GROUND SUPPORT & ROCK REINFORCEMENT
Minova presents at International Copper Ore Mining Congress
At the recent International Copper Ore Mining Congress in Poland, sponsored by KGHM, Minova says it once again demonstrated its commitment to innovation and safety in mining operations.“ Our representatives attended this prestigious event, where the spotlight was on groundbreaking technologies and research shaping the future of the copper mining and metallurgy industries. One of the highlights of the congress was the presentation of Minova’ s latest impulse load testing on anchor rods- tests designed to simulate rock bursts, a major challenge in deep and high-stress mining environments.”
The test results revealed that Minova’ s newly modernised anchor rod design, in combination with high-grade steel boasting superior mechanical properties, significantly improves the rod’ s ability to absorb and transfer dynamic loads. This advancement is critical in scenarios where sudden energy release in rock masses- such as during a rock burst- can pose serious safety risks.
By enhancing both the structural configuration and the material properties of Minova’ s rods, the engineering team has achieved a new level of dynamic performance, ensuring better protection for underground personnel and infrastructure.
Minova concluded:“ This development isn’ t just about stronger rods- it reflects our continuous push to stay ahead of industry needs and develop solutions that directly respond to the challenges faced by mining operations worldwide. In an environment where safety, durability, and adaptability are non-negotiable, these innovations set Minova apart as a reliable partner in underground support.”
Looking at other technologies, Minova’ s SDA bolting technology is designed to improve installation times and to address hole collapses when used in fractured ground. It is a flexible system that features a load-bearing hollow bar / bolt that is encapsulated by a grout body. The bar / bolt is used as the drill rod, transferring the energy during drilling. Flushing may be achieved with air, water or simultaneously improving productivity by using the single pass drilling and grouting method. The SDA bolts are manufactured from high quality seamless or welded tubes that have either left or righthanded thread types,(‘ R’= Rope thread or‘ T’= Trapezoidal thread).
SDA bolts are teamed with a wide range of grout solutions for rock bolting applications. Carbothix is Minova’ s flagship silicate resin increasing safety, significantly improving efficiency, and decreasing material waste. Carbothix is a two-component silicate resin that instantly thickens and cures when pumping is stopped. Compared to traditional grouts, which need 24-48 hours to harden, bars / bolts can be loaded in minutes with Carbothix. Unlike polyurethane grouts, Carbothix works in the presence of water, allowing for flexible utilisation. Minova:“ Our formulations of Carbothix allow for use in various ambient temperatures and moisture conditions found underground, giving you the flexibility that you need.”
Benefits of using Carbothix include immediate loading capacity; improved operator safety; full encapsulation of anchors; consolidation of fractured boreholes; reduction of material waste; consistent grout quality; and resistance to water.
Together, SDA bolts and Carbothix are marketed as One Step Bolting technology to bring customers product certainty, reduce project costs and improve safety on site.“ We are the only provider on the market that offers the complete solution for your underground challenges. We leverage our SDA bolts and Carbothix technologies, ensuring the highest safety and efficiency in the mining and tunnelling environments. Dynamic, convergent and variable rock conditions, such as fractured and loose rock, are easily overcome without incidence. One Step Bolting technology enables you for full automation of the bolting cycle, reducing worker exposure to harmful and hazardous situations and decreasing installation time in the excavated areas.”
Sandvik Mining introduces new pumpable resin system for i-series bolters
Sandvik Mining is introducing a new pumpable resin system for fast and reliable support in challenging ground conditions. It is available for Sandvik DS412i and Sandvik DS412iE underground drill rigs and supports self-drilling bolts( SDB) and hollow bar bolts( HBB). It is compatible and optimised for Sandvik ground support products including the DSI Hollow Bar System and Mineral Bolt pumpable resin.
The combination of the pumpable resin system with intelligent i-series machines ensures optimal performance and enhanced safety, quality and productivity in bolting applications.
The new system supports one-bolt automation sequences for consistent quality and fast and reliable ground support, even in difficult ground conditions. The completely sealed resin system ensures no manual handling of chemicals, and the mixing ratio, filling ratio and filling volume are automatically controlled, only using the amount of resin required for the hole. The large onboard resin capacity reduces refilling times, and the Mineral Bolt pumpable resin offers fast and adjustable curing times, leading to faster re-entry to recently supported ground.
“ During field testing at a customer site in Spain, we achieved a 95 % success rate in pull-out tests, despite the challenging rock conditions,” said Ari Kopperoinen, Product Line Manager, Rock Support Drills, Sandvik Mining.“ The successful ground support installation can be attributed to the combination of our Sandvik DS412iE batteryelectric bolter with self-drilling bolts and Mineral Bolt pumpable resin from the DSI Hollow Bar System.”
Sandvik Ground Support offers pull-out testing services for better quality control in the bolting cycle. The Pumpable Resin System is also available as a custom order for Sandvik DS512i machines.
The global mining technology major says this new system demonstrates how Sandvik is setting a new standard in underground bolting with aligned end-to-end solutions for customers.
Sandvik has introduced a new pumpable resin system for its i-series bolters
International Mining | AUGUST 2025