Peru-based underground drilling equipment major Resemin SA is innovating once again in both the development of an all new battery-powered jumbo and its new two-boom DUAL 88 rig capable of three tasks: scaling, roof bolting and face drilling. This is a direct challenge to the Australian technique of two boom jumbos with split feeds which can also carry out the three tasks but not fully mechanised.

Resemin CEO, James Valenzuela, said that five DUAL 88 units have already been shipped and are operating in India, Mexico and Kazakhstan, with more units soon to deploy in Africa. “The DUAL 88 jumbo is the dream of all miners because it can multitask which means less machines in underground, less people, less  CAPEX and maintenance costs, in summary, a game changing machine.”

Another brand new and ground breaking machine is its battery-powered jumbo, the Troidon 55-EV, which is a battery equipped electric powered face drilling rig designed for face drilling up to 39 m2. It is equipped with a single 75 kW electric motor for traction and drilling, and three packs of FZSONICK batteries. The batteries will be used only for movement – during the drilling process the equipment is plugged into the mine 380/440/550/1,000VAC power grid allowing the jumbo to drill while charging the electric batteries. This machine is the first in its battery drill line-up but Resemin plans to offer all of its fleet with a battery powered option during 2022.