Media release: rebuilding old Sandvik bolter miners
Bolter miners are electrically powered, track-mounted continuous mining machines, designed to excavate longwall development roadways and install roof bolts simultaneously in underground coal mines.
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An old Sandvik bolter miner rebuilt into a new one.
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After just four to five years of life underground, they can look almost worn out – but in the case of Sandvik’s MB series of bolter miners, these machines have the inherent durability and strength that allows them to be completely rebuilt to as-new condition.
Sandvik’s MB series of bolter miners are the leading machines in underground coal mine longwall development applications in Australia, said Sandvik project manager Troy Robertson.
"An important element of the economics of running bolter miners is their ability to be completely rebuilt from the ground up a number of times during their working lives," he said.
"A key part of Sandivk’s service and support offerings for our MB series machines is our capability of carrying out these rebuilds to OEM (original equipment manufacturer) standards, and with full factory warranty."
Manufactured by Sandvik in Austria, its original ABM series dates back to the early 1990s, and the range has undergone continuous upgrading and improvements since introduction.
"The main models we sell in Australia are our MB650 and MB670 bolter miners – these fit with the seam heights for most longwall mines looking for bolter miners in their operations," said Robertson.
"It’s a market segment that’s unique to Sandvik; as a result of our ongoing engineering design, performance, safety and ergonomics, no other supplier has been able to deliver the required combination of production, safety and ease of operation.
"The rule of thumb is that after three rebuilds – with four to six years between rebuilds – the technology in our MB series has developed to the extent that the price to upgrade to the latest specifications ceases to become economical," he said.
"In addition, compliance requirements are ever-changing – and bolter miners have to comply with all the latest safety standards before they can go back underground."
Also included in the rebuild process are updated Link1 parts manuals, revised and updated documentation, operator and maintenance crew training, and plant safety files.
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