A NEW Australian company is banking on growth in the country’s underground coal industry, and acceptance of competitively-priced, locally made equipment, to underpin expansion of its fledgling manufacturing business.

SENECA Australia already has plans to broaden its coal mining equipment range after developing a 29-tonne load-haul-dump/utility vehicle and mobile underground generator set for the new Oaky North mine in central Queensland. In fact, it was then project manager at Oaky North — now general manager of the Oaky Creek complex — Peter Lynch, who inspired the name FBL-15 for SENECA’s 15t-capacity loader. Not one to mince words, Lynch told SENECA director Greg Venticinque he wanted a “f......” big loader for his thick-seam mine.

Venticinque went away and built it. Now he has orders for up to half a dozen of the units and two other versions are in the pipeline. Strong early sales of the equipment could generate the momentum SENECA needs to expand its manufacturing and marketing operations. Despite the importance of Australia’s mineral and coal exports, the country has not produced mining equipment manufacturers of the calibre of Sweden’s Atlas Copco, Finland’s Tamrock, or the USA’s Long-Airdox and Joy Mining Machinery. Nevertheless, mines such as Oaky North and others continue to make requests for equipment designs which are not met by available off-the-shelf models. Oaky North’s call effectively sparked the creation of SENECA.

A former Eimco and NSW coal mine mechanical engineer, Venticinque said the FBL-15, with its 15t carrying capacity, filled a gap in the market for chock hauler/LHD-type vehicles. Similarly, the generator set, called the General, is said to better meet the needs of local underground coal mines.

SENECA is an equal joint venture between Venticinque’s Engineering Safety Services Pty Ltd, and Newcastle businessman Zac Newton’s Specialized Mining Vehicles. The latter, which is involved in manufacturing and assembly of SENECA equipment, supplies locally made mine personnel and utility transport vehicles to underground coal mines. Both companies see potential overseas markets for their equipment.

Venticinque said the FBL-15 and General were built locally from “the ground up”. However, both feature high-powered Detroit diesel engines which are flameproofed by SENECA to meet Australian coal industry requirements. The loader has a 305hp engine and the generator set a 350hp unit. According to Venticinque, they are the highest-capacity diesel engines certified for underground coal mine use.

“In the case of the FBL-15, the bigger flameproofed engine means the machine can provide better performance than rivals. It is a faster and more efficient unit, and the diesel engine system is a low emission system, with 99% particulate removal, a 95% reduction in hydrocarbons and 95% reduction in carbon monoxide,” he said.

“The FBL-15 is fully designed in Australia from the ground up to be a high-capacity coal LHD rather than a hard rock LHD that has had its design compromised to match coal requirements.”

Designed to tow longwall roof supports weighing up to 40t — covering all equipment currently being used in Australian mines — the FBL-15 features SENECA’s “rapid attach system”, which allows longwall trailers to be attached to the loader without removing lift arm pins and other connection devices. Apart from the 15t fork-lifting capacity, the unit can be fitted with a 12t-capacity bucket and can be converted into a 10t jib crane.

Venticinque said positioning of the rapid attach system close to the front wheel assembly, the wide wheel track of the FBL-15, and its low centre of gravity, contributed to the overall stability of the loader, which increased it carrying capacity and operator safety.

“A day’s production in a longwall mine might be worth $600,000 to $1 million. If you can move a longwall and have it in place 1-2 days earlier, or even half a shift earlier, the sums start to add up,” he said. “The local mines are going for heavier and heavier (longwall) gear, so moving it around the mine has become an increasingly important issue.”

Venticinque said the FBL-15's lifting geometry was suited to the confines of underground coal mines, maximising the machine’s lifting capacity, stability and design simplicity. The General was designed to power the new range of larger continuous miners and ancillary equipment being introduced at Australian mines.

Leading mine contractor Allied Mining has joined the MIM-operated Oaky Creek mine as an owner of SENECA’s loader and generator. Venticinque is confident others will follow.