Bucyrus Offers Wethead Cutting on its 25M CM Series


Wethead cutting technology is now available on the Bucyrus 25M series continuous miners. According to the company, the wethead concept is gaining popularity within the mining industry because of its advantages in dust control, noise reduction, operator comfort and visibility and a substantial improvement in bit life. Bucyrus says its wethead design is unique because of the flexible split gearcase of the 25M series. Water passages are large and with the use of check valves, water is able to flow to the cutter drums through both the left and right gearcases or through a single case. Other key features of the wethead that will increase reliability and service life include a 2-in.-thick drum shell, rifle drilled water passages through the shell, carbon-faced seals, corrosion resistant ports and components and seal cartridges that are accessible without opening the gearcase reservoir. Any water leakage is diverted to the outside of the gearcase so that seal failure will not damage the gears and bearings. Also, with the proper maintenance, the cutterhead can be run wet or dry. Testing has revealed that the Bucyrus wethead design can reduce dust by as much as 60% in the operator’s area and by over 50% behind the air curtain. Bucyrus wethead technology is now available on the 25M2 and 25M3 models, and will be available on other continuous miners in the future.

www.bucyrus.com

As featured in Womp 08 Vol 9 - www.womp-int.com