ROSH PINAH – boosting quality with Robit tools

Geographically, most of Namibia consists of a desert or near-desert plateau. Underneath this arid ground, however, lies a massive mineral wealth.

Namibia’s economy relies heavily on its mining industry: almost half of the country’s foreign exchange earnings are contributed by this sector. Key exports include diamonds, uranium, gold and silver, as well as a wide variety of base metals such as lead, copper, and zinc.

On the edge on the Namib desert in southern Namibia, the Rosh Pinah underground mine, owned by Canadian-based Trevali, has been producing zinc and lead for 50 years, milling some 2,000 tonnes of ore per day. That kind of production volumes pose a challenge to the supply and service of consumable parts – and that’s where Robit SA was able to help Rosh Pinah improve their performance.

“We signed a consignment stock contract for the “GET” (Ground Engagement Tools) with Rosh Pinah in August. It’s a full-service contract, including a management system”, explains Franco Van Deventer, Sales Director for Robit SA.

The two-year contract covers both development and long hole production drilling, as well as “cut and fill” mining.

Better quality through reporting

“Our management reporting system has marked a significant improvement in quality control. Our monthly feedback reports allow our customer to track the performance of our equipment and compare the efficiency and cost. Before our contract this had not been possible”, Franco says.

Picture: Bird’s eye view of Rosh Pinah. (Image: Hp.Baumeler)

TEST REPORT – Greenbushes, WA, Australia

Tested tools: Robit C51 bits, rods and shanks
Test location: Greenbushes, WA, Australia
Test date(s): Since May 2018
Client’s challenge: Top Hammer drill bit performance in the hard ground conditions of a lithium mine
Reported by: Mark Thwaits, Technical Sales Representative, Robit Australia

Report:

We began trialling at Greenbushes, the world’s largest lithium mine, in the spring of 2018. They are currently using our C51 Retrac bits monthly, principally the 115 mm Drop Centre Retrac (DSR) and Flat Face (FF).

Through frequent site visits we have developed a very positive relationship with our customer where information has become a two-way street. For example, it was our suggestion to try the DSR bit as a substitute to the FF, as we had seen it perform extremely well in similar conditions elsewhere.

We have secured their TH bit business off the strength of Robit’s bits. The life and performance of our bits has been praised by the client. They easily outlast the competition – and with the extremely hard and abrasive ground associated with lithium mines, the increased life of Robit bits has been greatly appreciated.

In today’s intensely competitive market, Australian drilling contractors have become far less inclined to sign contracts, preferring to give monthly business to the supplier who performs and provides value regularly.

Our top-performance bits have allowed us to continually do monthly business with the client, and we continue to trial new products in an effort to supply all their drill string needs, e.g. rods and shanks, at Greenbushes as well as other sites the client operates on.

FIJI – A new dot on the Robit world map

“Tranquillity” is a word that easily comes to mind on Fiji, the island country sitting almost 3,000 kilometres away from its nearest continent Australia. An ever-growing number of visitors are feeling the allure of its white sandy beaches and coral reefs, making tourism a key driver in Fiji’s economy today, along with agriculture and fishing.

Fiji has also been blessed with wealthy mineral resources, with gold and silver representing some of the country’s largest exports. So-called Development Minerals – minerals mined, processed, and used locally in construction, infrastructure, and agriculture – also play an important part in Fiji’s growing economy. This year, the very first Fiji Development Minerals Trade Fair and Conference was held in Suva, the capital city of the republic. The event, hosted by UNDP (United Nations Development Program) and MRD (Mineral Resources Department of Fiji), also helped Robit add a new dot on its global business map.

“It was a great opportunity to network, meet key players in the Development Minerals industry and get a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing Fiji’s Development Minerals market”, says Technical Sales Representative Richard Epstein, Robit Australia.

“Fiji is diversifying its economy and improving its civil infrastructure, which should have a positive impact on the quarrying and civil construction industries. This means there is an opportunity to gain a strong foothold in the market. To that end, we are partnering with Vinod Patel, Fiji’s largest hardware and construction materials company to help establish our presence in the market and provide much needed local support”, Richard explains.

