1. Underground mining equipment
Continuous miners: These powerful machines extract coal from the seam. Heavy-duty drive chains are used to transmit power internally to the cutting drum, coal collecting arm, and overall conveying system, which transports coal from the mining face to the shuttle car or feeder conveyor.
Roadheaders: Similar to continuous miners, roadheaders use strong chains to drive the cutting head and ensure material removal.
Shuttle cars and scrapers: These vehicles transport coal or waste in underground mines. Heavy-duty drive chains are often part of their drive system (for example, in the axle or gearbox) and sometimes also provide power to the onboard conveyor mechanism.
Bridge conveyors: Used to connect the continuous miner or shuttle car to the main belt conveyor system. Heavy-duty drive chains provide power to the section that transports the coal.
Drilling Rigs (Underground): For specialized underground drilling, drive chains can transmit power to the rotation of the drill bit or the mechanism that pushes the drill bit into the rock.
2. Surface Mining Equipment
Large Excavators and Draglines: Although typically hydraulically or electrically driven, very large excavators and draglines may incorporate heavy drive chains in their motion systems (tracks) or some large digging and lifting mechanisms to withstand the huge thrust.
Bulldozers/Earthmovers: These tracked vehicles are essential for pushing coal, overburdening, and opening passages, and they rely on heavy drive chains in their track systems for propulsion and steering.
Mobile Crushing and Screening Machines: Many crawler-type mobile crushing and screening equipment are used to process coal directly at the mine face, and they use heavy drive chains to power their tracks for mobility and drive the crushing elements or vibrating screens.
Stackers and Reclaimers: These large machines used to build and reclaim coal yards have heavy drive chains in their booms and reclaiming mechanisms to move and handle large quantities of coal.
3. Coal Preparation and Processing Plants
Feeder Breakers: These machines receive the raw coal (ROM) directly from the mine. Heavy-duty drive chains are essential for driving the crushing bars, which screen the coal, as well as the internal conveying systems that move the coal within the machine.
Coal Washeries (Jig Drives): In coal washing facilities, specialized heavy-duty drive chains may be used to operate jigs or other separation equipment that clean the coal by agitating it in water.
Material Handling Systems (Heavy Duty Section): In addition to direct conveying of coal, specific heavy-duty drive chains may be used in the gearboxes or power transmissions of large pumps, fans, or other auxiliary equipment within the plant to ensure continuous operation.