A corporate supporter of sports, Robit signed a sponsorship and cooperation agreement in 2021 with Hilla Niemelä, one of the most promising young skiers in Finland. Hilla has been keeping a training diary for our readers; here is episode four.
The competition season has finally begun. Summer training was overall very successful. It’s been enjoyable to compete in the early season races, knowing that I have improved.
The season kicked off with the Vuokatti Finnish Cup sprint, which went smoothly from the start despite having skied only a few dozen kilometers on snow. I competed in all four races and finished fourth in the final.
After Vuokatti, I traveled to Ylläs for a training camp. The conditions were excellent and I did some great sport-specific training with two friends. After two weeks, we moved to Ruka for another round of the Finnish Cup. A good sprint day and an OK distance day earned me a spot in the Ruka World Cup, held a week after the Finnish Cup.
The Ruka World Cup was my main goal of the early season, and I especially succeeded in the sprint. I was 16th in the qualifiers and finished 21st – my best performance to date at the World Cup level. It was truly rewarding to see that I had improved since last season.
I had hoped for a better performance in the next day’s 10 km classic, but at least I got to wear the green U23 Cup leader’s bib for ten kilometers.
A week later, I competed in the FIS races in Imatra, in the sprint and the 10 km classic. The sprint was a qualifier for the Trondheim World Cup stage, held a week before Christmas. Winning in Imatra sent me to Trondheim and my first international World Cup of the season.
My main goal for the season is the last U23 World Championships, to be held in Planica in February. I’m looking forward to competing in the youth races one last time, but before that, I need to prepare and find my peak form…
Best Regards and Season’s Greetings, Hilla
PS. Trondheim was a nice place, I can go again. For the first time in a World Cup freestyle technique sprint, a top 30 placement was a strong performance for me. As a bonus, Saturday’s 20 km skiathlon was surprisingly enjoyable for a first-timer who originally had only freestyle technique equipment for the entire journey.
Agnico Eagle Finland awarded Robit Finland Oy the “Best Supplier of 2022” certificate for the second time on October 10, 2023. We are proud to receive recognition for consistently high performance and, especially, for the excellent quality of products and services.
In the picture from left to right: Aappo Suvanto, Supply Chain Manager, Tommi Kankkunen, Director of Kittilä Mine, and Antti Rajanen, Finance Manager from Agnico Eagle Finland, along with Mervi Kallioinen, Grinding & Drillmaster Service, and Kimmo Kangas, Sales Director Finland from Robit.
Halco has been part of the Robit Group since 2017.
In its continuous pursuit of simplicity and increased quality, Robit is moving onto the next development phase in its global brand strategy. As a part of Robit one brand – one offering philosophy, the group is shifting to a single brand across all of its product offerings.
This next step will see the legendary brands of Robit and Halco consolidated under the Robit umbrella. This means, that starting from Q4 2023, all Halco products will be rebranded as Robit, while maintaining the same quality and performance you trust.
You will see the new Robit brand colors of white and blue, with a reference to Halco’s engineering legacy in our DTH hammer offerings.
You will find specifications about Robit® Powered by Halco Rock Tools consumables on halco.uk web pages.
YOUR POSITION AT ROBIT AND MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES BY TASK AND REGIONAL LEVEL
I work as the Sales Director in Finland, and my primary objective is to ensure that our customers receive the best products and services in the market on time, thus enhancing customer loyalty and boosting our sales. I work closely with each Sales Manager and SBU (Strategic Business Unit) head, as well as the R&D and Robit’s customer service teams in Lempäälä and Suutarila. Our team is skilled and unified, and I’m proud to be a part of this team.
EXPERIENCE ON THE FIELD
I began my career in sales approximately 30 years ago. Since then, I have worked in various technical sales roles, primarily in the mining and metal industries. I have been with Robit for six years. A great thing about my current role is that it is always interesting to meet new customers in different product segments. Each customer and job site are unique, which brings a pleasant variety to the job.
KEY MARKET TRENDS ON YOUR FIELD OF EXPERTISE FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS
Drilling equipment is advancing rapidly. Due to the developments in automation, drilling equipment can already be operated remotely, and this trend will continue. The power of drilling hammers and air pressure compressors is increasing, posing challenges for the durability of drilling equipment. This emphasizes the role of drillmasters in field-based product development. Furthermore, customers are increasingly interested in hole straightness measurement. Pressure to improve productivity and regulatory factors are increasing customer interest in this matter.
HOW DO ROBIT’S ONGOING ACTIONS SUPPORT THE CUSTOMERS AND THEIR CURRENT CHALLENGES?
The new Robit Save site audit concept is a great opportunity for customers to witness the excellent functionality of Robit’s drilling equipment, thereby confirming the cost savings it generates. Also, at Robit we put always high emphasis on quality. We constantly invest into improving even the smallest details to ensure our customers get high quality drilling consumables.
HOW DO YOU SEE ROBIT IN 2023-2024 – WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN EXPECTATIONS IN YOUR FIELD?
