Cat’s facility in Luenen, Germany, will manufacture the high-capacity system, and Vostochnaya Technika U.K. (commonly known as VT), the Cat dealer in the region, will deliver and support it. Delivery is scheduled for March 2016.
The new hardware includes a PF6/1142 AFC with a length of 306 meters (1,000 ft). Three Cat CST gearboxes will be powered by three motors of 750 kW (1,000 hp) each. The Cat stage loader is the PF6/1342 with a conveyor length of 29 m, powered by a 200/400-kW (265/535 hp) drive system. Crusher motor power is 400 kW (535 hp). A belt return unit is also part of the package.
Kotinskaya’s current longwall is equipped with Cat shields, each with a width of 1.75 m (5.75 ft) and support capacity of 725 metric tons (800 tons). With an operating range of 2.2 to 4.8 m (7.2 to 15.7 ft), the supports are used in a seam that is typically slightly more than 4 m thick. The mine currently produces about 3 million mt (3.3 million tons) of coal annually.
