Nothing is ever straight-forward in underground mining. There are geological anomalies, labour shortages and a range of fit-for-purpose mining machines. The only thing that’s somewhat predictable is the weather.
The nature of the beast calls for companies such as Motion to reinvent the wheel, or in this case, a CDDR roof bolter.
Jarrod Hanns, Motion’s Branch Manager for the Unanderra operations, and his team recently accomplished a “re-overhaul” for the CDDR deployed in a Hunter Valley coal mine.
However, there were two issues: the mine had a height clearance of just 2.1 metres, and the machine arrived on Motion’s doorstep with “a lot more work to do than was originally expected,” according to Jarrod.
Motion’s contact in the United States found two old bolters tossed aside following their initial lifespan and never overhauled, creating the perfect opportunity for the team to show their skills.
Before sending them to Australia, a US-based workshop was to complete the mechanical overhaul of the machines, however they were left in a sub-prime condition requiring additional work here in Australia.
Motion was originally expecting to perform hosing, electrics and testing to comply with Australian standards. However, when Jarrod and the team received the machines, it was clear they had their work cut out for them.
“We organised the freight into Australia, the overhaul, any additional repairs and testing,” Jarrod said.
To read the full article in Motion’s new interactive magazine, please click here.
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