Many factors combine to make it difficult to design a suitable seat for underground mobile applications. These include height limitations due to seam thickness, fore-aft and lateral space limitations due to the small size of the operators compartments, and the natural wear and tear in the harsh underground mining environment. To compound the problem, suspension systems used extensively in surface mining equipment and other off-road applications cannot be used with underground mobile underground mining equipment, except in the higher-seam mines, due to the strict restriction on height.

These problems make satisfying the guiding first principles for seating design listed in this guide difficult. Nevertheless, the designer should attempt to do so, given that the operator's comfort and productivity depends in large part on his/her seating.

Jump to the guide: Seating Design Principles

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