As outlined in OPC 40560, OPC UA type definitions and data items contained in this OPC UA Companion Specification are based on the Use Cases developed for the Application Case Longwall Operation by a Specialist Working Group. The Use Cases of the Face Alignment System, within the context of underground longwall operation, are explained in detail in OPC 40569-1. Please refer to this document to gain an overview of longwall mining Use Cases for this system as well as to study detailed descriptions of the Use Cases.

As a core feature, OPC UA offers the possibility to extend and complement type definitions. Therefore, the type definitions developed for the FAS only contain the minimum amount of data elements, such as variables and methods, necessary for the Use Cases described in OPC 40569-1. Manufacturers and mine operators are advised to extend the type definitions defined in this document, e.g. using inheritance, to adapt the type definitions to their individual requirements. This typically includes adding custom variables or alarms to type definitions derived from the ones specified in this document.

Thus, the scope of this document is to define the basic elements of data that are necessary for operation of the FAS and parameters of the FAS that are required by other longwall components as defined in OPC 40569-1. These include, for example:

Current Sequence Number

Face Offset values

A precise overview of the data contained in the OPC 40567-2 Information Model is given in Chapter 6.1.

The following information sources are excluded and may be added by manufacturers or mine operators using custom type definitions derived from the ones presented in this document:

Real-time sensor data (e.g. temperature, motor current) 

Tele-remote control signals (e.g. start, stop)

Alarms and events (e.g. current tripping alarm, temperature warning)

Custom state machines