Project realized within the framework of IV Priority Axis: “Increase of scientific and research potential” of the Operational Programme Smart Development 2014-2020, Activity 4.1 “Scientific research and development projects”, sub-activity 4.1.4 “Application projects” co-financed from the means of the European Regional Development Fund.

Project realized within the framework of IV Priority Axis: “Increase of scientific and research potential” of the Operational Programme Smart Development 2014 – 2020, Activity 4.1 “Scientific research and development projects”, Sub-activity 1.2 “Regional scientific and research functions” co-financed from the means of the European Regional Development Fund

The project is realized by a scientific consortium which includes KOMAG Institute of Mining Technology – Leader and HYDROTECH S.A.

Title of the project: Good practices to develop physical activity programs at work

Acronym: FitWork

Contract number: 2016-3600/001-001

Project duration: 01.2017 – 06.2018

Consortium of the project:

• Instituto de Biomecanica de Valencia – Spain (koordynator)

• Instytut Techniki Górniczej KOMAG – Poland

• Coimbra Iniversity – Portugal

• Technische Universitate Eindhoven – Netherlands

• ROMTENS – Romania

• European Network of Workplace Health Promotion

According to the EU Physical Activity Guidelines (2008), Recommended Policy Actions in Support of Health-Enhancing Physical Activity, published in 2008, change in people lifestyles can be brought about through widespread innovation in policy and practice, and notably through increased cross-sectoral cooperation and the adoption of new roles by diverse actors who are already well-established and respected in their fields of competence.

The objective of FitWork project is to reach cooperation between ergonomic and physical activity professionals with the aim of defining fitness programs according to the demands of specific worksites. The role of ergonomic professionals is to identify musculoskeletal risks and the role of physical activity professionals is to define exercises to reduce the probability of injury by improving muscle strength and flexibility. At the end of the project, ergonomic professionals will count with information to put in place physical activity programs attending to the musculoskeletal risks detected in worksites.

Moreover, experts in health promotion programs at work will participate with the aim of sharing good practices and experiences about the implementation of this kind of programs.

http://www.ibv.org/en/news/fitwork-project-kick-off-meeting

http://www.ibv.org/en/news/european-experts-highlight-the-importance-of-the-health-promotion-in-workplaces

Title of the project: Online Vocational Training course on ergonomics for orthopaedic Minimally Invasive Surgery

Acronym: Train4OrthoMIS

Contract number: 2014-1-ES01-KA202-004533

Time of project realization: 09.2014 – 08.2017

Consortium of the project:

• Instituto de Biomecanica de Valencia – Spain (Coordinator),
• Centro de Cirugia de Minima Invasion – Minimally Invasive Surgery Center Jesus Uson – Spain,
• KOMAG Institute of Mining Technology – Poland,
• Silesian University of Technology – Poland,
• Institut fur Biomechanik Berufsgenossenschaftliche Unfallklinik Murnau – Germany.

The project is financed by Erasmus+ program.

The main objective of this project is the development of the contents and the implementation of an online course to assure surgeons a worthy education and training along their professional career regarding ergonomics and usability applied to orthopaedic Minimally Invasive Surgery of hip and spine, matching product innovation with the needs of orthopaedic surgeons and the latter with their working environment. The e-learning tool resulting from the project will be available online in 4 European languages (English, Spanish, Polish and German) in order to increase acceptance of the course.

Official website of the project

On-line course in available in 4 language versions (Polish, Spanish, German and English)
by clicking the following link:
http://train4orthomis.eu/index.php/2-uncategorised/32-course

The access to the course is for free.

within the Initech Project:

• “Innovative solutions of mining machines increasing the national energy security” (acronym INERG)

within the Programme Innotech I:

• “Armoured face conveyor with innovative control system of working parameters of drives” (acronym ICON)

within the Programme of Applied Tests I:

• “Modelling the mechanism of explosive coal dust accumulation near the mining fronts for identification, assessment and elimination of explosion hazard” (acronym MEZAP)
• “Innovative haulage system of mining machine increasing mining effectiveness and working safety in longwall systems” (acronym FLEXTRACK)
• “Method of diagnostics and the programme for limiting unwanted phenomena associated with use of technical means in mine underground – organizational solutions to reduce the risk in social sub-system” (acronym PROFI)

The ranging arms of the KSW-460NE longwall shearer, as the first ones, were equipped with an experimental installation of external air-water spraying system within the Targeted Project No. 6T12 2004C/06337, supported by the Ministry of Education and Science. The installation is designed to protect against methane ignition and to control dust in the conditions of methane hazard. The installation consists of two-medium sprays, supplying pipes and check and control equipment.

