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alpha academy continued Adjacent to the simulator bays is a vertical theatre-style classroom. It has a 16-ft wide screen for training a group of people. "We can place several people, such as miners and mine examiners, in a simulated mine together," Hainer said. Electrical & Mechanical Labs The hands-on equipment in the electrical and mechanical labs allows mechanics and electricians to hone their skills. The company has trained 567 electricians from beginner to state-certified levels, exceeding state expectations by 1,000% as far as training. More than 50% of the training is for safety and compliance. One arrangement, for example, resembles a typical prep plant circuit. Trainers can demonstrate how a change in the set point affects the processes in the plant. Over the welder's left shoulder, the trainer can see the bead he sees without the flash and smoke. Today PLCs and VFDs control valves and motor speeds and they react quickly to changes in settings. In the lab, it is much easier to visualize this than in the actual plant. In another section of the lab, they have all electrical panels for shuttle cars and continuous miners. The trainers can activate faults through a toggle switch. Using a print and an instrument, apprentices learn to find the faults. Alpha started its welding program in 2001. A virtual welding machine allows welders to weld in a number of different angles and thicknesses of metals in a smoke-free environment. The computer describes the quality of the bead. It will tell the welder whether his angle, settings and speed are correct. It can perform a bend test to see if the weld will fail. The student can weld pipe and the program will tell him if the pipe will leak. In another training area, the academy has a dozen welding bays. Each bay has its own hood and they have mine power available so they can move continuous miners and shuttle cars in and out of the facility. Underground Mine Lab The 96,000-sq-ft underground mine lab has eight entries and seven crosscuts, which are 20-ft wide, just as they are underground. The large concrete block building uses walls constructed from aluminum siding (painted black) to give the effect of pillars and ribs. With a gravel floor, it has been constructed to resemble a room-and-pillar mining operation with various stations, such as a continu- 32 www.coalage.com July 2013