Mining machines (roadheaders, long‐wall shearers, continuous miners, milling machines and others) are the key mechanised systems used in mining works—in underground and surface mining and in civil engineering (tunnelling). Rock cutting is carried out with working units fitted with cutting tools (most frequently picks mounted in pickboxes welded to side surfaces). It is important to appropriately arrange and position such tools in order to adapt them to the operating conditions (rock workability). This will guarantee very high efficiency of the cutting process. For this reason, such parts are designed with dedicated software. Designing is based on the simulation of the cutting process according to which the solution established is accepted. A prerequisite ensuring that the working process is performed highly efficiently by mining machines is to guarantee the high manufacturing quality of working units, especially with regard to the placement of cutting tools on the working unit side surface according to technical documentation. Robotised technologies are helpful here. Due to a large variety of solutions, utility programmes for robotised production sockets are developed with software for designing and simulating the operation of robotised stations.
Part of the book: Computer-aided Technologies