SLICER

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 11th Year

Issue

Issue No.

7

Date Released

Mar 1958

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1CARDIFF COLLEGE
2. 2MINING HONOURS
3. 3SLICER
4. 4Sneyd Old-timers

Story

Story No. within this Issue

3 / 4

Summary

BFI synopsis: a new British plough-type cutter loader (the Harwood Slicer) to produce large coal.
NCB Commentary - More and more power loaders are going into British pits.
Most of these fast moving machines tend to produce small coal, and the problem for some time has been how to increase the output of larger coal.
Ploughing Machines will do it but, so far, they’ve been limited to working in soft seams.
Now, here in the factory, is a new British plough type cutter loader which will work in harder coals, once they’ve been pre-cut.
It is called the Huwood Slicer and, as it moves along the face, rapidly oscillating blades bit their way into the coal which is to be ploughed off.
The Huwood is a hefty machine. It’s hauled along on its conveyor by a chain drive while the drive for the blades is built in on the main body.
Underground, at Rossington Colliery, let’s watch the slicer on a 6ft. 11in. seam.
First of all, a pre-cutter, with a swan neck jib, cuts out the top of the face to a depth of 2ft.
Since the slicer takes 10 inches off at each pass, one pre-cut is enough for 2 runs, one up and one down the face.
After the pre-cutter has moved past, wedges are inserted to keep the cut open. Now the slicer can start up on its run along the 200 yard face.
The blades are set in motion and the machine advances into the coal.
See how the fast moving knives out in before the plough starts slicing.
The nation needs big coal. The slicer looks like getting it.
At over 12 ft. a minute the machine advances, ploughing off coal on to the armoured conveyor along which it runs.
When the pre-cutter reaches the end of the face, it’s tucked away in a stable so that as the slicer arrives it can be moved across with its conveyor to start a fresh cut in the reverse direction.
See how the knives have left their mark on this hard seam. Back goes the slicer for the return journey.
On six cuts made over two shifts, this slicer has turned out four thousand tons a week and there may be still more to come.

Researcher Comments

Commentary recorded 3rd February 1958.

Keywords

Mining; Engineering; Inventions and discoveries; Fuels

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
The National Archives COAL 32   /12 Scripts for Mining Review, 1956-1960

Credits:

Production Co.

Documentary Technicians Alliance

Sponsor

National Coal Board