Underground » Mining Technology and Production
The first Sandvik ABM20 bolter miner was introduced into the Australian underground coal industry in 1991 at Tahmoor Colliery, 25 years ago. From this initial machine, the bolter miner has continued its evolution down the path of improved ergonomics, simplified and more reliable engineering, substantially increased coal bunkering and load out capacity, greater flexibility in roof support installation, machine monitoring and reporting.
Still, roadway development rates across the industry are falling short on advance rates to match the current high productive longwall systems. An ACARP industry survey has identified bottlenecks which limit and constrain improved development rates and impact the safety of operators. The project C25061 studies the impact of initial roof support being installed closer to the face to improve ground stability for better advance rates in challenging ground conditions and to provide a safer working environment for the operational personnel.