ABSTRACT
The high productivity and lean operation are critical factors which should be addressed in the management and production strategies of mines. In this regard, longwall mining is one of the special mining methods that use high technology, high mechanization and automation process. The basic types of equipment that are used in modern longwall mining are: coal cutting machine (drum shearer), armored face conveyor and powered supports (Stefanko 1983, Ramani 1981, Mandal & Banik 1996). A mine production system demands a sequential operation of the equipment that can be used in cutting-loading and transport operations. Therefore, it is important that each subsystem should perform well during the time of requirement, likewise achieve the goal production during subsystem failures (Bhatacharaya et al., 1991).
