The system will be the fifth set of Cat LTCC face conveyors delivered to the mine. In the LTCC arrangement, the AFC system has one conveyor in front of the roof supports to move coal cut from the face and one conveyor behind the roof supports to move caved coal.

The LTCC coal mining operation has a seam height of 6.32m on average, and the working face is approximately 250m. Production capacity is as much as 40,000t per day.

This contract is the 22nd LTCC face conveyor contract signed by Caterpillar and Datong Coal Mine Group since 2004. The Caterpillar underground product group in Luenen, Germany, specifically designed this newest system to meet the production and service life requirements of the Majialiang mine. The Luenen facility will supply the drive systems for the AFC and stage loader, the crusher, belt return unit and the control system. The Caterpillar Langfang facility in China will manufacture the conveyor pans and drive frame structures. This contract marks the first complete LTCC conveyor structure to be manufactured at the Langfang facility.  

Both the front-face conveyor and the rear-face conveyor will be about 250m in length, and each will have a 2 x 1050kW drive system. The beam stage loader will be approximately 50m in length with a 1 x 600kW drive system. 

Surface commissioning of the entire system will be started at Majialiang mine in April this year. The longwall is expected to be fully operational underground in the June quarter of 2017.