Golden prospects

Richard also visited the Vatukoula Gold Mine, the largest and oldest mine in Fiji. It has been operating for over 75 years and has produced over 7 million ounces (approx. 200,000 kg) of gold during this time. “Vatukoula spends about half a million euros per year on Top Hammer drilling consumables, but this is likely to increase in coming years as they have plans to expand development of the mine and double production”, Richard says.

“Robit’s threaded jumbo bits were tested underground at Vatukoula, with promising results. A new gold mine, Lion One, is due to come on line in 2019. Add to that our partnership with Vinod Patel and the contacts we have established through them with key players in the quarrying and extractive industries, and we should be well positioned for future opportunities in Fiji.”

FOREPOLING through the Colombian Andes

“4G”, or Fourth Generation, typically refers to a mobile network. In Colombia, it’s also an abbreviation for the largest and most ambitious road infrastructure program in Latin America.

Colossal investment

Colombia’s 4G program involves 7,000 kilometres of roadway – a more than $ 50 billion investment divided into more than 40 projects. Part of a master plan to place Colombia at the forefront of Latin American economies, its aim is to step up regional development and promote foreign trade by reducing transport times across the country.

4G has marked a massive boost for the construction industry in Colombia, a country traversed by no less than three branches of the Andes. In addition to 1,400 km of four-lane highways, 4G includes 141 tunnels (125 km in length) and as many as 1,300 viaducts (146 km in length).

One of the 4G projects, called “Autopista Conexión Pacífico 1”, is the construction of a highway between Medellin, Colombia’s second largest city, and Bolombolo, in central northwestern Colombia. It includes two tunnels, Sinifaná and Amagá.

Partnering in a competitive market

Sinifaná, consisting of two parallel tunnels, 1,6 km each with a cross-section of 100 m², is contracted by the Spanish-owned OSSA. They are drilling with Robit tools, supplied by SESCO, Robit’s exclusive dealer of tunneling tools in Colombia. Through SESCO, Robit entered the Colombian market three years ago.

“Entering Colombia was a real challenge since the prices were very depressed. We are by no means the cheapest in the market, but thanks to the durability and fast performance of our tools, we have been able to demonstrate that Robit is the most economical cost-per-meter choice”, says José Cisneros, Sales Director for Robit SAC.

In addition to providing tools, Robit consults the main designers in the projects, and provides training to drillers to ensure optimal use of the various tools. In forepoling, the Robit system can offer key advantages for the driller. It’s easy to install, couplings between sections are very fast to make, and the durability helps minimize downtime.

Impressive performance

“We have seen performance that has not been reached in this country before: 13,000 m for rods, 25,000 m for couplings, 24,000 m for shanks, to name a few. Add to that the superior penetration rate of our drill bits, and our client has been able to reduce execution times up to 40%”, says a pleased José.

The Sinifaná tunnel is expected to be completed in September 2019, and the Amagá tunnel two years later. Once finished, the Pacífico 1 highway will cut the travel time from Medellin to Bolombolo in half.

Picture: The Cauca river crosses numerous towns in the Department of Antioquia, including Bolombolo.

Ylimäki quarries with more than 30 years of experience

Markku Viitanen sits in the cab of the drill rig, wearing protectors on his ears and expertly operating the joystick. An echo sounds out from the surrounding forest as Robit’s drill bit is hammered into the rock. It’s a typical day at the office for Markku. And the quarry, located in Karstula, central Finland, is a typical work site for Markku’s employer, Louhintaliike Ylimäki.

This is Markku’s third day of drilling at the quarry. Red borehole plugs in the snow mark the holes that have already been drilled. The 83-millimetre bore holes are being drilled to a depth of 10–12 metres, down to the bottom level of the quarry. Half of the roughly 1,600 metres to be drilled has already been completed. As a quarrying site, this one is of a moderate size, at 25,000 tonnes. Large sites can be in the range of 100,000 tonnes.

When the boring work is completed, the shot-firing team takes over. An explosive, such as ‘Kemiitti’ – an emulsion explosive developed for open-cut excavations – is loaded into the hole, and a second explosive is placed on top as a guarantee. The area is blasted. A hydraulic hammer is used to break any oversize rocks into a crushable size. At this point, Louhintaliike Ylimäki’s work at this quarry is finished; another contractor will take over the crushing operations.