There is currently a positive atmosphere in active mines in Finland, with overall excavation volumes increasing. Ongoing mining projects are also making progress.
For more information: Kimmo Kangas, firstname.lastname@robitgroup.com
YOUR POSITION AT ROBIT AND MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES BY TASK AND REGIONAL LEVEL
I work as a commercial technical Sales Manager for the Robit subsidiary in Lima, Peru, focusing my efforts on maintaining and growing Robit’s presence in the markets in which we participate. My work focuses on the generation of market information that helps us choose the strategy to take directly or through distributors, having direct responsibilities in various Latin American countries, and in the surface and geotechnical markets for Peru. Always articulating with the factories, with our own work teams and those of the representatives, working on security issues, technical articulations, commercial presentations, strategic steps, logistics and administration follow-ups.
EXPERIENCE ON THE FIELD
I am very proud to have 14 years of experience in the mining industry, always oriented to field work and focused on the commercial development of companies within the consumables category, which has allowed me to interact with clients in different positions to identify the reasons why their needs can be covered. Today the tasks we carry out allow us to learn about different operations in various markets, which helps me expand the boundaries of what we do and get to know different cultures of the region.
KEY MARKET TRENDS ON YOUR FIELD OF EXPERTISE FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS
What we can see as market trends is that our customers are increasingly specializing in the use of consumables, and this poses various challenges for companies like Robit, since it pushes us to be flexible to understand the needs of each customer. We can also see throughout the region that the participation of contractors for mining operations is increasing, which increases the need for users to work taking care of the costs per meter drilled or work under contracts of this modality. That said, Robit has the possibility of attracting business to increase the profitability of our clients, since we have quality materials and high-tech designs.
HOW DO YOU SEE ROBIT IN 2023-2024 – WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN EXPECTATIONS IN YOUR FIELD?
For the coming years, I am sure that the expansion of markets with a focus on Brazil and Chile for the region will give us the possibility of improving our presence in large clients and increasing participation in markets that have not yet been explored. Always focusing on personalized assistance to key clients and strengthening the tools of our business partners. The combination of technical tools and our expertise in drilling consumables will make Robit an even more reliable partner for our clients.
For more information: Martín Rodriguez, firstname.lastname@robitgroup.com
A corporate supporter of sports, Robit signed a sponsorship and cooperation agreement in 2021 with Hilla Niemelä, one of the most promising young skiers in Finland. Hilla has been keeping a training diary for our readers. Here is a summary of her skiing season 2022–23.
Had a great skiing season. I exceeded myself and my expectations on many measures but left a lot to be desired too. My goals for the season were to compete in the U23 World Championships and finally debut in the World Cup. The season started fast at the beginning of November, and I was in really good shape compared to previous seasons. Right in the first race, I got my best placement to date in the Finnish Cup – a good start for the season.
After the observation competitions early in the season, I made it to the World Cup in Ruka, Finland, for the first time. In my first WC start, I finished in the top 30 in the classic-style sprint. On the second and third day, I also reached the top 40. Based on these results, I was selected to ski for the World Cup abroad. For the first time, I got to experience what it is like to tour overseas. In Lillehammer, I was 37th in the classic-style 20 km – an encouraging experience for a longer distance.
The main competitions in December were the Scandinavia Cup in Östersund, Sweden, which also served as a qualifying event for the U23 World Championships in Canada. I had an excellent sprint day and finished 11th in a tough race. December was a busy month of training.
In the autumn, I started studying Environmental Engineering at the University of Tampere, which allowed me to participate in the Winter Universiade, an equivalent of the World Student Championships. On 9 January, we travelled to Lake Placid in New York State – two weeks in the USA, five days of racing and many great experiences. The most memorable trip of my life; I would go again anytime! I skied two personal gold medals: 5 km classic and 5 km freestyle, and in the relay, I anchored the Finnish team to gold. We had a great team spirit throughout the trip, and I’m sure it was largely because the team achieved top performances.
From Lake Placid, straight to Canada for the U23 World Championships. Despite the long travel days, I was in a good mood for the sprint day. I was really charged, which negatively affected qualifying, but it got better in the heat stage. However, the race day I had so anticipated ended prematurely with a crash, which was a big disappointment. In Canada, I skied one more classic 20 km with little success. I had to skip the last race due to health concerns.
Four weeks in North America left me really tired, and my race performances were hit-and-miss. I did have some successes: I won my first two personal Finnish Junior Championships, sprint and 10 km. I also qualified for the World Cups in Tallinn and Lahti, but I didn’t have much to offer. The energy was ok, but the performance fell far below my level. However, I crowned the season with success in the Finnish championships relay, where our team won silver! I made my late-season top performance right where it mattered and ended the season with a smile.
A new training season is well underway, and my hunger for success has only grown stronger. Once you know what it feels like to throw your arms up in the sky in victory at the finish line, you’re hooked forever!
Thanks to Robit for your invaluable support in my sporting career!
