Case Studies

The most recent production figures available from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Deep Mine Safety (www.state.pa.us) for the year 2006 indicate there were 37 underground mines in production. Non-longwall mines accounted for 31 of those mines. Of those non-longwall mines, 22 mines utilized S & S continuous haulage products and 18 mines utilized complete continuous haulage conveyor systems.

The 18 mines utilizing S & S Slides^® systems (58 percent of all Pennsylvania non-longwall operations) actually produced 67 percent o the total non-longwall production. The 18 mines utilizing S & S systems had average production rates of 5.08 "tons per man hour." This is 86 percent higher than the 13 mines which do not utilize the S & S systems. Those mines maintained an average production rate of 2.73 tons per man hour.

The largest private independent operator in Pennsylvania, Rosebud Mining, operates ten underground mines. The Rosebud mines utilizes S & S Slides^® continuous haulage conveyor systems exclusively. Rosebud mining had the highest rate of production for all Pennsylvania non-longwall companies in 2006, 5.91 tons per man hour.

S & S Slides^® continuous haulage conveyor systems are also in operation in mines throughout Ohio and West Virginia.