Doc. No.: 312494 Serial No.:02-07-08
Bucyrus America, Inc. reserves all rights to this publication. Its content is protected by copyright laws both domestic and international. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of Bucyrus America, Inc.
Bucyrus America, Inc. declines all liability for direct or indirect consequences of all printing / typing errors.
This publication can be revised without prior notice.
This manual is intended to provide basic operating information on Bucyrus 30M class continuous miners. Additional information can be obtained by referring to the Parts Book supplied with your machine, or by contacting your local Bucyrus America, Inc. representative. The illustrations, descriptions and procedures contained in this manual pertained to the machine as it was originally manufactured and delivered to your mine, and when the manual was approved for printing. Bucyrus America, Inc. reserves the right to discontinue or revise machine models at any time, or change specifications, designs or procedures, without notice and without incurring obligations.
The machine was manufactured under the guidelines, procedures and requirements of the appropriate government regulatory agencies. At the completion of manufacturing, this machine was issued the appropriate approval numbers and nameplates indicating that it met the technical requirements of the appropriate agencies. Any change to the design or structure of this machine, without the consent of Bucyrus America, Inc. and these agencies, may void these approvals and render the machine illegal or dangerous for use.
Strict compliance with all local and national laws, regulations and practices regarding the safe operation and maintenance of underground mining equipment is necessary to ensure the personal safety of those working on, or around, this machine.
This chapter contains important information, which will simplify your work. In addition, it contains information about the structure of the manual and the characters and symbols used.
right operating manual If you use an operating manual, which has not been written for your 30M Continuous Miner type, you will endanger yourself and others. Ensure that the data on the 30M Continuous Miner corresponds to that in the operating manual.
type This operating manual belongs to:
BUCYRUS AMERICA, INC. 30M CONTINUOUS MINER
Serial No.: 02-07-08
The operating manual is to be used only for this 30M CONTINUOUS MINER.
new operating manual An operating manual for the 30M Continuous Miner must always be available at the place of operation. Send for a new manual immediately if the present manual is no longer complete or has become illegible.
This operating manual is intended for all persons working with or on the 30M Continuous Miner. All personnel working at the face or in the working section must have read this operating manual.
This includes persons: responsible for transport, developing the raise, carrying out erection / disassembly, operating the 30M Continuous Miner, eliminating faults, carrying out daily routine work at the face or in the entry, carrying out maintenance operations, carrying out repairs.
supervisory persons: instructing and/or supervising
the above activities.
efficiency
This operating manual is intended to help you work efficiently and safely with our product. It contains important information on all the activities related to the 30M Continuous Miner. Read this operating manual completely and carefully. In particular, pay attention to the safety instructions. Note the appearance and meaning of the safety and warning symbols.
service If any points are not clear, please contact our Service Department. You will find our Service address in chapter 7 ”For Your Information”.
safety Pay particular attention to the chapter ”Your Safety”. It contains important information drawing your attention to possible sources of danger. Observe the information and follow the instructions contained in this operating manual.
Characters and symbols used
The following characters and symbols are used for safety instructions and important information in the operating manual. Pay particular attention to these points.
DANGER!
WARNING!
Points in the text marked with this symbol draw your attention to immediately impending danger. Possible consequences are: very serious injury or even death.
These points contain information on dangerous situations. Possible consequences are: Very serious injury or even death.
CAUTION!
This symbol draws attention to dangerous situations. Possible consequences are: Light to moderately serious injuries and machine damage.
NOTICE!
Points in the text marked with this symbol draw attention to harmful situations. Possible consequences are: Damage to the 30M Continuous Miner or damage in the immediate vicinity.
IMPORTANT!
Points in the text marked with this symbol contain useful tips and information intended to facilitate work for you. They do not warn about harmful or dangerous situations.
Items in lists are marked with bullets. -- Points in sub-lists are marked with a long dash at the start of the line.
Points in the text marked in this way describe individual work steps. Follow these instructions step-by-step.
They will help you carry out your work faster and, more importantly, safer.
state-of-the-art
This chapter contains important information for your safety.
Please read this chapter particularly carefully. The safety instructions and behavioral rules are intended to protect you from any dangerous situations and to help you carry out your work as safely as possible.
The 30M Continuous Miner has been manufactured to the state-ofthe-art and in accordance with recognized safety engineering regulations. You and others can, nevertheless, be exposed to dangerous situations e.g. as a result of environmental influences, machine damage or operator errors.
Do not make any alterations or modifications, which could impair the safety of the 30M Continuous Miner. All modifications and changes must be approved by Bucyrus America, Inc.
In addition to this operating manual, please be sure to observe the relevant regulations and accident prevention ordinance applicable at your mine.
Observe the safety and accident prevention regulations: of the mine, of the Mine’s State and Federal Inspectors and of the mining supervisory authorities
further operating manuals Please read the operating manual, of the components required for operation, carefully and thoroughly. Clarify any questions before starting work.
As a fundamental rule - erection and repair work may only be carried out by personnel who have been adequately trained for these particular requirements.
Erection and repair work on: safety components (pressure relief valves, extinguishers, etc.) the electronics (controllers, etc.) the hydraulics
may only be carried out by service engineers from Bucyrus America, Inc. or by specially qualified personnel of the mine.
The 30M Continuous Miner, or the Miner, as it is commonly called, provides the means of:
Extracting coal,
Loading it onto a belt
Loading it into a shuttle car
Dumping it onto the ground and loading it later
The chain/flights are driven by a sprocket meshing with the chain at the front end of the miner to ensure efficient transportation of the product. The sprocket is integral with the drive’s gear box.
To keep the correct tension on the chain, an essential part of successful operation, a Chain Tensioning Device is fitted to the tail end of the miner. This is a hydraulic chain tensioning system.
Applications not expressly listed as intended uses are unauthorized uses and must not be carried out with the Miner.
Bucyrus America, Inc. accepts no liability for injury or damage resulting from any such unauthorized use.
High voltage cables and high-pressure water hoses run along the helper’s side of the Miner and require protection form moving equipment, the Miner and the general mining environment.
Cables and hoses must be kept safe from the environment, run without kinking and are visible for random inspection.
General rules
general
protective equipment
condition
information signs
EMERGENCY-STOP
Always work with full concentration.
Familiarize yourself with your working environment. Always wear your personal protective equipment.
This also means wearing ear protectors, as the noise emissions from the Miner is in excess of 85 dB(A).
Inform your colleagues: Where exactly you are working. What work you are carrying out. How long you expect the work to take.
Start the Miner only when it is in a good and safe condition and all protective devices, e.g. EMERGENCY STOP devices, cover plates, etc. are correctly installed.
Observe the signs on the Miner.
Press the EMERGENCY STOP palm button immediately in the event of faults or irregularities in operation. Report any peculiarity to your superior so that necessary measures can be immediately taken.
Secure to prevent restarting Secure the Miner to prevent restarting:
Maintenance operations
Inspection operations
Repair operations
block working area
moving parts
Isolate your working.
Never allow parts of your body to come between parts, which could move, such as e.g.:
Chains
Flights
Chain sprockets
Cutting Head
Loading Pan
Safety procedures for operating a Bucyrus 30M continuous miner begin with understanding that the smallest incident of carelessness may result in serious injury or death to you and your co-workers.
The miner should never be regarded as harmless simply because the power is not on. It should always be treated with high respect as a dangerous piece of machinery. It is essential that you become completely familiar with your miner, its controls and where they are located – especially all emergency controls.
While operating the miner, you must be aware of what you and your machine are doing at all times. You must know where your co-workers are, what other operations are going on nearby, and the mining and geological conditions in which you are working.
When you are finished operating the miner, stop it and disconnect the power before starting any maintenance or adjustments. NEVER TAKE SHORTCUTS WHICH MAY RESULT IN SAFETY RISKS.
WARNING
AFTER TURNING OFF POWER TO THE MINER, NEVER WALK AWAY AND LEAVE THE TRANSMITTER TURNED ON. FAILURE TO TURN THE TRANSMITTER OFF COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE.
Observe proper safety procedures at all times. You must develop good safety habits which will be vital to your own safety and that of your coworkers. Remember, the life you protect will likely be your own.
WARNING
Permissible Electrical Enclosures. These compartments have been designed, constructed and assembled by the manufacturer in compliance with the standards established for certified explosion-proof enclosures. The permissibility of these enclosures should be confirmed after service has been performed and at routine intervals thereafter. Failure to maintain components to OEM specifications could create a hazardous condition resulting in fire or explosion. Serious injury or death could occur if permissibility is not maintained.
WARNING
Before starting this machine or operating any controls, make certain that you have read this Operator’s Manual and have been trained in the proper operation of this machine, and are thoroughly familiar with all controls. Failure to do so could result in an accident causing serious injury or death to you or other personnel.
WARNING
WARNING
Do not make any type of temporary trailing cable connections on this machine. Severe injury or death from electrocution will occur if contact is made with the high voltage power supply.
Be certain that all electrical power to this machine has been disconnected before performing any adjustment, repair or parts replacement procedures. To “DISCONNECT”means to tag, lock out and physically remove the trailing cable from the power center by the person performing the maintenance work. Any other interpretation of the term “DISCONNECT”is not accurate as used in this manual. This equipment is electrically powered. Failure to comply with this warning could result in serious injury or death.
WARNING
Never work in the electrical enclosures, or perform any service or maintenance work, unless electrical power to the machine has been physically disconnected. Never use Emergency Stops as a means of disconnecting electrical power. Emergency Stopsare not intended to serve as electrical disconnects. Some merely interrupt the motor control circuits and do not remove line power to the machine. Failure to comply could result in an accident causing serious injury or death to you or other personnel.
WARNING
WARNING
WARNING
Do not alter, remove or bypass any emergency stop device. Failure to so could result in serious injury or death since the proper operation of these devices may be critical in emergency situations.
Shut off the machine and relieve the hydraulic pressure before disconnecting any hydraulic line or fitting. Hydraulic lines are under high pressure. Failure to relieve this pressure could result in serious injury from hot pressurized oil.
Never work under any part of this machine that is supported by a hydraulic cylinder, regardless of built-in safety features such as load-lock valve. Install enough blocking to support the machine component safely or lower that component to the ground. Failure to do so could result in serious injury or death from crushing if the component falls.
WARNING
WARNING
Perform welding or burning operations only in a safe and approved area, and in accordance with existing laws and safe practice. Failure to do so could cause a fire or explosion resulting in severe injury or death.
Never use fingers to check the alignment of pin bores. Pinched, broken or severed fingers could result if components shift while doing so.
transport safety device
Maintain the prescribed storage periods and observe the instructions for storage.
Do not store materials or parts in the travel route or in your working area.
Inform the persons involved about the intended transport route and the anticipated duration of the transport.
Ensure that the transport locks are correctly fitted.
Fix all moving parts with transport locks.
Never stand under unsupported parts or suspended loads.
striking device
Attach lifting equipment only to the lifting points provided. Pay attention to the different load limits of the lifting points. Observe the instructions on the transport sheets.
Use lifting equipment, which is in good condition and is designed for the loads to be handled.
Use only transport belts for lifting round parts. Never use chains or steel ropes.
Do not damage the treated surfaces of shafts, sealing surfaces, etc.
Inclined storage If stored at an angle, secure all individual parts using chains or stell ropes to ensure the parts are secure.
environmental acceptability When working with oils, greases and other chemical substances, observe the safety regulations applicable to the product.
Dispose of cleaning rags, etc., which are soiled with oil, grease or other chemical substances in an environmentally safe manner.
handling of
Avoid direct contact between the skin and hydraulic fluids. Hydraulic hydraulic fluids fluids can penetrate the skin and cause serious infections.
Never use hydraulic fluids for rinsing or cleaning. Hydraulic fluids represent a very serious danger to health.
maintenance, repair
permissible tubing
Only persons who have and can demonstrate a special knowledge of hydraulics may be allowed to work on the hydraulic system.
Carry out a visual inspection of all the hydraulic components at regular intervals. In particular, pay attention that:
The hoses are not pinched or trapped.
The hoses have no bubbles or blisters.
The hoses or the outer sheathes of the hoses are not abnormally rigid or hard.
The outer sheath of the hoses are not damaged.
The connectors are securely inserted into the sockets.
The connections are leak-tight.
Ensure that no dirt enters the hydraulic system during repair work. Dirt in the hydraulic system can cause serious damage in the whole system! Flush out the hydraulic lines thoroughly before connecting.
If hydraulic hose couplers are difficult to disconnect, or cannot be disconnected, the hydraulic line may still be pressurized. Be sure to depressurize the line before disconnecting couplers.
Secure the connectors of the hydraulic elements only with the proper coupling clamps. Always fasten the clamps completely and with both sides. Never use nails, wire or similar materials for securing.
After finishing repair work, check all connectors and connections for leaks before pressuring the system again.
Use only hydraulic hoses approved for the prevailing pressures.
Do not use any hydraulic hoses with damaged connectors or worn Orings.
Replace hydraulic hoses only with hoses of the same or of a higher quality.
Observe the date of manufacture stamped on the hydraulic hoses. Never use hydraulic hoses, which are more than 2 years old, even if they have no visible signs of damage.
This chapter contains important information on the correct storage and transport of the Miner. Observance of the instructions and tips will increase the service life and availability of the Miner. You will also be able to carry out the transport work quicker and safer. Paying careful attention to the points in this chapter will help you to simplify your day-to-day work.
Components coated with temporary corrosion inhibitor are protected for around six months. Protect the equipment against direct exposure to sunlight. Store the electrical equipment, electronic components, spare parts of rubber or plastic - such as seals and hoses - and hydraulic fluids only in closed rooms at temperatures of 60 F (15 C) to 78 F (25 C).
Protect all parts of the equipment stored outdoors against moisture and dirt, e.g. using tarpaulins.
The mounting surfaces of hydraulic components must be protected against corrosion and sealed with blind plates. Protect the hydraulic plug connectors and the connectors of the electrical cables with the caps and plugs supplied.
During short-term storage (approx. 4 weeks) of equipment outdoors, but at temperatures above freezing, electrical components must not be removed. Such components must be particularly protected against excessive temperatures, dirt and moisture.
During long-term storage (more than 4 weeks), the equipment must not be stored outdoors. It must be stored in a dry, well ventilated room.
After a storage period of approx. two years, a random sample inspection must be performed to determine whether the measures taken and the method of storage has prevented damage. On request, the inspection can be carried out by Bucyrus America, Inc.
Even with proper storage, seals and hoses are subject to natural ageing. A storage period of approx. two years is therefore quoted as an indicative value for these parts.
ENSURE WHEN STORING THAT ANY NEW SUPPLIES ARE STORED SEPARATELY FROM EXISTING STOCKS IN SUCH A WAY THAT ON REMOVAL, OLD STOCKS ARE TAKEN FIRST.
protection against frost Before transporting or storing gearboxes with oil cooler at ambient damage for oil cooling temperatures below freezing, the oil cooler must be flushed with antifreeze.
Observe the transport sheets for the various transport units. They contain information on:
Dimensions
Weight
Lifting points
Center of gravity, etc.
Where technically possible, the load units have suitable lifting points for transport and erection.
WARNING!
USE ONLY LOAD HANDLING DEVICES COMPLYING WITH THE TECHNICAL AND LEGAL REGULATIONS FOR TRANSPORTING LOADS. YOU COULD BE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR EVEN KILLED BY FALLING LOADS. USE ONLY SUITABLE LOAD HANDLING DEVICES.
temperatures below freezing
Transport of equipment at temperatures between –21° C and40°C is only permissible when certain measures were taken, to meet these conditions, at the design and manufacturing stages. Nevertheless, the individual parts and devices of this equipment must not be subjected to sudden impact loads at low temperatures.
During transport of this equipment, measures must be taken to ensure that the parts and devices are not subjected to sudden impact loads. At very low temperatures and on poor roads, the transport vehicle speed must therefore be limited to maximum of 25 kph for truck transport.
Antifreeze Measures Before transporting, the oil cooler must be flushed with anti-freeze. for Oil Cooler
electrical and electronic Electrical and electronic components must be removed for over components seas transport or prolonged storage outdoors unless these components or the complete equipment is protected against harmful environmental influences by a suitable packaging.
If the electrical cables remain in the equipment, they must be carefully protected against transport damage and soiling of the connections.
handling of
Avoid direct contact between the skin and hydraulic fluids. Hydraulic hydraulic fluids fluids can penetrate the skin and cause serious infections.
Never use hydraulic fluids for rinsing or cleaning. Hydraulic fluids represent a very serious danger to health.
maintenance, repair
Only persons who have and can demonstrate a special knowledge of hydraulics may be allowed to work on the hydraulic system.
Carry out a visual inspection of all the hydraulic components at regular intervals. In particular, pay attention that:
The hoses are not pinched or trapped.
The hoses have no bubbles or blisters.
The hoses or the outer sheathes of the hoses are not abnormally rigid or hard.
The outer sheath of the hoses are not damaged. The connectors are securely inserted into the sockets.
The connections are leak-tight.
Ensure that no dirt enters the hydraulic system during repair work. Dirt in the hydraulic system can cause serious damage in the whole system! Flush out the hydraulic lines thoroughly before connecting.
If hydraulic hose couplers are difficult to disconnect, or cannot be disconnected, the hydraulic line may still be pressurized. Be sure to depressurize the line before disconnecting couplers.
Secure the connectors of the hydraulic elements only with the proper coupling clamps. Always fasten the clamps completely and with both sides. Never use nails, wire or similar materials for securing.
After finishing repair work, check all connectors and connections for leaks before pressuring the system again.
permissible tubing Use only hydraulic hoses approved for the prevailing pressures.
Do not use any hydraulic hoses with damaged connectors or worn Orings.
Replace hydraulic hoses only with hoses of the same or of a higher quality.
Observe the date of manufacture stamped on the hydraulic hoses. Never use hydraulic hoses, which are more than 2 years old, even if they have no visible signs of damage.
The miner operator must be completely familiar with all features and controls of this machine in order to operate it safely and productively. This requires OEM training as available, a thorough study of this manual, and a visual inspection of the actual machine.
The following sections of this manual outline essential procedures and cautions for starting the miner prior to mining operations.
ALL PRE-SHIFT INSPECTIONS AND MAINTENANCE WORK MUST BE DONE UNDER PROPERLY SUPPORTED ROOFin accordance with Federal, State and Local safetylaws and safety rules dictated by the mining company. WARNING
• Check the operational report from the prior shift to note any problems or discrepancies with the miner. If such problems still exist, notify the shift or maintenance foreman and determine a plan of action for correcting the problems. In any case, do not start up the machine if problems exist which may cause safety hazards or danger.
• Use the wash-down hose to clean off the machine as much as practical.
• Conduct a visual walk-around inspection of the miner to look for signs of leaks in hydraulic cylinders and hoses, water hoses and gear boxes, frayed electrical cables, damaged or plugged water sprays, or other visible problems.
• Check the dust collector filter screen and clean it with the washdown hose as necessary.
• Ensure that all machine covers are in place and properly secured.
• Ensure that maintenance personnel have checked all lubrication points on the miner for proper oil levels in gear boxes and adequate greasing at grease fittings in accordance with OEM recommended practice.