– Ylimäki’s main areas of operation are western Finland and northern Ostrobothnia, and its main customers are aggregate suppliers and crushing companies,” says civil engineer Matti Pitkäjärvi, who supervises the work at the company’s quarrying sites. Blast rock is also produced at the Karstula quarry, to be crushed for infrastructure construction or concrete or asphalt production, for example.

Industry leader after three decades

Louhintaliike Ylimäki Oy is a family business that was established in 1983. The company started out small, with rented equipment, but over the decades has grown to become the largest rock extractor in the region. With about 20 employees and a solid equipment base, Ylimäki blasted five million tonnes of rock in 2014. A second generation of Ylimäkis – brothers Matti and Mikko – now run the company.

How does a regional operator competing with major national companies survive?

– We’re doing well. We have a lot of long-term, established customer relationships. With adequate and modern equipment, expert staff and reasonable prices, the customers are happy. We don’t have to fight for every site, says Matti.

Annual contract speeds up processes

Louhintaliike Ylimäki has been drilling with Robit bits for a long time. And as Robit’s Sales Manager, Mika Mankinen, recounts, co-operation between the two companies was taken one step further in 2015: they entered into an annual agreement covering not just drill bits, but also shank adapters and drill rods.

– It came down to the price/quality ratio or, to put it in more concrete terms, cost per drilled metre. The Finnish aspect is also an important criterion,” says Matti, elaborating on how the deal came about.

The annual agreement will simplify the purchasing process, and drilling equipment will come at a fixed, competitive price. A volume-based price saves the customer not only money, but the headache of having to negotiate a price separately for every construction site. The process is as simple as can be: Matti makes an order and Robit delivers the agreed amount of products.

– The co-operation between Ylimäki and Robit has for years been practical and smooth. We can always call Mika if new requirements or requests arise during a drilling job, says Matti. – Robit is always able to flexibly respond to changes or development needs, Mika adds.

For this western Finland quarrying company, business is going well. When asked about the bigger challenges facing the company, Matti pauses to think about it.

– In this business in general, the challenge is the unequal distribution of the work load – the ups and downs of the quiet and busy times of the year. But we don’t experience that. Our fleet of equipment is always in use, says a pleased Matti.

Widening Hong Kong’s traffic bottlenecks

Hong Kong is one of the world´s most densely populated metropolises. The neighbouring Shenzhen, founded in the 1980s, is the fastest growing city in China. As a reminder of the time when Hong Kong was under British control – no more than 20 years ago – there are still control points between the two cities.

The existing six land control points are major bottlenecks due to the massive traffic. That’s why the Hong Kong government launched a big development project in 2014 to open a seventh road connection. It involves a tunnel excavation where Robit’s tools have been put to the test.

Different rock, different methods

To accommodate the high volume of the traffic, two tunnels are being built side by side, one for each direction. Excavation for the 4.8-kilometre-long tunnels has been started at both ends, using different techniques. TBM is the method of choice at the north end on the Shenzhen side; at the south end the rock is so hard that the drill & blast method yields results faster and more efficiently.

Dragages Hong Kong, the main contractor, organized a bidding tender for the drill & blast work. Robit’s tools, represented by Merman Technology, proved to be the most competitive. The drilling work is performed by Robodrill, using tunneling jumbos and Montabert drifters.

– Before reaching the hard rock, there was a great deal of forepoling. Some of the ground was more challenging and softer than we expected, says Antti Mäkinen, Robit’s Sales Director for Southeast Asia.

– Robit supplied the ring bits, pilots and casings for the forepoling stage, as well as the tools – shanks, couplings, drill rods, and button bits – for drill & blast.

Smooth sailing for all parties

– I’m happy to say this has been a successful project from the very start. Our client has been extremely satisfied with Robit’s services, deliveries and products. I would also like to give my warmest thanks to Mr. Jacky Lee, the CEO of Merman, who has been providing excellent support to our client throughout the entire project.

In a large scale project like this, what have been the biggest challenges so far?

