One feature maintained by the new GH800B plow system is the Cat AFCPF3 or AFCPF4 conveyor, which uses plow line pans with a replaceable top trough for easy replacement of worn-out parts. They also feature external dogbone connectors between the line pans – each with a breaking strength of up to 3600 kN (404 tf), as well as a very strong and flexible relay bar between the conveyor and the roof supports. Inspection doors in every second line pan enable quick and easy access to both the top and bottom chains for maintenance. Furthermore, a widened conveyor cross-section with extended side plates increases the coal throughput. The GH800B allows higher production rates in low seams, depending on the geological conditions and other parameters.
State-of-the-art Conveyor Technology
The innovative Cat PF plow line pans are the state of the art for underground face conveyor technology. They are based on the tried-and-tested PF3 and PF4 pans, which meet all requirements regarding quality, wear resistance and conveying capacity. PF line pans form the powerful backbone of the conveyor system. This pioneering conveyor technology and extremely rugged pan design have been subjected to extensive testing.
Separation of Wear Parts
The smart and totally new idea of splitting up the different functional areas in the PF allows the separation of wear parts from structural parts. Very hard, wear-resistant materials are used for parts subject to wear, while the structural parts are made of tough, high-strength steels. The pan design allows problem-free replacement of worn-out top troughs.
Benefits of Separation of Wear Parts
- Substantially longer service life
- Considerably lower overall pan wear
- Easy underground replacement of wear parts
Optimized Contact Surfaces
The use of the proven PF profile in the top race maximizes the contact surface between the flight bar and the profile. This minimizes the flight bar surface pressure in snakes and undulating seams. Special shaping of the bottom race – which almost doubles the contact surface – substantially reduces both friction and wear of the flight bar shoulder. Also, the curved transition at the pan ends greatly reduces noise during operation of the chain conveyor.
Benefits of Optimized Contact Surfaces
- Minimal friction
- Low wear of flight bar shoulder in the bottom race
- Minimized power losses
- Longer service life of flight bars and profiles
- Lower noise level during operation