Innovation in roofbolted development roadways — The Voest Alpine ABM 20 Continuous Miner Bolter

CIM Bulletin, Vol. 89, No. 1000, 1996

John Baldwin, Cape Breton Development Corporation, Sydney, Nova Scotia

Increasing mine depth and panel length combined with faster longwall retreat rates necessitated a change from the passive support of steel sets to roofbolts at the Phalen Colliery in the Sydney Coalfield. Development drivage rates achieved with roadheaders installing steel sets would not support the retreat rates of the longwall panels. Also, front abutment pressures from the longwall retreat were seriously deforming the steel sets. In 1991, full column resin grouted roofbolts were introduced by the Cape Breton Development Corporation to the Phalen Colliery as a means of primary roof support for in-seam retreat longwall entries. Continuous miners, complimented by roofbolt support were chosen to facilitate the increased production rates and roof support capacity required. The roofbolting system evolved from a hydraulic mobile rubber tired machine to hand held pneumatic rotary drill to a continuous minebolter — the ABM 20. This paper discusses the evolution from the startup of roofbolting at Phalen Colliery to the latest technology in continuous minerbolters.

Keywords: Equipment, Continuous miners, Mine bolters