Showcasing the Industry's Latest Developments at Longwall USA
June 25, 2019 - Miners from all over the world gathered in May 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pa., USA, for the Longwall USA exhibition and conference — a biennial underground mining exhibition that has supported the mining industry for more than 20 years.
One of the largest exhibits at Longwall USA belonged to Caterpillar. Caterpillar worked with local dealer CB Mining to provide a technology-enhanced look at the products, services and autonomy capabilities Caterpillar offers to its longwall mining customers.
The booth used digital displays to showcase the breadth of Caterpillar’s longwall offerings. From new equipment announcements to demonstrations of automation technologies and even a virtual reality service tool, the Caterpillar exhibit was designed to show customers that Caterpillar is a one-stop shop for complete longwall mining systems.
According to David Velez, a member of Caterpillar’s underground sales and support team, the company is focused on showing the longwall mining industry that they are more than just an equipment or technology provider.
“We don’t just sell our customers our equipment, we work with them to come up with a solution that perfectly meets their needs,” said Velez. “We help them monitor and improve their operations every day.”
One of the most important aspects of any longwall mining operation is automation. Caterpillar uses a suite of technologies to automate every aspect of a longwall operation, from cutting and conveying at the face to moving the roof supports forward. More technology monitors the machines’ health and performance, allowing Caterpillar and dealer support personnel to detect and correct issues long before they result in failure or downtime.
Caterpillar gave customers a look at the latest updates to these technologies on the floor, but they shared information on newly developed pieces of mining equipment, as well. This included a new update to the Cat EL1000 shearer — the company’s smallest model, which was designed for high production in low-seam environments. They also unveiled the new PF HD conveyor line pan, designed for use in heavy-duty longwall applications with extreme conditions, as well as an update to the High Torque Drive system. These can be used together to improve conveyor performance and efficiency.
“Technology and equipment are only part of what we do,” said Velez. “Our value to our customers is that we stick with them beyond that initial sale. We’re monitoring their performance and our dealers are working with them to keep their equipment up and running. Longwall mines are always running, and we’re always there to help make sure it stays that way.”