The shearer has a thinner mainframe, larger ranging arm cylinders and a haulage pull of 63.5 tonnes. The shearer is being put through its paces on 401s in the 1.72m thick Silkstone seam.
According to UK Coal’s newsletter, NewScene, the Joy shearer produces 25% more power than its predecessors. It feeds onto a 34mm twin inboard chain panzer, driven by twin 500hp two-speed motors, then onto a 1024mm wide stage loader with delivery onto a 1,350mm gate belt, clearing coal at up to 2,000 tonnes an hour.
Manager Adrian Carley said the face had a potential of doing over 7.5 shears a shift, in the belts keep running.
“It’ll be the most highly productive face we’ve ever had and will be our banker unit for the next eight months producing nearly 54% of our coal,” Carley said.