• Check the full length of the trailing cable for damage. Ensure that the trailing cable is properly suspended across intersections, and that the trailing cable clamp at the miner is secure.
C CAUTION
Do not startup and operate the miner unlessall daily checks and scheduled maintenance have been completed. Do not start up the miner until any noted operational faults have been corrected.
C CAUTION
Only trained and authorized operators, or trainees under a supervising instructor, should operate this miner.
MAKE SURE, BY A VISUAL CHECK AND A SHOUTED WARNING, THAT ALL PERSONNEL ARE COMPLETELY CLEAR OF THE MINER BEFORE START-UP. Also check that any loose material, tools, oil cans or other objects are cleared from the area before starting the machine. WARNING
• Energize the main circuit breaker at the power center to enable power up to the miner.
• Turn the following manual circuit breaker handles, located on the control case and illustrated in Figure 2-1.2, to the ON position:
o MAIN CIRCUIT BREAKER (1000VAC power to the miner)
o CONTROL CIRCUIT BREAKER (120VAC power to machine controls)
o TRACTION MOTOR BREAKER (1000VAC power to the tram transformer and the dust collector fan motor)
For the following activities, the operator can refer to the radio transmitter control and operation details given in Section 2-2.
• Turn on the radio transmitter by pressing the green TX PWR ON pushbutton.
• Turn on the pump motor by first pressing the green ENABLE pushbutton, then moving the PUMP toggle switch to the START position. Listen for any abnormal sounds from the pump, which could indicate oil starvation of the pump.
WARNING
NOTICE
IF ANY OTHER MACHINE FUNCTION OPERATES AT THIS TIME, PUSH THE MACHINE STOP BUTTON TO DE-ENERGIZE THE MINER IMMEDIATELY; A FAULT IS PRESENT IN THE SYSTEM.
Before further operations, the operator should doanother visual walkaround inspection to check for hydraulic leaks and proper machine lighting.
• Turn on the machine lights by pressing the green LIGHTS pushbutton.
WARNING
STAND WELL CLEAR OF THE MINER DURING OPERATION AND MOVEMENT OF THE VARIOUS MACHINE COMPONENTS, AND ENSURE THAT OTHER PERSONNEL ARE ALSO AWAY FROM THE MINER.
• Using the CUTTING HEAD RAISE/LOWER toggle switch, raise and lower the cutting head and check for proper operation.
• Using the GATHERING HEAD RAISE/FLOAT toggle switch, raise and lower the gathering head and check for proper operation.
• Using the CONVEYOR RAISE/LOWER toggle switch, raise and lower the conveyor and check for proper operation.
• Using the CONV SWING LEFT/RIGHT toggle switch, swing the discharge conveyor right and left to full travel and check for smooth operation.
• Start the conveyor and CLAs by pressing the green ENABLE pushbutton, then moving the CONVEYOR START toggle switch to the START position. Check the conveyor chain and CLA’s for proper operation.
• Check the conveyor chain for proper tension by swinging the discharge conveyor right or left to its full 45o position and observing the chain behavior at the gathering head footshaft. A loose chain will tend to rise up off the deck immediately after disengaging from the footshaft sprocket.
• Before tramming the miner, observe these cautions:
• Ensure that all machine lights are on.
• Check both the trailing cable and water hose for sufficient slack and freedom.
• Lower the cutting head halfway and raise the gathering head off the mine bottom.
WARNING
PRIOR TO TRAMMING THE MACHINE, MAKE SURE BY A VISUAL CHECK AND A SHOUTED WARNING, THAT OTHER PERSONNEL ARE CLEAR OF THE MINER AND THAT THEY ARE AWARE THAT IT WILL BE TRAMMED.
NOTICE
Remember that the TRAM ENABLE signal is only valid for 2 seconds. If the operator delays tramming the miner for more than 2 seconds, the TRAM ENABLE switch must again be used. The TRAM ENABLE switch takes the place of the traditional “dead man” foot pedal on miners equipped with an operator’s pit.
• Select a tram speed by pressing the green TRAM HIGH or the red TRAM LOW pushbutton.
• The miner is trammed by moving the TRAM ENABLE toggle switch either forward or backward, then using the TRAM joystick controls to move the miner.
WARNING
AFTER TURNING OFF POWER TO THE MINER, NEVER WALK AWAY AND LEAVE THE TRANSMITTER TURNED ON. FAILURE TOP TURN THE TRANSMITTER OFF COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE.
It is presumed that the operator of this machine is experienced in continuous mining techniques. This section of the manual will present some basic rudiments of continuous miner mining operations, but should not be considered in any way as a complete how-to of mining techniques. It is recognized that each miner operator will have his own methods and techniques which work best for him.
One of the keys to good productivity with a continuous miner is to know the correct depth of sump which, when the cutting cycle is completed with shear-down, gives enough coal to adequately fill one haulage vehicle.
Another important factor is to do as much advance cutting as possible, while awaiting the haulage vehicle, to load up the gathering head pan. When the vehicle arrives, the gathering head can then work at maximum efficiency to load out the accumulated coal while the remainder of the cutting cycle is being completed.
The following discussion outlines the various steps of an efficient continuous miner mining cycle.
Figure 3-3.1 shows a continuous miner approaching a freshly cut face. The operator has the cutting head lowered to prepare for making a 2’ to 3’ deep sump cut at the bottom of the face. This is done to make clearance for the gathering head blade when the miner is sumping at the top of the face. In this manner, the miner can make a deeper sump into the top of the face.
Figure 3-3.2 shows the miner having made a 30” sump cut at the bottom of the face. The operator will now back the miner out of the cut and raise the cutting head to the mine roof.
As shown in Figure 3-3.3, the operator has backed out of the bottom cut and raised the cutting head to the roof, positioning the miner for making a top sump.
3-3.3
Having cut bottom clearance for the gathering head blade, the operator can now make a deep sump at the top such as a full drum diameter as shown in Figure 3-3.4. He can commence his downcut until his gathering head pan is full.
Figure 3-3.4 Miner Sumps in at Top and Begins Downcut
Optimally, all this is being done while awaiting the next haulage car so that maximum loading rate can be achieved when the car arrives.
While loading the haulage car, the operator completes the downcut to the mine bottom, seen in Figure 3-3.5.
Depending on the depth of the top sump, a small cusp of coal will be left behind the drum on the mine bottom. This cusp is removed by backing the miner out of the face a small distance while the cutting head is running.
Figure 3-3.5 Miner Completes Downcut with Small Cusp Remaining
The miner is now in a similar position as that shown in Figure 3-2.1 and the operator can proceed with the next cutting cycle.
The stabilizer shoe is located under the rear deck of the main frame and beneath the conveyor. It is hinged at its front edge and is lowered by a hydraulic cylinder.
The stabilizer shoe serves two purposes:
• To elevate the rear of the miner for maintenance work.
• To provide a higher downcut force at the coal face while shearing down during mining operations.
The advantage of increasing downcut force at the face while shearing down is important particularly when cutting hard coal seams. Figure 3-3.6 illustrates the advantage of the stabilizer shoe in the downcut application.
The miner is shown in the middle of its shearing down cycle. Without the stabilizer shoe deployed, the machine will tend to rock back on the rear of the crawlers. The distance from the miner’s center-of-mass to the rear of the crawlers is denoted in Figure 3-2.6 by “Lever Arm without Stab Shoe”.
Conversely, with the stabilizer shoe deployed, the miner will now tend to rock back on the shoe, providing a longer lever arm. In the case of the 30M miners the lever arm with the stab shoe down is more than twice the lever arm without the stab shoe, thus doubling the down force available for shearing down. This increase in downcut force will improve the speed and efficiency of the shear down portion of the cutting cycle.
Most continuous miners, including the 30M machines, have their centerof-mass located forward of the center of the crawler footprint. This weight distribution makes the miner inherently more effective in shearing down rather than up because shearing down takes advantage of the miner’s weight to maximize downcut force.
Shearing only downward requires the cutting head to be raised without cutting during each mining cycle, and a non-productive dead time is introduced in the mining cycle.
An alternative particularly useful in softer, easier cutting coal seams is to shear both up and down while advancing, thus maximizing the time spent actually cutting coal in the total cycle. This sequence is illustrated in Figures 3-3.7 and 3-3.8.
Figure 3-3.7 shows the miner having sumped in at the top of the coal face. If the operator intends to shear down and up, the depth of sump should be no more than half a drum diameter; otherwise, a cusp will be left at the bottom or top after shearing which will require trimming.
Figure 3-3.8 shows the miner in the middle of the downcut.
Having completed the downcut, Figure 3-3.9 shows the miner sumped in about half a drum diameter at the mine bottom.
Finally, Figure 3-3.10 shows the miner in the middle of the upcut.
3-3.10
The technique of successively shearing up and down is particularly productive when the miner is working in conjunction with a continuous haulage system.
It is essential for the operator to be familiar with the overall machine electrical system as well as each control element. The following provides a general description of the 30M electrical system.
Never try to hold a jumping hydraulic hose. Depressurize the line in question immediately.
The advent of radio remote control as a means of operating continuous miners has brought a remarkable change in mining operations underground and especially at the coal face. On-board dust collector systems such as the ones used on the 30M miners are an essential companion to radio control, as they provide the necessary visibility of activity at the coal face for the miner operator
Several advantages can be cited for the use of radio control on today’s miners. These would include:
• Taking the miner operator off his machine and away from the danger of roof falls which can occur near the face. While the operator’s protective canopy was a partial and practical solution to this danger, greater safety was seen in removing the operator completely from the machine.
• Giving the operator a better visibility of his operating environment, especially his interface with haulage vehicles during loading. Sitting in the operator’s pit during haulage vehicle loading, the miner operator had to constantly be glancing over his left shoulder to monitor the position and height of his conveyor and the progress of loading the car. With remote control, the operator can position himself so that visibility of car loading is as good as that of the face.
However, remote control of miners introduces certain potential safety hazards which the miner operator must watch for and be aware of. While the operator is now free to position himself for convenient visibility of mining operations at the face, he can easily expose himself to the danger of being near mobile heavy equipment.
Most significantly, the operator’s greatest danger is from his continuous miner, especially when he is maneuvering it during mining operations. The miner is capable of slewing rapidly when turning, especially when the crawlers are split. The discharge conveyor can also swing rapidly. In each of these cases, the miner operator is in danger of being hit, or worse yet, run over by his own machine. Equally dangerous is the possibility of the operator being pinned against the rib by his own miner.
Some typical situations dangerous to the miner operator are illustrated on the following pages. The danger area, or red zone, is indicated by:
Tramming the miner from one place to another, especially maneuvering around intersections – see Figure 3-1.1. This illustrates that the operator should not place himself between his miner and the rib.
Beginning the first sump in a new cut. The miner is against the LH rib and the discharge conveyor is swung toward the center of the entry ready for the haulage car – see Figure 3-1.2. The operator must stay clear of the discharge conveyor and the rear of the miner
3-1.1
Sumping in the LH side of the cut – see Figure 3.1-3. As the miner penetrates the face, new unsupported roof is being exposed, and the operator now has an additional constraint to his movements. He must also stay clear of the haulage vehicle at the rear of the miner as it approaches the miner and while it is loading.
3-1.2 Beginning First
3-1.3
Figure 3-1.4 Reposition Miner for RH Cut
Repositioning the miner for the RH cut – see Figure 3-1.4. Because the miner is backing out and turning in close quarters, the operator must stay behind the miner to be safe.
Sumping in the RH cut – see Figure 31.5. Again, the operator must stay away from the face where the newly-exposed roof is unsupported, as well as staying clear of the haulage vehicle while it approaches and loads.
Crosscuts. Beginning and completing crosscuts requires a lot of maneuvering of the miner and loading the haulage vehicle while at awkward positions. Crosscuts also result in newly-exposed unsupported roof. Respecting a red danger zone is important to operator safety in these conditions.
Figure 3-1.6 shows the miner beginning a RH crosscut. The miner is nearly against the opposite LH rib, while the discharge conveyor is swung to its maximum 45o right position for loading the haulage vehicle. Hence, the entire rear of the miner is treated as a red zone. There are two other danger areas. On the RH side, the miner forms a pinch point at the rib which must be avoided. Also, on the LH side of the miner, as the miner progresses into the rib, a sharp-angled fender will be formed which will be susceptible to sloughing and falling off. Hence, that rib must be considered a red zone.
Figure 3-1.7 shows the RH crosscut in further development. The red zone surrounds the miner as the discharge conveyor is free to swing either way and more unsupported roof is exposed.
Pillaring. Remote control offers a significant safety advantage in partial or complete removal of the pillars in retreat mining because it places the operator further away from potential collapsing roof.
It can be seen in Figure 31.8 that much of the area around the miner must be considered a red zone, mostly because of extensive unsupported roof and the need for temporary supports under weakened roof. With remote control, the operator can position himself safely away from the miner while still retaining a good view of the mining cycle.
In Figure 3-1.9, the miner is now working in the opposite RH pillar. A red zone around the miner is no longer applicable, as the operator is now excluded from the entire working area because of failing roof considerations, even with the existence of temporary roof supports.
Figure 3-1.10 illustrates making an additional end cut into the pillar, creating a fender of coal between the two cuts. Additional temporary roof supports have been installed.
Because of roof pressures, the fender will tend to slough its ribs in the process of eventually crushing. Hence, the operator must stay away from this fender as well as avoiding the entry and crosscut areas as shown.
NOTICE
The mining situations, red zones, temporary roof supports, miner positions, and any other features illustrated in this Section 3-1, are offered only as a guide to safe practices and should not be considered as complete and comprehensive regarding dangers to the miner operator or any other personnel. It is absolutely essential that the miner operator and other personnel obey all Federal, State and Local safety regulations as well as those of the mining company.
Never try to repair damaged hydraulic hoses.
Replace hydraulic hoses at the first suspicion of damage.
Laying hydraulic hoses Lay the hydraulic hoses properly behind the brackets and clamps provided for them.
Always lay hydraulic hoses so that they:
Always have a little slack.
Fig. 2: Laying hydraulic hoses, slack RIGHT WRONG
Are not twisted.
Fig. 3: Laying hydraulic hoses, twisting RIGHT WRONG
Are not bent directly behind the connections (distance min. 1.5 x nominal diameter).
Fig. 4: Laying hydraulic hoses, bending RIGHT WRONG
Cannot chafe.
Fig. 5: Laying hydraulic hoses, crossing RIGHT WRONG
Are not kinked.
Do not have to withstand tensile strains. Are protected against thermal radiation. Are accessible at all times.
Push hydraulic hoses into the sockets only by hand. Never try to drive the hydraulic hoses in with a tool, this will damage the connections.
When installing the hydraulic hoses, ensure that they cannot be:
Torn out, Kinked, Crushed, Driven over or Twisted (Fig.: 6) by the movement of the machine
Fig. 6: Laying hydraulic hoses, connections on moving parts
Figure 2-1-1 Location of Major Electrical Components
Main Control Case
The main control case is located on the right rear corner of the miner and is readily accessible from the side of the machine. Figure 2-1.2 illustrates the main control case.
The contents of the main control case include the following:
• All primary circuit breakers, i.e., the main breaker, the tram control breaker and the breaker for lighting and control relays
• The RH side Emergency Stop switch
• Ground check circuit test switch
• Cutting motor contactors
• Traction controllers
• Current transformers
• Control Transformer
• Cutting Head & Conveyor Hour Meters
A swing-out panel, not shown, inside the main control case has additional components mounted to it, including:
• CLA/conveyor and pump motor contactors
• Radio input/output unit
• Current transformers
• Ground Fault Monitor
Tram Motor Circuit Breaker
Control Circuit Breaker
Main Circuit Breaker
Emergency Stop Switch
Figure 2-1.2 Main Control Case Controls and Indicators
Auxiliary Box
Ground Check Circuit Test Switch
Cutting Head Hour Meter
Conveyor Hour Meter
The auxiliary box is mounted on top of or near the main control case on the RH side of the machine. Its contents include:
• Area lighting transformer
• Methane monitor power supply
• Radio receiver
• Pendant Interface
• Fire Spray Battery backup
• Ground Fault Strobe Drive Unit
• Control circuit and I/S relays
• I/S barriers for the control pendant and radio antennae
• Lighting fuses
Display Box
The display box, shown in Figure 2-1.3, is located on the right rear corner of the miner where it is readily visible to the operator and maintenance personnel. The display box has several features:
• A digital readout display for information related to machine operating mode, maintenance and troubleshooting.
• A cutting head run/lockout switch which, when in the lockout position, disables the cutting head motors. This switch is used as a safety measure when performing maintenance when the machine is under power.
• A radio/pendant control switch for enabling either the radio remote or pendant/cable control modes.
Machine Lighting Control
Pendant/Radio Control Selection
Run W-W/O Fan & Cutting Head Lockout
The radio transmitter is the primary method of controlling 30M continuous miners. It contains the switches by which the motors are started, the switches which control the hydraulic solenoids which move the various components on the machine like cutting head raise and lower, conveyor raise, lower, swing left and right and the gathering head raise and float. It also contains the switches which start the dust collector and fire suppression systems, and the emergency safety systems such as the fire water deluge start switch, and the emergency stop switches. Figure 2-2.1 shows the arrangement of switches and controls.
Except for the circuit breaker levers located on electrical enclosures, all necessary operating controls are located on the operator’s remote control transmitter unit.
Both emergency controls, the Emergency Stop and the Fire Spray Actuator, have manual controls on the right-hand and left-hand sides of the machine as well as remote switches on the radio transmitter.
It is essential that the operator familiarize himself with all controls, their location and their function.
(See Balloons 1, 14 and 15 in Figure 2-2.1 and Table 2-2.1)
Three speeds in forward and two in reverse direction are provided for tramming the 30M miner:
• SUMP speed, ranging from zero to 20 feet/minute.
• LOW speed, ranging from zero to 42 feet/minute.
• HIGH speed, ranging from zero to 85 feet/minute.
While in LOW or HIGH tram, tramming speed is infinitely variable from zero to the maximum speed in that range.
The only time the miner is in sump speed is when the cutting head is operating. If the machine is being operated in any other speed, such as moving the machine from one place to another, the tram control system will automatically change to SUMP speed if for any reason the cutting head motors are started.
Similarly, during tramming in LOW or HIGH speed, if the crawlers are split, or if one crawler is stationary and the other is moving, in either case to make a hard turn, the tram control system will automatically change to SUMP speed as a safety precaution.
During normal mining operations, the traction system is operated by radio remote control. A secondary method of tramming the machine is with the manual pendant controller, attached to the machine with an umbilical cord (see Section 2-4).
WARNING
Before starting the machine or operating any controls, you must have read this operating manual, have been trained in the proper operation of the machine, and be thoroughly familiar with all controls. Failure to do so could result in an accident causing serious injury or death to you or other personnel.
To tram the miner, first press and hold the HIGH TRAM or LOW TRAM pushbutton to select tramming speed. Next, move the TRAM ENABLE toggle switch in either the forward or backward direction. This enables the TRAM lever controls for a period of 2 seconds. The TRAM lever controls can then be used to move the machine forward, backward, right and left in any combination. If the Tram lever controls are left idle for 2 seconds or longer, the Tram Enable toggle switch must again be used to enable further tramming.
