Roadheader

Roadheaders are the most widely used underground partial-face excavation machines for soft to
medium strength rocks, particularly for sedimentary rocks. They are used for both development
and production in soft rock mining industry particularly in coal, industrial minerals and
evaporitic rocks. The ability of these machines to excavate almost any profile opening also
makes them very useful in mining projects where various opening sizes and profiles need to be
constructed. In addition to their high mobility and versatility, roadheaders are generally low
capital cost systems compared to most other mechanical excavators. Because of higher cutting
power density due to smaller cutting drum they offer the capability to excavate rocks harder and
more abrasive than their counterparts, such as continuous miners and borers.

Fig1. Roadheader machine

The roadheader used for the purpose of coal face development in Moonidih are of two types.
One is relatively old having a transverse cutting head and was introduced by the polish and is of
polish built. The other one has a longitudinal cutting head having model number EBZ160 which
was introduced ZMJ coal mining group which is a Chinese based company. Currently both of the
roadheaders are in operation.
The important characteristics of this machine are as follows:

1. It has compact structure, short body, and low centre of gravity, fine stability and efficient
climbing capacity.
2. It has fine rigidity, high strength, great supporting span and rock breaking capacity.
3. It has internal and external spraying and dust suppression system and the external system
has water leak detection and protection function.
4. Its cutting head is telescopic to reduce the frequency and it has a wide range of cutting
section.
5. Its travel speed reducer and motor are highly integrated and its track has slip resistant
function.
6. Its ramp plate has large angle of dip and road clearance at bottom for the convenience of
bottom cleaning.
7. The intermediate haulage conveyor has straight line bottom plate with portal, smooth
transportation and long service life of chute and scratch board.
8. The hydraulic system has functions including constant power, pressure cutoff and load
sensitive control.
9. All its parts can be easily dismantled for the convenience of transportation.
10. It has compact type installation and operation box and highly integrated group valve,
which can be easily operated.

 Main use and range of application:

This machine is mainly used to the drivage of tunnel, soft rock roadway and semi-coal
rock drift with hardness of coal bearing series f<= 7.5. It can also jointly match with
reverse loader, belt conveyor and shuttle car to carry out successive cutting, loading and
transportation work. It has a 24.6 mm2 cutting section, vertical slope <= ±180 and
2.5~4.0 m optimum cutting height.

 Model Programming:

Model name: EBZ160 boom roadheader.

E- Roadheader
B- Ranging arm
Z- Vertical axis cutting machine.
160- Cutting power of mechanism.
 Operating environmental conditions:

1. Altitude - <=2000m
2. Ambient temperature - -5oC to 40oC.
3. Relative humidity of surrounding air – 90% at 25oC.
4. In the environment filled with methane, coal dust and other explosive gas mixture.
5. In the environment without sharp pounding.
6. In places without long term continuous water pouring.

 Main structure and operating principle:

The EBZ160 roadheader is mainly made up of cutting unit, ramp plate, frame, travel part,
intermediate haulage conveyor, back support, hydraulic system, water system and
electrical system.

Fig2. Diagram of EBZ160 roadheader

 Parts of EBZ160 roadheader

Item Quantity Description Part number Weight(kg)

1 1 Cutting unit B20201003 8212
2 1 Ramp plate unit B20202001 4160
3 1 Machine B20204001 8476
4 1 Hydraulic system B20208012 5982
5 1 Travel unit B20205001 8840
6 1 Electrical system 1300
7 1 Intermediate conveyor B20203002 2773
8 1 Rear support B20206001 3507
9 1 Cover plate Z202038001
10 1 Name plate 0.32
11 1 Lubrication system 900
12 1 Water system B20209006 850

 Parts:

1. Cutting unit:
Cutting unit is made up of cutting head, telescopic cylinder, secondary planetary
reduction gear and cutting motor. The input power is driven to secondary
planetary gear reduction system and passing telescopic parts driven to cutting
head to perform coal rock breaking. The two supporting cardinal axis of cutting
motor are connected with revolving platform. The angling cylinders between
cutting unit and revolving platform and frame are used to carry out rise, fall and
rotating motions.

Fig3: Cutting unit of EBZ160.

 The cone frustum cutting head has large and small specifications for different
usages. The circular spiral of cutting head is equipped with linear distribution pick
with internal spraying nozzle under pick. The cutting head and main shaft are
connected by spline and high strength bolt. The telescopic cylinder is located
between cutting head and secondary planetary reduction gear with built in main
shaft and water service device. The telescopic motion of cutting head is realized
by slip between spline and main shaft and between internal and external cylinders.