– As far as our tools are concerned, we have faced no problems. The major challenges have more to do with organization than technology, precisely because of the vast scale of it all. Planning the delivery schedules for all the various delivery points has taken a lot of effort, Mäkinen explains.

– Actually, this has been a learning experience for all of us. Cooperation with Dragages and Robodrill has been very fruitful. We frequently visit the work site, evaluate the processes, methods and tools, in a joint effort to make things run ever more smoothly.

The learning experience underneath the hills of northern Hong Kong continues. A staggering 770,000 total drill metres with Robit’s tools is to be completed by the end of 2017. The new Boundary Control Point is scheduled to open a year later.

Uptime – from necessity to opportunity

Uptime Earthmoving Solutions Inc. (Uptime) was established in 2016 by engineers and technical people of Delta Earthmoving, Inc. a leading contractor in the Philippines specializing in earthmoving, quarrying and mining.

Delta was executing nine quarrying contracts and one major open pit mining contract, extracting a combined 4.5 million metric tonnes of materials per month, each one requiring drilling operations. Mr. Geoffrey Omengan, Delta’s EVP for asset management then observed that in spite of the operations’ results showing the obvious cost efficiency of Robit products over other brands, the company continued to use an assortment of brands. With this observation, Mr. Omengan envisioned not only expanding the utilization of Robit products but also distributing the brand in the Philippines. Not only would sustainable drilling solutions be provided to Delta but business opportunities would also arise in distributing products which have shown a distinct advantage over other brands based on actual applications. Thus, Uptime
was created with Mr. Geoffrey Omengan at the helm.

On the other end, Binn Lim, Export Manager of Robit Korea, had been waiting for years for the opportunity to introduce the Robit brand to Delta. As fate would have it, Mr. Lim and Mr. Jimmy Omengan, a director of Delta, crossed paths during the Bauma Expo in Munich, Germany in 2016. The two did not waste time discussing the availability of Robit products in the Philippines, which quickly graduated into Uptime’s possible dealership and distribution of Robit products. This would pave the way for further discussions between the two parties and as the adage goes, “the rest is history”.

Less than a year from its establishment, Uptime has gained tremendous momentum in developing Robit as a major player in the Philippine market. The use of Robit products has expanded beyond Delta to other drilling contractors. Furthermore, Uptime was able to confidently conduct drill testings for several significant players in the Philippine mining industry. The results have been encouraging and Uptime foresees a significant growth in the market for Robit.

Picture: Rusialda (Uptime), Binn Lim (Robit Korea), Bryan Lumongtad (Uptime).

Hydro power from the Himalayas

Starting some 4,000 metres high up on a Himalayan glacier, The Alaknanda River winds its way down towards the south through the state of Uttarakhand, gaining momentum, finally meeting with the Bhagirathi river to form the mighty Ganges. Some of that momentum will be harnessed by a hydroelectric plant, now under construction in the Chamoli district in Northern India.

The 444 MW hydropower construction project includes a diversion of the river into a headrace tunnel and a diversion dam of 65 m height across the river. This will create a gross head of 237 m for power generation.

A project this size requires also a number of adits, or access tunnels, to be built. The ground conditions for tunnelling work has proven to be quite challenging: the TBMs would have to drill through loose soil mixed with large – or small – boulders made up of very hard quartzite.

Machino International was selected to supply and install the piperoofing system for the TBM entry adit with Robit’s tools.

– We had heard a lot of positive feedback about Robit’s piperoofing system from previous projects, such as the IL&FS Kiratpur Ner-Chowk highway tunnel and the IRCON railway tunnel at Jammu & Kashmir. Also, Robit’s Sales Manager S.K. Back paid a personal visit on-site to meet our client and made a convincing case for Robit, says Director Vibhore Agarwal, Machino International.

Thanks to the timely supply and high quality of Robit’s ring bits and pilot bits, the goal of installing the 12-metre casing system was reached in time. Once completed, the hydroelectric plant will significantly improve the supply of electricity in the area by providing clean, renewable, low-carbon energy.