(See Balloons 1, 11 and 12 in Figure 2-2.1 and Tables 2-2.1 and 2-2.2)
The transmitter and receiver communicate with each other through one of four unique binary encoding modes, 1, 2, 3 and 4. This enables up to four miners to be operated safely within communicating distance of each other, but without the hazard of crosstalk signals occurring. The receiver, located in the Auxiliary Box, has a 4-position mode selector switch, and both transmitter and receiver must be set to a matching mode number.
NOTICE
If the radio transmitter and receiver mode selection are not identical, the transmitter will not operate the miner. To confirm the receiver mode, look at the Display Box digital readout panel. The text on Row 6, LH side of the display, will indicate Mode 1, 2, 3 or 4. The transmitter mode will be indicated by the blink pattern of the Mode LED light – see Table 2-2.3.
In the event that the transmitter mode must be changed to match that of the receiver, the HIGH TRAM and LOW TRAM buttons have a secondary use for this purpose.
To increase the mode setting, press and hold both ENABLE (NOT TRAM ENABLE) and LIGHTS buttons, then TRAM HIGH to increase the transmitter mode number.
To decrease the mode setting, press and hold both ENABLE (NOT TRAM ENABLE) and LIGHTS buttons, then TRAM LOW to decrease the transmitter mode number.
(See Balloons 5, 11 and 21 in Figure 2-2.1 and Tables 2-2.1 and 2-2.2)
WARNING
Before starting the machine or operating any controls, you must have read this operating manual, have been trained in the proper operation of the machine, and be thoroughly familiar with all controls. Failure to do so could result in an accident causing serious injury or death to you or other personnel.
The cutting head is started by first depressing and holding the ENABLE pushbutton, then pulling the CUTTING HEAD START/STOP switch backward to the START position. This two-handed procedure minimizes the possibility of accidental starting of the cutting head.
A rotary CUTTING HEAD LOCKOUT switch is located on the left hand side of the Display Box (see Figure 2-1.6). This switch is used while moving the miner to prevent accidental starting of the cutting head.
During cutting operations, the cutting head is raised and lowered by operating the CUTTING HEAD RAISE/LOWER toggle switch on the radio transmitter. The operator must push the switch forward to lower the head and pull the switch rearward to raise the head.
(See Balloons 6, 7, 18 and 19 in Figure 2-2.1 and Tables 2-2.1 and 2-2.2)
The gathering head CLAs and the conveyor chain are started and run simultaneously by the CONVEYOR START/STOP switch. The pump motor must be running to enable starting this function.
WARNING
Before starting the machine or operating any controls, you must have read this operating manual, have been trained in the proper operation of the machine, and be thoroughly familiar with all controls. Failure to do so could result in an accident causing serious injury or death to you or other personnel.
To start the conveyor, press and hold the ENABLE button, then move the CONVEYOR START/STOP toggle switch rearward to the START position.
At times, the conveyor chain may need to be reversed to dislodge rock or debris that has been carried into the conveyor chain return area and has jammed the chain. To reverse the conveyor chain, press and hold both the ENABLE button and CONVEYOR REVERSE button, then move the CONVEYOR START/STOP toggle switch rearward to the START position.
To stop the conveyor from traveling in reverse, release any of the pushbuttons. To stop the motor, move the START/STOP toggle switch forward to the STOP position.
The conveyor can only be reversed for short time intervals and is subject to limited successive reverse starts in a certain period of time as governed by the microprocessor logic.
WARNING
Never walk or stand underthe conveyor AT ANY TIME unless the conveyor is stationary and is blocked with the conveyor safety stand or crib blocks. The conveyor could fall and cause serious injury or death.
The conveyor boom is raised or lowered with the CONVEYOR RAISE/LOWER switch.
To raise the conveyor, pull the CONVEYOR RAISE/LOWER toggle switch rearward to the RAISE position. Likewise, to lower the conveyor, push the toggle switch forward to the LOWER position. This is a momentary command that, when released, spring-returns to the center position and conveyor movement is stopped.
The discharge conveyor is pivoted just at the rear bumper of the miner to allow it to swing a maximum of 45o from side to side to facilitate loading haulage vehicles and maneuvering the miner.
WARNING
Always stay clear of the discharge conveyor when the miner is under power. The conveyor can swing rapidly and can strike personnel or pin them against the rib. Failure to do so could result in an accident causing serious injury or death to you or other personnel.
To swing the discharge conveyor to the right or left, move the CONVEYOR SWING toggle switch to the RIGHT or LEFT positions. As with conveyor Raise/Lower, this is a momentary command that, when released, spring-returns to the center position and conveyor movement is stopped.
(See Balloon 20 in Figure 2-2.1 and Table 2.2-2)
CAUTION
Never place any part of your person underneath the gathering head when it is raised off the mine bottom. If maintenance work is required, the gathering headshould be blocked so that it is not supported by the gathering head hydraulic cylinders. Failure to block the gathering head could result in an accident causing serious injury or death.
The gathering head has two primary operating positions. It is raised well off the ground when tramming from one place to another. During mining and cleaning up operations, the gathering head is maintained in the float position so it will follow the contour of the mine bottom.
To raise the gathering head, move the GATHERING HEAD FLOAT/RAISE toggle switch rearward to the RAISE position until the desired height is reached. Releasing the spring-return toggle switch will stop the movement of the gathering head. To float the gathering head, move the GATHERING HEAD FLOAT/RAISE toggle switch forward to the FLOAT position until the gathering head is resting on the mine bottom.
(See Balloon 16 on Figure 2-2.1 and Table 2-2.2)
The stabilizer shoe is located under the rear of the miner and is used to stabilize the rear of the miner and increase its downcut leverage when the machine is cutting. The stabilizer shoe can also be used to raise the rear of the machine for maintenance purposes.
CAUTION
Never place any part of your person underneath the miner when the stabilizer shoe is deployed. If maintenance work is required, the rear of the miner should be blocked so that it is not supported by the stabilizer shoe hydraulic cylinder. Failure to block the rear of the miner could result in an accident causing serious injury or death.
To lower the stabilizer shoe, move the STAB RAISE/LOWER toggle switch forward to the LOWER position until the rear of the miner is at the desired height. To retract the stabilizer shoe and lower the rear of the miner, move the STAB RAISE/LOWER toggle switch rearward to the RAISE position long enough to completely stow the stabilizer shoe.
AFTER TURNING OFF POWER TO THE MINER, NEVER WALK AWAY AND LEAVE THE TRANSMITTER TURNED ON. FAILURE TOP TURN THE TRANSMITTER OFF COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE WARNING
The following tables offer a convenient detail summary of the various remote control switches and indicators available to the operator on the radio transmitter.
Table 2-2.1 Motor Controls – procedures required to run the motors (Code numbers refer to balloons on Figure 2-2.1):
Code Switch/Button
1 Primary Usage:
Tram High –Green Pushbutton
[Secondary Usage: Mode Up]
1 Primary Usage: Tram Low –Red Pushbutton
[Secondary Usage: Mode Down]
Function
Puts the miner in High Tram
[Changes transmitter mode up}
Puts the miner in intermediate (low) tram
[Changes transmitter mode down]
2 Machine Stop Shuts down the miner
3 TX On - Green Pushbutton Used to energize the Transmitter
Operation
Press the Tram High button to put the miner into high tram. Maximum speed is 85 ft/min.
[Press and hold both Enable and Lights buttons, then Tram High to increase transmitter mode]
Press the Tram Low button to put the miner into low tram. Maximum speed is 42 ft/min.
[Press and hold both Enable and Lights buttons, then Tram Low to decrease transmitter mode]
When the red Machine Stop button is pressed it (1) overrides all other machine controls; (2) removes power from machine movement actuators; and (3) causes all moving parts to stop within the shortest possible time. Resetting of the manual stop requires a manual reset at the power center.
Press the TX On button down once. You will see the following indication lights turn on: Battery, Mode. There are 4 modes and they can be determined by watching how many times the mode light quickly flashes, then there is a pause and the sequence is repeated (see LED Descriptions).
3 TX Off - Red Pushbutton Used to de-energize the Transmitter
5 Cutter Start/ Stop - Return to Center Toggle Switch
Controls both cutting motors.
6 Conveyor Reverse - Green Pushbutton
Reverse the conveyor chain
Press the TX Off button down once. You will see the battery light flash then the transmitter will power down.
Press and hold the Enable button, then push the Cutter Start/Stop toggle switch to the Start position. Once the cutting head starts, release the Enable pushbutton then the Cutter Toggle Switch. To stop the cutting motors, push the Cutter Start/Stop toggle switch to the Stop position.
Press and hold both the Enable button and Conveyor REV button, then press the Conveyor Start/Stop toggle switch to the Start position. To stop the conveyor from traveling in reverse, release any of the pushbuttons. To stop the motor, push the Start/Stop button to the Stop position.
Code Switch/Button
7 Conveyor Start/ StopReturn to Center Toggle Switch
10 MSTOP OVR - Green Pushbutton
11 Enable Button - Green Pushbutton
Function
Controls the conveyor and gathering motor.
Ability to override an activated machine stop pushbutton
Enables starting the Pump, Cutter, Conveyor, and Gathering Head motors.
Operation
Press and hold the Enable button, then push the Conveyor Start/Stop toggle switch to the Start position. Once the conveyor starts, release the Enable button and then the Conveyor Start/Stop toggle switch. To stop the conveyor motor, push the Conveyor Start/Stop toggle switch to the Stop position.
Press the Enable button, then press the green MSTOP OVR button. Hold both buttons as long as the command is required. To stop the command, release either the Enable button or MSTOP OVR button
Press and hold the Enable button and the corresponding motor toggle switch. Once the motor has started, you can release the enable button and motor switch. NOTE: THE PUMP MOTOR WILL NOT BE ENABLED IF AN ACTIVE COMMAND IS STILL PRESENT. (TIP - LOOK AT THE SWITCH ACTIVE LIGHT TO SEE IF IT IS ON)
13 Pump Start/ Stop - Return to Center Toggle Switch
Controls the hydraulic pump motor.
14 Dual Tram Levers - Return to Center Levers
15 Tram Enable - Return to Center Toggle Switch
Left and right levers independently control the crawler direction.
Enables the Tram function for 2 seconds.
Press the Enable button, then push the Pump Start/Stop toggle switch to the Start position. Once the pump starts, release the Enable button and then the Pump Start/Stop toggle switch. To stop the pump motor, push the Pump Start/Stop toggle switch to the Stop position. THE PUMP MOTOR MUST BE ENERGIZED TO INITIALIZE ALL OTHER TRANSMITTER FUNCTIONS. Only the fire sprays can be energized without the pump.
Move the tram levers up to move forward and back for reverse. The tram levers must be moved within 2 seconds; otherwise the Tram Enable button will drop out.
Push the Tram Enable toggle switch in either direction. The tram levers must be activated within 2 seconds or the tram will drop out. NOTE: THE TRAM WILL NOT ENABLE IF ONE OF THE TRAM LEVERS IS SENDING AN ACTIVE COMMAND. (TIP – CHECK THE SWITCH ACTIVE LIGHT TO SEE IF IT IS ON)
17 MANUAL FAN - - Red Pushbutton
Ability to manually run the dust collector fan
Press and hold the Enable button, then push the MANUAL FAN button. To stop the command, the pump motor must be shut down.
Table 2-2.2 Hydraulic Functions – procedures required to run the following hydraulic-activated functions (Code numbers refer to balloons on Figure 2-2.1):
Code Switch/Button
8 Fire - Red Pushbutton
9 Dust - Two Position Toggle Switch
Function
Turns the fire suppression system ON/OFF. This is a Latched Command. You must manually turn off the fire sprays or they will continue to run.
See Section 2-3 for further details.
Turns the dust sprays On/Off. This is a Latched Command. Note that the Dust ON/OFF toggle switch is not a return-tocenter switch.
12 Machine LightsGreen Push Button
16 Stabilizer Shoe (STAB)
Ability to energize/ reenergize miner lighting according to the position of the manual light selector switch on the Display Box.
Raises and lowers the Stabilizer Shoe
Operation
Press the red Fire button to turn on the fire sprays. To remove the fire spray command, the transmitter must be shut done and powered up.
See Section 2-3 for further details.
Push the Dust On/Off toggle switch to the ON position to turn on the dust sprays. To stop the dust sprays, push the Dust On/Off toggle switch to the OFF position.
Press the Machine Lights button to turn on the lights. Press the button a second time to turn the lights off.
See Section 2-4 for further details.
Push the Stab Lower/Raise toggle switch to the Raise position to raise the back end of the miner. To lower the miner, push the Stab Lower/Raise toggle switch to the Lower position. This is a momentary command that, when released, spring-returns to the center position and the stabilizer shoe movement is stopped.
18 Conveyor Raise/Lower
Raises and lowers the Conveyor
19 Conveyor Swing Swings the discharge conveyor left and right.
To raise the conveyor, push the Conveyor Lower/Raise toggle switch to the Raise position. To lower the conveyor, push the Conveyor Lower/Raise toggle switch to the Lower position. This is a momentary command that, when released, springreturns to the center position and conveyor movement is stopped.
To move the discharge conveyor to the Left or Right from the center position, push the Conveyor Swing toggle switch in the corresponding direction. Release the toggle to stop movement. This is a momentary command that when released spring returns to the center position and the activity is stopped.
Table 2-2.2 Hydraulic Functions – procedures required to run the following hydraulic-activated functions (Continued)
Code Switch/Button
20 Gathering Head
Raise/Float
21 Cutting HeadRaise/Lower
Function Operation
Raises and lowers (to a float position) the gathering head. The toggle switch is selfcentering. It is a Latched Command in the Float position.
Raises and lowers the cutting head
To raise the gathering head or float it on the mine bottom, move the Gathering Head Raise/Float toggle switch from the center position to the corresponding position. If Raise is commanded, releasing the toggle stops the movement. If Float is commanded, the gathering head will continue lowering to the mine bottom.
To raise the cutting head, push the Cutter Head Raise/Lower toggle switch from the center position to the corresponding position. Release the toggle to stop movement. This is a momentary command that when released spring returns to the center position and the activity is stopped.
Table 2-2.3 LED Descriptions – describes the function of the LED indicator lights on the Transmitter – see balloon No. 4 on Figure 2-2.1:
LED Color Function
Battery Red
Flashes. A flashing LED means that battery strength is good. A double blink –pause- double blink LED means the batteries need to be changed (approx. 24hrs left). The transmitter will run until the batteries are dead, but performance and range will diminish quickly and could be unsafe if trying to operate from a long range. When the LED double blinks the batteries should be changed without delay.
Mode Red Flashes. The flashing pattern indicates the binary encoding which matches the transmitter to the receiver.
MODE 1 - One blink then pause
MODE 2 - Two blinks then pause
MODE 3 -Three blinks the pause
MODE 4 - Four blinks then pause
Switch Active Red On Steady. The Switch Active LED indicates that a function has been requested. Once a function has been initiated the SWITCH ACTIVE LED turns “ON” (red) and once the command is removed the LED will turn off.
Tram Enable Red
Flashes. The Tram Enable LED indicates that the Tram Lever is enabled by pulsing at fast rate. Once the tram is in motion, the Switch Active light is energized and the tram enable light turns off. Any time a tram lever is not in the zero position while enabled, the Tram Enable LED will be pulsing for only 2 seconds. Tram Enable can be active if, and only if, there is no direction commanded by either tram lever before the Tram Enable toggle switch is activated.
Latch (Motor) On Red On Steady. When the Dust/Fire/Gathering Head Float commands have been initiated, the LED turns “ON” (red). When the command is removed, the LED will turn off.
The 30M miners have two manual Emergency Stop buttons located at the RH and LH rear sides of the machine. Installation of these Emergency Stop buttons may vary from one machine to another, but they have two characteristics in common: 1) they are always positioned on the rear of each side of the machine so that they are readily accessible to the operator or other personnel without going forward and being under unsupported roof, and 2) they are painted red for maximum visibility – see Figures 2-3.1 and 2-
LH Side Emergency Stop Button (behind protective rub rail)
Side Fire Spray level
The 30M miners have two manual Fire Spray lever-operated ball valves located at the RH and LH rear sides of the machine. These Fire Spray levers are also painted red for visibility – see again Figures 2-3.1 and 2-3.2.
NOTICE
The fire sprays can work in the absence of 120VAC control power. If control power is lost, battery backup power for spray operation is provided from the Auxiliary Box on a 15-minute timer. After the timer has timed out, the fire sprays cannot be activated.
In the event that the emergency fire sprays have been activated, either by the radio transmitter control or the on-board manual control, the fire spray valve will remain locked in the spray mode by pilot water pressure until it is physically de-activated.
De-activation of the fire spray valve is accomplished manually by rotating the yellow lever-operated ball valve located on the RH rear of the miner (see Figure 2-3.1) near the red RH fire spray activation lever. This results in relieving pilot water pressure at the fire spray valve. While this pilot pressure is off, the operator must check to ensure that both manual fire spray valves are turned off; otherwise, when the yellow fire spray deactivation lever is turned off, the fire sprays will reactivate.
NOTICE
If the fire sprays have been activated by the radio transmitter, the red Fire Spray pushbutton is in a “latched” condition (see Table 2-2.2, Code 8). To undo the “latched”condition after the fire sprays have been deactivated, the transmitter must be powered down.
This light indicates the presence of a ground fault somewhere in the electrical control circuits. The light is a bright red strobe light and is located on the RH side of the miner, as shown in Figure 2-3.1.
WARNING
WHEN THE PRESENCE OF A GROUND FAULT IS INDICATED, IT IS IMPORTANT TO STOP OPERATING THE MACHINE IMMEDIATELY AND TROUBLESHOOT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO FIND AND REPAIR THE FAULT. If a second fault should occur before the initial fault has been eliminated, the miner could operate in an unsafe and erratic way. Failure to heed this warning could result in an accident causing serious injury or death.
Remote Umbilical Pendant Control
The 30M can be operated using a pendant control connected to the miner by an umbilical cable - see Figure 2-4.1. This control is used in the event that the operator loses his radio link with the miner. The pendant control can then be used to safely recover the miner from the face to a safe area under supported roof for troubleshooting and maintenance.
The pendant controller allows limited operation of the machine: tramming and pump motor activation to provide hydraulic power to raise or lower the cutting head.
In order to use the manual pendant it must be connected to the machine. The pendant has a pigtail, approximately 12’ long with a male connector, permanently attached – see Figure 24.1.
The auxiliary box has a cable with a female connector wired into gland JJ for attachment of the pendant pigtail. This pigtail is stowed onboard the miner in a protected area - see Figure 2-4.2.
Figure 2-4.1 Remote Pendant Control
In addition, a 20’-long umbilical cable is provided with the pendant to provide sufficient length for safe operation of the miner during recovery as necessary.
Control Case
Auxiliary Box Auxiliary Box/Pendant Input Cable (stowed) Cable Clamp
Control Pendant
Figure 2-4.2 Remote Pendant Control Arrangement
The pendant controller and its umbilical cord should be stored in a protected location on the working section, away from the continuous miner, to prevent accidental damage
The umbilical cord is connected to the pendant interface through an umbilical pigtail-with-connector installed through one of the permissible glands on the auxiliary control case.
