ABSTRACT

Longwall production generally stops when one panel has been completed and the equipment is being moved to the next panel for setup. In the 1970s, when all major equipment had to be disassembled for a face move, it was not unusual for a face move to take six to eight weeks. The longwall face move is a big job, because it involves safely moving a variety of mining equipment up to 1600 ft in length and can weigh a combined total of 10,000 tons, from the old to the new panel. Well-conceived and detailed pre-planning are the key to a safe, speedy, and economical longwall face move. Preplanning begins as soon as the last longwall move is completed. A longwall move is a highly skilled operation. But it differs considerably from normal production at the face. Detailed operational rules, including move procedures, task distribution, job safety analysis, must be drafted, based on the panel condition, for crew training.