Optidrive, introduced in 2004, brings together under a single brand name the interchangeable hardware and the software unique to Joy underground mining machines, including continuous miners, shuttle cars and flexible conveyor trains (FCTs).

After the Optidrive forerunner was introduced in 1992, less than 2% of continuous miners sold were equipped with that VFD. This changed dramatically with the 2004 Optidrive introduction. The percentage of continuous miner sales with AC traction jumped to 21%, then nearly tripled the following year. In 2006, Optidrive-equipped continuous miners will account for 73% of Joy miners sold.

“If the market indeed is the true measure of new technology, then Joy Mining Machinery’s Optidrive system for the company’s underground equipment has been nothing short of phenomenal,” said Joy’s control & automation systems director Fabian Dechant.

The success of Optidrive units has been even more pronounced for shuttle cars, rocketing from 13% of total shuttle cars sold in 2003 to 86% in 2004 and, this year, fully 100%. Equally impressive has been Optidrive’s success in Joy shearers and FCTs, also now accounting for 100% of units sold.

“The reasons for Optidrive’s unparalleled success are increased performance, reliability and availability and the universal benefits of interchangeable parts – reduced inventories, reduced maintenance costs and lower costs per tonne of coal mined – as well as the individual benefits the system brings to each piece of equipment,” Dechant said.

“It’s simply a case of delivering what was promised in meeting the needs of the customer: greater reliability and availability, faster, more powerful mining equipment with less maintenance, all resulting in higher production and productivity at lower costs per tonne mined and an improved bottom line.”