Author: Jari Silver

ROBIT PLC’S ANNUAL REPORT 2024 PUBLISHED

Posted on by Jari Silver

Robit Plc’s Annual Report, Corporate Governance Statement and Remuneration Report for the year 2024 have today been published in Finnish and English on the company’s website at  https://www.robitgroup.com/investor/financial-information/.

The Annual Report contains Report of the Board of Directors and the Financial Statements 2024. The Financial Statements includes Consolidated Financial Statements, Robit Plc’s Parent Company’s Statements, and the Auditor’s Report.

Read the report: Annual-Report-2024.pdf (robitgroup.com)

Robit® Mbit Series – MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY THROUGHOUT YOUR D&B OPERATIONS

Posted on by Jari Silver

The innovative Robit® Mbit – Male Bit button bit series delivers significantly enhanced drilling performance compared to traditional bit designs. As a major advancement in the industry over the past decade, it expands the product range to meet diverse needs.

The innovation of the century – we redesigned the rock drill bit to Male Bit and tackled all the challenges of the traditional Top Hammer drilling

Download the brochure and find out more: Robit® Mbit 3/2025

Robit 40 Years – 4 decades of breaking new ground

Posted on by Jari Silver

In July 1985, the Finnish Trade Register recorded a new company called Robit in its books. It was founded by Vesa and Jorma Järvelä – brothers whose vision was to develop the market’s best button bit for rock drilling. The company gradually took off, growing internationally, and continues to expand to this day. Robit will soon celebrate its 40th anniversary. On these pages, we share a few highlights from the past years.

Growth in every decade
Robit set its sights on export markets very early on. Rapid sales growth supported expansion, and by the 2010s, the company sought new products and larger market shares through bold acquisitions in addition to organic growth.

  • 1987: First export market: Sweden
  • 1992: Ten export countries: all continents covered except the Far East
  • 2002: One hundred sales representatives worldwide
  • 2007: Revenue exceeds €10 million
  • 2011: First acquisition: Top Hammer rod and shank manufacturer Young Poong (South Korea)
  • 2012: One hundred export countries
  • 2015: Listed on Nasdaq First North
  • 2016: Major acquisitions into the Down the Hole (DTH) market: Drilling Tools Australia and Bulroc (UK)
  • 2017: Listed on Nasdaq Helsinki main market
  • 2018: The industry’s most modern factory opens in Korea
  • 2021: Revenue exceeds €100 million
The new ultra-modern production facility in Hwaseong, Korea was opened in 2018.

 

Nam Kyung-Pil, Governor of Gyeonggi-Do and Chairman Harri Sjöholm: the signing ceremony of Robit's major production 
investment in the Foreign Investment area in Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea, Sept. 15, 2017.

Key to Success: Distributor Collaboration
Close collaboration with local distributors has been central to Robit’s international expansion. This successful strategy differs from global competitors. It was introduced by Harri Sjöholm, who joined Robit in 1988 and is still the company’s Vice Chairman of the Board and a major owner.

  • 1988: First distributor agreement abroad: Minroc (Germany)
  • 1990: First Distributor Days: a dozen participants
  • 1990s: Market-driven product development with dealers and end-customers: competitive, customizable products
  • 2000s: Customer-focused production planning: consumption forecasted carefully, ensuring quick delivery
  • 2010s: Solid new distributor network: Robit now a comprehensive supplier of TH bits, rods, and shanks
  • 2020s: Specialized DTH and GEO segment distributors introduced
  • 2024: Distributor Days: 95 participants from 21 countries

In 1988, Andreas Stelke (right) of Minroc, West Germany, and Harri Sjöholm (second from left) signed Robit's first foreign distributor deal.
Old friends Andreas (right) and Harri in Tampere in  December 2024.

Leading the Way in Innovation
Since its inception, continuous product development and improving production methods have been at Robit’s core. Guided by customer and distributor needs, Robit has introduced the most high-performing products and technological innovations in its field. For a challenger in the market, this has been essential for success.