Espoo waters to be treated in a massive cave

Playing a round on Espoo Golf’s green fairways, you would never guess that right next to the golf course, under the Blominmäki rock, a massive excavation project is underway: the construction site of a new wastewater treatment plant. Once completed, the plant will process the wastewater of over 400,000 residents.

Espoo is building the new plant to prepare for an increase in its population. The plant will be equipped with the best modern technology which will improve treatment results. Energy efficiency is another design feature: the plant will produce more than half of the electricity it needs itself. It will also produce heat in excess of its needs.

The contract was awarded to Lemminkäinen Infra. Robit will supply all the drill bits and some of the drifter shaft adapters and rods to the construction site.

– Robit’s assets in the competitive bidding process were full service, delivery reliability and uncompromising quality, says Project Engineer Jarkko Meriläinen from Lemminkäinen.

During the first months of the project, Robit and Lemminkäinen worked on product development to find the most suitable drilling tools. Before long, their co-operation resulted in an optimal wear part maintenance cycle during excavation. Robit’s sharpening service ensures that operations can continue uninterrupted.

– It’s not about the unit price of a product, say, a drill bit, but about the life cycle cost. When co-operation with the drillers is smooth and maintenance flows like clockwork, considerable cost savings can be made, comments Robit Sales Manager responsible for the project.

A whopping 900,000 cubic metres of rock will be excavated at Blominmäki in total. The excavation work will be completed during 2017, followed by the actual construction work. The new plant will go on stream in 2020.

New motorway in Macedonia straightens the bends

In Macedonia, the verdant heart of the Balkans, narrow and winding roads hug the mountainsides making journeys by car excruciatingly slow. The situation is about to change, though, through massive investments in infrastructure.

The single largest road building project underway in Macedonia is the 57-kilometre stretch of motorway between Kicevo and Ohrid, a popular lake-side city in the southwest corner of the country. The project employs 1,200 people and 550 machines. The EUR 375 million investment project is financed by Sinohydro, a Chinese state-owned company and the main contractor of the project.

A twin-tube tunnel with two lanes in each tube will be built through the Preseka mountain, totalling four kilometres in length. Traffic will travel in one direction in each of the tubes.

To an extent, the tunnelling work will be carried out the traditional, manual way by around two to three hundred employees, while the rest of the excavation work will be handled by tunnelling jumbos. The local subcontractor for the project is Avtotehna d.o.o. Skopje, which is in charge of procurement and the maintenance of the equipment and machinery. For forepoling, Avtotehna chose Robit’s tools. The criteria for the decision were clear.

– Robit clearly outperformed its competitors in the tests. With Robit’s products, the drilling of one cross section equalling 39 holes took 30 hours in contrast with 48 hours achieved by the best competitor. There are several reasons for this: Robit’s casings are thicker, the casings’ threading is superior, and as a whole, the products are stronger and more reliable, says Vladimir Ovcarov, Manager at Avtotehna.

Robit has guaranteed a constant supply of wear parts.
– It is all about customer service. By listening to the customer and making plans together with them onsite, we are able to estimate what products and how much of them will be needed at the site over the next couple of months, and most importantly, we are also able to deliver on those needs. We dispatch a truckload of products every week, Robit’s Sales Engineer Rasmus Sokura says.

– Competition in this field is stiff. You have to be prepared for surprises and risks and be able to react quickly. We have proven from the get-go that you can always rely on Robit. We have since also managed to gain a foothold in the Balkan mining sector, Rasmus adds.

Avtotehna is also very happy with Robit.
– Our co-operation with Robit has run smoothly. They listen to our wishes and offer flexible, quick service 24/7. This is something that large, rigid organisations have not been able to provide, Vladimir says.

Deep inside the Preseka mountain, tunnelling work will continue for over a year. If the project stays on schedule, the motorway will be completed in 2018, cutting – to the delight of Macedonian motorists – the travel time between Kicevo and Ohrid in half.

ROBIT’S ROX+ 114,3/10 SYSTEM FOREPOLING PRODUCTS IN MACEDONIA:
• Pilot bits
• Ring bits (welded to casing)
• Extension casings and end casings
• Grouting plugs/end caps with ball valves
• Drifter shank adaptors and rods

Picture: Planning and scheduling everyday operations at the jobsite: Avtotehna d.o.o., Sinohydro and Robit.

