The Center of Modern Mining Technologies Surowce

The Center of Modern Mining Technologies was established to integrate joint actions connected with the development and implementation of new technologies, systems and equipment for underground and open cast mining. Due to the nature of mining industry, identification of  new trends in the development of mining machinery only by producers of mining equipment is exposed to high economic and technical risk. This is connected with the necessity of carrying out basic and industrial research in the first phase, and implementation of new solutions of machines and equipment in the second. These studies must be carried out in specific mining-geological and organizational conditions of mining plants, and they must be in accordance with regulations of The State Mining Authority. Performing such research in a team, which will be composed of manufacturers and future users of developed machinery and technologies, strongly increases the chance of success. Progress in the global mining industry is very fast. Every year new, innovative technologies, machines and equipment that improve the safety and facilitate mining operations by increasing the efficiency of mineral raw materials extraction are introduced. These are solutions mainly connected with new machines for excavating, loading and haulage and processing of mineral resources. Prospective thematic areas of planned projects are directed towards introducing fully automated mining sequence, in which the human factor is limited only to control of the process. Another aspect that should also be implemented is to reduce or even completely eliminate the extraction of the waste rock (gangue) on the surface. This is strongly desirable according to environmental aspects, especially with reducing the impact of mining on the environment (surface). Proposed topics for the implementation are: new solutions of cutting tools and ripping heads of mining machines to increase the area of their applications to hard and very firm rocks and possibilities of selective mining, mechanized and automated or remotely operated longwall and heading systems with increased efficiency and safety, automated or remotely controlled systems for loading and haulage, ICT systems for monitoring underground mining operations from the surface, and mobile coal preparation stations, possible to install underground or even in the closest vicinity of the mining forehead. Another, proposed direction of mining techniques development is introduction of mobile robots for inspections of underground roadways and shafts as well as monitoring of the mine atmosphere and the condition of the rock mass. Bearing in mind recent accidents in the mining industry, the development of solutions for supporting rescue teams during emergency actions in difficult mining and climatic conditions is also considered. The Centre Coordinator ‑ Department of Mining, Dressing and Transport Machines of University of Science and Technology in Cracov – has a vast experience and rich achievements in the above-described field of knowledge. These were obtained in cooperation with various partners from industry and science during realization of many projects and implementations, utilizing UST’s extensive laboratory facilities, which include unique in the world test stands.