  • 1989: Robit HiTech button bit product family
  • 1996: Long-body retrac bit: straighter blasting holes
  • 2000: First Top Hammer product series for forepoling
  • 2005: First fully robotic, unmanned production cell in Lempäälä
  • 2005: RoX product range for ground drilling, based on Robit’s patented locking technology
  • 2010: Hard Top Green (HTG) bit series made from recycled steel
  • 2013: Durable Robit® DTH Prime casing systems series for demanding piling conditions
  • 2016: Robit® 33” Hyper – most powerful Down the Hole hammer in the market
  • 2020: Rbit drill bits: optimized button placement, improved penetration
  • 2020: Reliable Robit® DTH bit series for deep well drilling projects
  • 2023: H Series DTH hammer: superior fuel efficiency per drilled meter
  • 2024: Robit Male-Bit concept for Top Hammer (patent pending)
H Series – the lowest total drilling cost: Up to 25% lower fuel consumption, Best-in-class performance and Unbeatable for all conditions

Robit’s distributors and staff at the MEGA Dealer Meeting 3.0 in United Kindom in September 2017.

ROBIT ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF H18 DTH HAMMER

Posted on by Jari Silver

We are excited to announce the launch of our latest line of innovative drilling products. Robit® H18 is a new member of the revolutionary H-series Down the Hole hammer family – following the same principles as we have seen in previous H series product launches. This means modularity combined with unmatched performance.

Key features of the Robit® H18 hammer:

  • Up to 25% increase in power output
  • Up to 25% lower air consumption
  • Footvalved (attached) and footvalvess (to be launched later) design both available
  • Ability to tune the hammer for smaller air package

Robit® H18 is an 18” DTH hammer replacing the well-known Robit® Hyper 181 series which has been for decades the trailblazer in large DTH hammers around the world.

We are thrilled to introduce these new products to the market. Our team has worked tirelessly to develop solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. We believe these products will set a new standard in the industry. The H18 products will be available for purchase starting February 1st, 2025.

Download the brochure: Robit® DTH Hammer H18 FV – 1-2025

LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR THE TAMPERE TRAM

Posted on by Jari Silver

The city of Tampere is extending its tram routes to the western suburbs. Infrastructure construction and maintenance in this alliance project are provided by YIT. They have used a variety of foundation engineering methods to ensure solid results.

Tramway Section 1 (TAS 1) was implemented in six segments from 2017 to 2021. The first section included tram tracks and stops from Pyynikintori eastwards to Hervantajärvi and from the University Hospital to Sori Square. Service on the first section began in August 2023.

Tramway Section 2 (TAS 2) includes the section from Pyynikintori to Lentävänniemi in the west. Construction of the last part, Santalahti–Lentävänniemi, began in spring 2022. If all goes to plan, tram service to Lentävänniemi could begin at the start of 2025.

The total length of the Tampere tram network for sections 1 and 2 is approximately 24 kilometers. The planning phase for tramway section 3 is currently underway, with the city council expected to decide on its implementation by the end of 2024.

A wide variety of tasks
YIT’s role in the project has included foundation work, sewerage, cabling, bridges, retaining walls, rail installations, paving, roundabouts, sidewalks, 24 tram stops, and more. Due to the significant elevation differences along the route, 20 retaining walls were constructed. Nine new bridges were also built, including a 18-meter-high railway bridge, and the 250-meter Vacker Bridge.

YIT also constructed a modularly designed depot in Hervanta. Before its construction, 250,000 m3 of rock was excavated, some of which were used for the depot’s site embankments. The remaining quarried rock was used as aggregate elsewhere in the project.

