Mining Publication: Crewstation Analysis Programs - An Easy to Use Personal Computer-based Lighting and Visibility Analysis Software Package for Underground Mining Equipment

Restricted fields of vision are a common problem with the operator of underground mining equipment, particularly in lower seams. Also, when lighting systems are provided underground, they are often positioned where they cause excessive glare. This restricts the visibility around the machines even further. To help address these problems, the U.S. Bureau of Mines has developed an easy to use personal computer-based software package to aid in the analysis of the visibility and illumination aspects of mining equipment design. The software is widely available for use by mine operators and equipment manufacturers to design new machine illumination systems, as well as to evaluate proposed modifications to existing machines already in use.