Building Thailand’s Infrastructure

Power generation, irrigation, road construction, railroad tunnels – when it comes to building the backbone for Thailand’s economy, Right Tunnelling Ltd. is playing an active part in it.

Founded in 2000, the first project Right Tunnelling undertook was a tunnel excavation for the massive Khun Dan Prakan Chon Dam construction in the province of Nakhon Nayok, initiated by His Majesty the King. Since the completion of the dam in 2005, the local communities have enjoyed a constant supply of water for irrigation, and damages caused by flooding have decreased. The dam itself has become a major tourist attraction, with fishing and other outdoor activities.

Since the beginning, Right Tunnelling earned a reputation as a reliable contractor for civil engineering projects and has grown into the leading tunnel contractor in Thailand, with operations also in the neighbouring Laos and Myanmar.

Similarly, Robit has earned a reputation as a trusted partner for Right Tunnelling, providing them with Robit rock tools such as drill bits, rods, couplings, and shanks, as well as BulrocRobit hammers.

– Our cooperation with Right Tunnelling has been really smooth for several years. We have frequently visited their jobsites in Thailand and Laos to gain insight about their challenging drilling conditions so we can design the optimal tools for them, says Antti Mäkinen, Sales Director, Southeast Asia.

The latest jobsites where Robit’s tools have been put to the test include a railway tunnel, commissioned by the State Railway of Thailand in the province of Saraburi, the Maetaeng-Maengad water tunnel near Chiang Mai, and a headrace tunnel for a diversion dam in a hydropower project in the Bolikhamxay province in Laos.

Breaking Records in a Silver Mine

By the summer of 1546 Juan de Tolosa, a Spanish Basque conquistador, had grown frustrated. He had led several expeditions in search of silver in North-Central Mexico, with little success other than a handful of silver-rich rocks he’d obtained from local natives. On September 8th his luck finally changed.

De Tolosa had hit a mother lode that soon turned out to be one of the richest silver deposits in the world. Within a few decades, the mining camp he founded on the spot grew into a prosperous city called Zacatecas, which later became the capital of the state carrying the same name. By the 18th century, the state of Zacatecas produced no less than one fifth of the world’s silver.

Almost 500 years after de Tolosa, the silver deposits in the state of Zacatecas show no sign of depletion. One of the largest underground mines in the area is called El Saucito, near the city of Fresnillo, some 50 km north of Zacatecas City, owned by Fresnillo plc. Operational since 2011, it produces some 22 million oz (more than 620,000 kg) of silver per year, along with some gold, lead, and zinc.

To maintain and ramp up production, extensive mine development is constantly underway. In 2017, some 24,000 meters of rock will be excavated by the contractors at El Saucito. In such a scale, successful performance requires a reliable supply of all consumable parts of the drill string, such as bits, rods, couplings, and shanks.

Several contractors at El Saucito have chosen Robit’s tools, supplied by their local Robit distributor Rock Bits Tools. “It’s all about communicating and following up with the customer, so we can ensure we have the right drilling parameters and good conditions on the drill rig. Rock Bits Tools are doing a great job serving our customers”, says Sales Director Jorge Leal of Robit S.A.C.

Cominvi, one of the contractors Robit is serving at El Saucito, has reached impressive results with Robit’s tools in drifting and tunnelling. “Each drilling tool has a life expectancy relative to a specific mine or area. In El Saucito for example, a shank that lasts around 5,000 drill metres can be considered high quality. Recently, Cominvi drilled 9,196 metres on one of their drifters with our shank adapter COP1838 R38 038/435. To our knowledge, that’s a record”, Jorge says with a tinge of pride in his voice.

There may yet emerge new opportunities for breaking that record: the ore resources at El Saucito alone are estimated to last for another 25 years.

Picture: The Rock Bits Tools task force ready for action. From left: Gustavo Martinez, Jorge Rodriguez, Felipe Azpilcueta, Ricardo Castillo, Carlos Torres.