Foundation work is key
The foundation work included varying types of ground reinforcement as well as the lower structure of the tram tracks.“We’ve made reinforcements for all sorts of foundations: clay, hard rock, several meters of peat, etc. We’ve done multiple kilometers of piling, especially for bridges, where we used piled slabs. Also, various retaining walls, mass replacements, lightweight fills, and preload embankments,” says Veetu Helkiö from YIT Infra, who worked as a supervisor for TAS 1 and a site engineer for TAS 2.

YIT has mainly used their own equipment in the foundation work. “We’ve used both drilled and driven piles extensively for reinforcements, with Robit supplying reamers for the piles and bits for drilling. Most reamers went directly to the pile supplier, which sped up the process. Some were also welded on-site. We had a good supply of drill bits the whole time, and Robit’s deliveries were timely, despite the global challenges with material flows. Domestic production is an asset, as was the short distance from Robit’s Lempäälä facilities to the tram construction site, which means deliveries were really quick from Robit’s warehouse,” Helkiö praises.

The foundation work for TAS 2 was completed late last year. “The project went well overall, and we met our schedules despite challenging times. This was a unique and interesting project, integrating many different work phases,” says Helkiö.

Robit DTH SR pilots and ring bits were widely used by YIT in the foundation works on the tramway project.

TEST RESULTS CONVINCED BRAUTESETH TO CHOOSE ROBIT

Posted on by Jari Silver

Phalaborwa is a vast mining complex located next to the mighty Kruger National Park in the northeast corner of South Africa. It is host to several valuable minerals such as copper, phosphate, zirconium, iron, and vermiculite.

One of the entities within the Phalaborwa complex is the Foskor open-pit phosphate rock mine. Phosphate is a critical mineral in fertilizers. Before the foundation of the Foskor mine in the 1950s, South African agriculture depended on imported phosphate rock. Today, largely thanks to Foskor’s success, South Africa exports phosphate fertilizers worldwide.

Drilling and blasting at the Foskor mine in Phalaborwa is operated by Brauteseth Blasting, a family business founded in 1983 in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province of South Africa. The company started as a small-scale civil blasting company catering to KZN’s construction industry. In forty years, it has grown into a major national player, contracting to more than 20 quarries, five large-scale mining operations, and several construction sites.

Brauteseth has built its success on two cornerstones: a highly skilled, motivated staff and continuous investment in top-of-the-range technology and equipment. This focus on quality tools extends to consumable parts as well.

Brauteseth Blasting operates eight drill rigs at the Foskor mine. As their consignment agreement with their then-supplier of DTH hammers and drill bits was ending in late 2023, Robit SA approached Brauteseth, requesting a performance test of Robit’s and the then-current supplier’s DTH tools.

The extensive testing period started in October 2023 and was completed in February 2024. Robit’s tools included the D65 QL60 3½” API REG blast-hole hammer and 165 mm QL60 Flat Face blast-hole bits.

“The test results were clear: Robit’s tools outperformed the competition in terms of penetration rate and cost-per-meter”, says Duane Kukard, Area Sales Manager at Robit SA.

Convinced by the tests, Brauteseth Blasting signed a consignment agreement to supply their drill rigs at the Foskor mine with Robit’s DTH 6″ equipment.

Since May 2024, all eight of Brauteseth’s rigs in Phalaborwa have been drilling blast holes with Robit’s tools – now with increased efficiency and profitability.

BUILDING A STRONGER OREGON CAPITOL

Posted on by Jari Silver

Last year saw a massive geotechnical operation at the Oregon State Capitol: the entire building had to be jacked up off the ground. Robit’s micropile casing systems played an important part in the process.

The Oregon State Capitol building has faced many misfortunes throughout its history. The first capitol burned down in 1855 – only a few months after its inauguration. The second capitol met the same fate in 1935.

However, fire is not the only force of nature that has put the state capitol in peril. Large parts of Oregon, including the capital city of Salem, sit on a tectonically active fault line called the Cascadia Subduction Zone.

