Document Type
Conference Paper
Publication Date
2010
Abstract
Clarence Colliery is exploring the 4FCT as a continuous haulage system. The 4FCT (Flexible Conveyor Train) is used as a continuous conveyor between the current continuous miner unit and the fixed boot end of the panel conveyor vs the three shuttle car system, currently in use in a continuous miner partial pillar extraction panel at Clarence Colliery. At Clarence the base case is three shuttle cars per continuous miner, using a cut and flit partial pillar mining method. The Joy 4FCT has not been utilised in Australia before. The main questions are: What is a 4FCT? How does it function? What are the benefits? How do we introduce the 4FCT safely? Why Clarence Colliery? What else needs to change at Clarence to optimise the 4FCT? Moving forward? Clarence Colliery needs to meet specific subsidence, water make, geological and mine design requirements. The 4FCT implementation offers Clarence colliery the opportunity to explore new technology, while testing Clarence’s analysis, measurement, assessment and continuous improvement processes. The choice of the ‘better option’ in any analysis is not always made for monetary reasons. Often option choice decisions are made for safety, operational ease or engineering or mine design optimisation. Money is not the prime driver, but part of the decision making process.
Publication Details
This conference paper was originally published as Golsby, A, Introduction of continuous haulage (4FCT) at the Clarence Colliery, in Aziz, N (ed), 10th Underground Coal Operators' Conference, University of Wollongong & the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2010, 187-202.