After plugging the umbilical cord in, rotate the RADIO/PENDANT rotary switch, located on the Display box, to the PENDANT CONTROL position – see Figure 2-1.5.
The 30M is equipped with both headlights and area lights. A rotary switch located on the Display Box (see Figure 2 -1.5) provides three options for machine lighting: 1) headlights only, 2) area lights only, and 3) both headlights and area lights. Operation of the LIGHTS button on the radio transmitter will provide machine lighting according to which position has been selected on the lighting switch on the Display Box.
On the LH side of the miner at the rear, adjacent to the dust collector fan, there can be up to three lever-operated ball-valves to control water flow. One can be for back-flushing the dust collector sump in order to clean out accumulated debris. Another can be for back-flushing the sump strainer. A third one can be for operating dust sprays manually for test purposes. These additional valve levers are painted yellow and will be marked accordingly; two of these valves can be seen in Figure 2-3.2.
There will also be water hose connection ports on the RH and LH sides of the rear of the miner. These are used to clean off the top and sides of the miner as necessary.
All 30M miners are equipped with a methane monitor system which maintains a continuous check on methane gas concentration in the atmosphere around a detector head located as close to the face as practical.
The methane monitor system consists of a power supply, located in the auxiliary control box, a readout unit mounted usually on the right rear corner of the machine (see Figure 2-4.2), and a detector attached to the underside of the cutting head. Miners may also be equipped with a second slave readout unit on the LH rear of the miner.
A typical readout unit is shown in Figure 2-4.3. LED indicators display the percentage of methane gas in large numerals. Other LEDs indicate LOW alarm level, HIGH alarm level and the presence of a malfunction in the methane detection system.
The LOW Alarm LED lights when methane gas content reaches 1.0%, and goes out when the content drops below 0.9%.
The HIGH Alarm LED lights when methane concentration reaches 2.0%. Simultaneously, the machine control relay in the power supply unit will de-energize power to the miner.
The control unit automatically resets when the methane concentration level drops below 1.9%.
Please see spare parts list for technical information.
If you need to order spare parts, or if technical problems occur, please contact our after-sales service personnel or contact us directly.
Bucyrus America, Inc. (Headquarters & Manufacturing Facility) 2045 West Pike Street Houston, PA 15342-1010
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FAX (724) 228-2177
Bucyrus America, Inc. (Service & Rebuild Facility) Norris City, Illinois
635 Illinois Highway 1 Norris City, Il 62869
Telephone (618) 378-3441 FAX (618) 378-3106
Bucyrus America, Inc. (Service & Rebuild Facility) Oak Hill, West Virginia 843 Lochgelly Road Oak Hill, WV 25901
Telephone (304) 469-3302 FAX (304) 465-0450
Internet: http://www.bucyrus.com
This manual describes the operation and maintenance of the radio control system using the model TX-944 transmitter/endstation. Specific sections of this manual are used to explain each major component of the complete remote control system, their general operation, and a general trouble shooting section. Please read this manual in its entirety and become familiar with the systems operation before controlling energized equipment. Understanding the operational features of the system is REQUIRED for safe operation.
IF MALFUNCTIONSOCCURINANYASPECTOFTHE TRANSMITTERORRECEIVERS OPERATIONDO NOT CONTINUETO OPERATE;POWERDOWNTHESYSTEMAND RETURNITTOTHEFACTORYFORINSPECTIONANDREPAIR. WHENTHESYSTEMISINUSEIFANYPARTOFTHEUNITIS DAMAGEDPHYSICALLYDISCONTINUEOPERATIONAND RETURNITTOTHEFACTORYFORINPECTIONANDREPAIR. AT ANYTIMEDURING USAGEOFTHETX-9XX/RX9XX SYSTEMANYDAMAGEISFOUNDPHYSICALLYOR ELECTRONICALLYITISCRUCIALFORTHESAFETYOFTHE OPERATORANDOTHERSINTHEOPERATING AREATHAT THESYSTEM ISNOTALLOWEDTOCONTINUEINOPERATION.
Ghosting (gosting), v., 1. Unplanned movement, machines that use Computer Control Technology.
The Mine Safety and Health Administration has recognized a problem involving malfunctions of electro-hydraulic shield advance systems at various longwall installations. This has lead MSHA to issue the following recommendations for the safe operation of all computer controlled mining equipment to prevent the condition known as ‘ghosting’.
The recommendations are as follows:
1. 1. Mine personnel who operate this equipment should be trained to insure the proper operational procedures and sequences are used to recognize improper system operation, alarms, and displays.
2. 2. Maintenance of the system is critical for safe operation. Hardware malfunctions, such as sticking solenoid valves, should be immediately repaired.
3. 3. Mine personnel should be made aware that the entry of moisture or water into the transmitter or umbilical enclosure could cause undesired machine movements. Transmitter cases should be inspected for damage that could compromise the sealing features designed into these units and allow moisture entry. Signs of mechanical distortion or bent control housings, damaged gaskets or seals, damaged keypads, corrosion, or evidence of internal moisture indicate that the enclosure sealing may have been compromised. The control unit enclosures should not be disassembled for inspection because proper resealing is too difficult to accomplish in the field. When signs of moisture or water are observed in the control unit enclosure, the units must be immediately replaced.
4. 4. Any abnormal operational sequences of the system, alarm displays, or unintended machine movement which might be due to a software programming error should be noted, reported to the manufacture, and corrected immediately.
5. 5. Any equipment removed to correct “ghosting” problems should be sent to the manufacture to determine the exact cause of the problem. Corrective action will then be taken by either the manufacture or the operator to prevent similar occurrences.
6. 6. Whenever an unplanned machine movement is observed, the hardwired emergency stop system should be activated, not the stop button on the electronic control unit.
These recommendations, though originally made in response to the unplanned movement of longwall shield advance systems utilizing computer control technology, are equally applicable to all equipment with machine control circuits utilizing computer control technology. The recommendations above should be followed on a continuing basis on all machines utilizing computer control technology.
The system consists of a transmitter/endstation and a receiver. The OEM completes the entire machine by adding electro/hydraulic interface components as well as relay/contactor hardware for the motor stop/start and/or machine shutdown.
Transmitter (TX-944) The TX-944 is a mobile hand operated transmitter for the radio control system. The enclosure is black polycarbonate and is rated to the specifications of a NEMA 4 enclosure. Inside the transmitter enclosure is the RF, CPU - Switch PCB, and an internal antenna. The radio frequency is modulated around a center frequency of 466.2500Mhz. Output power is approximately 20mW used in a pulsed operation. Machine operations are hand operated via the 8 pushbuttons, 13 toggle switches, 2 tram
levers and a big red machine stop button. All functions on the transmitter are labeled clearly; at any time during operation if a label comes off or is covered with dust it is recommended for safe operation that it be replaced or cleaned before continuing operation. For operator feedback there are six LEDs are used to show BATTERY LIFE, ERROR, LINK REQUEST/SHUTDOWN, SWITCH ACTIVE/LOW BATTERY, TRAM ENABLE/INACTIVITY, and LINK ACKNOWLEDGE/COMMANDED POWER DOWN. Batteries are removable. Replacement batteries are removed and replaced via a compartment on the side of the transmitter. Only batteries that are approved by MSHA for use with this transmitter should be used.
ENDSTATION The endstation operation is accomplished by connecting the endstation cable to the bottom of the transmitter. The operation of the endstation will be exactly the same as the operation of the handheld in the transmitter mode. As soon as the transmitter is connected to the machine by using the endstation cable the system will use the endstation as the only source to control the machine. The endstation will now have full control of the receiver. If a transmitter and endstation are on at the same time the endstation will be in control because the MCU will have sensed a connection with an endstation. It will also exchange serial numbers with the endstation and will only respond with that transmitter.
RECEIVER/DECODER (RX-944) The RX-944 is a compact receiver for the remote control system. Inside the extruded shell are the PCBs used to receive the transmitted signal, decode and validate it, and repackage the data stream for transmission to the MCU via a rs232 serial link. There is a reference decal on the top of the unit that corresponds with drawing # 03115500 to aid in installation.. The receiver features 4 leds on the front to aid in the operation of the system. The antenna attachment is located on the face of the receiver and is for Structured Mining Systems P.N. # ANT-100.
OPERATIONAL SAFETY FEATURES
1.) Switch Scan PWR Up- Each time the transmitter is switched on, all switches are scanned to ensure they are in an inactive state. The transmitter will send an error code to the MCU specifying which switch is not working In the event that more than one switch is stuck the MCU will display only one until it is corrected then it will display the next one affected. This will repeat until all switches are cleared. The transmitter can be shut down with the TX POWER OFF button or the MACHINE STOP BUTTON.
2.) Low Voltage Shutdown- Battery voltage is continuously monitored by an analog input channel of the micro-controller and the transmitter will shut itself down before the voltage decays to a value which could possibly affect proper microcontroller operation. The transmitter will display the cause of the shutdown by lighting the “low battery” led while shutting down and transmit low voltage
4.) MACHINE STOP- This transmitter incorporates a distinctive large red button labeled OFF. Upon depressing this button a string of Power Down commands will be sent to the receiver and the machine will commence operation. Activating the MACHINE STOP BUTTON will also trip the power center relay if set in the menu screen of the MCU.
5.) Two Hand Start- Outputs which mandate additional safety consideration such as motor starts which require two-handed initiations. They usually include an enable button. Additionally, a time delay is incorporated such that both buttons must be held for a period of time before the function is enabled. The pump start will require that the enable button be pressed first then the pump start toggle switch be thrown.
6.) Inactivity Shutdown-All transmitters utilize an internal timer which is reset by the operation of any switch. If this timer expires then the transmitter and machine will shut down. The inactivity time is for the TX-944 is 5 minutes.
Note: Upon power-up, all transmitter functions must be OFF. This includes all latched functions. If any transmitter functions are engaged upon receiver power-up, the receiver will regard that transmitter as faulty and it will begin to send error information to the MCU to be put on the main display. These stuck button error messages will not be entered into the error log. Resetting all transmitter/endstation functions to idle position will reset this safety feature.
StartupProcedures:
To begin, there are two different start-up procedures. The first is if the transmitter having either never before operated the miner or another transmitter previously had operated the miner. The second is if the transmitter was the last one to operate the miner. If this is the first time that the transmitter is going to be used with the miner then it will have to be logged in using the umbilical cord. The first time a transmitter is used with the machine or the first time the transmitter is used after another transmitter is used you must go through a “Teach Learn” sequence. The transmitter will have to be turned upside down and the port for plugging the umbilical cord will be visible on the bottom. It is easily recognizable by the silver cap on the end. See FIG 1.
Remove the plug by unscrewing the black ring and plug the umbilical into it (See FIG 2.) then press the ON button
. The left top led, UMB MSG, (umbilical messages) and the left bottom led, LINK REQ, (link request) will flash and then the, LINK ACK, (link acknowledge) will flash once for verifying that the serial number provided by the MCU is the same one as in it memory or twice for logging in it in memory as a new machine that it is connected to. The description of the LEDs are discussed in the next section. Once this process is done the handheld can be used as an endstation or unplugged from the machine and used as a transmitter. Since the machine unit holds only one serial
number (transmitter’s ID ) and the handhelds only hold one serial number at a time (machine unit’s ID ) They will only communicate with each other. If there is another handheld in the area it will not communicate with the machine but it might cause some interference such as a lower number of messages per second that the system is capable of operating.
If the transmitter is the last one that had been used with the miner then there is no need to go through the “teach learn” sequence again. The transmitter can now be turned on and operated normally.
The transmitterwillnotworkasa“radiotransmitter” withoutthesilverplugattachedandscrewedintothebottom ofthe unit.
TRANSMITTERMODELTX-944
3.
BATTERY/UMB MSG – In transmitter mode, this LED will blink at a rate to give a general indication of the battery condition. A rapid blink indicates a relatively
full battery and a slow blink indicates a relatively weak battery. When approximately 8 hours of battery life remains, this LED will enter a different blink pattern. There will be two blinks followed by a longer pause and then two blinks again. This pattern will continue indicating that fresh batteries are needed. When in umbilical mode, this LED blinks indicating that a message has been sent to the MCU. The blink rate should be steady at 10 times per second.
ERROR – This LED indicates an internal error within the transmitter and it should be replaced. Note that all LED’s come on briefly during power up to prove that they are working. The ERROR LED on briefly at power up is normal. When this LED is on after power up, the transmitter should be returned for repair.
LINK REQUEST/SHUTDOWN – When the transmitter is connected as an umbilical, it will attempt to LINK to the MCU (refer to TEACH/LEARN discussion). This LED will blink for each link request sent to the MCU. When the transmitter switches off, this LED serves a second purpose in that it indicates that a shutdown is in progress and power down messages are being sent to the MCU. At the same time, one of three other LED’s will indicate why the transmitter is powering down: Commanded (Operator initiated), Inactivity or Low Battery (see following paragraphs).
SWITCH ACTIVE/LOW BATTERY – After power up this LED is used to indicate a “stuck switch”. ALL switches must be in their neutral or safe position before the transmitter is allowed to become operational. If after power up (i.e. TX PWR ON depressed), this LED illuminates and stays illuminated (solid) then there is a “stuck” switch. In this condition, no other switches on the transmitter will be operational. The transmitter will send the error condition to the MCU and the system will display which switch is “stuck”. This switch must be replaced before proper operation will resume. After power up, any switch that is operated will result in this LED being solidly on while the switch is operated. In this manner, all switches can be verified locally at the transmitter. To see if the transmitter switch is being properly read, operate the switch and observe the SW ACTIVE LED. Note that only one switch will be indicated at any time as this LED is common for all switches. Also while in normal operation, certain switches are timed to maintain safety features, primarily two handed starts. If for example the ENABLE button is held down for more than 15 seconds, then the transmitter will enter an error mode. If this occurs then all command will cease to operate and an error code will be sent to the machine. To resume normal operation, the ENABLE button must be released. Switches that are timed in this manner are:
a) ENABLE
b) SHIFT
c) TRAM ENABLE
d) PUMP START
e) CONV START
f) CONV REV
g) CUTTER START
Note that in normal operation, all of these switches are held operated for only short periods of time. A constantly held condition would be abnormal and defeat two handed starts and other enabled functions unsafe. Therefore, these switches are monitored and timed during normal operation to prevent the possibility of a constantly on switch.
Upon shutdown, this LED will illuminate in conjunction with the SHUTDOWN LED to indicate that the reason the TX shut off was a low battery condition.
TRAM ENABLE/INACTIVITY – This LED indicates that the tram levers are armed (active) and that any operation of the tram levers will result in machine movement. Conversely, if this LED is off, then the tram levers are dead. Upon shutdown, this LED will illuminate in conjunction with the SHUTDOWN LED to indicate that the reason the TX shut off was inactivity (no switch operation for 5 minutes).
LINK ACK/COMMANDED POWER DOWN – During the TEACH/LEARN process, this LED indicates that a link response (acknowledgement) has been received back at the transmitter from the MCU. If the transmitter was re-linked back to the same MCU (machine), then this LED will flash once. If this is a new link to a different MCU (machine), then this LED will flash twice. Upon shutdown, this LED will illuminate in conjunction with the SHUTDOWN LED to indicate that the reason the TX shut off was a commanded power down (operated initiated) as a result of the operator pressing either the MACHINE STOP mushroom head or the TX PWR OFF pushbutton.
CONVEYOR STOP: Moving the conveyor lever to the stop position will send a signal to stop the conveyor. The switch will be scanned upon startup and if held while starting up it will generate an error that will be displayed on the view screen.
CONVEYOR START: This action will start the conveyor. This action requires the enable button to be pressed concurrently. This lever is momentary and does not have to be held in this position. The toggle switch will be scanned upon startup. If the switch is held for more than 15 seconds an error will occur and the transmitter will issue standard motor shutdowns and display the error on the view screen.
FIRE: This action will start the fire suppression on the miner. The lever is momentary and does not have to be held in this position. The switch will be scanned upon startup and if held while starting up it will generate an error that will be displayed on the view screen.
LIGHTS: This action will activate and deactivate the lights. This function is latched function. It will turn on the lights when the toggle switch is pushed and released. If it is pushed again the light will be turned out. This switch will be scanned upon startup and if held while starting up it will generate an error that will be displayed on the view screen.
DUST OFF: This function will turn off the dust spray. This function is latched function. This switch will be scanned upon startup and if held while starting up it will generate an error that will be displayed on the view screen.
DUST ON: This function will turn on the dust spray. This function is latched function. This switch will be scanned upon startup and if held while starting up it will generate an error that will be displayed on the view screen.
FAN OFF: This action will turn off the fan (scrubber). This function is latched function. This switch will be scanned upon startup and if held while starting up it will generate an error that will be displayed on the view screen.
FAN ON: This action will turn on the fan (scrubber). . This action requires the enable button to be pressed concurrently. This function is latched function. This switch will be scanned upon startup and if held while starting up it will generate an error that will be displayed on the view screen.
PUMP STOP: This function will turn off the pump. This switch will be scanned upon startup and if held while starting up it will generate an error that will be displayed on the view screen.
PUMP START: This function will start the pump. This action requires the enable button to be pressed before the lever is activated. This lever is momentary but has to be held in this position for half a second before the transmitter will transfer the command. The toggle switch will be scanned upon startup. If the switch is held for more than 15 seconds an error will occur and the transmitter will issue standard motor shutdowns and display the error on the view screen CUTTER HEAD LOWER: This function will lower the
cutter head. This switch will be scanned upon startup and if held while starting up it will generate an error that will be displayed on the view screen.
CUTTER HEAD RAISE: This function will raise the cutter head. This switch will be scanned upon startup and if held while starting up it will generate an error that will be displayed on the view screen.
GATHERING HEAD FLOAT: This function will allow the Gathering head to float. This switch will be scanned upon startup and if held while starting up it will generate an error that will be displayed on the view screen.
GATHERING HEAD RAISE: This function will raise the Gathering head. This switch will be scanned upon startup and if held while starting up it will generate an error that will be displayed on the view screen.
CONVEYOR SWING LEFT: This function will swing the conveyor to the left. This switch will be scanned upon startup and if held while starting up it will generate an error that will be displayed on the view screen.
CONVEYOR SWING RIGHT: This function will swing the conveyor to the right. This switch will be scanned upon startup and if held while starting up it will generate an error that will be displayed on the view screen.
CONVEYOR LOWER: This function will lower the conveyor. This switch will be scanned upon startup and if held while starting up it will generate an error that will be displayed on the view screen.
CONVEYOR RAISE: This function will raise the conveyor. This switch will be scanned upon startup and if held while starting up it will generate an error that will be displayed on the view screen.
BREAKER RESET: This function will reset the breaker. . This action requires the enable button to be pressed concurrently. This switch will be scanned upon startup and if held while starting up it will generate an error that will be displayed on the view screen.
BREAKER ON: This function will turn on the breaker. . This action requires the enable button to be pressed concurrently. This switch will be scanned upon startup and if held while starting up it will generate an error that will be displayed on the view screen.
STAB LOWER: This function will lower the stab in the back of the machine. It will operate as long as the switch is thrown or until the limit is reached on the miner. This switch will be scanned upon startup and if held while starting up it will generate an error that will be displayed on the view screen.