YOUR POSITION AT ROBIT AND MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES BY TASK AND REGIONAL LEVEL?
I work as Global Manufacturing Director and my priority is to ensure that our customers get their products delivered as promised and with the proven Robit quality. Thus, my main responsibility is overseeing and coordinating the manufacturing operations in Finland, UK, Korea, and Australia. Also, HSEQ-related topics form a significant part of my responsibilities. I work in close cooperation with factory heads of each location and, therefore, my daily tasks are much about communication; what are the current main issues, are projects on schedule, and are there any safety related concerns.
EXPERIENCE ON THE FIELD
I started my career as a production planner over 15 years ago. Since then, I have been working in different roles in metal industry, still always keeping very close to production and supply chain related processes. I could say that production management has been the guiding line of my career. In my current role it is nice to see time after time how you might be on different continents and work with people from different cultures, but “factory physics” remains more or less the same. This makes adapting existing processes and creating new ones very interesting.
KEY MARKET TRENDS ON YOUR FIELD OF EXPERTISE FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS
As automation is part of our everyday life, I believe digitalization together with AI is the next big thing. Lean philosophy will stay as a basis and sustainable supply chain will become important competitive advantage. I see that AI offers possibilities in very concrete things like machine tracking. This is an application where the amount of information is in many cases enormous, because each machining center is creating new data all the time. Still, when going for a detailed level, there might be patterns that predict, for example, machine breaks or quality issues. For humans, analyzing and identifying patterns from a large amount of data would be very time consuming, or impossible, but with help of AI it is much more efficient and reliable. From customer point of view utilizing AI and digitalization mean faster and more reliable information flow, better visibility to supply chain and eventually, happier customers. I also believe this goes vice versa, better information flow towards factories will help us to reach higher delivery accuracy through increased quality of information.
HOW DO ROBIT’S ONGOING ACTIONS SUPPORT THE CUSTOMERS AND THEIR CURRENT CHALLENGES?
Current actions will support better availability and quality. We have started a Robit-wide project to review the existing processes and related quality assurance actions. The purpose is to spot any risks that non-conforming products would be delivered to customer. We are also developing the utilization of our ERP-system. The target is to utilize a more sophisticated MRP-module that better supports our production planning processes and gives improved visibility to whole supply chain, helping us gain better availability. For customer this is visible, once again, as better information. We are able to spot possible risks for delays in supply chain, and if there’s absolutely nothing we can do to eliminate these risks, we can at least offer reliable information regarding updated delivery time. Of course, IT-systems alone don’t solve majority of the issues, they are just tools. We also need to build processes where people and IT-tools together ensure fluent and efficient communication flow.
HOW DO YOU SEE ROBIT IN 2023-2024 – WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN EXPECTATIONS IN YOUR FIELD?
I expect flexibility to increase in manufacturing operations. This is done through training people and setting up machines so that they are not dedicated to one product group only but can manufacture several product groups. This helps us adapt to changing market situations and market demand. Better utilization of IT-tools (MRP, machine tracking) decreases the manual workload and helps us better understand the current situation and plan development actions accordingly. Another big improvement I expect to really kick off is an improved forecasting and capacity planning process. As a summary, next couple of years will further develop our processes towards better customer service. Combining of technical tools and our expertise of drilling consumables will make Robit even more reliable partner to our customers.
For more information: Janne Soininen, firstname.lastname@robitgroup.com
Fingeo is a Finnish drilling and piling contractor with solid experience. They also carry out more extensive projects, including civil engineering. For drilling consumables, the company relies on the quality, reliability, and competitive price of domestic Robit.
Founded in 2008, Fingeo Oy is now part of the E.M. Pekkinen Oy group.
“Our goal has been to develop our operating methods and provide a high-quality overall service. Fingeo has traditionally been strong in drilling and piling contracting. In recent years, we have expanded our service offering to include extraction by wedging and blasting and rock reinforcement by shotcrete, grouting and bolting. “We now also offer comprehensive foundation work contracts, which makes it easier for the client as the same contractor takes responsibility for the work from start to finish. We have the flexibility to handle smaller projects as well as larger ones. Our extensive experience in soil and rock drilling, together with other civil engineering professionals, ensures an overall sustainable contract and smooth project management,” says Veli-Antti Pekkinen, Project Manager at Fingeo Oy.
Construction continues to be strong in the Helsinki region
While Fingeo’s operations mainly focus on the Helsinki metropolitan area, several projects, particularly demanding piling contracts for industrial and bridge projects, are carried out throughout the country.
“In the future, we will increasingly offer our services in different parts of the country, especially in challenging projects and large turnkey contracts. We have plenty of work for the rest of the year as construction in the capital region continues to be strong on the ongoing sites. As for new projects, the future is not quite as clear,” says supervisor Jukka Jääskeläinen.
Wide variety of work methods, skilled staff
For drilling and anchoring, Fingeo uses a large variety of methods and a wide range of special equipment.
