Komatsu says it is adapting its longwall mining equipment business to best meet customer needs to reduce costs and maximise performance by announcing a plan to provide Joy engineered Powered Roof Support (PRS) solutions through partnerships with PRS manufacturers.

The company says it remains fully committed to supporting and serving the global longwall market by providing Joy engineered PRS solutions; designing bespoke roof supports; continuing to design and manufacture its Joy armoured face conveyors, shearers and longwall controls (including PRS controls); and providing project management, quality and integration services for longwall systems.

It also stressed there were no expected disruptions to existing order fulfilment as part of these changes.

“The company will continue to service and support all Joy longwall products including PRS through its global service network and will fully support existing customers for the lifetime of their operations,” it said.

Jason Savage, Senior Vice President Joy underground soft rock for Komatsu Mining Corp, explained: “As customers look to cut costs in the evolving coal market, we want to help provide flexibility while continuing to offer the core competencies we are known for in this space: Joy custom-engineered PRS solutions.

“We will continue to provide, and further develop, the design and technical support of engineered PRS solutions to help our customers mine efficiently and safely while enabling access to lower cost manufacturing sources to reduce up-front investment.”

There may be changes to the company’s manufacturing footprint following this shift, impacting Komatsu’s Manchester and Worcester facilities in the United Kingdom, but no immediate changes have been announced, with no further details available at this time, it said.

Savage concluded: “We are focused on working with our employees and our customers to make this transition as smooth as possible and empower the global mining market with the highest levels of longwall automation, remote operation, safety and productivity.”