2. Ramp plate:
The ramp plate part consists of main and side plates, drive unit and slave unit.
The loading of coal and rock is completed by star wheel driven by hydraulic
motors.

Fig 4: Ramp plate

The ramp plate installed infront of the machine is made up of main and side plate
and connected with frame through a pair of cardinal axis and hinge joint cylinder.
The rise and fall motion is by oil cylinder of the plate. The hydraulic motors along
the two sides of drive unit are controlled by two control valves and the star wheel
is directly driven by the drive unit to achieve a balanced flow ensure the work of
the star wheel under stable and consistent conditions, improve loading efficiency
and to reduce failure rate. The side ramp plate is a group welded structural
member which is connected by high strength bolts and clevis pin with head.
3. Frame and revolving platform:
As the framework of the whole machine, the frame plays the role of central beam
bearing all kinds of loads from cutting, travelling and loading. Its right side is
installed with pumping station of hydraulic system, left side with operating
platform and electric control box, left, right and bottom sides with travel units
separately and back supporting.

Fig 5: Frame

The revolving base is on the frame for supporting, connecting and supporting rise
and fall and rotation of cutting mechanism, which is connected by revolving
bearing and high strength bolt.

4. Travel unit:
The travel unit is made up of several parts including hydraulic motor, speed
reducer, caterpillar chain, tension pulley, truck frame and driving wheel. The
travel motion is completed by caterpillar chain driven by hydraulic motor, speed
reducer and driving wheel. The hydraulic motor is integrated with speed reducer.
The supporting of caterpillar chain is done with the help of sliding friction. The
tensioning mechanism of the caterpillar is made up of tension pulley group by
tensioning cylinder is used to adjust its degree of tightness. The designed truck
frame is assembly welding structural member. The speed reducer and truck frame
is connected by high strength bolts.
 Fig 6: Travel unit.

5. Intermediate haulage conveyor:

The intermediate haulage conveyor located in the middle part of body is made up
of devices including front and back chutes, scrapper chain, drive unit and tension
unit.

Fig 7: Intermediate haulage conveyor.

 The pans of the conveyor is split type component including front and back chutes
connected by high strength bolts. The front end of the conveyor and ramp plate
and frame are connected by clevis pin with head. Its back end is fastened on the
frame. The scraper chain uses double chain scrapers which are directly driven by
two hydraulic motors to bring along material conveying.

6. Back supporting:
The back supporting is made up of rear frame member, supporter and revolving
frame, which is mainly used to reduce the vibration of cutting, improve working
stability and prevent sliding of machine body.

Fig 8: Back supporting.

The rear frame member is assembling welding structural member with front end
and frame connected by high strength bolt and key and back end and revolving
frame connected by pin. The electric control box and pumping station is fastened
at rear frame member. The supporter installed on the two sides of rear frame
member completes supporting through oil cylinder.
 7. Hydraulic system:
All the motions except the rotary movement of cutting head are done by hydraulic
systems. The hydraulic system is mainly made of pumping station, motors (travel,
ramp plate, conveyor, and internal spraying motors), valve block, control
platform, oil box and instrument and interconnected piping.
Functions of hydraulic system:
i. Sensitive control function
ii. System protection function
iii. Machine travel and brake
iv. Caterpillar tensioning
v. Driving ramp plate and to rotate star wheel
vi. Driving intermediate haulage conveyor
vii. Driving internal spraying pump
viii. Upside down and laterally moving of cutting head
ix. Rise and fall of ramp plate
x. Telescopic motion of cutting head
xi. Rise and fall of supporter

 Main technical parameters:

1. Parameters of road header
Overall length-9.44m
Overall width-2.90m
Overall height-1.65m
Weight – 45ton
Ground clearance – 260mm
Suitable slope - ±18o
Cutting hardness - <=75MPa
Total power – 246kW
Cutting height – 4.8m
Cutting width – 3.4m

2. Cutting unit:
Shape – cone frustum
Angular speed – 2 rpm
Motor power – 160/80 kW
Telescopic travel – 550mm
Number of cutting picks – 41
3. Ramp plate part
Loading – star wheel type
Loading capacity- 3.4 m3/min
Loading width – 2.9m
Angular speed of star wheel – 33rpm
Uplift of ramp plate – 342mm

4. Intermediate haulage conveyor:

Type – bilateral chain scraper
Transport capacity- 4.4 m3/min
Size of chute section – 532x360 mm2
Chain speed- 61m/min

5. Travel unit:
Type - caterpillar
Travel speed – 0~6 m/min
Width of caterpillar- 520mm
Pressure over ground- 0.14MPa