The following appeared in an article in the April Edition of Mining Magazine which looked at various drilling consumables manufacturers and got their feedback on how the current economic climate and volatile commodity prices are affecting their business.
Mincon manufactures ranges of standard DTH and RC hammers and bits for the global mining industry. The standard range is available to suit most common industry bit shanks, and are designed to run on: surface DTH rigs, such as the Atlas
“We use only premium grades of steel for the manufacture of our DTH hammers and bits”
A range of some of Mincon’s hammers and bits
QL L8 and DR540; rotary blasthole drills, like the D45KS and QL DM45; and underground DTH rigs from manufacturers like Cubex.
The Mincon MC range of standard hammers utilizes a patented foot valveless bit design and, Mincon says, offers significant advantages for production drilling versus conventional bit shanks. These tools are used primarily for production drilling applications in both surface and underground mining.
Mincon’s range of RC hammers and bits was launched in 2006 with the MX series, and this was superseded in 2012 by the new MR range, which offers significant advantages over earlier models. The new product line was launched with the MR120 and MR132 models, and the MR116 will complete the range later this year.
Mincon RC hammers and bits are designed to run on exploration drilling rigs such as the Schramm 685, QL Explorac 220RC, DE811 and Foremost Discoverer MPD.
In addition to its RC line of hammers, Mincon offers deep-hole standard hammers designed to overcome the backpressures experienced when drilling deep holes – a definite benefit in mineral exploration applications.
All of Mincon’s hammers feature a patented mounting system and do not require any special service assembly or disassembly tools.
The company says that its products can be found on sites owned by mining companies such as Kinross, Newmont, Anglo American, Goldcorp, Barrick, Rio Tinto and Imperial Metals.
Tom Purcell, of Mincon, explains: “We use only premium grades of steel for the manufacture of our DTH hammers and bits. We use proprietary production processes that allow us to maximize tool life in even the most demanding of conditions. Our customers consistently tell us how happy they are with the tool life of their Mincon products.”
Mincon has a policy of continuous R&D for which a percentage of its turnover is allocated annually. “From an engineering standpoint, we are consistently looking at ways to increase drill speeds while improving the life of tools,” says Purcell.
“Mincon’s view in regards to the current economic climate is that it is volatile. This volatility is reflected in the global trends on mineral ore pricing. This, of course, has had an effect on demand for mining products globally.
“However, our outlook for 2013 is one of general optimism for our global business. The overall consensus for 2013 is one of growth.”
