The Australian Coal Association (ACA) will fund a 3-year, A$4-million project to research longwall automation.
The work will be conducted jointly by the Cooperative Research Centre for Mining Technology & Equipment (CMTE) and the Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), a division of the Institute of Industrial Technologies.
The goal is to make it easier to remove underground coal miners from hazardous situations without disrupting productivity.
“We’ve visited companies and equipment manufacturers in Australia and overseas to gain their commitment towards the project’s success,” says Prof. Paul Lever, who will head the CMTE team. The CSIRO team will be led by Michael Kelly, coal mining co-ordinator.
Prof. Hal Gurgenci, also with the CMTE, says equipment reliability is a big part of the project.
“Compared to surface equipment, longwall systems are not known for their high reliability,” he says. “The overall 1997 availability in a typical Australian longwall site was only slightly above 50%, and more than 40% of production delays were attributable to sporadic and frequent equipment problems.”
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