Availability Study of a Longwall Shearer Including Phases of its Operation

Abstract

Abstract The mining production process includes a number of sub-processes, the most important of which is mining the rock mass. In this process, increasingly modern mining machines are being used to replace human labor and to achieve high productivity. Full utilization of the potential of these machines is of great importance for the efficiency of individual stages and the whole process of mining production. In the process of mining the rock mass, the use of machinery of a mechanized longwall system is of fundamental significance. Their availability, efficiency and reliability significantly affect the efficiency of the whole mining production process. The paper refers to the availability of a longwall shearer as the basic machine of a mechanized mining system. Based on the analysis of diagnostic signals, recorded by the industrial automation system, the availability of the longwall shearer was determined for 10 selected cycles of its operation. The analysis also included the phases of these cycles, treated as separate periods of the shearer’s work. This division is a consequence of a great difference in the character of the shearer’s work in particular phases of the operating cycle. The analysis covered the phases of cutting, mining and shunting. The determined temporal waveforms and the shearer’s availability in these phases show their great diversity. Therefore, the results indicated the necessity to analyze the operation of mining machines in their characteristic periods, which can be the basis for minimizing unplanned interruptions in their operation and improving the efficiency of their use.