Water and compressed air supplied to a shearer, after having the pressure reduced to 3-5 bar, are delivered in separate pipes to the two-medium sprays, where they are mixed and as water-in-the-air mist ejected outside.

The air-water system installed in the shearer reduces a consumption of spraying water significantly, and the tests conducted in the “Barbara” Experimental Mine have proven its usefulness for extinguishing gas flames and for protecting against their generation. The sprayed water in a form of a mist is also effective means of dust control in a longwall face.

The air-water installation also enables internal spraying (through the drum) with water-in-the-air mixture. This mixture is generated in a special mixer, situated in the shearer ranging arm. Each of the shearer ranging arms is equipped with a few up to a dozen or so air-water sprays.

Low pressure of supplying water (max 5 bar) and maximal spraying water consumption in the amount of 100l/min for the whole shearer do not require an installation of the pressure increasing pumps and the water for supplying the shearer spraying installation can be taken directly from the fire pipeline.

The air-water system can be installed in parallel with the typical water system, which enables to use one or the other according to the needs.

The first shearer of KSW-460NE type, equipped with air-water spraying installation, has started its operation in the “Pniowek” Colliery.

Air-water spraying system installed in RW-200N ranging arm of KSW-460NE longwall shearer

Computer simulation of air-water spraying system installed in RW-200N ranging arm of KSW-460NE longwall shearer

1. Design methods of intelligent mechanical systems for a production and processing of minerals.

2. Improvement of mechanical coal production systems in the aspect of their reliability, operational life, safety and ergonomics.

3. Technologies and techniques improving systems of seams development with regard to safety, ergonomics and economic efficiency.

4. State-of-the-art and safe transportation systems in production and processing plants of minerals.

5. Improvement of machines and equipment technologies for a beneficiation and classification of minerals.

6. Use of mechatronic solutions for supplying, diagnostics, monitoring and control of machines and equipment.

7. Environmental management in industrial and urban areas according to the region sustainable development strategy.

8. Development of technologies and equipment for environmental protection.

9. Improvement and implementation of quality management systems and a development of product certification procedures.

10. Improvement and up-grading of test rigs according to the Directives of New Approach.

11. Design method of modular-segment type-series of motoreducers.

12. Design development of mixers for environmental protection equipment.

13. Use of state-of-the-art computational and diagnostic methods for gear transmissions designing and testing.

14. Use of state-of-the-art computational methods for designing mechanical systems.

15. Development of simulation methods in risk analyses with regard to the relationship: man-machine-environment.

16. Development of training methods using Virtual Reality.

17. Improvement of laboratory testing methods in environmental engineering.

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A life cycle of mining machines includes, among others, such processes as:

• an installation of a machine in the working or its relocation to another working (e.g. equipping or disassembly of longwall faces),
• planned exchange of assemblies or components,
• damage repairs,
• maintenance services,
• a removal of a machine.

These processes are performed in the conditions which differ significantly from those at producers’ site. The factors impeding a realization of these processes include: confined working space, inclined and slippery floor, insufficient lighting, lack of lifting and hoisting equipment, used in the in-house transport. Besides, during assembly and disassembly activities it is indispensable to operate components of large overall dimensions and of big weights in confined working space. These activities require awkward body postures of operators and their significant physical effort.

The first assembly of a machine at the producer’s site does not reveal all the difficulties, which can be experienced at work underground such as a limited access to some areas, an insufficient field of vision, lack of possibility to get appropriate forces due to a limitation of range of limbs motion and impeded use of tools.

Limitations and impediments in a realization of maintenance and repair processes can be identified with virtual prototyping methods at the design stage of machines. To achieve this objective a virtual work environment, consisting of computer models of material objects (machines and equipment) and of models of human anthropometric features should be created. Computer simulations of activities, performed during surveys and repairs are created and assessed in the environment, which is shown in the photos below.

Activities performed:

a) in a factory

b) underground

Scenarios of technical and technological development of
the hard coal mining industry

A realization of the foresight project entitled: “Scenarios of technical and technological development of the hard coal mining industry”, financed by the European Union and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, within Action 1.4 of the Sectoral Operational Programme  - Increase of Competitiveness of Enterprises, years 2004 – 2006, started on 1st July 2006. Strengthening a collaboration between the research and development sector and the economy.

The project will be finished on 30th June 2008. It is coordinated by the GIG – Central Mining Institute in Katowice.
Its participants are as follows:

• AGH University of Science and Technology in Cracow,
• Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute in Cracow,
• Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice,
• EMAG Automation and Safety Systems in Katowice,
• KOMAG Mining Mechanization Centre in Gliwice.

