Longwall-Shearer (Fully functional)

Longwall mining is an efficient mining method and using the right equipment can make it even more profitable. Longwall systems incorporate shearers, roof supports, face conveyors and more into one system that can be tightly orchestrated by advanced electronics — including cutting-edge automation. Longwall shearer shearers cut away the face of a coal seam in longwall mining operations by mounting over an armored face conveyor (AFC). They are equipped with cutting drums positioned against the coal seam by ranging arms powered by hydraulic rams. They can weigh more than 100 tons, travel at speeds up to 30 m/min, and cut away slices of coal seams up to 100 cm thick. They can also be called shearer loaders. Longwall mining is a type of mining where aggregate, typically coal, is extracted in panel sections of approximately 0.6-9.0 m by 200-400 m by 3-4 km. The width of the panel referred to as the face of the seam is undercut by another piece of mining equipment, such as a road header or continuous miner. Temporary hydraulic roof supports, also known as hydraulic chocks, are set in place at the face of the seam. Depending on the height of the seam either a shearer loader, for heights greater than 2.3 m, or a plow for thinner seams, is used. As the system advances through the panel a void, referred to as a goaf, is left behind, which collapses due to the weight of the overburden.