In March 1993, a 5.6-magnitude earthquake – the largest in the Pacific Northwest in over a decade – cracked the cupola of the Capitol and created a massive bulge on its west end. Parts of the building remained closed for repairs for almost two years.

Over the following decades, the State of Oregon conducted several studies to determine how best to protect the historic building from further seismic events. After investigating various options, the review committee decided on seismic isolation. In other words, the foundation of the building would rest on so-called pendulum isolators and a seismic joint that allows the entire complex to move independently in any direction from the surrounding ground during an earthquake.

This would be no small task; it meant that the Capitol building would have to be lifted off the ground. This would be achieved by constructing a shoring tower structure on which the building would rest while the new isolation system was being built. As the Capitol had needed extra space for years, it was also decided that an additional basement level would be constructed.

The main contractorship for the geotechnical work was awarded to Pacific Foundation, a family business based in Vancouver, WA. The company started as a smallscale drilling operation in 2012; since then, it has grown into a large contractor capable of tackling complex geotechnical challenges.

Regarding challenges, the Oregon State Capitol project was far from a typical scenario where, slightly simplified, you arrive at the job site, drill the piles into the ground – and that’s it. Here, the first challenge was to gain access underneath the Capitol and excavate enough space for the drill rigs to fit in. This phase started in late 2022.

The work continued throughout 2023 and entailed drilling micropiles into the ground across the entire footprint of the building. At best, seven drill rigs worked simultaneously in narrow spaces with only a few inches of clearance above. Two-thirds of the micropiles were Robit casing systems, while one-third, the outside piles, were double rotary systems. The micropiles supported a total of 175 shoring towers upon which the jacked-up building would sit until the work was completed. The tower construction and the jacking operation were performed by trusted partners.

By Christmas 2023, the micropiles, totaling as many as 722, were installed. By late January 2024, the building was resting on the shoring tower structure, paving the way for the seismic isolation system and reconstruction efforts.

For Pacific Foundation, mission success has probably never been more critical. The project required massive amounts of structural engineering and careful planning and coordination by all participating parties to stay on schedule and maintain safety – not to mention that while the work was in progress, the state legislature was in session just a few feet above.

The construction work at the Capitol will continue into 2025. Once finished, the historic marble building should finally be able to stand firm against any future seismic events.

Shoring towers stretching across the entire footprint of the Capitol building.

Robit® Extreme Carbide

Posted on by Jari Silver

Enhanced wear properties in hard and abrasive rock conditions

Increase your drilling productivity with Robit Extreme Carbide.

  • Increase the bit lifetime!
  • Improve the rate of penetration!
  • Extend the grinding interval!

Robit® Extreme Carbides have been designed to provide the best performance and lifetime in hard and abrasive rock conditions. Extreme Carbide has hard outer layer and an optimized core with improved resistance to breakages.

  • Increased bit lifetime up to 30% in hard and abrasive rock conditions
  • Carbides will stay sharper for longer time providing efficient drilling performance
    • Faster rate of penetration (ROP)
    • Less grinding needed especially at the start of the bit lifetime
    • Sharper bit will save your drill string => less recoil energy to rods and shanks

Robit recommends to regrind the Extreme carbides for optimal drilling performance.

Proven performance of the Extreme Carbide

Robit® Extreme Carbide Rbit™ Selection

Download the brochure:

Robit® H Series DTH Hammers

Posted on by Jari Silver

Robit has developed a completely new, modular H series hammer family for DTH drilling.

The H series hammer range currently consists of four different sizes: 4, 5, 6, and 8 inches. Thanks to its unique modular structure, with just a few part changes, customers can get 12 different variations to meet their specific needs. DHD versions are primarily intended for construction and well drilling, while QL versions are thicker in their outer casing, designed as Heavy Duty hammers suitable for quarrying and production use. Released hammers use either drill bits with foot valves or tubeless versions, allowing the use of drill bits without foot valves in challenging drilling conditions.

