Mining Technologies | Process Improvement | Roadway Development | underground COAL
Mining Technologies
In addition to examining current mining and equipment
configurations the models developed were able to be used to project a potential
evolution of the roadway development system with the potential application of
self drilling bolts and continuous haulage systems, as shown in Figures 21
– 24. It should again be noted that this study is an evolution of the
roadway development process where the constraint (wheeling or supporting) is
first identified, and an improvement introduced to overcome that constraint.
The next constraining factor is identified and another improvement introduced
to overcome this in turn, and so on (further understanding of the Theory of
Constraints can be obtained from Eliyahu M Goldratt's books "The Goal" and "The
Theory of Constraints").
Firstly, the panel is equipped with a miner-bolter and
one shuttle car and is installing 6 roof bolts and 4 rib bolts per metre
advance and is in effect bolter constrained as shown in Figure 21.
Figure 21: Process Rate
Prior to Introduction of New Technologies (miner-bolter and one shuttle car)
The
introduction of a bolter-miner was expected to result in a significant
improvement of the process rate as compared to the original system utilising a
miner-bolter, as shown in Figure 22.
Figure 22: Process Rate with Introduction of
Bolter-Miner (one shuttle car)
