Autonomous reverse circulation drill developer Tribe Tech has secured £760,000 of funding from HSBC UK. Tribe Tech is using the funding – which is backed by UK Export Finance – to build the first full scale prototype of what it says will be the world’s first fully autonomous RC drill at its base in Belfast. The current model being built weighs 80 t (with rods, fuel, water, hammers etc) or 65 t dry and measures 12 m long and 4 m wide.

Several orders for the equipment have already been secured from drilling contractors including in the initial main target market of Western Australian iron ore and the business expects it will ramp up sales to an average of 20 drills per year. Currently, three to five people are required to operate RC drills in dusty and dangerous remote areas. But with Tribe Tech’s invention, the drill can be operated by just one miner from a safe distance of up to 5 km away.

Eric Hampel, Chief Financial Officer at Tribe Tech, said: “Safety is one of the mining industry’s biggest challenges. We created this equipment because we were confident that, with the technology we have available today, there had to be a way of RC drilling that didn’t risk human lives or health but still improved productivity.” He adds: “HSBC UK took the time to really understand our business requirements. With the bank’s support, it’s exciting to look ahead at the change that the mining industry is about to see with our new product.”

Maureen Barr, Relationship Director in Northern Ireland, HSBC UK said: “Tribe Tech is a fantastic example of a company pooling its great expertise to bring about positive change and innovation to a long-established industry. We look forward to seeing its continued growth with the promise of a safer mining industry for the future.” Established in 2019, Tribe Tech was set up to create a safer, more efficient work environment for the mining industry through “Automating the Toughest Tasks.”