Figure 2. Support of an exploitation gallery developed by a continuous miner

The Mechanised Support Set is made up of two units of the BMV-10 longwall mechanised support manufactured by BME Novaky Company from Slovakia, installed symmetrically along the tunnel’s axis. This type of support has caving shield constructed of units, which can be lifted, and so allows drawing coal broken during the shrinkage operations. Additionally, the units are equipped with liftable shields to support roof between the units, and with sliding plates and liftable side shields to secure the working

area from the tunnel’s sidewalls. The liftable shields installed on the units’ bases form the scraper conveyor’s sideboards at the time of coal transport, and are used as working platform during the units’ disassembly.