Industry Spotlight: Mining

Plenty of industries push equipment hard. Mining pushes it hundreds of feet below ground in pitch-black, unstable, life-threatening conditions no other sector faces. One cylinder failure down there costs lives and millions of dollars in minutes. This is precisely why Purpose-Built™ hydraulic cylinders dominate the mining world.

The Role of Hydraulic Cylinders in Underground Mining Equipment

One of the more common machines used in coal mining is a continuous miner. This machine has a large rotating steel drum equipped with tungsten carbide teeth that scrape the coal from the seam. These operate in underground areas that have been cut into the coal bed, mining up to five tons of coal per minute.

That same rock-solid control shows up again in continuous miners—hydraulic cylinders spin the steel cutting drum, position it precisely, push the rig deeper underground, and hold the ceiling steady without missing a beat.

Longwall mining is a highly productive coal mining technique using machines with multiple coal sheers mounted on self-advancing hydraulic ceiling supports. These underground mining machines are massive, about 800 feet in width and 5-10 feet tall. The shearers cut coal from the wall face, allowing it to fall to a conveyor belt for removal.  Longwall miners can remove areas of coal as wide as the machine and up to 12,000 feet long.

Hydraulic cylinders position longwall mining equipment, drive the massive shears, and hold thousands of tons of roof overhead. Strength and reliability are key to keeping the operation functioning efficiently and providing a reliable and safe work environment for equipment operators.

Safety and Preventing Catastrophic Events

Roof collapse is the ultimate nightmare underground—so how do crews stop it cold? Roof bolting. The instant the miner bites forward, coal mining hydraulic cylinders hoist temporary supports skyward, pin the roof rock-solid while the rig drills holes and slams permanent bolts home, and keep the entire tunnel stable—and the crew breathing—in the most brutal conditions imaginable.

And they don’t stop there—hydraulic cylinders instantly swing the drill and bolter into perfect position under the roof, keeping the machine planted and the crew moving.  Operators get faster, cleaner bolting cycles without ever moving the entire machine through the tight space. Larger roof bolters, called crawlers, are track mounted and increasingly remote controlled. Position sensing cylinders can be used in these situations to automate positioning, allowing workers to control equipment from a safe location.

Hydraulic Cylinders for Surface Mining, Hauling, and Material Handling

The use of hydraulic cylinders extends far beyond coal mining equipment. Surface mining equipment, dump trucks, crushers, and countless other types of machinery rely on hydraulic power to ensure precision, performance, and safety under extreme work conditions.

Dump trucks use telescopic cylinders to lift and dump heavy loads. Crushers rely on high-power hydraulics for aggregate production. Hydraulically powered conveyors and material handling equipment enable the safe transport of heavy materials. Hydraulic cylinders are and always will be an essential part of these and other mining and transport equipment designs.