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.