Automated bolting and meshing on a continuous miner for roadway development

Automated installation of primary roof support material has been identified as potentially being capable of increasing productivity and operator safety in the roadway development process within underground coal mining. A series of reprogrammable electromechanical manipulators have been designed to be integrated onto a continuous miner platform to automatically handle the installation of roof and rib containment consumables therefore removing the operator from the miner platform and dangerous face conditions during operation. The system has been demonstrated above ground in a laboratory environment and has proven to be capable of achieving cycle times that are consistent with that required to support high capacity longwall mines.