“Our pipe piling projects range from a few piles to construction sites with several thousand piles. Tensile anchoring is used, for example, in trench shoring to absorb tensile forces. Our areas of expertise also include specialities like offshore drilling from a raft and combi walls for trench support.”
“The backbone of our equipment consists of pipe piling and anchoring machines and drill rigs, of which we have about a dozen units. While the machinery is state-of-the-art, our motivated and highly skilled staff is key to successful projects. Our team has an excellent working atmosphere. Our minimal turnover rate speaks for that,” says Kai Jaakkola, supervisor.
Robit – the trusted partner for consumables
Drilling and piling is a consumable-intensive business. Fingeo’s main supplier in these applications is Robit, with its products manufactured domestically in Lempäälä.
“At the moment, we get practically all our wear parts from Robit: for quarrying, that includes rods and bits; for piling, we use their reamers, pilot bits, and DTH hammers. We appreciate their domestic manufacture and great customer service that ranges from sales to delivery to problem-solving. Robit actively develops technically advanced products, and the manufacturing quality is high. Their consumables allow us to drill further, resulting in cost savings. And while Robit’s products are definitely at the top of the market, they are also competitively priced. It’s quite a rare equation,” Jääskeläinen and Jaakkola say.
Thanks to its rich gold deposits, the Cajamarca region in northern Perú has been home to gold mines since the Inca times. One of the current mines is Cerro Corona, where Robit recently became the preferred supplier of DTH drill bits.
Cerro Corona mine, owned by Gold Fields Inc, is located on the eastern slope of the western Andes, some 80 km north of the regional capital of Cajamarca. The open pit mine is expected to produce some 2.1 Moz (about 60,000 kg) of gold and 407 kt of copper in concentrate over its 15-year mine life.
The rich gold deposit is hosted by diorite porphyry, an extremely hard rock embedded in limestone. MUR-WY, the drilling contractor at Cerro Corona, uses the so-called pre-splitting method, where closely spaced holes are drilled and lightly charged, causing fractures that isolate the gold-bearing rock from the surrounding rock mass. Successful pre-splitting requires very straight holes, and, as always, this should be achieved with optimal cost, penetration rate, and tool lifetime performance.
Robit believed their tools might improve productivity, so they contacted MUR-WY in 2021 to arrange test drillings for 5” DTH bits at Cerro Corona. Test drilling is typically a very hands-on type of work where you monitor and make adjustments on the spot with the contractor. However, the COVID pandemic complicated things.
“In 2021, access to the mine was heavily restricted, so we had to get creative with MUR-WY to follow up on the tests. We ended up monitoring the performance remotely through WhatsApp videos and messages”, says José Luis Cisneros, General Manager of Robit SAC.
Luckily the restrictions were eventually lifted, and Robit’s Regional Sales Manager, Martín Rodriguez, was able to revisit Cerro Corona and conclude the tests, which proved highly successful.
“On average, compared to the tools they had used, we reached 20 to 25% better yields with our DHD340 Flat Face Premium bits and 40 to 50% better with our D45 HD hammers.
“We detected several ways to improve productivity. Not only did Robit’s components perform better, but a key factor is also the service we can provide. We are now the preferred supplier for DTH consumables at Cerro Corona. There are still challenges to tackle, but we will work with our strategic partners from MRU-WY to articulate better ways to approach their needs and increase security regarding the project’s required logistics”, Martín says.
In the first half of the 20th century, the Norra Djurgårdsstaden district in Stockholm, Sweden, was a busy industrial center and port area with an oil port, a coal port, a free port, and even a seaplane base. Today, it is one of the largest urban development areas in Europe.
The Norra Djurgårdsstaden development project was kicked off in the early 2010s. The first 700 apartments were completed in 2012, and construction work is expected to continue well into the 2030s.
The overall plan includes construction work in five sub-areas in the district. One of them is Project Saltkajen in Södra Värtahamnen, where a new pier with an associated bridge will be constructed, and the existing quay will be rebuilt. The city of Stockholm signed the contract, worth SEK 610 million, with Skanska.
Foundation work for the project includes extensive pipe piling and sheet piling in demanding conditions: more than 500 SSAB RD pipe piles (711 mm and 508 mm) will be drilled and connected by welded interlocking sections, creating a continuous retaining wall against horizontal and vertical loads.
Skanska chose the Robit Steel Fist (SF) casing system to drill the RD piles. SF is a solid choice for all DTH applications where the casing is left in the ground. Skanska has successfully used it in previous projects, such as the Slussen reconstruction in Stockholm.
As construction continues, Norra Djurgårdsstaden is slowly transforming into a modern, environmentally friendly, sustainably built district with 12,000 homes and an estimated 35,000 new jobs. Värtahamnen will be home to some 5,000 people, and 20,000 will work there. With new walkways, shops, restaurants and nightlife, it will also be an inviting entry point for international visitors arriving in Stockholm by boat.
