How does a coal plow work in longwall mining?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

coal mining Schematic diagram of an underground coal mine, showing surface facilities, access shafts, and room-and-pillar and longwall mining methods.

In longwall mining, the coal plow functions as a mechanized extraction tool that moves across the coal face to remove material. Developed by Wilhelm Loebbe in the 1940s, the plow is pulled along the face and guided by a pipe attached to a segmented conveyor.1

As the plow travels, it carves a gash into the bottom of the coal seam. The conveyor, which is positioned against the face, snakes behind the advancing plow to collect the coal that chips off from the area above the gash. This system significantly reduced the manual labor required at the coal face compared to earlier methods.1

In some configurations, such as those using a shearer, the plow serves a secondary role, following the main cutting machine to clean up any coal that falls into the space between the face and the conveyor.1