H series benefits:

  • Up to 25% lower fuel consumption
  • Best in class performance
  • Unbeatable for all conditions

Released models – download the brochure:

The assemblies vary between Maximum Performance (MX) and High Efficiency (HF), as well as Foot Valved (FV) and Tubeless (TL) versions of the same Heavy Duty (HD) or Slim Line (SL) hammer. The Maximum Performance assembly offers a high blow energy obtained by high air volume, resulting in a fast penetration rate, and is suitable for deep-hole drilling. The High Efficiency assembly operates on a lower air volume, providing lower blow energy but a higher frequency, keeping the hammer energy efficient, and is ideal for softer or varying ground conditions.

Maintenance manuals: Manuals

Video: Robit® H Series assembly video

Do you want know more about our products?

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ROBIT PLC’S ANNUAL REPORT 2023 PUBLISHED

Posted on by Jari Silver

Robit Plc’s Annual Report, Corporate Governance Statement and Remuneration Report for the year 2023 have today been published in Finnish and English on the company’s website at  https://www.robitgroup.com/investor/financial-information/.

The Annual Report contains Report of the Board of Directors and the Financial Statements 2023. The Financial Statements includes Consolidated Financial Statements, Robit Plc’s Parent Company’s Statements, and the Auditor’s Report.

Robit Plc’s updated Remuneration Policy has also been published today on the aforementioned website.

Read the report: Annual-Report-2023.pdf (robitgroup.com)

OULUN PORAKAIVOT THRIVES USING ROBIT’S WEAR PARTS

Posted on by Jari Silver

Kauno Määttä was a familiar name to Finnish wrestling fans in the 1960s and 70s: he won the Finnish Greco-Roman wrestling championship in his weight class several times. In his day job, however, Kauno did not make the headlines despite being a respected professional: he drilled wells.

Kauno’s career as a driller continued into retirement and was passed on to the next generations. In the late 1980s, Kauno’s primary school-age grandsons, Sami and Simo Manninen, got the spark when they got invited as helpers for a well-drilling job.

The spark ignited a lasting passion, and as a result, the brothers’ own company, Oulun Porakaivot, was finally born in 2012. It operates throughout Finland, and its core business is drilling geothermal energy fields for large properties. Oulun Porakaivot also handles the design and permitting of the energy fields and has a wide range of customers from the public sector to commercial properties and housing cooperatives. They also drill individual geothermal and water wells for detached houses and other small properties.

Oulun Porakaivot operates six drilling rigs and has long been Robit’s contract customer, using Robit products for all key consumables such as rods, ring bits, drill bits, and pilots. Panu Haulos, Design Engineer at Oulun Porakaivot, has noticed a welcome improvement in the quality of drilling tools.

“Reliability of consumables is critical in this sector. The wells are getting deeper – up to 450 meters – and the plots of land are often small: if the first hole falls short, there may not be enough room to drill a new one. In consumables, we have to look at the cost of a drill meter from an overall economic perspective: performance, drilling speed and fuel consumption. Robit’s products have been consistently reliable and have performed excellently in deep wells. And today’s hammers and bits are more durable than before,” says Panu.

For about a year, Robit has been developing a new four-inch DTH hammer, branded Robit H4, for well drilling. Testing in cooperation with customers is an integral part of product development. The H4 hammer was optimized and finalized as per customer feedback. Robit’s Sales Director Kimmo Kangas approached Oulun Porakaivot and offered them an opportunity to test the new hammer. A suitable test site was found in Helsinki, at a housing cooperative’s future energy field, where 23 wells will be drilled to a depth of 390 metres. Kimmo has followed the development of the H4 hammer from the beginning and has seen its potential.

“The functionality, reliability and penetration rate of the H4 are outstanding. However, the most significant improvement is fuel consumption, which is significantly lower than the competition. Typically, for example, in a 200-meter well, the compressor consumes about two litres of fuel per meter. On the H4 hammer, the consumption has been as low as one and a half litres. That’s a crucial difference,” says Kimmo.