The project objective is a determination of scenarios of a technical and technological development as well as functioning of the hard coal mining industry in the condition of sustainable development. The technologies of hard coal winning and processing as well as forecasts of their development trends till the year 2020 will be monitored.

The project assumptions include:

• a demand of Poland, European Union and other markets for raw materials till the year 2020,
• hard coal resources according to the present and forecasted assessments,
• conditions of the sustainable development of the minerals winning industry until the year 2020,
• present technical and technological conditions of hard coal winning and processing industry,
• competitiveness of foreign producers.

One of the project results will be a creation of the data bank about selected technologies, possibilities of their development and about their effectiveness as well as about personal data of expert groups. The final stage of the project will include a preparation of a report, containing among others:

• a description of scenarios of hard coal mining technologies,
• presentations of monitoring principles of hard coal mining technologies development, a periodic verification of developed scenarios,
• suggestions of communication forms with decision-makers to transfer information about the results of the verification procedures.

Present conditions in the mining sector, such as production concentration, increase quality, reliability and functionality requirements. At the same time a phase of experimental operation of a material prototype in in-situ conditions gets reduced. Some limitations connected with testing material prototypes of mining machines impose a necessity of searching new prototyping methods. One of them is a method of creating virtual prototypes of mining machines, which enables to test future technical means at the early designing stage.

Virtual prototyping is a process of creating and testing virtual prototypes. It starts from a construction of geometric models of products, which are then used for conducting a computer simulation, which is shown below. Virtual prototyping includes processes of designing, production, maintenance as well as recycling. A virtual prototype is a set of criterial models of the same technical means. Criterial models are created for anticipated criterial conditions. Criterial conditions, in the strength aspects, include selected critical sets of loads or supports. An identification of criterial conditions is performed both during an operation as well as on a test rig. Within this particular research project virtual prototypes have been subjected to a verification in the following aspects: strength, functional and ergonomic.

An operation of virtual prototypes has been tested, among others, using the Finite Elements Method (FEM), the software for an analysis of kinematics and dynamics of mutli-body systems (MBS), reverse-engineering designing method (RE) and the software for a visualisation and analyses of anthropotechnical systems. A method of constructing virtual prototypes includes guidelines for a creation of analytical models of mining machines, with particular attention paid to their future validation. A verification of criterial models of a virtual prototype has been performed on a test rig available at the KOMAG Centre.

Exemplary analyses of a virtual prototype of a longwall shield support

The subject of the research project includes a development of a method of a hoisting machine pulley design, using strength analyses, based on the Finite Elements Method (FEM) and dynamic analyses, using a mathematical model, describing a mine shaft hoist.

The developed mathematical models, describing dynamics of a shaft hoist, will be used for a determination of loads, changeable in time, which will become boundary conditions in the strength analysis conducted with the Finite Elements Method (FEM).

At present the Finite Elements Method is commonly used for strength analyses of hoisting machine components, in particular of a pulley. The analytical methods, used up to the present time, for determining the boundary conditions of loads in a pulley strength analysis are simplified to a significant extent and thus inaccurate. Traditional methods of determining loads omit several, essential parameters connected with operational dynamics of a mine shaft hoist such as: a hoist operational speed, a position of conveyances, elasticity of hoisting and balance ropes. These dynamic parameters are considered in the mathematical modelling process of a mine shaft hoist. Basing on such models it is possible to determine a character of changes and values of loads during an operation of a hoisting machine in a significantly more accurate manner than in the case of traditional analytical methods, which enables to conduct a more accurate strength analysis of hoisting machine components, in particular of a pulley.

Intensive cooling system of shearer ranging arms of high power with an installation of forced lubrication of gears

An intensive cooling system of shearer ranging arms of high power with an installation of forced lubrication of gears is a result of a research and development project, realized together with the Zabrzanskie Mechanical Works, Joint Stock Company (Zabrzańskie Zakłady Mechaniczne S.A.) within the framework of the Targeted Project No 6ZR8 2005 C/06 664, supported by the Ministry of Education and Science. An installation of this cooling system requires a significant modification of the R500 ranging arm, in particular as regards a lubrication and water installations. After an adaptation, this system can be applied to other types of shearer ranging arms, equipped with an installation of forced lubrication, a water installation and having sufficient space in the ranging arm frame for installing coolers. Both installations form a joint water and lubricating system.

Laboratory tests of the research model of the R500 ranging arm will enable to assess an effectiveness of cooling the gear oil, using the coolers of the intensive cooling system.

An intensive cooling system of shearer ranging arms of high power will improve lubricating conditions of gears and bearing pairs, having a direct impact onto increasing both the operational life of the gear oil as well as the operational life of shearer ranging arms.