STAB RAISE: This function will raise the stab in the back of the machine. It will operate as long as the switch is thrown or until the limit is reached on the miner. This
switch will be scanned upon startup and if held while starting up it will generate an error that will be displayed on the view screen.
TRAM ENABLE: This toggle switch whether pushed left or right will activate the tram enable on the transmitter. It will be active for 3 seconds until a tram lever is activated. If at the end of 3 seconds the trams are not activated the enable will go out and all tram activity will be disabled. The function will not engage until the tram levers are in the center position. The tram enable will also be reset if the pump start is activated. The tram enable is checked upon start up and if active at startup will cause an error to be displayed on the view screen. This toggle switch will generate an error if held on for more than 15 seconds and will send shutdown codes.
SHIFT: This button is yellow on the transmitter and will be used in conjunction with the lower right 6 toggle switches. On these switches are the functions that they will command. This switch will be scanned upon startup and if held while starting up it will generate an error that will be displayed on the view screen.
MSTOP OVERIDE: This button will override the machine stop button on the left side of the miner. This button should be held down while the pump is started and during tramming. This switch will be scanned upon startup and if held while starting up it will generate an error that will be displayed on the view screen.
ENABLE: The enable button will be used in conjunction with other switches. These switches will be marked with their function in green. This switch will be scanned upon startup and if held while starting up it will generate an error that will be displayed on the view screen. This toggle switch will generate an error if held on for more than 15 seconds and will send shutdown codes.
TX POWER ON: This push button is the “ON” button for the transmitter. This is the only function of this button
TX POWER OFF: This button will turn off the transmitter. It will initiate a shutdown sequence that will shut off all pumps and put the machine in a safe state. It will transmit these command 20 times and then shut off the transmitter.
TRAM HIGH: This button will put the miner in high tram. The button is a latch function. This button will only put the miner in high tram. While in high tram pressing this button will have no effect. This switch will be scanned upon startup and if held while starting up it will generate an error that will be displayed on the view screen.
TRAM LOW: This button will put the miner in low tram. The button is a latch function. This button will only put the miner in low tram. While in low tram pressing this button will have no effect. This switch will be scanned upon startup and if held while starting up it will generate an error that will be displayed on the view screen.
There are two tram levers on the transmitter. They each control one of the trams. See Fig 5. FIG 5.
Before tramming can occur the hydraulic pump must be started. See PUMP START. Once this has been done then the Tram Enable must be pressed either to the left or the right.
The enable switch lever is the first lever to the right of the tram levers. See Fig 5. The tram lever must be operated within approximately 3 seconds after the enable is activated or the function will timeout and the enable will have to be pressed again to activate the trams.
When the tram enable is active the tram enable light will be lit. See Fig 3 for location of this LED.
There are 3 tramming speeds available to the operator. The first is SUMP. It is the lowest of speeds and is used while digging into the coal face. This speed will automatically be engaged when the miner comes into contact with the coal face. It will also be automatically selected when one tram is used alone or the trams are operated in different directions (“splitting the cats”). The miner will default on start up to the next speed, LOW TRAM speed. HIGH TRAM speed can be selected by pressing the high tram button on the transmitter.
The relationship between lever position and speed command can be seen on the view screen on the miner. The tram control signals from the transmitter can be seen in the lower left portion of the screen labeled TRACTION FT/MIN. See Fig below.
On the miner itself there is a view screen that can be accessed by the operator of the transmitter. To navigate the menu system use the yellow shift button with the switches that have yellow labels. Refer to Fig 4 the Breaker Reset/on switch is also used to page up or page down in the menu system. Next to it, the Conveyor lower/raise switch is to change the value inside the menu. Up meaning to increase the value and down to decrease the value.
Following is a list of menus accessible by the operator of the transmitter in order that they occur on the miner. The default menu is Remote Runtime Status and is what the machine will display when started up.
This is the fault log screen. The machine will display faults and errors that occur during its operation. Only those faults that cause a motor to unintentionally shutdown will be logged into memory for later analysis. An example is if the miner is shut down when the MACHINE STOP Button is pressed it will be displayed here. If the miner stops because of an over temperature on the cutter motor then it will be displayed here and logged into flash memory.
This menu is a graphical overview motor currents and motor temperatures. Also displayed is the temperature of the tram transformer. Also useful is the display of the machine voltage.
This menu is the default menu that is displayed when the miner is powered up. It will show currents and temperatures for all the motors graphically. In the upper right corner it will show the status of the transmitter. The green light is to show a valid command is being transmitted. The bar graph changes color depending whether they are high or low. The battery voltage of the transmitter is shown. A Red battery text will indicate that the battery is very near empty. The battery should be changed if the battery text is red in color. The RF signal indicates the relative strength of the RF signal. A low signal does not mean that there is a loss of information transmitted to the miner. Remember, the signal is digital in nature and will either work or not work. So a low value for the strength will mean that the miner is approaching a point where signal loss can occur. This graphic can be used to tell if there is something wrong with the transmitter. If you hold the transmitter near the antenna and there is a low signal then you should investigate the antenna cabling first and then the transmitter should be checked for low power output. Another diagnostic tool is messages/second. When there is an active command this number should be around 8 to 12. If the transmitter is idle for 1 second this will decrease to 4 to 7 messages/second to save battery life. If there is interference from another transmitter then this will decrease the number of valid packets (messages) from the transmitter and the number will be smaller.
This screen gives a detailed view of the pump motor and its history for one minute. The screen will display immediately the pump motor current and the temperature in the blue bars graphs. In the graphics area the current will be shown from right to left, the right most side of the screen will be the most recent measurements. The transmitter status box ie., battery, rf signal etc will be active in this screen.
This screen gives a detailed view of the fan motor and its history for one minute. The screen will display immediately the fan motor current in the blue bar graph. In the graphics area the current will be shown from right to left, the right most side of the screen will be the most recent measurements.
The transmitter status box ie., battery, rf signal etc will be active in this screen.
In this menu the left and the right cutting motors currents and temperatures will be displayed and the history for one minute.
The screen will display immediately the cutting motor currents and the temperatures in the blue bars graphs for each motor. In the graphics area the current will be shown from right to left, the right most side of the screen will be the most recent measurements. The right cutter motor will be colored green and the left motor will be colored blue. The transmitter status box ie., battery, rf signal etc will be active in this screen.
This screen will display the CLA left and right motor status. The blue bar graphics will display the immediate values for the current and temperature. In the graphics area will be a one minute history of the motor currents. The current will be shown from right to left, the right most side of the screen will be the most recent measurements. The right CLA motor will be colored green and the left motor will be colored blue.
The transmitter status box ie., battery, rf signal etc will be active in this screen.
In this menu the tram motor status will be displayed. The currents and the voltages for the left and right motors will be displayed as blue bars for the immediate values. A 1 minute history will be displayed for the voltage and the current for each motor. The left motor current will be blue. The left motor voltage will be red. The right current will be displayed in green. And the right voltage will be displayed in pink. The transmitter status box ie., battery, rf signal etc will be active in this screen.
This is page one of four screens that display input/output status.
This is screen two of four status screens. As you can see the transmitter was communicating with the miner as the transmitter active status light was lit. Also note that in the upper right hand corner the battery voltage value was being sent. The receiver was measuring a moderate rf signal, no trams were active and no active command was being sent. The transmitter will always communicate with the miner even though there is no active command being sent.
This is page three of the status pages.
This is page four of four status pages. These status lights can be used to diagnose a fault in the machine if needed. If a status light is on because a command has been sent by the transmitter then you know that the transmitter is ok. You know the receiver is ok and the computer inside the miner is getting the command. Next look downstream from the computer for a fault in the wiring or a bad component.
This page will be for helpful hints in running the machine. It is not finished yet.
This screen is not accessible to the operator of the transmitter. The operator should be aware of the setting of this parameter. When the operator presses the Machine Stop button on the transmitter the value that this screen contains will decide if the power center relay will trip or not. This screen is accessible by using the IR pendent.
This screen is not accessible to the operator of the transmitter. The operator should be aware of the setting of this parameter. The tilt sensor always sends the signal to the MCU but is only acted upon if this menu item is set. This screen is accessible by using the IR pendent.
This menu shows what happens when the tram levers are not in the center position when the transmitter is turned on. The error in red states the first error the transmitter sees in itself. It is saying that the left tram lever is stuck . With all error conditions such as stuck buttons on power up and stuck motor function switches and enables the transmitter will only send these error codes and can not be used until all errors are cleared.
This menu shows what happens when the pump start toggle is held in the start position. The error is sent and visible on the screen.
Reading the Led Indicators Left to Right
There are currently four types of shut down modes for the RX-944 receiver. They are a “commanded power down”, “low battery shutdown.”, “inactivity shutdown”, and “loss of signal”. They are two separate and distinct ways of shutting down remote control operations.
Loss of Communication, Low Battery and Inactivity Power Down:
A loss of communication power down is not initiated, but occurs due to a loss of communication between the transmitter and receiver for 2 sec. Typically, this occurs when a battery is weak, circuit malfunction occurs, the transmitter is out of range, or the antenna is being blocked or has a broken connection affecting the transmitter range. When the receiver sees a loss of communication, a two-part power down occurs. After
one second the receiver will:
1.) Clear all non-latched outputs( Front/Rear Cylinders, and Tram commands)
2.) Set the power down bit in the Allen Bradley serial message (if a PLC is installed)
3.) Clear all outputs to OFF, Removing power from PUMP MOTOR.
4.) Wait for 2 sec. For power to be removed. If this does not occur, the receiver will return to a search condition and wait for a transmitter to turn ON.
A low battery shutdown will display on the machine screen that the reason for shutting down was due to low battery voltage.
After 5 minutes the transmitter will auto shutoff. This will include shutdown messages sent to the MCU to turn off motor and hydraulic functions.
Commanded:
A commanded power down is initiated by pressing the stop button on the handheld. It can also be shut down by pressing the machine stop button. The hand held will start and send 20 power down commands and then shut off. If in the menu system page “Machine Stop Shutdown Function”, the power center trip value is set then the command will be sent to trip the power center relay.
One of the most beneficial features of the new transmitter style is its power design. The TX-9XX has a continuous operational life of approx. 120 hours. The power source is two 9 volt batteries. A BAT LED monitors battery life. A fast flashing LED means that battery strength is good. A slow flashing light means that the batteries are more than half used up. A double blink – pause- double blink LED means the batteries need to be changed (approx. 8 hrs left). The transmitter will run until the batteries are dead, but performance and range will diminish quickly and could be unsafe if trying to operate from a long range. When the LED double blinks the batteries should be replaced. The battery compartment is polarized so the batteries can be inserted but the contact will only be made with the batteries in the correct orientation. Inside the compartment one contact is larger than the other corresponding to the larger contact on the battery. The battery compartment door should be closed with the screws finger tight.
RECEIVER FEATURES:
1.) Redundant Watchdog- The receiver incorporates the internal watchdog as described for the transmitter. In addition the receiver circuits include an external hardware based watchdog circuit to reset all outputs in the event of a microcontroller failure. This circuit is redundant to the internal watchdog and monitors the constant toggling of a dedicated I/O pin. Steady state values on the I/O pin, either low or high, will trip the external watchdog and reset
the receiver.
Note: Any time during operations that communications are lost between the transmitter and the receiver all outputs of the receiver will be cleared and it will begin scanning for the transmitter that contains the last serial number that was connected to it.
1 – Watchdog, blinks once per second to indicate that power has been applied and than internal processor is alive and working.
2 – Pre-Amble Detect, blinks to indicate that transmitter on the correct frequency has been detected. This LED should blink approximately 10 times per second as soon as a transmitter is switched on in the vicinity of the machine.
3 – Valid Message, blinks to indicate that valid messages from a transmitter on the correct frequency are being received. Note: This does NOT mean that the transmitter is the serial number that has been “TAUGHT” to the Machine Control Unit. All transmitter messages that pass the CRC tests are passed to the MCU for evaluation.
4 – Link LED, indicates that a sufficient number of messages are being received to qualify as a “link” and the system should not drop out
Led’s 5 through 8 are for future use
It is the responsibility of the installation technician to read and understand the following prior to installing and RX944. It is crucial that during installation of any RX-944 the mode be unique to any other receiver in the area. At the time of installation a definitive check on the modes of all receivers in the area must occur. Note the modes of each receiver and select a mode that is unique for the installation. Failure to do so may result in two receivers accepting signals from one transmitter. Two machines would be controlled by one transmitter resulting in unwanted movement. This is essential to ensure safe operation.
BELOW ISMSHAPROGRAMINFORMATIONBULLETINP03-03RECOMMENDED DESIGN SAFEGUARDSFORPERMISSIBLEREMOTE CONTROLLEDMININGMACHINE
U.S.DepartmentofLabor MineSafetyandHealthAdministration1100Wilson BoulevardArlington,Virginia22209-3939
ISSUE DATE: FEBRUARY 25, 2003
PROGRAM INFORMATION BULLETIN NO. P03-3
FROM: MARK E. SKILES Director of Technical Support
RAY McKINNEY Administrator for
Coal Mine Safety and Health
ROBERT M. FRIEND Administrator for
Metal and Nonmetal Mine Safety and Health
SUBJECT: Recommended Design Safeguards for Permissible Remote Controlled Continuous Mining Machines
Who needs to have this information?
Operators of underground coal or gassy metal and nonmetal mines, manufacturers of remote controllers and remote controlled continuous mining machines, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) enforcement personnel, miners' representatives, state mining agencies, and other interested parties need this information.
What equipment is affected by this bulletin?
This Program Information Bulletin (PIB) applies to new designs of permissible remote controlled continuous mining machines approved under Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations (30 CFR), Part 18 and to existing approved equipment in use in the mines as well. It applies to remote controllers that are portable and hand carried, or worn on the operator's body, to remotely control continuous mining machines from a location off the machine but in close proximity to and in visual and audible range of the machine being controlled. It is applicable to remote control systems using radio, infra-red or direct tethered electrical connection methods.
What is the purpose of this bulletin?
The purpose of this bulletin is to inform the mining industry of recommended safety design features for remote controlled continuous mining machines. These recommendations could help reduce the number of accidents resulting from the use of such equipment. This bulletin recommends safety design features for the following functions:
.(1) Remote Emergency Stop Devices, located on remote controllers, that initiate an emergency shutdown function on remote controlled continuous mining machines; .(2) Prevention of accidental activation of machine tramming functions; and .(3) Reduction of the machine slew rate when the tram controls are split or singularly activated.
What is the background for this bulletin?
A review of thirteen fatal accidents involving the use of remote controlled continuous mining machines since 1988 reveals that two of these accidents were associated with the accessibility of the remote emergency stop device. Three accidents involved the bypassing of mechanical interlock safety devices on tram controls and eight accidents involved accidental activation of the tram controls.
Concerns With the Design of Remote Emergency Stop Devices In one accident, a remote controlled continuous mining machine operator was fatally injured when he was crushed between the continuous mining machine and coal rib. The remote controller did not have an emergency stop device that was readily accessible in the event of an emergency. In another accident, a maintenance helper sustained fatal crushing injuries when he became trapped between the conveyor boom and the mine roof. The chain conveyor became activated due to an electrical short inside the remote controller. The availability of a readily accessible emergency stop device may have saved the victim's life.
Good ergonomic design for a remote emergency stop device allows the device to be quickly and easily activated in an emergency. The device should be readily accessible, prominently located, and clearly differentiated from other controls. Existing emergency stop devices do not consistently utilize these design features, and as a result, confusion and delays in activating the device in an emergency situation can occur.
There have been three fatal "caught-between" type accidents where the mechanical interlocks on the remote controller tram controls were defeated by the use of tape, thereby bypassing protection against accidental activation. Taping the interlocks was identified as a contributing factor to all three accidents.
PIBs P97-31, P98-19, and P00-14 were issued to emphasize the importance of the mechanical interlocks and warn of the safety hazards associated with bypassing this safety feature. The use of same-hand activated mechanical release devices on tram controls proved to be inconvenient and difficult to operate over a working shift and are often bypassed by machine operators. These devices have not proven to be an effective means for preventing accidental activation.
Concerns With Accidental Tram Control Activation A review of accident data identified eight reported accidents (fatal or nonfatal) involving accidental tram control activation on remote controlled continuous mining machines. Of these eight accidents, four (including one fatal) have been attributed to a cable falling across the remote controller while it was left unattended, causing the tram controls to be activated. The other four were attributed to unintentional body contact. The need to prevent accidental tram control activation is recognized and has been addressed in most designs. However, all designs should incorporate these safety features to prevent accidental activation of the tram controls. Accident analysis has also identified the need for limiting the maximum slew rate of the machine under tram control settings that produce a pivoting action of the machine. Limiting the slew rate under these conditions has the potential to reduce pinning hazards to operators unintentionally positioned at machine pinch points.
What is being recommended through this bulletin?
MSHA recommends certain design safeguards and training:
I. Design SafeguardsEquipment manufacturers should implement the design safeguards in all new designs. MSHA also recommends that manufacturers of existing approved remote controllers and remote controlled continuous mining machines currently in use modify their equipment, to the extent possible, to include the recommended safeguards. Design changes should be submitted for MSHA approval under 30 CFR, Part 18. Field testing of remote controlled equipment is recommended before a design is finalized and submitted for approval. MSHA's Experimental Permit Program may be used to allow field testing.
MSHA recommends that the following design features be addressed:
Remote Emergency Stop Device The remote controller should be equipped with a remote emergency stop device that: (1) Overrides all other machine controls; (2) Removes power from machine movement actuators; and (3) Causes all moving parts to stop within the shortest possible time. Resetting of remote emergency stop devices requiring manual reset, or release of momentary action remote emergency stop devices, should not cause any function of the machine to operate. In mines utilizing extended cuts, the emergency stop device should cause the
circuit breaker at the power center to trip rather than the onboard machine circuit breaker, if a circuit breaker is used for removing power from machine movement actuators.
The remote emergency stop device should be:
.(1) Differentiated from other controls by size (larger) or shape;
.(2) Located in a readily accessible, prominent location in the operator's direct field of vision on the remote controller's main control panel;
.(3) Colored red;
.(4) Activated by a pushing action perpendicular to the controller's main control panel surface. Note: For example, a red, mushroom-head shaped switch actuator, may be used for this purpose, but other designs meeting the general recommendation could be used.
The remote emergency stop device should be clearly labeled "Emergency Stop," and should be protected against the entry or buildup of coal, dust, or other foreign material that could hinder or block its activation. Ready access to the remote emergency stop device should not be hindered by the proximity of other controls or by mechanical guards. The design should consider the need for additional spacing when gloves are worn.
Operation of the remote emergency stop device should be tested during the machine preoperational checks.
Accidental Tram Activation Protection All control devices, such as buttons, levers and joysticks, used for controlling the tramming function of remote controlled machinery, should be designed such that the tramming function stops when the device is released. The remote controller actuating controls for the machine tram function should be designed to reduce the likelihood of unintentional activation. Tramming functions can be activated when cables or other material fall on the controls, or with unintentional hand or body contact. Recessed selector switches, shrouded selector switches, deadman control, two-hand control, or sequential two-switch operation such as use of a tram function enable switch should be used. These safety features should be ergonomically designed, tamper-resistant, and not interfere with the normal operation of the mining equipment.
