Beltana long held pole position but was eclipsed in weekly and monthly records last year by Newlands, which in turn was overtaken by fellow Bowen Basin mine Oaky Creek North in October, after it exceeded all previous daily, weekly and monthly production records.
ATBM’s Brush motors drive the AFC, crusher and BSL at Beltana, while the Bucyrus EL3000 shearers are fitted with the Yorkshire-based manufacturer’s EL55 and pump drives.
ATBM Australian agent Graham Miller told ILN Newlands Northern used the same motors but also had ATBM’s shearer water pumps and emulsion pumps.
Newlands also uses Bucyrus’ EL3000 shearers which have installed power of 1590 kilowatts and cutting power of 2 x 650kW.
Miller said Oaky North’s longwall uses ATBM’s 855kW HMW65 AFC motor, the 400kW FMW56 BSL/crusher motors, the 200kW EM54 pump motors, and the DEW64 shearer cutter motors.
Oaky North differs from the previous production record holders, using the Eickhoff SL750 shearer loader with IPC control technology and EiControl shearer automation.
ATBM managing director Ian Lomex said the company’s products were recognised for reliability and flexibility.
“The motors are purpose designed to match the installation requirements,” he said.
“This includes electromagnetic and mechanical performance, thermal performance, interfaces and levels of condition monitoring.”
ATBM supplies all motors for use at the coal face, including for continuous miners and roadheaders.
The company has supplied motors to Australia for nearly 20 years and is wholly owned by Austria’s ATB Antriebtechnik with its parent company, ATEC Industries, listed and headquartered in Vienna.
Production records
Oaky North holds the production record of 29,642 tonnes (30,840 run-of-mine tonnes) in a 12-hour shift and 56,890t (58,637t ROM) for a 24-hour shift.
Beltana previously held the daily production record at 47,353t.
Newlands set new weekly and monthly last year before being trumped by Oaky North months later.
Newlands produced 251,720t in a week but was trounced by more than 60,000t when Oaky North achieved 312,506t (324,071t ROM).
Oaky North also beat Newlands by almost 200,000t in setting a new monthly production record of 1,146,721t mined (1,192,482t ROM).
Xstrata plans to cease Beltana’s operations by late 2010, with the crew and equipment to shift over to the nearby Blakefield South mine under development as part of the Bulga complex in New South Wales.
ATBM teamed with Joy UK in 2008 for the design and manufacture of 10 motors for the Blakefield South project, which is expected to produce first longwall coal in the third quarter and is targeting 4Mt per annum of production.