When developing products for use under several conditions, it is vital to consider the experiences of people using the products. In modern times, it is possible to simulate all sorts of conditions in a lab environment or using computer models. But these can often only give an indication of the product’s performance in the real world, whereas those working in the conditions set by said real world can tell you a lot more.
For the above reasons, Robit has a long tradition of working with its distributor partners and end-customers alike regarding product development. The end-users know their equipment and circumstances better than anyone, so they can often test new and existing products under true-to-life conditions. This way, one can ensure that the test results correspond to the products’ actual performance and durability capabilities.
Collaborating towards better efficiency
One of Robit’s long-term test partners is Stevin Rock, which operates a limestone quarry in the United Arab Emirates with a fleet of Down the Hole (DTH) machinery. They have been using Robit-manufactured DTH tools since 2016. Stevin Rock has been using the full suite of Robit’s drilling consumables, with a 4″ hammer as their workhorse of choice and adaptors, drill tubes, and 110 mm and 127 mm bits aiding the work.
The initial contract was made after Robit succeeded in the trials at the Stevin Rock quarry. Robit’s products triumphed with a longer life span and lower cost per meter than the competition at the time. While some alternatives provided a higher penetration rate, this benefit was trumped by the higher number of breakages it brought. They decided to go with Robit, which offered known products that provided conclusive and consistent high performance.
In the years since the initial contract, Robit has proven itself as the right choice with an excellent overall life span of products, a high level of service, and numerous supporting drill master visits. Indeed, these visits have been the core of the support and collaboration towards the customer. A Robit drill master has been visiting the site on support duties a couple of times a year to help Stevin Rock optimize their processes. In addition, Robit and their distributor partner DeltaCorp Global have conducted on-site practical and theoretical training sessions for the operators and mechanic teams on hammer assembly, preventative maintenance, bit wear, failure modes, and best drilling practices.
Robit always aims to find the best possible distributors for each region; the goal is to find those who understand the local market, culture, and general thinking. In DeltaCorp Global, Robit has one such winner. During the years, DeltaCorp has fostered a very close working relationship with Stevin Rock. This allows them to consistently offer timely and relevant support for the customer across their organization. DeltaCorp’s representatives conduct at least one visit each week to one of Stevin Rock’s three sites. The purpose of the visits ranges from stock deliveries to management meetings, where product quality and life span, as well as stock levels and forecasts, are assessed. While on-site, the representatives will also visit the drill rigs to receive direct feedback from the drill operators. On top of all that, the DeltaCorp representatives maintain constant communication with Stevin Rock’s site management, working swiftly in the event any concerns should be raised, such as a sudden need for urgent deliveries, an unforeseen breakage, or some other operational problem.
Thanks to continuous support, Stevin Rock has improved the results they get with their equipment even further. When the initial contract started in 2016, the average life span of a drill bit was 2,000 meters, with hammers reaching approximately 8,000 meters. With all the training given to the personnel to help them make the most out of their tools, the efforts to optimize the drilling processes, as well as the product improvements from Robit’s Engineering and Production teams that based on the customer’s feedback, the average bit life span has extended to 4,500 meters, with the hammers regularly exceeding 25,000 meters.
While the durability and solid performance of the drilling consumables first made Stevin Rock give Robit’s drilling tools a chance, they have since gotten several more reasons to stick to their decision. And while they have been periodically testing multiple competing products, they have not had a reason to switch.
“We have been using Robit’s products for years and cannot fault their performance or service. We run an open tender every two years, and they always come out on top. Robit’s commitment to collaboration and continuous improvement is their great strength. However, their local Distribution Partner is also strong; with their reliable supply chain management and quick reaction times, a solution is always available to us 24/7.”
Stevin Rock Operations Manager Brian Howard under the Arabian sun.
Collaboration as the basis for product development
During their years working with Stevin Rock, Robit has been conducting numerous tests on many hammers and bits. All these tests have aimed to increase the life span of the products, as well as their performance, with minimal downtime and breakages so that the customer can reduce their drilling costs to the minimum. Tests carried out with customers have been at the heart of Robit’s product development process. Those trials have led to discoveries and breakthroughs that have guided the designs of their latest products, with the upcoming H-series hammers as a good reference point.
The new H-series hammers have been designed with performance and versatility as their guiding principles. The goal was to provide customers with a hammer range that they could utilize in different environments with minimal breakages and maximized utility for each operator’s circumstances. Customer feedback led Robit to develop a new modular design, offering increased flexibility and adaptability to varying conditions. With a few simple changes in the assembly of the hammer, the user can customize it for their needs; whether one wants to run them with improved productivity in mind or needs to be able to use a lower capacity compressor, the H-series hammers can be modeled to suit these requirements.
In practice, the modular design allows Robit to offer four hammers in one base design. The assemblies vary between high power and low volume, as well as foot valved and tubeless. Thus the following variations are available: high power with a foot valve, high power tubeless, low volume with a foot valve, and low volume tubeless. The high-power assembly offers high blow energy and air volume, resulting in a fast penetration rate and is suitable for deep-hole drilling. On the other hand, the low-volume assembly provides lower blow energy and air consumption, which are ideal for soft ground while keeping the hammer energy efficient.