The Sense System goes to Java

Drill hole deviation is a problem most mining operations have had to deal with – until recently. Robit’s groundbreaking Sense System product line was created to address this issue. It has been extensively tried and tested in quarries and mines around the world, now including Indonesia.

In gold mines, blast hole sampling – analysing rock cuttings extracted from the drilled holes – is a common method of exploring ore grades. Accurate sampling allows for identifying ore zones and waste rock zones, which is essential for efficient mine planning.

Usually you have to settle for two dimensions when plotting the blast zones from sampled data. Also, the deeper you drill, the more the hole tends to veer off from its desired direction. Because of this drill hole deviation, you may end up with inaccurate sample data.

These are familiar problems at the gold mine owned by Bumi Suksesindo in Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia. That’s why the mining contractor and the blasting contractor at the site welcomed the opportunity to test Robit’s M-Sense system with PT. Marton, Robit’s distributor in Indonesia.

“We found that the M-Sense helped improve ore grade sampling. Normally you plot blast zones using two-dimensional data, but thanks to M-Sense, you get an instant 3D view of the drilled hole in the drilling pattern on a tablet screen. Any deviation from ore zone to waste rock zone is easy to spot”, explains Sales Manager Frandy Widjaja from PT. Marton.

“Also, when you can measure drill hole deviation, you can avoid overcharging the blast holes, which improves safety in a free-face area”, Frandy adds.

The M-Sense system has also been tested at a cement mine in Citereup in West Java, with equally promising results. “At both sites we have received great feedback from the test teams: M-Sense is simple to use, light-weight, and easily operated by one person. That saves a lot of time and hassle in the measuring process”, Frandy concludes.

Picture: The test team at Citereup, from left: Benny Sofyan, Wijaya Surio, Frandy Widjaja (PT. Marton); Ronaldo Indra Putra,Andry Kurniawan (PT. Indocement); Sunyong Choi, Binn Lim (Robit Korea)

Taking ground in the Brazilian quarry market

Concrete is the most versatile and most widely used material for construction. In a typical concrete mix, as much as 60% to 80% of it consists of aggregates. Aggregates for the construction industry are the most consumed mineral inputs in the world – including Brazil.

“In Brazil, extracting aggregates is a key activity in the mining sector. The recent economically lean years saw a reduction in production volume, but the economy is now recovering step by step. This applies to the aggregates market as well – and Robit found an important partner to help advance our growth strategy in the country”, says Alexei Albuquerque, Distributor Business Manager for Robit in Latin America.

Paraná Drill was founded in 2001 to serve the quarry market with equipment, parts and consumables. Based in Curitiba, the capital of Paraná state, the company covers the south states of Brazil.

“I’m always looking for quality products with a good reputation. Knowing that Robit was searching for a new distributor for this market, I approached them Taking ground in the Brazilian quarry market and introduced Paraná Drill and our operation in the segment”, says Fabiano Buffon, the President of Paraná Drill.

“We then organized a test in our quarry to learn how Robit’s tools would perform. I had a really good first impression of them and the results were positive, as we’d expected. We are happy with the performance of Robit’s tools and the support their team provides”. Today Paraná Drill is a recognized company in the quarry market, especially in southern Brazil. The market has great growth potential but also faces challenges.

“In addition to contending with our competitors, we need to deal with import duties, long-term customer financing and great variation in exchange rates. Having a partner with cost-effective high-quality products certainly helps”, Fabiano Buffon concludes.

Picture: Mikko Vuojolainen, VP, Robit Americas (left) and Fabiano Buffon, President, Paraná Drill

Top Hammer Drilling

Top Hammer Drilling

In Top Hammer Drilling the hammer produces a percussive force on the drill rods or tubes, which is transmitted to the drill bit. The feed device is usually attached with a hinged boom to a mobile unit. The percussive system strikes the drill rod, for example 2,000-5,000 strikes per minute, and the rotation speed can be, for example, 60-200 rounds per minute. Together these elements make it possible to drill holes in the hard rock. The excess material (cuttings) is flushed up from the bottom of the hole by means of pressurized air or water. Top hammer drills are primarily used in mining, construction and quarrying of rock material. Top hammer drilling, combined with the “drill and blast” method, makes the whole excavation process extremely efficient.

