Terex SHM's 51st machine: "The Next Generation" of Highwall Mining Systems
The highwall miner is making surface mining history one miner at a time.
 The world's leading specialist supplier of highwall coal mining systems, Terex SHM , has marked a new landmark in its history with the delivery of its 51st highwall miner unit. Owned by Mid-Vol Coal Sales, Inc, operated by Twin State Mining, Inc. for use at its mine in McDowell County, West Virginia, the new machine left the Terex SHM plant in Beckley, WV, in early November, with on-site commissioning scheduled for mid-month.
Redesigned control system maximizes highwall mining efficiency.
Not only is it the tenth highwall mining unit that the company has sold during 2006, but Terex SHM No. 51 is the first of these highly specialized machines to feature a wholly new PLC-based control system. Based on the Siemens programmable logic control unit, the state-of-the-art system, which has required a major investment by Terex SHM in new software development, offers some major advantages over that previously used on the company's highwall miners. As well as the system being more compact, with less hard wiring involved, it offers a new level of internal diagnostics, enabling operators to troubleshoot any problems that may occur faster and more accurately than before. What is more, the strongly graphics-based display means that the new-generation control system has greater international applicability, allowing simpler access for Terex SHM mining equipment-users world-wide.
The second major innovation supplied with this particular highwall
miner is Terex SHM's newly developed right-angle return conveyor, which
allows the rear-discharge machine not only to stockpile cut coal
sideways on the bench but brings the coal back to the bench center.
This provides the operator with additional flexibility in terms of
stockpiling, especially in narrow-bench applications where
‘on-the-ground' tonnage capacity may be limited.
Other recently introduced upgrades that are included on Terex SHM No. 51 include the company's PTM (pushbeam-transfer mechanism)
system, which saves time during pushbeam handling on the machine, more
powerful traction motors for faster tramming between set-up positions,
and linear-position sensors mounted internally within each hydraulic
cylinder, offering greater accuracy and protection.
"Terex SHM's continued success in supplying highwall mining machines
into the U.S. market proves the value that highwall mining contributes
to the national economy through providing low-cost coal," commented the
company's president, Steve Antoline. "Terex SHM is now building on this
foundation by focusing on expansion into international markets,
bringing coal producers worldwide the benefits of using this unique,
proven mining technology.
The Terex SHM No.51 Highwall Miner is the next generation of highwall mining systems.
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