From longwall to room and pillar – how OEM Komatsu is transforming the mining sector

After leading the way in longwall automation, Komatsu – a global manufacturer and distributor of earthmoving and mining equipment – has begun applying its expertise to the Development and R&P (room and pillar) sectors, integrating new technologies into its Joy product portfolio.

Having supported longwall clients to achieve faster and safer operations through automation, Komatsu is bringing similar advancements to its Joy Development and R&P product lines, explains Mining Products Director, Ron Vasey.

“We have been working hard to get our Development and R&P offerings up to the same automation standards as longwall – a space we have been in for a long time,” he said.

“Just as we have four distinct levels of automation in the longwall, we have a robust roadmap for Development and R&P equipment.”

To this end, Komatsu has made several significant steps forward, in partnership with its underground salt mining customers in Canada and the UK. In Canada, it has a R&P section operating with just one person in the section.

“A continuous miner autonomously cuts, with the operator making occasional straightening adjustments, while the Flexible Conveyor Train (FCT) autonomously follows behind,” said incoming VP Australasia, Helen Gibson.

“As part of our ongoing collaboration, we are working towards enabling fully remote operation from the surface, eliminating the need for personnel at the face during shift changes—a milestone we expect to achieve within the next 12 months” she said.

Introductions to its product portfolio

Komatsu has introduced several Development and R&P innovations, either out to market or in field trial phase.

In a central Queensland mine, the company has been refining its advanced Autocut technology on a Joy 12CM30 underground continuous miner. This innovation is expected to significantly shorten cut and bolt cycles.

“The mine had been getting up to 40m advance per shift without Autocut, but during trials, they timed the cut sequence at only two minutes. That translates to a cut and bolt cycle every 7.5mins, which more than satisfies their development target rates. The trials are now complete and, come end of this month, we should be using that in the normal development cycle,” Ron said.

Additionally, Komatsu has completed prototype testing for the ABX Bolting platform at a mine in Illawarra, which allows for full automation of the bolting process.

“The auto bolters are capable of drilling a hole, inserting the chemical resin and installing a roof bolt automatically,” Ron said. We can vary the amount of auto bolt installation from 2 to 4 presently.

Meanwhile, further continuous miner automation innovations are being used at a mine in the Lithgow region, where Komatsu will have a Joy FCT (Flexible Conveyor Train) following a continuous miner on a short wall face.

“The technology’s ‘Follow Me’ mode allows the FCT delivery hopper to keep itself positioned under the continuous miner tail automatically as the continuous miner manoeuvres around and cuts the face,” Ron said.

Further technologies like LIDAR will ensure machines cut in the desired direction and correct any drift over time.

For mines that struggle to keep up with production increases, these innovations will help maintain healthy cycles and keep ahead of the mine plan.

Cutting procurement lead times

Alongside its Development and R&P automation work, Komatsu is transforming to help customers reduce lead times for crucial machine deliveries.

Where companies were once forced to wait up to seventy weeks to have a machine delivered from order placement, Komatsu are now focused on delivering one straight from the order book in less than thirty.

The efforts – part of Komatsu’s cross-functional ATO (assemble to order) program – are being welcomed by mining procurers, with lead times for new machine deliveries having blown out in recent years.

“We have seen a lot of supply chain disruptions and difficulties in sourcing parts,” said Ron.

“On top of that, we’re seeing uncertainty from OEMs, who are sometimes hesitant to increase long term inventory, especially when dealing with new mining ventures that don’t give them as much confidence. Inventory ties up capital, so it must be carefully managed.”

Protracted lead times have been felt most profoundly by start-ups, Ron added, with cash constraints demanding a quick return on investment from their capital expenditure.

“Startups need to get their machines up and running as fast as possible, and our ATO program will help them do that,” he said.

The initiative will offer more certainty to mining companies in the face of regulatory pressures and fluctuating public support for coal.

“Mine plans can change in a heartbeat – and the OEM’s reaction time can impact the viability of the mining operation.

“From order placement to coal cutting, we aim to minimise customers’ exposure to those uncertain elements, until they start to generate that all-important revenue stream from their assets,” Helen said.

To this end, Komatsu has already conducted several benchmarking exercises, to standardise machine configurations, reducing the need for customisation.

“This can cut engineering and procurement workload activities from the delivery timeframe. It allows us to pre-procure standard parts in advance, and have these stocked, in readiness for a final assembly build,” Helen said.

“We do understand that mines have varying geological features and constraints, so just like when you buy a car, you will still have a small selection of features to choose from, but all of these will be pre-engineered options,” Ron added.

Komatsu’s assemble to order program is already helping a number of companies in Australia.

Currently, it is working on a assemble to order procurement plan for the Joy 12CM30, and later this year it will extend these efforts to the Joy 12CM27 R&P machine.

Having spent three years in India as Komatsu’s General Manager for underground, Helen explained that the program is gaining popularity there, given the country’s prevalence of mining contractors.

“Contractors utilise their own machinery and need to realise revenue from their purchases quickly – so procurement lead-time has been a major focus for several years. We’ve standardised equipment models for the market and significantly shortened lead times, allowing customers to get into coal quickly” she said.

Looking Ahead

Talking more about their automation journey and complete range of products, Helen Gibson and Ron Vasey will be at the upcoming Longwall Conference, alongside Bob Sherack, VP of Mining Products, who is presenting.

The conference will be held 18-19 March at the Rydges Resort Hunter Valley.

Learn more and register your tickets here.

About Komatsu 

Komatsu develops and supplies technologies, equipment and services for the construction, mining, forklift, industrial and forestry markets. For more than a century, the company has been creating value for its customers through manufacturing and technology innovation, partnering with others to empower a sustainable future where people, business and the planet thrive together.

Front-line industries worldwide use Komatsu solutions to develop modern infrastructure, extract fundamental minerals, manage forests and create consumer products. The company’s global service and distributor networks support customer operations to help enhance safety and promote productivity while working to optimise performance.