Low fuel consumption is one of the key assets of the H4 hammer.

Panu Haulos confirms that the H4 has achieved very low fuel consumption figures at the drilling test site. The two companies have been in close cooperation for years.

“Robit’s domestic production is definitely a plus for us: we can get parts with a fast response time. They react quickly to our needs, around the clock if necessary. Robit has also been able to help in special cases where off-the-shelf products have not been available. For example, we had a project where the hole we were to drill had to be absolutely straight. Robit tailor-made us a special guiding rod that did the job,” says Panu.

In many sectors of the economy, growth indicators have recently taken a downward turn. This is not the case in the thermal well market, at least not for Oulun Porakaivot.

“The trend is upward, and demand is constantly growing and diversifying. Of course, this is partly due to technological advances that allow us to drill deeper wells. In Finland, the city of Helsinki, in particular, is a strong driver of progress in this field. The city, striving to move away from fossil-based district heating, has streamlined the permitting process for geothermal heat”, Panu says.

Picture from left: Ville Alanko, Simo Manninen, CEO Sami Manninen, Panu Haulos (Oulun Porakaivot); on the right Kimmo Kangas (Robit).

OCI: A POWERFUL PARTNER IN THE US MARKET

Posted on by Jari Silver

OCI, LLC, headquartered in Brookville, Pennsylvania, has been servicing the US drilling industry since 1997. Their core businesses include designing and building drilling tools and systems, equipment sales, rental and service, and consulting clients on methods and materials in their drilling projects.

OCI’s sales offering includes Down the Hole hammers and shock absorbers. UK-based Bulroc rose to prominence in the 1970s as a leading manufacturer of DTH hammers and related accessories. Jim Rupert, one of the founders of OCI, had been working with Bulroc hammers since the early 1980s, and it was only natural that when OCI was founded in the 1990s, they would partner with Bulroc.

The same successful partnership continues to this day with OCI and Robit, which acquired Bulroc in 2016. DTH hammers, along with piling tools, remain a key part of the Robit product line in OCI’s varied portfolio.

“We are a design and build manufacturing company that also mass produces micro piling casing and other industry products. We manufacture the micropile casing and the tooling used along with it. Our offerings include sub adapters, head adapters, swivels of various models, drill pipes of various types, drill string components, augers, core barrels, kelly equipment, and auxiliary equipment. We are not limited to a product line; we offer unique opportunities to manufacture specialized drilling and construction equipment “, says Dave Franklin, Technical Sales and Project Management at OCI.

The OCI–Robit partnership continues to serve the drilling industry across North America successfully.

“OCI feels we have a strong, healthy relationship with Robit, and we look forward to many opportunities in the near and distant future. Our clients have always been happy with Robit tools and the support we offer them as a team approach. Together, we provide a full scope of products and services,” Dave Franklin sums up.

Picture: The OCI headquarters in Brookville, PA.

DWARSRIVIER CHROMIUM MINE IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY WITH ROBIT’S TOOLS

Posted on by Jari Silver

BIC is an acronym most geologists are familiar with. It stands for Bushveld Igneous Complex, situated in South Africa. It’s one of the world’s most significant geological features due to its size, age – and mineral wealth.

BIC is the largest layered igneous intrusion within the Earth’s crust. Put simply, a layered intrusion is an underground formation of rock formed from magma that cooled down and solidified in layers, much like a layered cake. Each layer can have different types and concentrations of minerals, making these formations especially interesting for geologists and mining companies.

The Bushveld Complex contains the world’s largest known resources of platinum group metals, chromium, and vanadium. Most of the chromium resources are concentrated on the eastern limb of the Complex, which runs across Limpopo, the northernmost province of South Africa. One of the major producers of chromium ore in Limpopo is the Dwarsrivier mine, located some 130 km southeast of Polokwane, the provincial capital.

