News on Screen

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 11th Year

Issue

Issue No.

6

Date Released

Feb 1958

Stories in this Issue:

• 1. MOUNTAIN DRIFT
• 2. MECHANISATION ENGINEER
• 3. CWM CARN CONVEYOR
• 4. CHARMIAN WELSH

Story

Story No. within this Issue

2 / 4

Summary

BFI synopsis: the job of a mechanisation engineer
NCB Commentary - In Miners’ Institutes up and down the country here’s a conversation you might overhear any day:-
(Short synch. section)
Well, here’s the paper work all right, but what about the other side of the story. (Short synch. reply by Mechanisation Engineer).
As his name implies, the job of the Mechanisation Engineer is to mechanise his area - at least as far as coal-face equipment goes.
He will consult with engineering and production men to decide what new machines will be most suitable to do a given job on a given coal-face.
At the pit he will meet the management and the men who are going to operate the equipment underground.
From him they will get good advice. From them the Mechanisation Engineer will hear the downright practical problems of the men who are actually on the job.
Once the face machine - and all the rood supports and conveyors that go with it - has been agreed on, the Mechanisation Engineer sees that the colliery gets it when it wants it.
Sometimes sepcial equipment for a particular job may have to be designed.
The prototype may be built in the area workshops.
Backing up all the Mechanisation Engineer’s administrative work are the resources of the central workshop in his area.
As the delivery date of the machine approaches, the Mechanisation Engineer is out in the field again to arrange lectures by slide, film and blackboard for the men who are going to operate it.
When the machine is delivered to the pit, once again the Mechanisation Engineer and his field crew are on the job to supervise the installation.
The mechanisation team will be on the face to help install the machine.
They’ve made sure on the surface that the men who are going to work it know it inside out but they’ll stay underground during the running-in to make sure that the snags are ironed out, until everything is running smoothly.
Even after that the Mechanisation Engineer will back up the colliery staff and help to see that the machine’s performance keeps up to standard.
With the vastly increased number of face machines put in over the past ten years, a big organisation has grown up to keep tabs on them.
This chart, for instance, enables our Mechanisation Engineer to keep his finger on the whereabouts of every piece of equipment in his area, from power loaders down to hydraulic props and conveyors.
He can tell in advance not only where any machine is but when it’s due to come out of the pit for routine maintenance.
No, it’s not all desk work by any means.
In every mining area in the country, the Mechanisation Engineer has a big job on his plate.

Researcher Comments

Commentary recorded 6th January 1957.

Keywords

Mining; Engineering

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