It will be the first UK medium seam longwall unit to go with 1,000 horsepower, 900mm wide AFC gearboxes. Current faces operate on 3.3kv with AFCs driven by two 700hp motors and 34mm chain, restricting coal clearance to 1,500t an hour and face length to 277m.
Other features of the AFC include 38mm twin inboard chains driven by two 750kw electric motors with an epi-cylic gearbox at maingate and a planetary gearbox at the tailgate providing a chain speed of 1.5m a second.
Complementing the AFC and stageloader is a 902kw Joy 7LS shearer, with AC traction motors and a cutting speed up to 12m a minute. Maximum potential is 5,500 tonnes saleable a shift from the 2.8m thick section in the Silkstone seam.
“We are investing for the future because we’re planning to use this equipment on at least Two more Silkstone faces over the next three years,” said manager Adrian Carley.
The stageloader capacity is also being widened to 1,200mm to enable Kellingley to produce 2,000t/h at peak loading, allowing the higher horsepower shearer to maintain high cutting speeds.
The £7.5 million installation will introduce two Joy shields with a maximum height of 3.2m.
Recently the current face had to shorten its 1200m run after hitting heavy faulting which lost the mine two weeks production. Development crews are focusing on completing the headings for the new face to open 1,527m in 26 weeks against planned 29 to avoid a production gap, Carley said.