The Dwarsrivier mine has been in operation since 1999. Since 2015, it has been run by Assore South Africa. The mine produces more than a million tonnes of chromium ore yearly.

Mining is a competitive industry, and cost control plays an important part – and this applies to drilling tools as well. Recently, the Dwarsrivier mine began to use Robit’s Top Hammer drilling consumables.

“Drilling requirements are essential to ensure that face holes for blasting are drilled fast, efficiently, and within budget. Quality and cost are the top priorities”, says Dewet Pretorius, Mining Manager at Dwarsrivier.

In addition to cost and quality, Dwarsrivier were on the lookout for a supplier with effective after-sales service – something that had been lacking up until then.

“With Robit, our overall costs have decreased, production has improved, and the Robit team is providing us with good after-sales service as well”, Mr Pretorius says.

South Africa holds about 70% of the world’s chrome reserves and is the largest producer of ferrochrome in the world. Dwarsrivier will continue to contribute to this effort for a long time: the current plan extends the mine life well into the 2040s.

In the picture from left: Babra Shai, Site supervisor, Robit – Dewet Pretorius, Mine Manager, Dwarsrivier – Trevor Van Biljon, Area Sales Manager, Robit

SHARING DRILL & BLAST KNOWHOW IN SAN JUAN

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Explotec is a leading supplier of explosives and mining tools throughout Central America. Headquartered in Costa Rica, the company has created a solid network distributing its products to Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and beyond. It also organizes training events.

A recent event took place in Costa Rica in November 2023. Focused on drill & blast, it drew 115 attendants from Central America to the Radisson San Jose hotel.

For expert insight, Explotec invited Robit’s Drillmaster Juan Padilla to showcase examples and discuss best practices in the choice of drilling steels and proper equipment commissioning. The event also hosted Emilio López-Jimeno, a renowned lecturer and blasting expert, who discussed the importance of choosing the right parameters for effective blasting.

“Robit’s role in these types of events is fundamental for developing our clients’ knowhow and thus their ability to gain more market share in drilling steels”, says Carlos Alarcón Álvarez, Technical Manager at Explotec.

Other speakers at the event included Luis Carlos, who spoke about blasting grid optimization, load factors, and improving fragmentation; Pedro Chaves discussed pre-cutting in blasting for mines and hydroelectric projects; Álvaro Rodríguez presented successful cases in blasting grid optimization and cost-cutting; and Carlos Alarcón examined the Royex rock breaking system as an alternative in fragmentation.

Picture from left: Luis Carlos, Carlos Alarcón and CEO Daniel Cruz (Explotec); Juan Padilla (Robit); Emilio López-Jimeno, Pedro Chaves and Álvaro Rodríguez (Explotec)

WESTAUZ CHOSE ROBIT FOR THE NORSEMAN GOLD PROJECT

Posted on by Jari Silver

In the late 19th century, gold fever was running high in certain southern parts of Western Australia. Among the prospectors were two brothers from the Shetland Isles, Lawrence and George Sinclair. They finally struck gold some 20 km north of Dundas, an already established find, and quickly realized the gold deposit was very prosperous. The Sinclair brothers founded a town on the site and named it Norseman – after their horse.

Today, that corner of Western Australia is known as the Goldfields region. The Central Norseman Gold Mine was founded there in 1935 and ran until 2014, making it Australia’s longest continuously-running gold mining operation. During that time, it produced over 5.5 million ounces, or more than 150 tonnes, of gold.

The gold reserves in the area were far from depleted, though. A few years later, Australian gold producer Pantoro Limited acquired 50% ownership of the Norseman Gold Project and, in 2022, brought back online three mines: the OK underground mine, the Scotia open pit and the Green Lantern open pit.

Underground operation at the Norseman OK mine is contracted by Westauz Mining, headquartered in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. At the proposal of Robit’s Sales Manager Steve Tedge, Westauz agreed to run a development bit trial at Norseman OK in December 2022. Since Robit’s bits outperformed the competition by far in terms of cost-per-meter, Westauz awarded the drilling consumables business to Robit in early 2023.