As an example, Stevin Rock was looking for a faster drilling hammer to improve the potential productivity. Robit provided them with two assemblies of the new H-series models with differing internal arrangements to control the airflow, one with low air volume and the other with high air volume. These new hammers were to be tested against the tried-and-true D45 hammer from Robit’s older hammer range. The tests showed a considerable, consistent improvement across the board. The penetration rates went up in all tests, with the smallest increase at 14% and the most significant improvement at 30%. The highest penetration rate reached during the tests was 63.18 meters per hour. These results also correlated with those seen in earlier trials, ensuring the validity of the results.
With the new hammer range, Robit wants to bring more options to the market while still guaranteeing high performance. Because if one thing has become crystal clear during their collaboration with their customers, no two drill sites are the same. For this reason, they will make sure to let their customers’ and distribution partners’ voices be heard when developing new products and improving on the old ones.
This is an edited version of an article originally published in Global Mining Review, May 2023.
Imagine an offer where you, a mining company, are promised 5% cost savings on drilling consumables. If your supplier does not meet the promise, you only pay 20% of the going rate on said consumables. Would you be interested?
That is the core idea of the new RobitSave site audit program. Sales Director Kimmo Kangas explains the concept in more detail.
“Once we have identified and contacted a potential customer, our drillmaster visits their job site, surveys the relevant drilling tools they use, and documents their performance.
“The drillmaster does not make or recommend any changes in the setup; they merely observe and numerically records the performance: penetration rate in meters/minute, the lifetime of the tools, et cetera. Once they have collected enough data – in our pilot project, this took a week – they write a report. That concludes stage 1.
“In stage 2, we supply the customer with Robit tools for the same tasks. Up front, we charge 20% of the going rate of our products while promising 5% cost savings compared to their current supplier. And here’s the beautiful part for the customer: if we don’t reach those 5% savings – we will not charge a cent more”, Kimmo explains.
The RobitSave program was first piloted at the Kemi chromium mine – the only one of its kind in the European Union – run by Outokumpu Chrome. Kemi quarries some 3 million tons of rock yearly (two-thirds ore, one-third waste rock), and the expected remaining lifetime of the mine is 30–50 years.
The RobitSave test at Kemi covered cable bolting and production drilling consumables. As per the RobitSave contract, Robit charged 20% of the price of the goods upfront. In total, the tests at the Kemi mine took some two months.
“It went extremely well. We had all the results in black and white; our calculation chart showed undeniably that the cost-per-meter savings were way above the 5% we had promised. Our customer was positively surprised, and we could charge the remaining 80%”, Kimmo says.
The coming months and years will see the RobitSave site audit program gradually deployed across all of Robit’s markets.
The latest issue of Robit’s customer magazine, Bulletin, is out now! The 1/2023 issue features stories on RobitSave, the cooperation between Robit, DeltaCorp, and Stevin Rock, as well as introductions of new Robit experts.
RobitPlc and SotreqS.A. have signed a distribution agreement. Based on the agreement, Sotreq will represent Robit and its products in Brazil.
The partnership between Robit and Sotreq supports Robit’s goal to expand the company’s market coverage and strengthen its distributor network. Brazil, as a leading economy in Latin America and a major mining country, offers a huge opportunity in this sense.
Arto Halonen, Group CEO, Robit Plc: “We are delighted to start cooperation with Sotreq. Robit’s high quality products, combined with Sotreq’s strong presence, service and customer base, provide customers in Brazil with a strong partner for their drilling consumables needs.”
Marcelo Orberg, CEO, Sotreq S.A. emphasizes: “We believe in the power of collaboration and the strength that comes from companies working together towards a common goal. Through the assumed cooperation with Robit, we are ready to conquer new challenges and continue our journey of growth in the Brazilian market. We are very confident in the expansion of underground mining. For this, it is essential to add technology to the activity, with state-of-the-art accessories, which add productivity to our customers’ business.”
Robit specializes in providing top-notch drilling consumables to the global mining and construction industries, enabling its customers to achieve extended drilling capabilities with unparalleled quality. The company’s goal is to be the number one drilling consumables company in the world. The company has achieved this through its range of world-class products, including Top Hammer, Down the Hole and Geotechnical solutions, all known for their high and proven quality. In addition, expert services ensure cost savings on drilling for its customers.
Sotreq’s trajectory is marked by entrepreneurship and the conviction that the pursuit of excellence is the path to growth. With more than 80 years of innovation, Sotreq is a national company that provides solutions for new and used equipment, technology, specialized product support, in addition to leasing solutions. It is an official Cat dealership with more than 50 branches distributed in more than 90% of the national territory. It serves the Construction, Mining, Agribusiness, Energy, Forestry, Industrial and Oil & Gas and Maritime market segments with a highly qualified technical team. More information available at www.sotreq.com.br.
