Coal Age

DEC 2014

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sister mine, the "No. 73," is in Rayland, Jefferson County) and another in Kentucky (Highwall Miner No. 61). Leading the charge at Commonwealth are President Stuart Cox and General Superintendent Sam Hendrick, both of whom praise their Stark County team for their commitment to safe, productive operations. In the case of Highwall Miner No. 73, Commonwealth is mining an average seam height of 44 in. and is equipped to mine depths up of 1,340 ft. Production consis- tently averages 2,100 linear ft per 12-hour shift. That's all perfect by Cat standards; its HW300s produce an average of 120,000 tpm in coal seams and the business end of the unit ideally aims for recovery of 70% of in- place coal. The HW300 can also handle dip- ping seams of (plus or minus) 8˚ and can operate on contour benches as narrow as 65 ft (18 m). "The team has put together some updates with the latest technologies as this [HW300] highwall mining system evolves, and the core group — they've been with us for sev- eral years — they're the best in the busi- ness," Cox said. The team also receives a high level of OEM support from Cat, as noted by HW300 Commercial Manager JD Fairchild. The longtime highwall miner application spe- cialist noted that Oxford is one of many operators that employ multiple highwall miners due to their sound investment potential and rapid capital return, particu- larly when coal is not performing at its peak. "Customers will choose this system for two overriding reasons, safety and revenue generation. The HW300 automates a great deal of its operation, so crews can be limit- ed to three or four people per shift. That's a safety advantage. The machine's produc- tion capability — like being able to mine material in less-than-ideal conditions — is just one reason why this machine is so cost effective," Fairchild said. Building the Beast: the HW300 The No. 36, as Commonwealth and Cat refer to it, is not the company's newest miner sent out the factory doors, but it is certainly advanced in its design and specifications and ready to take on every whim of its crew. The bench before a highwall is, by design, not the most spacious of areas, but the HW300 can fit on benches of only 65 ft and tram easily between entries, with a reel and steel-armored chain that protects the inner components including power cables, cutter control cable and coolant lines. The miner's cutter module (four sizes are available) is pushed into the seam by a series of push beams, also known as unmanned coal-conveying elements, that get the head to the back of the drive, and the extracted coal can be sent back to crews via an optional right-angle conveyor sys- tem or a stacking conveyor system, where coal is moved to the center of the bench for the stockpiling of larger volumes. The unit's hydraulically powered tracks can articulate independently in two operating modes, mine mode and tram mode, and the set of four can rotate the machine 360° as need- ed, allowing for needed maneuverability. As Fairchild noted, a common question from potential customers is how the miner or the operator knows when what's being cut is all coal. The answer starts with the operator monitoring cutter head amperage as it travels forward. This is the most com- mon method; however, an optional gamma detection system, which can be used to guide the cutter module through the coal seam and leave predetermined amounts of coal in the roof and floor also permits easier coal mining in soft roof and/or soft floor environment. The operator, protected from the ele- ments in the miner's pressurized cab, has a full view of the operation, the highwall itself and the touchscreen monitoring systems logging every movement in the bench. In addition to the GDS, the Cat HW300 also has an optional solid-state, fiber-optic, gyro-based navigation and steering system (FOG) that offers real-time cutter module location data in real time. Using a programmable logic controller (PLC), a highwall operator can also view comprehensive diagnostics, including trou- bleshooting and maintenance assistance, to help keep uptime percentages as high as possible. Another common inquiry from would- b e h i g h w a l l e r s i s h o w t h e u n i t k e e p s steady with pinpoint parallel accuracy. In the case of the Cat HW300, an anchor- i n g s y s t e m w i t h t w o f r o n t - m o u n t e d drills can sink up to 8 ft into the pit floor t o s t a b i l i z e t h e m a c h i n e , k e e p i n g i t exactly in its place even while working at h i g h w a l l m i n i n g c o n t i n u e d The Commonwealth mining team averages 4,000 tons per week from the East Canton site. December 2014 www.coalage.com 27 The Cat HW300's power head and push beams move the cutter head up to 1,000 ft into the mountain.

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