The Use of the Roof The Upper Level Company

Transcription

1 The Use of the Roof The Upper Level Company

2 GTA - Your competent partner GTA made the upper level working By cooperation with the mining industry GTA have acquired vast experience in underground mining conditions. This enabled GTA to develop technical solutions making it possible to effectively work to both levels simultaneously in the narrow space underground. In mining, we have confined our aim of optimizing work processes and reducing accidents. For some years, adaptations of our machine systems have also been used for tunneling applications where they gain more and more acceptance. Additional systems for transport and handling on both working levels complete our product range. Permanent innovation and cooperation with our customers is a continuous process in our company. Our experience is creatively put into practice by our competent teams. 2

3 Machine systems to ease hard work GTA the history of the way to the top Historic methods of setting roof support have been a hard and dangerous job for the miners throughout the world. As there were no suitable machines to ease the work, the miners started to build their own jigs, however drifting speed remained low. In 1979 Helmut Heisterkamp founded his company GTA based on the idea of improving the working conditions. GTA discovered the upper working level and integrated it into the heading process. Ever before this upper level remained unused. It took more than 30 years to develop the upper level machine systems of GTA to perfection. Mining in greater depth encounters increasing rock pressure, hence roof Support requires special measurements, such as: Installation of yielding steel arches with weights up to 44 kg/m Application of concrete to close the gap between the steel arches and the rock/coal strata Installation of roof bolts. Installing of steel arch with a total weight of 150 kg in the unsecured areas is hard and dangerous work, which accident statistics show all over the world. 3

4 GTA a new generation of mining machines The GTA Solution The recognition that, because of the rough working conditions, the drifting speed reached its limits, led to the development of specialized machine systems by GTA. The newly designed machines of GTA enabled safe and economical installation of heavy support units. In order to avoid a dangerous concentration of machines at the face area, the new machine systems were suspended in the roof area by means of a monorail system. This is how the machines gained their manouvrability. A new generation of mining machines was born. GTA -Safety first By continuous development these machines were brought to perfection, resulting in: Ease of work Increased drifting speed and Most important, reduction of accidents. Don t worry, support carrying the rock, certainly carries upper-levelmachines. 4

5 Basics of GTA Upper Level Technology: The principle of GTA Upper Level System using the example of a Roadway Support machine: 1 By means of the Support Setting Device the pre-assembled support segments are moved to their position and get pushed under the roof 2 The Lifting Guide allows an exact positioning. 3 The bracers are used to stabilize the system while the work at the face is carried out 4 Base frame of the whole system 5 Rails 6 Pump station for energy supply of the hydraulic system 7 Push-pull drive system; alternatively friction wheel drives are available 8 Control platform for machine operator 9 Lifting boom for the working platform 10 Working platform with extendable foot-railings at the sides 11 Rockfall protection How it works GTA machine systems at the upper level are using the monorail technique. Monorail systems were developed in Germany some decades ago. GTA make use of the standardized rails for all upper-level-machines. Depending on the local requirements the machine systems are operating at single or double rail racks. In mines without a monorail infrastructure GTA can supply the rail system as well. 5

6 GTA for installing steel arches Support Setting Devices Support Setting Devices have been developed by GTA for the mechanized setting of steel arch support. They are used in roadway drifting by drill and blast techniques as well as in combination with roadheaders. The Support Setting Devices are suspended at monorail racks and are movable. The monorail racks are hanging at the support arches which have already been installed. The machines enable pre-assembling of the roof elements in the rear area of the gallery, the transport to the face and the exact positioning at the place of installation. To grant safe working on the upper level of headings, while the side elements are connected, the roadheader should be equipped with a working platform. Roadway Support Machines Roadway Support machines are complete systems for the mechanization of steel arch setting in roadway drifting. In general they consist of two main features, the working platform and the support setting device. Attached to monorail systems they can move forward and reverse in order to pick up the arches and position them exactly where they are needed. The men at the platform enjoy safe and easy work. GTA machines fulfill all requirements of a mining-proof and robust machine. Of course, GTA machines are fully flameproof and ATEX certified. 6

7 GTA for drilling and bolting Monorail Drills Monorail Drills have been developed by GTA for the drilling of blast- and boltholes as well as for the setting of roof bolts. They are suspended at monorail racks and can be moved in either direction. Depending on the type of work they are hanging on single or double rail strand. Monorail Drills at the upper level are the better alternative to floor operating drills because they allow synchronisation of different operations. This gives a high degree of flexibility in connection with potential to improve the performance. Furthermore accidents at the floor are reduced due to equalization of machine concentration in the face area. GTA faster safer easier Drilling Feeds The concentration of other manufacturers of Drilling Technique on standardised feeds based on light alloy opens markets for GTA: Feeds, made of steel for underground coal mining Feeds for special requirements, which cannot be fulfilled with standard feeds. A special own development of GTA is the TSA-Feed, a double feed for mechanised drilling and setting of roof bolts with integrated grout. 7

8 GTA Transport Systems Monorails Transport in confined areas is a special task in coal mining. GTA and Intrak have developed systems for both longhaul transport and short distance transport in the face area. For longhaul transport GTA offers a diesel monorail unit with superior climbing performance. The modular design allows adaptation to individual transport tasks. The number of lifting beams is variable as well as the number of drive units. Fully flameproof diesel engine, watercooled intake and exhaust system flame, arrestors, fast shut-off valves, exhaust heat exchanger and Methan monitoring device as well as fully flameproof electrics make the machine the ideal transport system from station to face. 8

9 GTA How to get things moved Special transport solutions To ease the hard work of transport in the face area GTA have developed different types of shunting trolleys with hydraulic or pneumatic drive on standard racks or with rack and pinion for inclined operation. Transport beams of different capacities make the auxiliary equipment for monorail transport complete. A floor bound alternative In cases, where transport of heavy loads cannot be managed by monorail systems, GTA offer a new system of trap rail haulage. This system is able to negotiate safely in steep inclines/declines. 9

10 GTA After Sales Support Service and Quality Time is money in mining. So it is important to give customers fast and professional assistance. Anywhere in the world and all around the clock. In order to maintain this standard, GTA apply continuous improvements to their systems. GTA engineers are educated and trained to the state of the art. GTA provide their professionals with modern tools and computer software for design, manufacture, and service. GTA keep a large stock of spare parts to grant the availability of GTA machine systems, wherever they operate. 10

11 . not only in mining GTA, the Upper Level Company The core of the GTA range of products are the machine systems, described in this leaflet. The success of these systems in coal mining led to the extension of the business into other markets and further products, especially for Tunneling. On the upper level, machines with weights of up to 80 tons, which derived from the well-proven mining systems are now being used in tunneling for different tasks. on the floor special vehicles for tunneling, developed according to the latest standards with platforms of extreme high capacity and range. For shotcreting in large tunnels the Normspray is the optimal solution. and in between Tunnel Enlargement Machines for the enlargement and refurbishment of existing tunnels. Enlargement and refurbishment work can be performed whilst the railway traffic continues without disturbance. 11

12 GTA continuous growth in a good environment Our company is based in the town of Hamminkeln in the Lower Rhine region (North Rhine-Westphalia). Our employees enjoy living in a rural environment close to nature, offering a high quality of life. At the same time, the Ruhr metropolitan area and the Netherlands can quickly be reached by the A3 motorway. Our national and international customers can easily reach us from the airports in Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Münster, Cologne and Amsterdam or via the well developed motorway network. GTA Maschinensysteme GmbH Loikumer Rott Hamminkeln Germany Phone: +49 (0) / Fax: +49 (0) / info@gta.eu PST/03.13