|
| Jacketed tail roller installed on a continuous mining machine |
Background
Engineering noise controls are being developed to reduce the noise generated by continuous mining machines, which produce some of the highest sound levels in underground mining. The project involves the development of a jacketed tail roller, which is a roller at the tail end of the conveyor of the machine. By encasing this roller in hard, durable plastic, the conveyor chain and coal being transported will be contacting a metal roller (for durability) constrained by polyurethane material, which should reduce the noise generated by the process. It is hoped the development of this product will reduce the sound level at the operator's position by 3 dB(A).
Use of a jacketed tail roller may be applicable to other underground mining equipment such as loaders and shuttle cars and could reduce the amount of noise to which the operators of these types of equipment are exposed. This project complements the work done to introduce coated flight bars on conveying systems.
Potential Outcome
To raise industry awareness of the engineering noise controls developed through this work, research results will be published in a trade magazine article and presented at industry briefings concerning noise exposure in the mining industry. It is anticipated that this research could lead to a noise reduction of up to 10 dB(A) at the operator position on the continuous miner’s conveying systems. By reducing the noise generated by the machines by this amount, 50% of the continuous mining machine operators and 100% of the loader and shuttle car operators could be working in an environment where noise levels are below the MSHA permissible exposure limit.