VRT Adds LongView Simulator to the LongView Family of Products

In conjunction with BMA Broadmeadow, VRT has developed a graphical simulator that enables planners of longwall moves to visualize each activity of a longwall move project in a rich, dynamic "Flash" graphics interface.

The original business driver for this development was to have a tool that would enable various levels of decision makers, including those not intimately familiar with the details of longwall equipment and processes, to make better financial decisions relating to the trade-offs between spending more capital on additional longwall components and the extra production to be derived from shorter longwall move times.  This highly visual and dynamic tool has been successful in achieving this objective.

Broadmeadow Longwall Coordinators also advise that an additional benefit has been the improved validation and fine tuning of the work programme due to the ability to visualize every step. Broadmeadow management now plan to use this tool for ongoing training for longwall operations and maintenance personnel.

This represents a real world example of the old adage: "a picture is worth a thousand words". Discussions with RTCA and Anglo Coal have identified other potential benefits of this approach to visualisation, including the daily updating of overhaul progress and the use of RFID to automatically locate equipment. Refer below to a typical daily view in the longwall move programme.