“Throughout 2023, volumes have only grown at the OK mine site as the decline has been rehabilitated and access gained to the gold ore. Westauz is now using our Top Hammer underground bits, rods, shanks, and couplings”, says Steve Landreth, Robit’s Vice President Australasia.

Westauz have expressed their satisfaction with Robit’s can-do attitude and willingness to work with their customer. “In the early stages of the agreement, Westauz requested Robit make a design change to the development bits. Our engineering team was happy to oblige, and the bit now provides productivity gains in the drilling process. We are receiving very positive feedback, ranging from the Managing Director, General Manager, Project Manager, Mine foreman and operators”, Steve Landreth says.

For Westauz, the Norseman project has marked a significant growth in business. Plenty of excavating remains to be done at the site for years to come: according to current estimates, the remaining mineral resource in the area is around 4.8 million ounces, or some 136 tonnes, of gold.

Picture: Westauz jumbo at work & Norseman the horse has a statue in the town that was named after him.

NISS OPENED NEW DOORS FOR ROBIT IN THE US

Posted on by Jari Silver

Platinum and palladium are precious metals with unique properties that make them indispensable in many technological applications, particularly autocatalysts. As minerals, both are quite rare and are mostly found in just a few regions around the world. One of them stretches across the northern flank of the Beartooth Mountains in Montana, USA.

The area, geologically known as the Stillwater complex, hosts two underground mines, Stillwater and East Boulder – although “underground” may sound slightly misleading as the mining assets lie more than 2,700 meters above sea level in the mountains.

The mines are owned and run by the Sibanye-Stillwater Group, one of the world’s largest producers of platinum and palladium. The Stillwater mine has been in operation for almost 40 years and produces some 250–300 koz, or about 7,000–8,500 kg, of platinum and palladium concentrate yearly.

Since July of 2022, Sibanye has been using Robit’s consumables for jumbo and bolting drilling at the Stillwater Mine. That was the result of a fruitful cooperation between Robit and their distributor, NISS (Nasco Industrial Services & Supply), headquartered in Kellogg, Idaho. That cooperation turned out to be mutually beneficial.

“We had been looking for a reliable distributor who could help improve our market penetration for the mining sector in Southwest US. We hired a consultant for the job, and one of the largest US mining companies recommended NISS to Robit”, says Robit Sales Engineer Leif Olmstead.

“NISS had great access to mines through selling ground support products. Previously, they hadn’t dealt in drilling consumables, but this became a win-win situation: we gained a better foothold in a new market, and NISS could expand their product portfolio”, Leif explains.

The first customer Robit won with NISS was the Stillwater Mine in Montana. Stillwater is a large-scale operation that uses the “ramp and fill” method, where the excavated spaces are filled again with waste rock and tailings once the ore has been extracted. For jumbo work, the mine uses 3,200 and 4,305 mm Robit drifter rods and 45 mm semi-ballistic S model bits; for bolting, R28-R28 M/M Hex Steel rods. Sibanye-Stillwater are happy with the supplied tools.

“We hear the rod lifetime has improved over the previous supplier, and the jumbo bits are faster and have fewer plugging issues,” says Leif.

Work at the Stillwater Mine won’t be ending anytime soon: the estimated life of the mine extends well into the 2050s. As for Robit and NISS, it has proved a promising start for their future endeavors together.

Picture: The Beartooth Mountains, just northeast of Yellowstone National Park, are part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Robit Bulletin 2/2023 has been published

Posted on by Jari Silver

The latest issue of Robit’s customer magazine, Bulletin, is out now! The 2/2023 issue features stories on “Westauz chose Robit for the Norseman gold project” and “Dwarsrivier chromium mine improving productivity with Robit’s tools”, as well as other interesting articles.

Read the magazine here: Bulletin 2/2023