Unidirectional Setup

For all unidirectional methods, if the shearer is initially at the HG and the pan is completely pushed it is necessary to take the following steps to get the longwall into the unidirectional cycle. First the shearer must travel towards the TG cutting both top and bottom coal; behind the shearer shields should be advanced and the pan should be completely pushed. The following two pictures show the initial state of the longwall and the longwall state when the shearer reaches the tailgate.

Setup – Initial Condition

Setup – Cut to Tail

To allow the tailgate shields to advance and push the pan so it is straight, the tailgate must be double-cut as shown in the following two pictures:

Setup – Double Cut Tail