When sequential two-switch operation (tram enable switch) is used, a tram function inactivity timer should be provided to disable the tram function if the tram controls are not activated within a pre-programmed time period. The tram function inactivity timer should be set as low as reasonably practicable, consistent with convenient machine operation. Five seconds is the recommended maximum inactivity timer setting.
The controls actuating the machine tramming function should be protected against the entry or buildup of coal, dust, or other foreign material that could hinder or block their activation or movement. Note: The use of rubber boots or other effective means could be used for this purpose.
The use of same-hand activated mechanical release devices on tram controls, such as lift-to-operate mechanical interlocks on tram control levers, should be eliminated. Note: Safeguarding devices that impede convenient operation and that prove to be tiring over a working shift are often bypassed by operators.
The use of a "global" guarding method, such as a raised guard rail surrounding all the switches on the control panel, is not a recommended method for preventing accidental tram control activation when used as the only prevention method. Note: This guarding method does not provide adequate protection against accidental activation by cables of various sizes or other foreign objects and may result in accidental control activation when using the guardrail as a carrying handle. Attention must be paid in the design to ensure that the use of any mechanical guarding methods does not hinder activation of the remote emergency stop device.
Machine Slew Rate Control Remote controlled machinery utilizing a machine tramming function should be equipped with control circuits that reduce the machine rotational slew rate when the tram controls are set with one control forward and one control reverse (split cat) or a single control forward or reverse (hard turn) position. When the tram controls are split or set in a hard turn position, the tram speed of the activated drive(s) should be limited to no greater than the slowest operational tram speed provided on the machine, in order to minimize the slew rate (rotational speed) of the machine.
The slew rate of the machine needs to be minimized to obtain a pivoting action of the machine that reduces potential "caught-between" type hazards to machine operators inadvertently positioned at machine pinch points.
II. TrainingMSHA recommends that mine operators establish safe work practices and provide training for personnel addressing the safe operation and maintenance of remote controllers and remote controlled continuous mining machines. The training should address all danger areas applicable to specific machines and mining operations. Particular emphasis needs to be placed on the machine operator's and maintenance personnel's position when working near energized machines. Machine operators should be trained to check that safety features on remote controllers are operating properly and are not defeated. In addition, MSHA urges mine operators to regularly ensure that established safe work practices are being followed
What is the authority for this bulletin?
Title30CodeofFederal Regulations,Section18.20(b),57.12002,and75.520.
Is this program information bulletin on the Internet?
ThisbulletinmaybeviewedontheWorldWideWebbyaccessingtheMSHAhomepage (http://www.msha.gov)andthen choosing"Statutoryand RegulatoryInformation"and"Compliance AssistanceInformation."
Who are the MSHA contact persons for this program information bulletin?
Coal MineSafetyandHealth,SafetyDivision ErikSherer,(202)693-9523 E-mail: Sherer.Erik@dol.gov
Metal andNonmetal MineSafetyandHealth,SafetyDivisionThomas Loyd,(202)693-9645E-mail: Loyd.Thomas@dol.gov
TechnicalSupport,Approvaland CertificationCenterDavid C.Chirdon,(304)547-2026E-mail: Chirdon.David@dol.gov
Who will receive this program information bulletin?
MSHAProgramPolicyManual Holders UndergroundMineOperators EquipmentManufacturers Special Interest Groups Miners'RepresentativesRepairand RebuildFacilities
The Red Zone
Entering the “RED ZONE” continues to result in mine fatalities and injuries. A recent non-fatal roof fall accident occurred that resulted in injuries to two miners who were working in the “RED ZONE”. The miners were loading supplies onto the roof bolting machine from a battery scoop. The roof bolting machine was positioned at the mouth of an unbolted right crosscut and the scoop was positioned to the right-rear of the bolting machine with the bucket extending into the “RED ZONE”. The miners were in front of the bucket, between the first and second row of roof bolts, moving supplies to the roof bolting machine when the roof material fell. Draw rock fell along the right rib of the
unsupported area and extended into where the men were working, striking and injuring both miners. Fortunately, the injuries were not life threatening.
Best practices to prevent such an accident from re-occurring include moving the roof bolting machine and the scoop to a safe area outby the newly developed crosscut. This would prevent the miners exposure to the hazards created by working close to the unsupported area or the need to perform work in the “RED ZONE”.
Please take time to re-instruct all miners as to the location of the “RED ZONE” as shown in your mine’s approved roof control plan. Working in the “RED ZONE” is not much different from working in an unsupported area. Roof material that begins to fall in the unbolted area doesn’t always stop at the first row of roof bolts. When that happens, it hurts to be in the “RED ZONE”.
Bucyrus America Inc.
2045
Thisdocumentisbasedoninformationavailableatthetimeofits publication.Whileeffortshavebeenmadetobeaccurate,theinformation containedhereindoesnotpurporttocoveralldetailsorvariationsnorto provideforeverypossiblecontingencyinconnectionwithtroubleshooting andmaintenance.Featuresmaybedescribedhereinwhicharenotpresent inallsystems.BUCYRUSassumesnoobligationofnoticetoholdersofthis
documentwithrespecttochangessubsequentlymade.
BUCYRUSmakesnorepresentationorwarranty,expressed,implied,or statutorywithrespectto,andassumesnoresponsibilityfortheaccuracy, completeness,sufficiency,orusefulnessoftheinformationcontained herein.Nowarrantiesofmerchantabilityoffitnessforpurposeshall apply.
This section addresses some general safety guidelines involved with BUCYRUS products. These guidelines are intendedtopromote safe usage of equipment.
This section is not intended to replace present safety practices at your site.
Itistheresponsibilityofthecontractor, installer,purchaser,owner, andusertoinstall,maintain,andoperate thepartsorcomponents manufacturedandsuppliedby DBTinsuchamannerastocomply withtheMSHASafetyStandardsandallstateandlocallaws, ordinances, regulations.
WARNING:Ifmalfunctionsoccurinanyaspecttothetransmitteror receiveroperationdonotcontinuetooperate;powerdownthesystem, fill outtheservicetag,andreturnittothefactoryforinspectionand repair.Whenthesystem isinuseandifanypartoftheunitisdamaged physically,discontinueoperationandreturnittothefactoryfor inspectionandrepair.Atanytimeduringusageofthesystem any damageisfoundphysicallyorelectronically,itiscrucial forthesafetyof
theoperatorandothersintheoperatingareathatthesystemisnot allowedtocontinueinoperation.
Ghosting(gosting),v.,1: Unplanned movement by machines that use Computer Control Technology.
The Mine Safety and Health Administration has recognized a problem involving malfunctions of electro-hydraulic shield advance systems at various longwall installations. This has lead MSHA to issue the following recommendations for the safe operation ofall computer controlled mining equipment to prevent the condition knownas ‘ghosting’.
Therecommendationsareasfollows:
1. 1. Mine personnel who operate this equipment shouldbe trainedto insure the properoperational procedures and sequences are used to recognize improper system operation, alarms, and displays.
2. 2. Maintenance of the system is critical for safe operation. Hardware malfunctions, such as sticking solenoid valves, should be immediately repaired.
3. 3. Mine personnel should be made aware that the entry of moisture or water into the transmitter or umbilical enclosure could cause undesired machine movements. Transmitter cases should be inspected for damage that could compromise the sealing features designed into these units and allow moisture entry. Signs of mechanical distortion or bent control housings, damaged gaskets or seals, damaged keypads, corrosion, or evidence of internal moisture indicatethat the enclosure sealing may have been compromised. The control unit enclosures should not be disassembled for inspectionbecause proper resealing is toodifficult to accomplish in the field. When signs of moisture or water are observed in the control unit enclosure, theunits must be immediately replaced.
4. 4. Any abnormal operational sequences ofthe system, alarm displays, or unintended machine movement which might be due to a software
programming error shouldbe noted, reported to the manufacturer, and corrected immediately.
5. 5. Any equipment removed to correct “ghosting” problems should be sent to the manufacturer to determine the exact cause of the problem. Corrective action will then be taken by either the manufacturer or the operatorto prevent similar occurrences.
6. 6. Whenever an unplanned machine movement is observed, the hardwired emergency stop system should be activated, not the stop button on theelectronic control unit.
These recommendations, though originally made in response to the unplanned movement oflongwall shield advance systems utilizing computer control technology, are equally applicable to all equipment with machine control circuits utilizing computer control technology. The recommendations above shouldbe followed on a continuing basis on all machines utilizing computer control technology.
Please read the important information contained in the previous section titled GENERAL SAFETY NOTICES.
Section/ParagraphPage
4.1 Remote Control System Components .......................................................31
4.2 Remote Control System Components Tiein............................................31
List of Tables
TablePage
Table 2.1 MCU944 LED Functional Categories ......................................................5
Table 2.2a MCU944 Status LED Response Analysis (R1 & R2) ............................6
Table 2.2b MCU944 Status LED Response Analysis (R3 & R4) ............................7
Table 2.2c MCU944 Status LED Response Analysis (R5 & R6) ............................8
Table 2.2d MCU944 Status LED Response Analysis (R11 & R12) ........................9
Table 2.2e MCU944 Status LED Response Analysis (R13 & R14) ......................11
Table 2.2f MCU944 Status LED Response Analysis (R15 to R20).......................11
Table 2.2g MCU944 Status LED Response Analysis (R21 & R22) ......................12
Table 2.3 TX944 Status LED Response Analysis ..................................................13
Table 2.4 RX944 Status LED Response Analysis ..................................................17
Table 2.5 CPS944 Status LED Response Analysis ................................................18
Table 2.6 DCD100 Status LED Response Analysis ...............................................19
Table 3.1 Display Screen Top Banner General
Description...................................21
Table 3.2 Alarm Codes ...........................................................................................22
Table 3.3 Warning Codes........................................................................................24
Table 3.4 Informational Messages ..........................................................................29
Table 4.1 System Components ...............................................................................31
List of Figures
FigurePage
Figure 2.1 MCU944 Custom PLC Status LEDs .......................................................3
Figure 2.2 TX944 Transmitter Status LEDs ...........................................................13
Figure 2.3 RX944 Receiver Status LEDs ...............................................................17
Figure 2.4 CPS944 Power Supply Status LEDs .....................................................18
Figure 2.5 DCD100 DC Tram Drive Status LEDs .................................................19
Figure 3.1 Display Screen Messages ...................21
Figure 4.1 Remote Control System Components Layout .......................................32
Page 1 of 30
This system has visual troubleshooting aids to allow operators and maintenance personnel to quickly determine the cause of most operating faults. These troubleshooting aids consist of:
WARNING: Before troubleshooting beyond the level ofobserving the fault log, read this entire manual and contact your supervisor.
.
• Display-Graphics ortext devicethat shows run time data and fault log.
.
• FaultMessage-A machine local graphics display message that appears for 10 seconds when the system detects a fault.
.
• FaultLog-A permanent, machine-local, displayed timestamped record of the fault. It can bepaged fromthe remote control transmitter.
.
• OperationalErrorMessage-A machine local graphics display message that appears whenever an action is prevented from executiondue to a fault condition.
.
• LEDIndicators-Light emitting diode (LED) indicators are placed strategically on most system sub-assemblies for aid in troubleshooting.
Page to the fault log and try to redo faulted machine function while watching for fault message at display.
If fault reoccurs, note message from display or log and proceed to Section 2 to troubleshoot using system LED indicators.
Page 2 of 30
When troubleshooting the system, the following points should be noted:
.
.
• The remote control system does not recognize problems inthe machine hydraulic system unrelatedtothe pump motor.
• Most faults only affect one machine function. However, if dependent faults should occur, the most significant fault message appears first, then the next after the first fault is corrected, and soon.
.
• The system will not recognize power lost to the machine unless initiated by the machine control unit. In that case, the system will indicate such action once power to the machine has been restored.
Page 3 of 30
WARNING: Although this guide includes measurement information, it is not intended to imply breaching of any methane or hazardous isolation barriers to make actual measurements. Contact your supervisor if it is suspectedthat a more comprehensive troubleshooting method is required.
A sufficient complement of status LEDs isprovidedonthe MCU944to assist in quicklydetermining the source of most problems that may arise during operation. Additional statusLEDs are provided on the RX944, TX944, CPS944, and DCD100 units.
The majority of status LEDs of interest introubleshooting this remote radio control systemare located on the MCU944. Each LEDhas a one-to-one correspondence with its connectorpin. The layout of the connectors on the face plate is such that pins, and thus theLEDs, are grouped in functional categories as described in Table 2.1 and shownin Figure 2.1.
NOTE: LED locations on the MCU944 are with reference to their associated connector. The LEDs are located to the right of their connector.
WARNING: Only qualified personnel with approved training on this equipment and knowledgeable ofMSHA safety requirements should perform troubleshooting of this system.
Page 4 of 30 Page 5 of 30
Generally,anabnormal statusindication canbequicklyattributedto eitherafaultinacomponentoftheremotecontrol systemor controlled machine.
LED
Functional Categories
LED Loc.
Functional Category
R1-R6 Acontactoutput.Eitherasolenoid outputorarelayoutput.WhenON,contact should be closed.
R11 120VACinputs.WhenON,120VACispresent.Fornormaloperationoftheminer, MACHINESTOP(R11-1)andLEFTSTOP (R11-2)LEDsshould beON.
R12 120VACinputs.WhenON,120VACispresent.
R13 12VDCinputs andoutputs.
Top Three LEDs areassociated withoutputs
Bottom Three LEDs areassociatedwithinputs.
R14 (FutureUse)
R15 Top LED: Flashes whenevertheMCU944istransmitting.Atthemoment,thiswill onlyoccurduringTeach/Learn.InTeach/Learn,thetopLEDwillflashaminimumof threetimesduringasuccessfulTeach/Learn cycle.
Bottom LED: FlasheswhenevertheMCU944hasreceived validmessages fromthe Receiver(RX944).Thiscanonlyoccurifthemodeis notLOCAL,checksumis valid, andpropertransmitteris communicatingtoMCU944.
R16 Top LED: Indicates wheneverthedisplayistransmitting.
Bottom LED: IndicateswhenthedisplayrespondstotheMCU944.
R17 Top LED: Flashes wheneverthereis activitybetweentheMCU944andIRreceiver.
R18 Top LED: Flashesquickly(looks steady)whenevertheMCU944 istransmitting.
Bottom LED: Flashes quickly(lookssteady)wheneveravalidmessagehasbeen receivedfromeithertheleft orright drive.
R19 Notused.
R20 Indicates activitywithrespecttothedownload/debugcableconnection.
R21 Notused.
R22 Indicates voltagelevelsinsidetheMCU944. Top LED: Indicates+5Vispresent. Middle LED: Indicates+12Vis present. Bottom LED: Flashes wheneverthe MCU944isinUMBILICALmodewiththeTX944.
Page 6 of 30
LED Loc.
Table2.1MCU944LEDFunctional Categories
Functional Category
Rotary Top LED: (Locatedleftoftherotaryswitch)flashes whenevertherehavebeenmultipleinternal backplanecommunicationerrorsinsidetheMCU944.
Switch
Other Three LEDs: EngineeringUse..
Use Tables 2.2 through2.6 totroubleshoot the system using the status LEDs. Generally, LEDlocations and functions are associated with their respective connectordesignations Rx. Table 2.2has been divided into several sub-tables to allow quick access to specific status LED analysis locations on the MCU944 from the Table of Contents.
Table2.2aMCU944StatusLEDDescription(R1& R2)
LED Function
NOTUSED
FANWATERSPRAYSOLENOID
AUXSOLENOIDOUTPUT#6 (MOMENTARY)
DUSTSUPPRESSION
CUTTERRAISESOLENOID
GATHERINGHEAD FLOAT SOLENOID
CUTTERLOWERSOLENOID
LED Loc.
R1-1 Not Used
R1-2
R1-3
R1-4
R1-5
R1-6
R2-3
CONVEYORRAISESOLENOID R2-4
CONVEORLOWERSOLENOID
R2-5
Description
On whenfan waterspraysolenoidisenergized.Action isslavedtofanoperation.
Activewhencontactis closed.Actionis momentary andcontrolledfromtransmitter.
Activewhendust suppressionisclosed.Actionis controlledfromtransmitter.
Activewhencutterraisecontactisclosed.Actionis controlledfromtransmitter.
Activewhengatheringheadfloat contactis closed. Thisactionwilllatchandis deactivatedonlywhen gatheringheadraisesolenoidisactiveorpumpis inactive.Requirespump activepriorto use.
Activewhencontactis closed.Actionis controlledby transmitter.
Activewhencontactis closed.Actionis controlledby transmitter.
Activewhencontactis closed.Actionis controlledby transmitter.
CNVYRSWINGLEFTSOLENOID R2-6
Page 7 of 30
Activewhencontactis closed.Actionis controlledby transmitter.
Table2.2aMCU944StatusLEDDescription(R1& R2)
LED Function LED Loc.
CNVYRSWINGRIGHT SOLENOID R2-7
STABUPSOLENOID
STABDOWNSOLENOID
GATHERINGHEAD RAISE SOLENOID
R2-8
R2-9
R2-10
Description
Activewhencontactis closed.Actionis controlledby transmitter.
Activewhencontactis closed.Actionis controlledby transmitter.
Activewhencontactis closed.Actionis controlledby transmitter.
Activewhencontactis closed.Actionis controlledby transmitter.
Table2.2bMCU944StatusLEDDescription (R3& R4)
LED Function LED
AUXOUTPUT#7 (LATCHED)
R3-1
AUXOUTPUT#8 (LATCHED) R3-2
CONVEYORREVCONTACTOR R3-3
FANCONTACTOR R3-4
AUXOUTPUT#5 MOMENTARY R4-3
LOWOILALARMOUTPUT R4-4
CNTRLGNDFAULTALARM OUTPUT R4-5
Description
Activewhencontactis closed.Contact willlatch upon momentaryactivation andiscontrolledfromthe transmitter.
Activewhencontactis closed.Contact willlatch upon momentaryactivation andiscontrolledfromthe transmitter.
Activewhenreverseconveyorcontactisclosed.
Activewhenfan contactisclosed.
Activewhencontactis closed.Actionis momentary.
Activewhencontactis closed.Actionis predicated upon configuration.
Activewhencontactis closed.
HEADLIGHTS
PUMPCONTACTOR
LEFTCUTTERCONTACTOR
RIGHTCUTTERCONTACTOR
Page 8 of 30
R4-6
R4-7
R4-8
R4-9
Activewhencontactis closed.Actionis controlledby transmitter.
Activewhencontactis closed.
Activewhencontactis closed.
Activewhencontactis closed.
LED Function LED Description Loc.
CONVEYORFWDCONTACTOR
R4-10 Activewhen contactis closed.
LED Function
REDUNDANTRIGHTCUTTER
REDUNDANTLEFTCUTTER
BREAKERON(ALT)
BREAKEROFF(ALT)
BRAKERELEASE
SPARE#1
SPARE#2
SPARE#3
AUXSOLENOIDOUTPUT#3 (MOMENTARY)
R5-1/2
Activewhencontactis closed.
