In the high-pressure world of underground coal mining, few challenges loom larger than safety and productivity, but Komatsu is helping mines tick off those goals.
As Australian operations continue to push deeper into complex geological seams, the industry’s appetite for safer, smarter technology has never been greater.
Enter Komatsu’s next-generation longwall system – a fully integrated, automation-ready solution that’s transforming safety outcomes across Australia’s underground coal sector.
Australia’s underground coal mines, particularly in New South Wales and Queensland, operate under some of the world’s strictest safety frameworks. From the WHS (Mines) Regulations to compliance with Longwall Automation Steering Committee standards, operators are expected to not only maintain productivity but drive toward zero harm in the process.
For Komatsu, this is not a constraint; it’s a design principle.
“We’ve engineered every component of our longwall technology to reduce manual interaction, enhance operational visibility, and anticipate failures before they happen,” Komatsu engineering manager control and automation Shane Cooling told Safe to Work. “In Australia, that’s non-negotiable.”
The cornerstone of Komatsu’s safety-first approach is the Longwall Automation Package, a suite of tools that removes the need for constant human presence at the longwall face. Whether its advancing powered roof supports or managing horizon control on the shearer, the Longwall Automation Package automates some of the most hazardous tasks in the section.
Paired with Faceboss RS20s and Faceboss 2.0 controls and the Joy Smart Solutions analytics, this system doesn’t just respond to conditions, it predicts them.
Personnel can monitor operations remotely, well away from the face, with real-time alerts for hydraulic loads, convergence data, and equipment performance.
Field-Proven in
the Hunter Valley
A standout case study comes from Mandalong Mine (Centennial Coal), where Komatsu’s RS20s and full automation suite were deployed in a low-seam panel (<1.6m). The results were hard to ignore, with an average of more than 95 per cent across all shifts using surface remote automation, and an estimated eight per cent productivity increase through consistent cutting and fewer stoppages.
According to site management, the automation enabled a shift in workforce deployment, moving personnel out of the highest-risk areas without compromising coal recovery.
In addition to automation, Komatsu has a Personal Proximity Detection System, a proven technology in NSW and Queensland coal mines. These systems create safety zones around the moving machinery and can automatically halt powered roof supports and the shearer when people breach defined boundaries.
Combined with predictive maintenance tools and remote diagnostics, the full longwall package supports a “control-first approach”, engineered safeguards that reduce reliance on procedural workarounds or reactive interventions.
While safety is the priority, operators aren’t ignoring the commercial upside. Komatsu reports that mines implementing full Longwall Automation Package and JoySmart systems are seeing reduced unplanned downtime, lower injury-related insurance costs, and faster panel development with fewer stoppages.
With payback periods often under two years, Komatsu said the value proposition is hard to dispute.
As automation moves from “nice to have” to “critical path,” the company believes its integrated longwall system will become the default for mines aiming to meet safety and production benchmarks.
“Our vision is simple,” Cooling said. “Keep miners out of harm’s way, give engineers better data, and let the system do the heavy lifting. In Australia, that’s the future of longwall mining.”
This feature appeared in the July–August edition of Safe to Work.