Set for June 21-23, the event offers more than 100 industry-related vendors with 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.

Some of the companies coming to Longwall USA for 2011 include:

FUCHS Lubricants

In 2006 FUCHS Lubricants began development of a global longwall fluid that would meet the demands of original equipment manufacturers around the world.

The goal was to create an effective fluid that would provide increased performance by maximizing lubricity and restrict corrosion while providing an emulsion that was stable in the harshest water conditions and environments.

The result of that effort was Solcenic GM, which is presently being utilized by a significant percentage of the US longwall market.

Since 2007 Solcenic GM has become the preferred low treatment longwall fluid in the global marketplace. Manufactured and sold in North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific, it is a favorite among EH&S mining personnel as it contains no SARA 313 reportable chemicals.

Solcenic GM’s global stature benefits companies operating multiple longwalls using equipment from differing OEMs. Independent OEM testing and four years of continuous field service have proven that the product is the fluid of choice.

Solcenic GM carries dual approvals, 2% in soft water and 3% in harder water conditions, and has been tested for Joy (#18 and #19) and Bucyrus (site specific) criteria at both concentrations.

FUCHS will be present on the show floor in June at the Longwall USA event.

3M

Returning to Pittsburgh for Longwall USA 2011 is 3M, which will feature The Edge eg5.

3M’s The Edge eg5 model is a lightweight cable-free noise dosimeter engineered for the rigors of today’s coal mining.

Its compact, contoured design comfortably mounts on the shoulder and weighs just three ounces.

Now with Mine Safety and Health Administration, Sira (ATEX), CSA (US and Canada) and Simtars (IECEx) intrinsic safety approvals, The Edge eg5 model is ideal for use in potentially hazardous environments including mines, petrochemical sites and manufacturing facilities.

A rechargeable lithium polymer battery provides up to 40 hours of battery life. Recharging is simple with the one or five-bay EdgeDock docking station.

Data can be downloaded while the unit is charging, then easily managed and analyzed with 3M QuestSuite Professional II software.

With The Edge there’s no cable to interfere with employees’ work, and no heavy instrument loading them down. Users will barely notice it as they work, yet with easy downloading, simple recharging, long battery life and intrinsic safety approval, it’s a powerful instrument your team can rely on.

The Edge eg5 is just one of three models available to fit every need and budget. Where intrinsic safety approvals are not of concern there is The Edge eg3, a basic model that features summary data reports, or The Edge eg4 advanced model, which has dual dosimeters and data logging/time history.

3M’s The Edge eg5 also has dual dosimeters and data logging/time history, and stands apart as an intrinsically safe dosimeter that offers simultaneous C-weighted and A-weighted measurements.

L-3 Communications

L-3 Communications will feature its Accolade system at this year’s Pittsburgh show.

The L-3 Accolade system provides a self healing, redundant and survivable voice and data network, allowing communication among miners underground (peer to peer) and communication between below and above ground personnel.

The system also provides a real time situational awareness capability and can be tailored for mines of all sizes.

It operates at 900 megahertz, ensuring the best propagation distance for communications through mine entries, around corners, and down cross-cuts.

In times of disaster the L-3 Accolade not only provides a post-accident communications system between underground and surface personnel, but also serves as an electronic tracking system, permitting surface personnel to determine the location of any persons trapped underground.

The system is designed to have multiple levels of survivability, ensuring the network and its components remain active and reliable in the event of a mine disaster.

More than just a safety system, it also enhances day to day mining operations with its ability to provide direct communications to all employees, thereby promoting operational efficiency through increased production and training improvements.

Pillar Innovations

Pillar Innovations will debut its newest EMU model, the EMU LR, at Longwall USA 2011 in Pittsburgh.

The EMU LR, or low-rider EMU, was developed after Pillar saw a need for a vehicle that could navigate lower seam heights.

“We wanted to develop something that would be comfortable for the miners riding the vehicle and maintain the EMU standard of holding up to the rigors of everyday mine duty,” sales and marketing director Adam Brenneman said.

The vehicle is 129 inches long by 60in wide by 44in high while still maintaining a 10in ground clearance.

Modified bucket seats allow for two miners to ride with their gear.

Like the other EMU models, the LR is completely electric and has a full size EMU bed with a payload capacity of up to 1000 pounds.

It also features the standard EMU independent suspension, designed to easily traverse rough mine terrain while providing a steady ride for heavy payloads.

The EMU LR is currently undergoing the process for approval by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Mine Safety.

Check out ILN again tomorrow for more industry companies attending next week’s show!