R5-3/4 Activewhencontactis closed.
R6-3
R6-4
R6-5
R6-6
ActivewhenBreakerONcontact closed.Actionis controlledfromtransmitter.
ActivewhenBreakerOFFcontact closed.Actionis controlledfromtransmitter.
ActivewhenBrakeReleasecontact closed.Brake Releasecontactwillactivatewhen tramis authorized.
Activewhensparecontactclosed.
R6-7 Activewhensparecontactclosed.
R6-8 Activewhensparecontactclosed.
R6-9
AUXOUTPUT#4 (LATCHED/PUMP) R6-10
Activewhencontactis closed.Actionis momentary.
Activewhencontactis closed.This contact requires thatthepumpbeoperatingpriortouse.Actionis momentaryandcontrolled fromtransmitter.
Page 9 of 30
NOTE: There are no LEDs associated with connector functions R7 through R10.
LED Function LED Loc. Description
MACHINESTOP
R11-1
LEFTSTOP
R11-2
CUTTERRUN
R11-3
Activewhen120VACispresent.Whennotpresent, indicatesthat machinestopispressed.Operationis preventedunlessmachinestopoverridefrom transmitterutilized.
Activewhen120VACispresent.Whennotpresent, indicatesthatleftstopis pressed.Operationis preventedunlessmachinestopoverridefrom transmitterutilized.
Activewhen120VACispresent.Whenpresent,cutter motoroperationis desired.When notpresent,thisinput willdeactivatethecuttermotors onlyinLOCALmode.
PUMPRUN
R11-4
CONVEYORRUN
R11-5
Activewhen120VACispresent.Whenpresent,pump motoroperationis desired.When notpresent,thisinput willdeactivatethepumpmotoronlyin LOCALmode.
Activewhen120VACispresent.Whenpresent, conveyormotoroperationisdesired.Whennotpresent, thisinputwill deactivatetheconveyormotors onlyin LOCALmode.
MINERTYPE#1
MINERTYPE#2
METHANEMONITOROK
CB2BREAKER
EMERGENCYTRAM
MANSCRUBBER(FAN)RUN
CUTTERRUNWITHFAN
CUTTERLOCKOUT
MOTORSTART/TRAMENABLE (LOCAL)
R11-6
R11-7
R11-8
R12-1
Activewhen120VACispresent.Usedinconjunction withminertype#2inputtonotifytheMCU944 whetherCMis 30M,25M0,25M1,or25M2/25M3.
Activewhen120VACispresent.Usedinconjunction withminertype#1inputtonotifytheMCU944 whetherCMis 30M,25M0,25M1,or25M2/25M3.
Activewhen120VACispresent.Whenpresent, indicatesthatmethanemonitoris functioningproperly andmethanelevelsarewithinacceptablelimits.
Activewhen120VACispresent.
R12-2 Activewhen120VACispresent.
R12-3 Activewhen120VACispresent.
R12-4
Activewhen120VACispresent.
R12-5 Activewhen120VACispresent.
R12-6
Activewhen120VACispresent.Thisinputmustbe presentpriorto anymotorstartinLOCALmode.
Page 10 of 30
Table2.2dMCU944StatusLEDDescription (R11& R12)
LED Function LED
REMOTE
ANYINPUT ONR9
Page 11 of 30
R12-7
R12-8
Description
Activewhen120VACispresent.
Activewhen120VACispresentat anyinputon connectorR9.
Table2.2eMCU944StatusLEDDescription(R13& R14)
LED Function
FIRESUPPRESSION
LED
R13-1
BREAKERON
BREAKEROFF
+12VDCOUTPUT
LOWOILLOCKOUT
LOWOILALARM
SPAREDCINPUT
+5.0VDCTOTRAMLEVERS
R13-1
R13-1
Description
Activewhenfiresuppressioncontactisclosed.Thefire suppressioncontact,whenfiresuppressionisinitiated, willstayactivefor10seconds.Controlled from transmitter.
ActivewhenBreakerONcontact closed.Controlled fromtransmitter.
ActivewhenBreakerOFFcontact closed.Controlled fromtransmitter.
R13-1 Indicates+12VI/Ohavepower.
R13-1
R13-1
Activewhenlowoillockoutinputsensoris active.
Activewhenlowoil alarminputsensorisactive.
R13-1 Unused
R14-1 Indicates+5VI/Ohavepower.
RIGHTTRAMPROPORTIONAL SIGNAL
RIGHTTRAMFWD CONTACT
RIGHTTRAM REVCONTACT
LEFTRRAM(PROPORTIONAL)
LEFTTRAMFWDCONTACT
LEFTTRAMREV CONTACT
R14-1
R14-1
R14-1
R14-1
R14-1
R14-1
NOTUSED.Replacedwithemergencytrampendant. ProportionalLEDoutput directlyrelatedtothetram commandinLOCALmode.
NOTUSED.Replacedwithemergencytrampendant. Activewhenrightforward commandisgivenin LOCALmode.
NOTUSED.Replacedwithemergencytrampendant. Activewhenrightreversecommandis givenin LOCALmode.
NOTUSED.Replacedwithemergencytrampendant. ProportionalLEDoutput directlyrelatedtothetram commandinLOCALmode.
NOTUSED.Replacedwithemergencytrampendant. Activewhenleftforwardcommandisgivenin LOCAL mode.
NOTUSED.Replacedwithemergencytrampendant. Activewhenleftreversecommandisgiven inLOCAL mode.
Page 12 of 30 LED Function
RADIORECEIVERTX
RADIORECEIVERRX
DISPLAYTX
R15-1/2 ActivewhenMCU944transmitsout.
R15-3/4 ActivewhenMCU944receivespacketsspecifictoits ID.
R16-1/2 ActivewhenMCU944receivespackets.
DISPLAYRX R16-3/4 ActivewhenMCU944transmitsout.
IRPENDENTTX
R17-1/2 ActivewhenMCU944receivesvalidpackets.
IRPENDENTTXRECEIVED R17-3/4 ActivewhenMCU944receivesvalidpackets.
MCU944TXTOTRACTION DRIVE R18-1 ActivewhenMCU944transmitsout.
MCU944RXFROMTRACTION DRIVE R18-2 ActivewhenMCU944receivesvalidmessages.
NOLEDS R19
DOWNLOAD/DEBUGTX R20-3 ActivewhenMCU944transmitsout.
DOWNLOAD/DEBUGRX R20-2 ActivewhenMCU944receivesbytes.
LED Function
GP10
+5V
+12V
UMBILICAL(PENDANTACTIVITY)
R21 Unused
R22-2/3
R-22-4/5
Indicateswhen+5Visactive.Thisvoltageisrequired tooperatetheMCU944.
Indicateswhen+12Visactive.Thisvoltageisrequired tooperatetheMCU944innormal modes.Itis deliberatelydeactivatedin batterymodeuntil required.
R22-6 Indicateswhentransmitteris connectedtothe MCU944viaumbilical cableandis active.
HARDWAREFAILURE(TOGGLE) SWHole Flashes wheneverthereisahardwarefailureinternalto Plug theMCU944.
MODBUSCOMMERROR(TOGGLE)
IRPENDANT COMM ERROR (TOGGLE)
WRITETOEEPROM(TOGGLE)
Page 13 of 30
Refer to separate documentation for additional information on the TX944 Transmitter. Use Figure2.2 as a location reference for the TX944 Transmitter.
LEDResponseAnalysis
LED Function
BATTERY/UMBMSG
Description
NOTE: THIS LED HAS 2 FUNTIONS
BATTERY Transmitter Mode: AflashingLEDmeans that batterystrengthis good.Adoubleblink–pause-doubleblink LEDmeans thebatteriesneedtobechanged(approx.24hrs left). Thetransmitterwillrununtilthebatteriesaredead,but performanceandrangewilldiminishquicklyand couldbe unsafeiftryingtooperatefromalongrange.WhentheLED doubleblinksthebatteriesshould bechangedwithoutdelay.
Umbilical Message: LEDblinks indicatingthat amessagehas beensenttotheMCU.Theblinkrateshouldbesteadyat 10
Page 14 of 30
Table2.3TX944
StatusLED Response Analysis
ERROR
LINK REQUEST/SHUTDOWN
timespersecond.
Page 15 of 30
LED Function Description
LEDdoescomeonbrieflyafterpowerup. Ifthis LEDis ONafter powerup,thetransmittershouldbereturnedfor repair.
NOTE: THIS LED HAS 2 FUNTIONS
LINK Request: Whenthetransmitterisconnected umbilically,itwill attempttolinktotheMCU.
Shutdown: Whenthetransmitterswitchesoff,this indicatesthat ashutdownisinprogressandpower downmessagesarebeingsenttotheMCU.
** Atthesametime,oneofthreeLED’s totheright willindicatewhythetransmitterispoweringdown: Commanded(Operatorinitiated),InactivityorLow Battery(Seeparagraphs below).
Table2.3TX944StatusLEDResponseAnalysis
LED Function
SWITCHACTIVE/LOWBATTERY
Description
NOTE: THIS LED HAS 2 FUNTIONS
Switch Active: AfterpowerupthisLEDis usedtoindicatea“stuckswitch”.
• ALLswitches mustbeintheirneutral orsafepositionbeforethetransmitteris allowedto becomeoperational.
.
• Ifafterpowerup(i.e.TXPWRONdepressed)LEDlights andstaysON(solid)then thereis a“stuck”switch.Inthiscondition,nootherswitchesonthetransmitterwill beoperational
• Faulty Condition: ThetransmitterwillsendtheerrorconditiontotheMCUandthe systemwilldisplaywhichswitchis “stuck”.Thisswitchmustbereplaced beforeproperoperationwill resume.
• Afterpowerup,anyswitchthatisoperatedwillresultinthis LEDbeingsolidlyON whiletheswitchisoperated.In this manner,allswitchescanbeverifiedlocallyat thetransmitter.
.
• Toseeifthetransmitterswitchisbeingproperlyread,operatetheswitchandobservethe SWACTIVELED.
• Notethat only one switch can be operated at any time asthisLEDiscommonforall switches.Alsowhileinnormal operation,certainswitches aretimedtomaintainsafetyfeaturesprimarily astwo handedstarts.Ifforexamplethe ENABLE button is held down formorethan 25 seconds,thenthe transmitterwillenteranerrormode.Ifthisoccursthen all commands willceasetooperateandanerror codewillbesenttothemachine.
. • Toresumenormaloperation,theENABLEbuttonmustbereleased.Switchesthatare timedinthismannerareENABLE,SHIFT,TRAM ENABLE,PUMPSTART,CONVSTART,CONV REV,and CUTTERSTART.
Note : In normal operation, all of these switches are to be operated for only short periods of time. A constantly held condition would be abnormal and defeat two handed starts and make other enabled functions unsafe. Therefore, these switches are monitored and timed during normal operation to prevent the possibility of a constantly ON switch.
Shutdown via Low Battery: Uponshutdown,thisLEDwillilluminateinconjunctionwiththe SHUTDOWN LEDtoindicatethatthereasontheTXshutoffwasalowbatterycondition.
Page 16 of 30
TRAMENABLE/INACTIVITY
NOTE: THIS LED HAS 2 FUNTIONS
Tram Enable: Indicatesthatthetramlevers arearmed(active) andthat anyoperationofthetramleverswillresultinmachine movement.Conversely,ifthisLEDisOFF,thenthetramlevers aredead.
Shutdown via Inactivity: Uponshutdown,this LEDwilllightin conjunction withtheSHUTDOWNLEDto indicatethatthe reasontheTXshutoffwasinactivity(no switchoperationfor5 minutes).
LINK ACK/COMMANDEDPOWER DOWN
NOTE: THIS LED HAS 2 FUNTIONS Link Acknowledge: DuringtheTEACH/LEARNprocess,LEDindicatesthat alink response(acknowledgment)has beenreceivedbackatthe transmitterfromtheMCU.I
•fthetransmitterwasre-linkedbacktothesameMCU (machine),thenthisLEDwillflashonce.
•Ifthisis anewlinkto adifferentMCU(machine),thenthis LED willflashtwice.
Shutdown via Power Down: Uponshutdown,this LEDwilllight in conjunction withtheSHUTDOWNLEDtoindicatethatthe reasontheTXshutoffwasacommandedpowerdown (operated orinitiated)asaresultoftheoperatorpressingeitherthe MACHINESTOPmushroomheadortheTXPWROFF
pushbutton.
Page 17 of 30
The RX944 Receiver is approximately6 inches long and 2 inches high. It is locatedonthe Swing Panel ofthe Main Control Case of the 25M Miner and in the Radio Receiver Caseof the 30M Miner. The device runs on 12Vvia R1-1 and R1-2.
Description
WATCHDOG
PRE-AMBLEDETECTED
1 Flashes once Per Second toindicatethatpowerhas beenappliedandthatinternalprocessoris alive and working.
2
VALIDMESSAGE
Blinks toindicatethat transmitter is onthecorrect frequencyand has been detected.ThisLEDshould blinkapproximately10 timespersecondassoonasa transmitteris switchedONinthevicinityofthe machine.
3 Blinks toindicatethat valid messages froma transmitteronthecorrect frequencyarebeing received. Note: This does NOTmeanthatthetransmitteristhe serialnumberthathasbeen“TAUGHT”tothe MachineControl Unit. ChecktopRightHandCorner ofGraphics DisplayforTX944Serial Number(See Section3.0).
LINK RECEIVED 4
Steady On: Indicatesthat asufficientnumberof messages arebeingreceived fromtheTX944to operateandthe system should not drop out
NOTUSED 5-8 Reservedforfutureuse.
Page 18 of 30
The CPS944 Capacitor Backupis approximately 6 inches longand 6 inches high. It is located on the Swing Panel of the Main Control Caseof the25M and in 30M Miners. The device runs on 120VAC via R2-2 and R2-3.
Figure 2.4 CPS944 Power Supply Status LEDs Table 2.5 CPS944 Status
LEDResponseAnalysis
+12VDCOUTPUTACTIVE
+5VDCOUTPUTACTIVE 2 ActiveinBatteryMode.
Page 19 of 30
The DCD100 DC Tram Drive is located in the Tram Case of the 25M Miner and in the Control Case of the 30M Miner. The device runs on 120VAC via D1-1 and D1-2.
LOCALCTRL.
ACPRESENT AC Indicateswhen120VACpoweris available.
TRANSMITOUT TX Indicatestransmissionbyunitoverserial COMport.
RECEIVEDIN RX Indicatesreceptionbyunit overserial COMport.
WATCHDOG WDG Indicatesunitisactiveandoperatingcode.
PROPORTIONALOUTPUT OUT Willblinkwhenactive.Rateofblinkingisdirectly relatedtothemagnitudeofthecommand.
FORWARDDIRECTION RT (FWD) Indicateswhencommandedoutput directionis FWD.
Page 21 of 30
The purpose of this section is to provide service personnel with the complement of possible alarms, warnings, andinformation that are designed intothe systemfor troubleshooting purposes. The system is capable of sensing many possible abnormal conditions associated with these message categories. When an abnormal state is sensed, an appropriate message is displayed on all screens for10 seconds, in addition to being logged (see Section 1). The basic organization ofthe display screen message banner is providedin Figure 3.1 and Table 3.1.
BannerGeneral Description
Fine # Description
1 Fault log message, warning message, informational message block.
2 Miner type.
3 MCU944 mode.
4 Battery voltage.
5 Transmitter serial number.
6 Commanded input message indication.
7 Messages per second from transmitter.
8 RF signal strength.
9 Active input indicator.
22 of
Alarms and warning codes are distinguished by the prefix letter A and W, respectively.
3.1.1 Alarm Codes
Refer to Table 3.2 for thedescriptions of system ALARM codes.
Table 3.2
Alarm Codes Code
Description
A001 BackplaneTransferFault: CPUtoPWM/TramPCB
A002 BackplaneTransferFault: CPUto RelayCard1
A003 BackplaneTransferFault: CPUto RelayCard2
A004 BackplaneXferFault: CPUtoMotorCurrentAnalogCard
A005 BackplaneTransferFault: CPUto RTDAnalogCard
A006 RelayOutputError RelayCard1
A007 RelayOutputError RelayCard2
A008 RelayOutputError RelayCard3
A010 EnablePushButtonStuck
A011 Transmittershutdown Lowbattery
A012 Transmittershutdown Inactivityperiodexpired
A013 Transmittershutdown Datalinkloss
A017 Pumpshutdown LOWOILLOCKOUT for5sec.
