IT is time again for the biennial Longwall USA exhibition and conference, which returns to the David L Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for 2011.

Set for June 21-23, the event offers more than 100 industry-related vendors and lengthy show hours to allow guests to visit with companies, see demonstrations and equipment models, and ask questions of sales and technical staff on hand.

Also scheduled are five technical sessions on topics such as face automation, health and safety and emerging technologies. Speakers from academia, operations, research and the regulatory arena are all prepared to take the stage on their respective topics and take audience questions.

Have a look at some of the companies that will be on hand for this year’s show:

Veyance – Goodyear Engineered Products

Veyance Technologies, the largest conveyor belt manufacturer in the world, is better known by its brand Goodyear Engineered Products. At Longwall USA 2011, Veyance will reveal new technology for belt monitoring and continue to herald the industry’s first BELT certified underground belt with flame resistance.

The Cord Guard XD belt monitoring system incorporates new technology to reliably identify longitudinal rips in steel-reinforced conveyor belts and monitors the condition of the steel cable reinforcements deep within a belt.

Anticipating the 2010 MSHA requirement for flame resistant belt compounds, Veyance developed Shield, the first underground conveyor belt compound to receive the BELT certification – now a required standard for all underground belts. With miner’s safety as the catalyst for its design, Shield exceeds the BELT standard by ensuring flame resistance and virtually eliminating the use of materials that generate toxic smoke.

Last year, US operations purchased 1.7 million feet of conveyor belt with the Shield compound. That means miners in underground mines covering more than 320 miles are safer in 2011 thanks to the technology supporting Goodyear Engineered Products.

Veyance also uses its coal industry expertise by providing conveyor belt services.

Backed by the acquisitions of National Belt Services and Monk Mining Supply in 2008, Veyance’s goal is to minimize customer downtime and the cost of ownership throughout a belt’s life span, from cradle to grave.

United Central Industrial Supply

United Central Industrial Supply has announced that its featured vendor partners at the 2011 Longwall USA event are Mine Radio Systems, Eaton, Koehler Lighting Products and Nautilus International.

In addition, the company recently announced the acquisition of Gooding Rubber Company. Established in 1948, Gooding Rubber is a major supplier of industrial rubber products to mining and industrial customers in the Midwestern United States.

With the addition of the Gooding operations, United Central now operates 28 locations in Alabama, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming and Western Canada.

“The addition of Gooding enhances our ability to better serve the Midwestern mining community with our portfolio of premium products and services designed to help North American mine operators deliver more tons, lower costs, improve safety and enhance operational efficiencies,” United Central president and chief executive officer Darrell Cole said.

With multiple branch locations, 1100 manufacturing partners and more than 200 delivery vehicles, United Central provides over 60,000 line items to the industry.

It specializes in a broad range of maintenance, repair and operating supplies including cable, electrical, safety, material handling and hydraulics products.

The company’s management team averages more than 33 years of industry experience.

On Site Gas Systems

Connecticut-based On Site Gas Systems, a leader in providing solutions for underground inerting of the sealed areas in coal mines for many years, is exhibiting this year at the Pittsburgh show.

With the company’s membrane and PSA technology, it can provide high volume, high purity nitrogen for any inerting application. A complete line of above ground and underground systems is being used every day around the world, making mines safer.

On Site Gas is pleased to offer an optional package that offers a mine the ability to monitor the performance of its nitrogen generators from anywhere in the world.

This enhancement allows both the mine and On Site Gas Systems to monitor the real-time performance of nitrogen generators, assist with start-up and quickly troubleshoot and resolve any problems.

On Site Gas can go beyond monitoring the nitrogen generator and also remotely control many functions of the equipment, including starting and stopping the nitrogen generator as well as controlling flow and purity.

These options will be available on new systems, and can also be retrofitted to most systems already in the field.

Becker Wholesale Mine Supply

Mine communications and tracking supplier Becker Wholesale Mine Supply will once again be an exhibitor on the show floor at Longwall USA 2011.

This year, the Pennsylvania-based company will have a big group of communications and safety products on display, including the Becker node, the Varis Becker leaky feeder system, Venture Design’s MineTracer and its line of Kenwood radios.

Also at the BWMS booth this year will be products from its partners, Strata Proximity Systems, NL Technologies and Kutta Radios.

The HazardAvert proximity protection system has been available through BWMS since late last year.

The mine safety solution uses a magnetic field to alert miners to the inherently dangerous areas around continuous miners, surface vehicles, and even forklifts and draglines. It can automatically slow or even stop machines if workers are sensed to be in a position of threat.

The other new partnership with Kutta is for the latter company’s Drum communications and tracking program.

Drum was designed to serve both as an everyday communication device and for emergency communication, making it a great solution for mines of virtually any size.

BWMS will also have service staff on hand on the show floor to talk with mine operators about their needs and help them find the best product to suit the operation.