Question

In Longwall face machinery Shearer is mounted on

• A. Skid
• B. AFC
• C. Hydraulic rams
• D. Double acting piston

Hint:

Think of the longwall face system as a train.
The AFC is the track.
The Shearer is the engine that moves along the track.
The Roof Supports are the station platform that moves along with the track.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question asks to identify the piece of equipment on which a longwall shearer is mounted and travels.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
A longwall face is a highly integrated system of machinery:
1.

Powered Roof Supports (Chocks or Shields): These hold up the roof in front of the miners and machinery.
2.

Shearer: This is the cutting machine.
It has large rotating drums with picks that cut coal from the face as it moves back and forth.
3.

Armoured Face Conveyor (AFC): This is a heavy-duty chain conveyor that runs along the entire length of the coal face, directly in front of the roof supports.
The shearer is not a self-propelled machine in the way a car is.
It is mounted directly onto the AFC.
The AFC serves two critical functions:
a. It acts as a track or guide for the shearer to travel along the face.
b. It transports the coal that is cut by the shearer away from the face.
The entire face system (AFC and supports) is pushed forward by hydraulic rams.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The longwall shearer is mounted on the AFC (Armoured Face Conveyor).
This corresponds to option (B).