A018 Pumpshutdown Tilt SwitchActive
A019 Pumpshutdown Over
A020 Pumpshutdown Pumpmotoroverload
A022 Pumpshutdown ConveyorBreakeropens(CB2)
A023 Pumpshutdown PumpInst.CurrentTrip
A024 Pumpshutdown PumpPhaseImbalanceTrip
A025 Pumpshutdown PumpLowCurrent
A026 Pumpshutdown PumpStart Switchheldtoolong
A027 PumpStarttoggleswitchstuck
A028 ConveyorReversepushbutton stuck
A029 ConveyorStarttoggleswitchstuck
A030 ConvShutdown Rt MotorJamCurrent
A031 ConvShutdownt Lt MotorJamCurren
A032 ConveyorShutdown Right MotorOver
A033 ConveyorShutdown Left MotorOver
A034 ConveyorShutdown Right MotorOverload
A035 ConveyorShutdown Left MotorOverload
A036 ConvShutdown Rt MotorInst CurrTrip
A037 ConvShutdown Lt MotorInst CurrTrip
A038 ConveyorShutdown Right TripMotorPhaseImbalance
A039 ConveyorShutdown Left MotorPhaseImbalanceTrip
A040 ConvShutdown Rt MotorLowCurrent Page 23 of 30
Desc ription
A041 ConvShutdown Lt MotorLowCurrent
A042 ConveyorShutdown ConveyorReverseSwitchOperated
A043 ConveyorShutdown ConveyorMotorCurrent Differential
A044 CB2(ConveyorBreaker) Opens
A045 ConveyorStart Switch Heldtoolong
A046 ConveyorREVJOGSwitch Heldtoolong
A051 CutterShutdown Right MotorOver
A052 CutterShutdown LeftMotorOver
A058 CutterShutdown Right MotorOverload
A059 CutterShutdown LeftMotorOverload
A060 CutterShutdown Rt MotorInst.CurrTrip
A061 CutterShutdown Lt MotorInst.CurrTrip
A062 CutterShutdown Right MotorPhaseImbalanceTrip
A063 CutterShutdown LeftMotorPhaseImbalanceTrip
A064 CutterShutdown Right MotorLowCurrent
A065 CutterShutdown LeftMotorLowCurrent
A066 CutterShutdown Cutterlockoutswitchopens
A067 CutterShutdown CutterMotorCurrent Differential
A068 CutterShutdown LOWOILALARMfor5sec
A069 CutterShutdown
A070 CutterLowOil Lockout
CutterStartSwitchheldtoolong
A072 CutterShutdown Right MotorJamCurrent
A073 CutterShutdown LeftMotorJamCurrent
A074 CutterStartToggleSwitchStuck
A075 CutterShutdown CB2BreakerActive
A080 FanShutdown Instantaneous CurrentTrip
A081 FanShutdown OverloadTrip
A082 FanShutdown PhaseImbalanceTrip
A083 FanShutdown LowCurrent Trip
A084 FanShutdown Over
A085 FanShutdown JamCurrentTrip
A096 PLCtoRtDriveCOMMFault (All TRAM commands cleared)
A097 PLCtoLt DriveCOMMFault(All TRAM commands cleared)
A098 MachineVoltageBelowAllowableRange (<80%Vnom)
A099 MachineVoltageAboveAllowableRange (>117%Vnom)
A100 CurrentErrorCodeFutureUse
A101 RightTramMotorOverload
A102 Left TramMotorOverload
A103 TramEnableSwitchheld morethan3 Sec withoutTRAM
A104 TramEnableSwitchStuck
A112 TramShutdown LeftDrivePhaseAOvercurrent
A113 TramShutdown Left DrivePhaseBOvercurrent
A114 TramShutdown Left DriveBusOverVoltage
A115 TramShutdown Left DriveOverTemperature
A116 TramShutdown Right DrivePhaseAOvercurrent
A117 TramShutdown Right DrivePhaseBOvercurrent
A118 TramShutdown RightDriveBus OverVoltage
A119 TramShutdown Right DriveOverTemperature
A120 RightDriveLimited LossofVoltageFeedback
A121 Left DriveLimited LossofVoltageFeedback
A128 Teach/LearnSuccessful
A129 Teach/LearnFailed
Refer to Table 3.3 for the descriptions of system WARNING codes. Table3.3WarningCodes
Code
Description
W001 ConveyorReversewon'tstart RightConveyorJam
W002 ConveyorReversewon'tstart LeftConveyorJam
W003 ConveyorReversewon'tstart timeperiodbetweenfwd/revnotexpired
W008 ConvRevwon'tstart RConvInstTripResetTimeNotExpired
W009 ConvRevwon'tstart LConvInstTripResetTimeNotExpired
W010 ConvRevwon'tstart RConvlowampTripResTimeNotExpired
W011 ConvRevwon'tstart LConvlowampTripResTimeNotExpired
W017 ConveyorReversewon'tstart PumpOff
W018 ConveyorReversewon'tstart ConveyorBreaker
W019 ConveyorReversewon'tstart ConveyorStop
W020 ConveyorReversewon'tstart RightConveyorOvertemp
W021 ConveyorReversewon'tstart LeftConveyorOvertemp
W022 ConveyorReversewon'tstart RightConveyorOverload
W023 ConveyorReversewon'tstart LeftConveyorOverload
W024 ConveyorReversewon'tstart RightConveyorInst.Trip
W025 ConveyorReversewon'tstart LeftConveyorInst.Trip
W026 ConveyorReversewon'tstart RightConveyorLowCurrent
W027 ConveyorReversewon'tstart LeftConveyorLowCurrent
W028 ConveyorReversewon'tstart RightMotorSinglePhase
W029 ConveyorReversewon'tstart LeftMotorSinglePhase
W030 ConveyorReversewon'tstart Cutter
Page 25 of 30
Table 3.3
Warning Codes Code
Description
W031 ConveyorReversewon't start Diff
W032 ConveyorReversewon't start Spare
W033 Pumpwon'tstart LowCurrent
W034 Pumpwon'tstart FutureUse
W035 Pumpwon'tstart MachineVoltage<80%Vnom
W036 Pumpwon'tstart MachineVoltage>117%Vnom
W037 Pumpwon'tstart ConveyorJam
W049 Pumpwon'tstart TiltSwitchActive
W050 Pumpwon'tstart LHMachineStopisOPEN(R11
W051 Pumpwon'tstart MachineStopisOPEN(R12
W052 Pumpwon'tstart PUMPStopisoperated
W053 Pumpwon'tstart TRAMLEVERSarenotcentered
W054 Pumpwon'tstart Lowoillockoutactivefor5sec(R14
W055 Pumpwon'tstart FutureUse
W056 Pumpwon'tstart PumpMotorTempabove150(140after trip)
W057 Pumpwon'tstart Overloadtripresettimenotexpired
W058 Pumpwon'tstart Insttripresettimenotexpired
W059 Pumpwon'tstart Cutter
W060 Pumpwon'tstart TramBreakerisnotset(CB6)
W061 Pumpwon'tstart ConveyorBreakerisnotset(CB2)
W062 Pumpwon'tstart ConveyorFWDStartisoperated
W063 Pumpwon'tstart ConveyorREVStartisoperated
W064 Pumpwon'tstart PumpPhase
W065 ConveyorFwdwon'tstart RConvJamtripresettimenotexpired
W066 ConveyorFwdwon'tstart LConvJamtripresettimenotexpired
W067 Conveyorwon'tstart Timeperiodbetweenfwd/revnotexpired
W081 Conveyorwon'tstart PumpOff
W082 Conveyorwon'tstart ConveyorBreaker
W083 Conveyorwon'tstart ConveyorStop
W084 Conveyorwon'tstart RightConveyorOvertemp
W085 Conveyorwon'tstart LeftConveyorOvertemp
W086 Conveyorwon'tstart RightConveyorOverload
W087 Conveyorwon'tstart LeftConveyorOverload
W088 Conveyorwon'tstart RightConveyorInstant W089 Conveyorwon'tstart LeftConveyorInstant
W090 Conveyorwon'tstart RightConveyorLowCurrent
W091 Conveyorwon'tstart LeftConveyorLowCurrent
W092 Conveyorwon'tstart RightPhase
W093 Conveyorwon'tstart LeftPhase
W094 Conveyorwon'tstart Cutter
W095 Conveyorwon'tstart Diff
W096 Conveyorwon'tstart ConveyorReverse
Page 26 of 30 Table 3.3 Warning Codes Code Description
W097 Cutterwon'tstart
RightCutterOverloadtriptimenotexpired
W098 Cutterwon'tstart RightCutterInsttripresettimenotexpired
W099 Cutterwon'tstart RightCutterLowCurrent
W100 Cutterwon'tstart LeftCutterOverloadtriptimenotexpired
W101 Cutterwon'tstart LeftCutterInsttripresettimenotexpired
W102 Cutterwon'tstart LeftCutterLowCurrent
W104 Cutterwon'tstart LowOilLockout
W105 Cutterwon'tstart CB2BreakerActive
W107 Cutterwon'tstart GroundFault
W108 Cutterwon'tstart Haulagexformerovertemp
W109 Cutterwon'tstart RightCutterJam
W110 Cutterwon'tstart LeftCutterJam
W111 Cutterwon'tstart CB2breakeractive
W113 Cutterwon'tstart Pumpnotrunning
W117 Cutterwon'tstart RightCutterOvertemp
W118 Cutterwon'tstart LeftCutterOvertemp
W124 Cutterwon'tstart Diff
W125 Cutterwon'tstart RightPhase
W126 Cutterwon'tstart LeftPhase
W127 Cutterwon'tstart LockoutSwitchOpen
W128 Cutterwon'tstart LowOil
W129 Fanwon'tstart Cuttermustbestartedfirst
W130 Cutterwon'tstart Fanmustbestartedfirst
W131 Fanwon'tstart FanOvertemp
W132 Fanwon'tstart FanLowCurrent
W133 Fanwon'tstart FanOverload
W134 Fanwon'tstart FanInstant
W135 Fanwon'tstart FanPhase
W145 Tram RightTramAnalogReferencewithout direction
W146 Tram RightTramDirectionwithoutAnalog Reference
W147 Tram LeftTramAnalogReferencewithout direction
W148 Tram LeftTramDirectionwithoutAnalog Reference
W149 Tram CommandwithoutTramEnable
W150 Tram CommandwithoutPumpRunning
W151 Tram CommandwithoutTramcircuitbreaker closed(CB6)
W152 TramError ResetHighTramTimeoutviaTramEnable
W153 Tram LeftTramOverload
W154 Tram RightTramOverload
W157 Tramwon'tstart LeftDrivePhaseAOverCurrent
Page 27 of 30
Table 3.3
Warning Codes Code
W158 Tramwon'tstart
Desc ription
RightDrivePhaseAOverCurrent
W159 Tramwon'tstart LeftDrivePhaseBOverCurrent
W160 Tramwon'tstart RightDrivePhaseBOverCurrent
W161 SystemshutdownduetoPower Center Trip
W162 Tram LeftTramCommunicationError
W163 Tram RightTramCommunicationError
W172 MCUSerialNumberoutofrange
W173
W174
W175
W176
CutterLowerOverrideduetoRight Motor
CutterLowerOverrideduetoLeft Motor
CutterRaiseOverrideduetoRight Motor
CutterRaiseOverrideduetoLeft Motor
W177 Tramwon'tStart LeftDriveBusOverVoltage
W178 Tramwon'tStart RightDriveBusOverVoltage
W179 Tramwon'tStart LeftDriveBusOverTemperature
W193 PumpShutdown PumpStopOperated
W194 LHStopOperated
W195 MachineStopOperated
W196 ConveyorShutdown
ConveyorStopOperated
W197 CutterShutdown CutterStopOperated
W210 ConveyorFWDSwitchOperatedat Start Up
W211 ConveyorREVSwitchOperatedat Start Up
W212 CutterStartSwitchOperatedatStart Up
W213 VentilationOnlySwitchOperatedat Start Up
W214 RightTramReferencePresentat StartUp
W215 LeftTramReferencePresentatStart Up
W216 RightTramFWDContactClosedat Power Up
W217 RightTramREVContactClosedat
Power Up
W218 LeftTramFWDContactClosedat Power Up
W219 LeftTramREVContactClosedat Power Up
W220 TramEnableSwitchOperatedat StartUp
W221 Auxrelay1won'tstart Pumpoff
W222 Auxrelay2won'tstart Pumpoff
W225 Cutterwon'tstart
W226 Conveyorwon'tstart
W229 Conveyorwon'tstart
W230 Conveyorwon'tstart
W231 Conveyorwon'tstart
Page 28 of 30
Table 3.3
Machinestopoverridemode
Machinestopoverridemode
Machinestopoverridemode
Machinestopoverridemode
Machinestopoverridemode
Warning Codes Code Description
W232 METHANEMONITORNOTOK
W301 TramEnabletoggleswitchstuckin position
W302 TramEnabletoggleswitchstuckin position
W303 StabtoggleswitchstuckinLowerposition
W304 StabtoggleswitchstuckinRaiseposition
W305 BreakertoggleswitchstuckinReset positon
W306 BreakertoggleswitchstuckinOnposition
W307 ConveyortoggleswitchstuckinLower position
W308 ConveyortoggleswitchstuckinRaise position
W309 Conv.SwingtoggleswitchstuckinLeft position
W310 Conv.SwingtoggleswitchstuckinRight position
W311 Gath.HeadtoggleswitchstuckinFloat position
W312 Gath.HeadtoggleswitchstuckinRaise position
W313
W314
CutterHeadtoggleswitchstuckinLower position
CutterHeadtoggleswitchstuckinRaise position
W315 PumptoggleswitchstuckinStopposition
W316 PumptoggleswitchstuckinStartposition
W317 FantoggleswitchstuckinOffposition
W318 FantoggleswitchstuckinOnposition
W319 DusttoggleswitchstuckinOffposition
W320 DusttoggleswitchstuckinOnposition
W321 Fire/LightstoggleswitchstuckinFire position
W322 Fire/LightstoggleswitchstuckinLights position
W323 ConveyortoggleswitchstuckinStop position
W324 ConveyortoggleswitchstuckinStart position
W325 ConveyorReversepushbuttonstuck
W326 CuttertoggleswitchstuckinStopposition
W327 CuttertoggleswitchstuckinStartposition
W328 Shiftpushbuttonstuck
W329 MStopOverridepushbuttonstuck
W330 Enablepushbuttonstuck
Page 29 of 30
Table 3.3
Warning Codes Code
W331 TramHighpushbuttonstuck
W332 TramLowpushbuttonstuck
W333 LeftTramleverstuck
W334 RightTramleverstuck
W335 Enablepushbuttonstuck
W336 TramEnableButtonstuck
W337 PumpStartpushbuttonstuck
W338 ConveyorStartpushbuttonstuck
W339 CutterStartpushbuttonstuck
W342 LowBatteryPowerDown
W343 TimeOutPowerDown
Description
W344 LeftTramCommandwithoutenable
W345 RightTramCommandwithoutenable
W346 tramenableandlefttramsimultaneous
W347 tramenableandrighttramsimultaneous
W348 FanButtonStuck
W348 MotorStartbeforeenable
A listing ofthe system informational messages is provided in Table 3.4.
Page 30 of 30 Page 31 of 30
The components that make up this system are listed in Table 4.1. With exception ofthe TX944, all other components of this radio control system are mounted on the machine and within a methane isolation barrier enclosure. The display may be mounted onthe opposite side of the machine andinits own barrier enclosure.
Table4.1System Components Component Description
MCU944 Custom PLC
RX944 Radio Receiver
TX944 Radio Transmitter
CPS944 Capacitor Backup Power Supply
RDU944 Emergency Pendant Interface
DCD100 DC Tram Drive Display Graphics Status Display
The basic components and their interconnections are shown in Figure 4.1. It may be necessary to use the TX944 Radio Transmitter to check the operation ofthe system during trouble analysis. It is assumed that maintenance personnel have been trained inthe use of this equipment.
Sixty-two percent of machinery accidents involving continuous miners were operated by remote control. Therewereeightfatalsusingremotecontrolminersfrom1990to1995.
Thecontinuous mineroperatorand helpershouldfollowthesesafepractices:
� Wearreflectiveclothingasoutergarments.
� Takeshortercutswhenadverseroofconditionsareencountered.
� Donotgoinbythecontinuous mineroperatorexcept whenrequiredtooperatethecoalhaulage equipment attheface.
� Beawareofthelocationofhaulageequipment whentheyapproachthecontinuousminer.
� Always besurethat everyoneisinasafelocation whenstartingthecontinuousminer.
� Donotposition yourselfanywherebesidethecontinuousminerduringtrammingoperations.(This shouldkeeppersonsawayfromanypossiblepinchpoints.)
� Ensurethat all personsarebeyondthecontinuousminer'sturningradiusduringremotecontrol tramming.
� Beawarethatwet andmuddyfloorconditions,dips,androllscancausesudden,unexpected movementofanymachine.
� Avoidvisibilityproblems whentrammingtheminer
� Don't settheremotecontrolunitonthecontinuous minerwhileoperatingit.
� Ensurethat all remotecontrolcontinuousminersonthesectionareonseparatefrequencies.This appliesto allremotecontrol equipmentonasection.
U.S. Department of Labor
Mine Safety and Health Administration
� Makesureanysparetransmitterkept undergroundisinasecurelocationto avoidinadvertent operation.
� Takeextraprecautionswhentakingthefirstcutofacrosscut;theposition oftheoperatoriscritical.
� Ensureacrosscutis permanentlysupported(roofbolted)priortotakingacutinbyorstartingthe proposedoppositecrosscut.(No workortravelshall beinbyanunsupportedcrosscutotherthanwhen requiredforsafetyexams.)
� Ifcontinuous minerbreaks downinbypermanent roofsupport,properlysupporttheroofbeforerepairs aremade.
� Lock,tagout,andblockall miningequipmentbeforeattemptingrepairs.
Visit the MSHA home page at www.msha.gov
Sixty-twopercentofmachineryaccidentsinvolvingcontinuousminerswereoperatedby remotecontrol.Therewereeight remotecontrolminerfatalitiesfrom1990to1995.
Followthesepractices whenminingextended cuts:
� Includeextendedcut procedures andprecautionsinthetrainingplan.Allaffectedpersons should receivethisinstructionpriorto beginningextended cutminingandintasktrainingandannual refreshertraining.
� Donotgoinbythelasttworows ofpermanent support exceptforgas checks,andthenonlytothe lastrowofbolts.
� Identifythenexttolastrowofboltsbyreflectors,lights,etc.,to prevent personsfrominadvertently goinginbysupportedtop.
� Takeextended cutsonlyin areas withcompetent roofconditions.
� Knowandfollowtheroofcontrol planrequirementsfortakingextendedcuts,especiallythe maximumdepthofthecut.
� Placeareferencemarkonthecontinuousminertoshowwhenthemaximumcutdepthhasbeen reached.
� Donotleaveextended cuts standingunsupportedforprolongedperiodsoftime.
� Useadditionalroofsupportswithinthelasttworowsofsupportsto preventan unexpectedfallfrom overridingthesesupports.Theseincludeextrabolts,planks,straps,etc.
� Wearreflectiveclothingasoutergarments. � Takeshortercuts whenadverseroofconditions are encountered.
U.S. Department of Labor
Mine Safety and Health Administration
� Donotgoinbythecontinuous mineroperatorexcept whenrequiredtooperatethecoalhaulage equipment attheface.
� Beawareofthelocationofhaulageequipment whentheyapproachthecontinuousminer.
� Always besurethat everyoneisinasafelocation whenstartingthecontinuousminer.
� Donotposition yourselfanywherebesidethecontinuousminerduringtrammingoperations.(This shouldkeeppersonsawayfromanypossiblepinchpoints.)
� Ensurethatall personsarebeyondthecontinuousminer'sturningradiusduringremotecontrol tramming.
� Beawarethatwet andmuddyfloorconditions,dips,androllscancausesudden,unexpected
movementofanymachine.
� Avoidvisibilityproblemswhentrammingtheminer.
� Don't settheremotecontrolunitonthecontinuous minerwhileoperatingit.
� Ensurethat all remotecontrolcontinuousminersonthesectionareonseparatefrequencies.This appliesto allremotecontrol equipmentonasection.
� Makesureanysparetransmitterkept undergroundisinasecurelocationto avoidinadvertent operation.
� Takeextraprecautionswhentakingthefirstliftofacrosscut; operatorpositioniscritical.
� Ensureacrosscutis permanentlysupported(roofbolted)priortotakingacutinbyorstartingthe proposedoppositecrosscut.(No workortravelshall beinbyanunsupportedcrosscutotherthanwhen requiredforsafetyexams.)
� Ifacontinuousminerbreaksdowninbypermanentroofsupport,properlysupporttheroofbefore repairsaremade.
� Lock,tagout,andblockall miningequipmentbeforeattemptingrepairs.
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“BEST
• Be alert for changing roof conditions.
• Install additional roof supports where necessary.
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• Conduct a thorough visual examination of the roof, face, and ribs immediately before any work is started and thereafter as conditions warrant.
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• In areas where geological changes in roof strata are present additional safety precautions should be applied. Example: bolt straps across multiple cracks.
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• Limit the unnecessary presence of other miners at or near the pillar areas.
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Work and travel under unsupported roof is an extremely unsafe practice that continues to occur in our nation’s mines. Operating continuous miners, roof bolting machines, and scoops under unsupported roof is a recurrent violation of the standard which prohibits work and travel at this location. Bolting operations that include handling screen are especially vulnerable to passing the last row of support. Also, painting site lines or marking locations for drilling are work practices that frequently occur under unsupported roof.
• Minimize the number of places left unbolted during the mining cycle.
• Select carefully and maintain a consistent method of posting /identifying unsupported roof.
• Examine work practices that occur near the last row of support.
• Increase equipment operator’s awareness near the last row of support.
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