Robit’s General Meeting has elected vuorineuvos(honorary title granted by the President of the Republic Finland)Lasse Aho as a new member of Robit board on 15 March 2023. He has 18 years of experience as a CEO of Olvi Plc, during which time Olvi Plc has grown strongly. Aho brings strong knowledge in managing growth company. In addition, he brings know-how of consumer business sales, marketing, and brand development to Robit, which operates in consumables sector and further strengthens its brand in the global market.
Robit board has elected Director Markku Teräsvasara as the new Chairman of the board. He has a long experience of Robit’s business area. He brings strong knowledge to defining the company’s long-term growth strategy and its implementation in the global market.
Harri Sjöholm, who has over 30 years of experience in the company, continues as a Vice Chairman of the Robit board.
With these decisions Robit ensures the company’s renewal and wants to utilize the opportunities of the global drilling consumables market even more productively.
In the picture from left: Lasse Aho, Markku Teräsvasara, Harri Sjöholm
Robit’s shareholders gathered at the AGM 2023 held in Tampere-talo, Tampere on 15th March. A good number of shareholders gathered together at the venue.
Robit Plc’s Annual Report, Corporate Governance Statement and Remuneration Report for the year 2022 have today been published in Finnish and English in PDF format on the company’s website at https://www.robitgroup.com/investor/financial-information/.
The Annual Report contains the Board of Directors’ Review and the Financial Statements 2022. The Financial Statements includes Consolidated Financial Statements, Robit Plc’s Parent Company Statements and the Auditor’s Report.
Lima, the capital of Peru, is the second largest city in the Americas, with a population of just slightly under 10 million. Surprisingly, the megacity has only one metro line; the second line is now under construction. Once finished, it will make a huge impact on the city now troubled by congestion and pollution.
The project of building a metro network in Lima has been long and burdensome. The first plans were approved by the Peruvian government in 1974, but construction did not start until 1986. Due to various political disputes and economic issues, the project was stalled for several decades, until Line 1 finally started operations in 2012.
Plans for Metro Line 2 were initiated the same year. While Line 1 connects the northern and southern parts of the city, Line 2 will stretch from the eastern Ate district to the seaside city of Callao, Peru’s chief seaport, in the west. Construction work began in late 2014; it will include 27 stations and the excavation of some 27 km of tunnels.
Several of the stations will require some heavy foundation work. For stations 11 and 26, in the Breña district and Ate district respectively, the fortification work was awarded to Soletanche Bachy del Perú, a leading multinational company in civil and geotechnical engineering, and a strategic partner for Robit in Peru.
“We have worked from day one with Soletanche’s technical, commercial and engineering staff, advising on the different solution alternatives for carrying out the work”, says José Luis Cisneros, General Manager of Robit SAC.
“Since Soletanche has used our MU (Multi-use) Down the Hole systems in the past, we decided together to use Robit MU Tools for the project, including sizing equipment, pipes and accessories. Since early July 2022, we worked in close coordination with operations and logistics to meet the demanding deadlines.” Our DTH Sales Manager, Martín Rodríguez, played a key role in this coordination”.
Soletanche began micro-piling work for lateral support at Station 11 on July 20, using the Robit MU 114 system and Hyper 31 hammers.
“Supervised by Harold del Rosario, our Head of Geotechnical Assistance, we attended the operation to monitor the performance of our materials. We obtained excellent results in a very abrasive and challenging terrain”, José says.
August saw the beginning of micro-piling work for the structures of Station 11, with Robit pilots and ring bits from the MU 406 system and the HYPER 121 SD 12 hammer. Robit continued to provide assistance and monitor the performance and the drilling parameters. At the end of November, the fortification project of Station 11 of Lima Metro Line 2 was completed.
”Soletanche’s experience with our drilling tools has been very satisfactory, given the great performance of the MU 114 system, as well as the MU 406 system penetration rates achieved after the adjustments recommended by our drilling specialists. This project has further consolidated the relations between Robit and Soletanche for future projects”, José says.
As a whole, Lima Metro Line 2 is a gigantic, $5 billion project which will largely revolutionize mobility in the Lima Metropolitan area. Today, the typical trip from Ate to Callao is a two-hour ride; the metro line reduces the time to 45 minutes – a major improvement that will be enjoyed by more than 200 million passengers each year.
Picture: Harold Del Rosario (3rd from right) and the Soletanche team at Station 11.
Peñasquito Mine, located in the State of Zacatecas in Central Mexico, is the second-largest silver mine in the world and also a major producer of gold, lead, and zinc. The giant has been successfully served by a fresh partnership between a new dynamic distributor and Robit.
The scale of operation at Peñasquito is so massive that it’s more like a small city than just an open-pit mine, with its own airport, a 1,900-bed camp with full dining, laundry and recreational facilities, and even a radio station. Opened in 2010, it currently produces some 31 million ounces, or almost 900 tons, of silver per year.
