Arch Coal Wins Global Award for Outstanding Predictive Maintenance Program

Arch Coal Inc. announced on September 22 that its predictive maintenance program has been named the best overall program among mobile equipment fleets worldwide by an industry‑leading trade magazine.

“Earning the best predictive maintenance award is an important achievement for Arch Coal’s national network of mines,” said John W. Eaves, Arch’s president and chief operating officer. “The mining environment is highly dynamic, making equipment maintenance an intense and challenging effort. This recognition underscores our mining personnel’s commitment to best‑in‑class practices that manage risk and reduce exposure through planned, preventative, and predictive maintenance.”

Arch Coal’s program deploys certified maintenance engineers at each mining complex and standardizes processes for comprehensive oil and vibration analysis, ultrasonic flaw detection, thermography, and motor circuit analysis. These technologies support quality standards and acceptance testing at component and rebuild facilities certified by Arch. Bob McCreary, Arch’s director of technical and maintenance services, notes that the company has reduced controllable maintenance costs by 5 percent annually over the last four years by integrating a comprehensive predictive maintenance program across its national mine network.

St. Louis‑based Arch Coal, the nation’s second‑largest coal producer, supplies clean‑burning, low‑sulfur coal to U.S. power generators, domestic and international steel manufacturers, and overseas power producers. With a workforce of 4,600 and a national network of mines, Arch fuels roughly 8 percent of the electricity generated in the United States.