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Innovative Raise Boring Applications

Matt Blattner - TUMI Raise Boring
Executive Manager

STORY INLINE POST

Wed, 10/19/2016 - 14:57

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Q: What are the company’s plans for expansion, and what attracted the company to the Mexican mining industry?

A: The company works exclusively in raise boring although we have plans to move into other sectors in the future. Mexico represents about 35 percent of all raise boring machines on an international scale, meaning the country presents an attractive market share for us. Additionally, most of the ground in Mexico tends to be relatively soft, which is extremely cost effective for raise boring due to high cutter cost. We have five machines currently working in Mexico, three of which were sold to a contractor and the other two were sold to mines. We plan to continue our successful partnership with Part Service Supply.

Q: What differentiates you from competitors within the same market?

A: There are few companies that provide raise boring equipment, and of these TUMI is the only company that provides the complete package from one manufacturer. Our service provides a guarantee that any issues found with any part of the raise boring equipment can be solved by a single provider. We understand all the small details that come with running a raise boring machine, and we are extremely flexible and never treat our clients as just a number. However, raise boring machines can total US$10 million, which is a substantial investment for any company and it is unlikely to be made in such an environment.

Q: What innovative technology have you developed, and what makes it unique in raise boring?

A: Our SBM 400SR machine is revolutionary in that it is completely automated and compact. One was sold to Molycorp in the US, which is a subsidiary of Chevron. Two were sold in Chile, and some will shortly be sent to Australia. There is a significant technological gap between the standard raise boring machine and the SBM 400SR or the larger version, which is the SBM 700SR. Slot raising mining, which involves inserting a burn hole in the center of a mineral pocket, drilling smaller holes around it and setting off an explosion, allows the minerals to collapse into a given space. Without the burn hole the mineral would be trapped.

The advantage of the SR model is that it allows the miner to drill a larger diameter hole, which means a greater round can be created with fewer explosives. A 13in burn hole would allow a 1m2 explosion, while we can drill a 2.1m hole, which creates a 6m2 explosion. 

This provides lower costs and faster production rates. Moreover, a standard raise boring machine has a power pack unit, a control console unit, and an electrical unit in addition to the machine itself, which is attached to a cement pack. On the other hand, the SR model was designed to be mobile so it is self-leveling, self-pinning, and self-secure. Normal production rate on a raise boring machine is between 80m and 100m per month, whereas an SR model drill provides between 200m and 250m per month.

Q: What part does safety play in your business strategy?

A: In all of our machines we have integrated fail safes so that if a component breaks down, there is always a backup option to continue operating. The machine can drive itself to the location, level itself at the hole, and position the rake at the level the client requires from 35° to 90°. On a typical raise boring machine the set-up time is between 5-7 days just for the cement floor, whereas with this mechanism the set-up time is 15 minutes. We reduced human interaction with the machine as much as possible so by implementing automatic pipe positioners, automatic upper wrenches, and automatic bottom wrenches.

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