Mining is a thriving industry in Mexico, with several distributors competing over their share of the drilling consumable market. Peñasquito Mine is owned by Newmont, the world’s largest gold mining corporation. This did not stop Marlous Supplies and Services, a newcomer in the field, from landing a distribution deal for Robit DTH tools with Newmont.
Marlous was founded in the spring of 2020 by Martín Ocaño, who has an accomplished track record in the business.
“I have dedicated 24 years to the commercialization of products and services, in mining and public and private companies. For years I had been working on the idea of forming a company dedicated to supplying different products to the mining industry”, Martín says.
“Our key strength against the competition is that we focus completely on giving good attention and service to our clients, always covering their needs, interests and concerns, including after-sales. This has distinguished us and helped us enter and gain ground in the toughly competed mining market.”
In the search for a reliable supplier for drilling tools in their portfolio, Marlous decided the best option was Robit, given their experience and product quality. In the case of Newmont Peñasquito, Marlous was in the right place at the right time.
“Newmont’s main supplier of drilling tools was failing to deliver products in time. We had a similar product available, so we were able to help them out, and from then on we were allowed to start serious testing”, Martín recalls.
Currently, Marlous is supplying a major part of the DTH drilling tools used at Peñasquito. These include Robit D88 and WH4 hammers as well as QL80 and TD40 drill bits.
A key factor in their success at Peñasquito has been the technical personnel working on-site in close cooperation with the Newmont staff. This includes monthly meetings where the results of the previous month are analyzed and points of improvement can be identified.
“We are always open to feedback and encourage our customers to comment on any detail, anomaly or possible improvement. They appreciate it when their comments and observations are taken into account and implemented as soon as possible”, says Martín.
Still a young and small company, Marlous has already established a firm foothold in the Mexican mining sector. Growing steadily, the company is building on a balanced synergy between the quality of products and impeccable customer service.
Picture: The Marlous team, from left; Martín Tapia, Erik Coronado, Guadalupe Rivera, Ignacio Beltran, Carlos Tapia, Rodrigo Aravena. Martín Ocaño, Narciso Beltrán and Miguel Beltrán were out on business.
Rich in copper, silver, gold, and lead reserves, Peru is a global giant in the mining industry. Iron ore is also a significant export, although known deposits are limited to a single region.
Antonio Raimondi was an exceptionally versatile scientist. Born in Milan, Italy in 1826, he emigrated to Peru in 1850. A year later he became a professor of natural history at the National University of San Marcos in Lima. In the following years, he founded a medical school and a chemistry department there. Raimondi was also a passionate geographer, traveling extensively across the country conducting geological, botanical, and zoological studies. It was on one of these journeys that he discovered a vast iron ore deposit in the Marcona District in the Nazca province, some 500 km south of Lima, in 1870.
It wasn’t until the 1950s that the exploitation of iron ore in Marcona began. Since 1992 the open pit operation has been run by the Chinese-owned company Shougang Hierro Perú, during which time the production of iron has grown sixfold.
A large share of the drilling and earthmoving operations at Shougang Hierro Perú is conducted by Cosapi Mineria, a subsidiary of Cosapi S.A., one of Peru’s biggest construction and engineering companies. Cosapi Mineria specializes in massive earthworks and the development of open pit mines.
An open pit operation typically makes extensive use of Down-the-Hole tools for pre-split and buffer drilling. That’s why Shougang Hierro Perú was an attractive target for Robit SAC to approach with their offering.
“The iron deposit at Shougang Hierro Perú consists of very hard and abrasive materials. You can find competent soils with compressive strengths of 250 to 300 MPa”, says José Luis Cisneros, General Manager of Robit SAC.
“We contacted Cosapi Mineria and carried out the first test in early 2020 with 7-inch bits and a D65 hammer. Since then, we have been working ever more closely with Cosapi, providing them with material innovations to increase performance.”
“In recent months we have been working together with Cosapi in a testing process of the main DTH providers in the market. Thanks to the constant monitoring by our Assistance Engineer Kevin Salas, and the development of the right products through our DTH Sales Manager, Martín Rodríguez, we have been able to generate new ways of improving the operation and proposing drilling targets with higher standards”, José says.
The open pit operation requires a lot of double bench pre-splitting, performed with D45 HD hammers and 5-inch bits, ballistic buttons, and a convex face. The bits have obtained an average duration of 1,400 meters, and an average speed of 32 m/h.
Recently, Cosapi signed an extension contract for their operations in two of the open pits at Shougang Hierro Perú. Impressed by the tests conducted with Robit, they granted a consignment agreement, trusting Robit with 60% of the consumption of drilling tools over the competition.
“This is the first contract of consumption for DTH tools in Latin America where we will provide assistance and stock for the client’s operation, including technical service, maintenance of hammers and management of drill bits”, says José.
“We hope to show Cosapi Mineria and the market that Robit SAC has the necessary resources to keep exceeding the expectations of our strategic partners.”
