrohydraulic controls , quality audit and project management services .
The first set included 187 face shields and 12 face end shields , with the second set consisting of 177 face shields and nine face end shields .
In September 2022 , Becker-Warkop successfully conducted the Factory Acceptance Test ( FAT ) of the first three PRS units ( two face shields and one face end shield ) at its facility in Swierklany , Poland . The first supports were then shipped from its workshop in January 2023 and , in June 2023 , the complete set of 199 PRS units were successfully delivered to the customer ’ s mine site near Tuscaloosa , Alabama , to be installed later this year .
Becker-Warkop added : “ We are now assembling the second set of 186 PRSs and will start delivering to the customer ’ s mine site in Brookwood , Alabama , in September 2023 , exactly one year after the FAT was completed .”
The company concluded : “ With 30 years of Becker-Warkop experience in the field of PRSs , the support of Hydrotech as an executive partner , and Komatsu , global leaders in providing complete longwall solutions , we are successfully implementing the project together , building confidence in the US market and looking forward to working together on future projects .”
In addition , Becker-Warkop has signed an agreement for a third set of PRSs to be delivered to the Blue Creek longwall coal project Warrior Met Coal is developing in USA . Delivery is due in 2025 .
Komatsu says the performance of highproduction longwall systems can be improved by equipping a PRS with the multifunctional Joy Compak Next Gen hydraulic control system to
The powered roof supports destined for the US in Becker-Warkop ’ s assembly workshop
help facilitate shearer cutting rate with exceptional cycle time performance .
Engineered to be durable and reliable in rugged environments , the Joy Compak system features corrosion-resistant materials on valve block assemblies , components and the main body .
It added : “ With a reduced number of components to lessen wear and tear , the spool valve in the system is engineered to handle higher flow rates , to help reduce the risk of part failure and promote extended life . Providing flexibility to suit the individual needs of an operation , the Joy Compak Next Gen hydraulic system can be conveniently upgraded or retrofit to any PRS system , regardless of manufacturer . The result is a physically smaller valve set with component part commonality for improved serviceability and ease of expansion .”
FAMUR custom roadheader
PRSs and shearers are well known to FAMUR , part of Grenevia SA , a company that has retained significant market share in the coal space for some time .
In the first three months of 2023 , FAMUR noted a steady stabilisation in the mining machinery market , both domestically in Poland and on the international front . At this point in time , it said its primary focus remained on securing new orders and effectively managing an increasing volume of aftermarket orders , which included new leases for shearer loaders and roadheaders .
On the roadheader front , the company recently provided an Italian customer with a brand-new TR-2000 roadheader specifically designed and adapted to work in its gypsum mine .
Roadheaders are widely used in the coal mining industry , but also in aggregate mines , quarries , as well as in the cutting of old concrete foundations and in the cutting of waste rock at mine waste dumps .
The TR-2000 type roadheader is a selfpropelled machine with a cutting drum placed on a boom and a hydraulic drive , designed for driving roadways in rocks with a uniaxial compressive strength of less than 60 MPa . Traditionally , this machine has been used for soft-to-medium hard rock , particularly in coal and salt mines , offering roadway development with , FAMUR says , extraordinary mobility and flexibility .
A FAMUR spokesperson said the roadheader customisation for the Italian customer focused mainly on providing a machine with a cutting height of up to 7 m , instead of the nominal 6.1 m ; offering a closed cooling system ; adding on an integrated conveyor to allow for direct loading onto trucks ; installing the Autocut system to enable automatic cutting ; and equipping the TR- 2000 with a SmartMine system for advanced monitoring of machine parameters related to potential predictive maintenance .
FAMUR ’ s customised TR-2000 type roadheader for the gypsum mine in Italy comes with a cutting height of up to 7 m
IM
AUGUST 2023 | International Mining 63