MARKETS

Hydra's record breakers

LAST year was a time of unprecedented production for several longwalls, including record setters ...

Angie Tomlinson
Hydra's record breakers

Xstrata's Beltana mine broke every production record in Australia for the second consecutive year using the Cowlless Radial shearer drums on a Bucyrus shearer.

“More and more mines are specifying Hydra's Cowlless Radial shearer drums as their preferred standard when finalising new longwall installations with OEMs,” McShannon said.

Beltana is no exception, with Xstrata's replacement mine – Blakefield South – being equipped with Hydra's Cowlless Radial shearer drums on a Joy shearer when it comes into operation this year.

UK Coal's Daw Mill mine broke four British records – for record annual production tonnage, and fastest 1, 2 and 3 million tonne production rates – using the Cowlless Radial shearer drums on an Eickhoff shearer.

Store Norske Spitsbergen in Norway owns Europe's top producing longwall mine. It broke its own monthly production record in May last year, just one month after converting to the Cowlless Radial shearer drums on a Joy shearer.

“In the current economic climate it is vital that production costs are reduced to the minimum and it is therefore even more important that mine operators consider adopting the new shearer drum technology to maximise productivity to help mitigate the impact of the falling price of coal,” McShannon said.

He added that late last year the Luan coal mining group in China’s Shanxi Province took delivery of the first of four sets of Hydra's drums. The mine plans to install the drums this month and is expected to increase productivity performance throughout 2009.

The drums have been designed to be used on TMMG shearers.

McShannon said Hydra had also received an enquiry from a US mining group.

Hydra is represented in Australia by Southern Engineering Services.

TOPICS:

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Monthly Intelligence team.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Monthly Intelligence team.

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Exploration Report 2024 (feat. Opaxe data)

A comprehensive review of exploration trends and technologies, highlighting the best intercepts and discoveries and the latest initial resource estimates.

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Future Fleets Report 2024

The report paints a picture of the equipment landscape and includes detailed profiles of mines that are employing these fleets

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Digitalisation Report 2023

An in-depth review of operations that use digitalisation technology to drive improvements across all areas of mining production

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Automation Report 2023

An in-depth review of operations using autonomous solutions in every region and sector, including analysis of the factors driving investment decisions