Lemminkäinen and robit provide underground parking for 900 cars

Overview

A world-class parking facility called Kivisydän (“Heart of Stone”) is currently being excavated by Finland’s leading underground construction company, Lemminkäinen Corporation at a depth of 30 meters beneath Oulu’s city center. One of the largest and most challenging of its kind in Finland, the project makes good use of Robit’s expertise.

Robit Rocktools Ltd and Lemminkäinen have worked in close co-operation for nearly a decade, mostly in ground drilling. Kivisydän is the companies’ tunnel excavation pilot project. “The project extends our good partnership to the area of tunnel construction. Robit is supplying us with the latest technology button bits needed to excavate the underground parking facility. They are also taking care of sharpening the bits,” says Pentti Nieminen, site manager from Lemminkäinen.

Construction and excavation in the downtown core sets special demands on the work and planning. “This is a challenging underground site” emphasizes Pentti Nieminen. “We need expert partners whose work we can trust explicitly. In demanding conditions, knowledgeable people and state-of-the-art equipment are crucial for success”.

Robit’s trump card is, in addition to high-quality products, the smooth integration of a bit-sharpening service with deliveries. “Thanks to the service, our cooperation partners don’t have to worry about servicing the bits. This allows them to focus completely on their core competence,” explains Timo Rajala, Robit’s Finnish Sales and Marketing Director.

Robit helps the 2014 olympic games happen in sochi

Overview

In the course of the years, Robit Rocktools Ltd has been involved in several Olympic Games building projects all around the world. The work will continue with the next Winter Olympics in Sochi, as the local contractors rely on Robit products for digging the tunnel network – a necessary part of the game venue infrastructure.

The 2014 Olympic Games will be organized in Sochi, the first Winter Olympics to be held in Russia. To ensure smooth transport between the various sites, a tunnel network with a total length of over 26 kilometers is being excavated in the area. One of the key factors behind Sochi’s selection as the Olympic City was the creation of a functional road and railway network, and Robit has its share in this.

Several contractors in Sochi are utilizing the Robit RoX+ 88.9/8 Top Hammer system in tunnel work. The system consists of a pilot bit automatically locking with a ring bit, which makes work considerably easier and faster. “Word about the excellence of our product quickly got around the Sochi sites, and a total of six contractors started using it”, says Oleg Ivanov, Regional Manager at Robit Rocktools Ltd.

“Our co-operation went smoothly. The contractors appreciated our proactive technical support and service. We were able to respond to their wishes comprehensively,” Ivanov continues. Work on the Sochi tunnel sites is getting near completion. “We will continue by delivering our HTG bits to the Olympic sites as needed.”

Metro heads to the west with Kalliorakennus and Robit

Overview

The challenging construction work of the new, westbound metro line in Helsinki demands wide-ranging expertise. Drilling maintenance shafts for metro tunnels has little room for error, but Kalliorakennus-Yhtiöt ensured a successful end result by using Robit products.

The metro tunnel shafts are a vital part of the underground railway system. They serve as emergency exits, smoke vents and pressure equalization as well as ventilation systems. Among their other large contributions to the West Metro construction, Kalliorakennus-Yhtiöt had to drill 44 meter-deep shafts with a surface area of 68 square meters to solid Scandinavian bedrock – by no means a trivial task.

“We set tough quality requirements for the project, as the work outcome must be exact. We drilled the excavation holes for the shaft from the top right down to the bottom, whereas drilling is normally carried out from both the bottom and the top. It was crucial that the holes turned out straight,” explains site manager Martti Kähkönen from Kalliorakennus. “We used Robit Rocktools special equipment to make sure the drilling holes were straight”.

The collaboration between Kalliorakennus and Robit go back since the early ‘90s. “All of the bits we use are from Robit, because they are familiar products for me. I participated in the bit development work for the first time many years ago”, Kähkönen recalls. In addition to the shared history, Robit’s wide service offering has also impressed Kalliorakennus. “Robit is a reliable partner, but their bit-sharpening service was also a major reason behind why we chose them as co-operation partner in the West Metro project,” he says.