Print8.3.1a: Typical Equipment
Before moving on to look at the methods suited for these steeply dipping deposits, I do want to identify some typical equipment used in room and pillar mining. There is a significant variation in equipment usage across room and pillar mines. This should not surprise you, given the big differences in the deposits. As you might expect, the equipment used to mine a 5’ thick coal seam is quite a bit different than that used to mine a 50’ thick lead-zinc deposit.
| Continuous Cycle | Conventional Cycle |
|---|---|
| Continuous mining machine | Jumbo drill |
| Road header | Wheeled loader |
| Shuttle car | Haul truck |
| Flexible conveyor train | Mine truck |
| Roof bolter | Scaler |
| Roof bolter | |
| Powder loader |
In the list of “typical” equipment, you saw an item that has not been discussed yet. A rock duster, which is an essential piece of equipment for an auxiliary operation in underground coal mines. Given the importance of this auxiliary operation to underground coal mining, let’s say a little more about the need for it, and the practice of rock dusting.
After we conclude our discussion of rock dusting, we’ll resume with the unsupported methods of shrinkage and open stoping.