The equipment manufacturer – which has seven of its Joy 4FCTs in room and pillar extraction around the world, as well as an upcoming installation in a longwall entry development – said use of its single-operator continuous haulage technology helped with significant advances at the operations.
The Joy 4FCT conveys product from the face to the panel belt, while simultaneously tramming and following the continuous miner through multiple drive sequences.
“From this truly continuous mining method, operations are greatly enhancing zero harm initiatives while realizing a considerable increase in tonnage output when compared to their previous use of typical batch haulage methods,” the company said.
The Joy 4FCT improves safety by combining all haulage into a single system operating at a low tram speed and following a fixed path of travel, while requiring only one operator using remote control. This reduction in the total number of mobile machines in the section reduces visibility concerns as well as dust generation from multiple travelways.
Because of a chain traction system distributed along the machine’s entire length, the 4FCT can offer greater traction as well as a lower ground bearing pressure versus that of conventional haulage machinery.
Also, the 4FCT’s integral continuous mining power cable management reduces trailing cable damage.
According to Joy, the 4FCT provides improved productivity and can more than double tonnage output per miner compared to batch haulage applications, first by eliminating the bottlenecks and car wait times typically associated with batch haulage, and next through a number of design innovations.
The Joy 4FCT incorporates an integrated inby lumpbreaker which eliminates the need for a separate feeder-breaker in the section. The system also offers belt advance automation as well as automated retreat mining capabilities, made possible by the inclusion of a Dynamic Move-Up Unit.
Acting as an interface between the Joy 4FCT and the mine’s panel belt, the DMU and Joy 4FCT are available in two configurations – a side discharge for low seam heights and wide entries; or an over-the-top unit (OTT) suited to higher seams and restricted widths.
The OTT system is a self-advancing unit with remote controlled panel belt move-ups. It also can be designed for retreat mining. The side discharge design must be advanced using the continuous miner to pull up.
Joy’s first 4FCT installation in Australia was in 2010. It was the first system with retreat mining capability and dual-function radio remote control.
“Depending upon the panel layout and entry dimensions, mines such as the one in Australia may realize up to 75 per cent additional utilization of reserves when using the retreat mining method,” Joy said.
It also reported success at a room and pillar installation in the Illinois Basin, which operates in a seam height of 8 feet and has reported a best month of 200,914 tons.
Its best day, consisting of two nine-hour production shifts, was recorded a 1355ft advancement – a total of 11,300 tons (10,250 tonnes).
Moreover, the continuous miner in front of the Joy 4FCT was a Joy 12CM27 that already had recorded 3.5Mt.
“Continuous haulage methods deliver an average of 30 per cent more productivity over batch haulage methods,” the company said.
“The Joy 4FCT increases the safety and productivity of mining operations by eliminating car waiting times, decreasing the amount of section equipment and the number of section personnel required, easing the management of cable systems and equipment proximities, and boosting production through automated belt advancement and retreat mining capabilities.”
