Caterpillar has extensive experience in the design of shield supports for specific mining conditions and for soft-rock longwall applications other than coal. Steepseam supports and supports with articulated forepole extension canopies and high tip loads have been developed for extreme geological situations.
Steep-seam Mining -
Faced with the enormous reserves of high quality coal blocked underground and the intensive look of many customers for promising solutions, we have developed and introduced various specific, state-of-the-art systems to also mine steeply inclined coal seams. Caterpillar can offer tailor-made solutions for nearly all conditions, including particularly steep applications.
Conventional Sublevel Caving -
Conventional sublevel caving supports allow coal to be drawn from the roof using articulated canopies with special chutes integrated into the gob shield, the front AFC or a second AFC located behind the shields. A large number of shield installations have been supplied to customers, particularly in central and eastern Europe.
Longwall Top Coal Caving -
The Longwall Top Coal Caving (LTCC) roof support allows mining to a total seam height of more than 10 m (33 ft) by using a longwall shearer to cut the bottom 2.8-3.0 m (9.2-9.8 ft) and then caving the top coal behind the roof supports onto a rear AFC. This type of longwall is in service for example at a mine in the Hunter Valley, Australia.