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24 www.coalage.com May 2017 longwall usa 2017 continued to focus on essential operational parame- ters that directly determine outcomes has been shown to improve both output and operating hours and, in some cases, pre- vent severe and sometimes devastating stoppages in longwall performance. The paper will review the use of pre- dictive analytics in reducing or eliminat- ing unplanned downtime, and explain how it is now an essential tool in running a lean longwall operation capable of fully utilizing the information available from today's sensors and operating systems. The parallel introduction of Personal Proximity Detection (PPD) on longwall fac- es, certified to SIL 1 (Safety Integrity Level), enables the longwall powered roof support control system, known as Joy Faceboss, to locate and monitor the position of every operator on the longwall face to within +/- one roof support. Each individual en- tering the longwall wears a personal tag on their belt which transmits radio (RFID) signals. These signals are detected by the Faceboss Mimic control system, providing protection against automated advancing of longwall roof supports. Information on personnel movements can be monitored at a surface station and the system is set to allow automated operator registration. Smart, connected products, including the shearer, roof supports, pump station, AFC and BSL deliver data directly to remote JoySmart service centers, where experts, in partnership with the end users, provide analysis. The experts filter the multitude of data and give only essential information and direct recommendations for longwall pa- rameters, longwall operations, anticipating service needs and optimizing of machine and powered roof support performance. This paper will show, through an ac- tual case study, highlights of how end us- ers have used analytics to improve their systems and operating processes thereby reducing downtime, simplifying process- es, ensuring correct support loads into the roof, and delivering improved perfor- mance and equipment life. In Improved Safety and Productivi- ty Through the Use of Advanced Shearer Automation at Tunnel Ridge, Rob Colaw, longwall maintenance coordinator, and Eric Anderson, general manager for the Alliance Resource Partners' Tunnel Ridge mine, Alliance, will give a short system overview detailing the sensors that support Tunnel Ridge's Advanced Shearer Auto- mation. These sensors include inclination sensors on each ranging arm, a mainframe inclination sensor, rotary sensors on each cowl, rotary sensors on each haulage drivetrain, and several proportional con- trol hydraulic valves to accurately control the ranging arms and cowls. The shearer is also equipped with several high-definition flameproof video cameras, mounted at stra- tegic locations along the body of the shear- er. Video streaming images from the shearer are sent through fiber optic cables to a large monitor located within a Remote Operation Center situated several hundred feet out- by from the longwall face mounted on the "mule services train." The Remote Opera- tions center is also equipped with a hand- held radio to directly control the shearer and multiple displays that provide status and diagnostic information for the shearer, roof supports, and mine-wide operations. The shearer cutting sequence is con- figured, and automated, through the use