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gateroad development continued Once the MB 610 is stabilized with stab jacks, the cutter-head sumps and cuts coal while the roof and rib are bolted. machine was designed with U.S. regulations in mind and the needs of U.S. coal operators. A top speed of 388 ft was achieved with that machine. Back then though, there was no rib bolting or chain mesh application for the roof. U.S. roof conditions have less spalling than Australia and Russia, which results in much faster development speeds. The machine provided the right tools for gateroad development 32 www.coalage.com to keep pace with increasing longwall productivity. The most recent addition to the bolter mine product line is the MB 610 developed in close cooperation with U.S. coal operators. Some of the goals with this machine are increased safety and ergonomics, increased productivity, increased life span of components (longer times between rebuilds), the capability to cut hard intrusions, and more flexibility with bolting patterns. The cutter-head with the MB 450 had a faster speed and less torque. The miners asked for better rock-cutting capability, more torque and less dust generation. The MB 610 has a 30-rpm rotation, which is much slower and allows better visibility. The increased torque also offers better penetration rates. Compared to the predecessor models, life for the operator has been made much easier since Sandvik introduced the autocut cycle on the machine. It also improves the consistency of machine performance because of the workload optimization with standardized gearboxes and electric drives. At the same time, the automatic cutting cycle offers the best cutting pattern for any gateroad profile. The slow cutting speed of 1.8 m/s or 30 rpm greatly reduced dust generation during cutting, contributing to a much healthier environment for the continuous miner operator and roof bolters. The slow cutting speed also reduced the risk of sparks, which helps prevent methane ignition. September 2013