WESTMINSTER, Colo., Oct. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) announced today the availability of a Trimble Ready® factory option for new Mincon piling and drilling attachments. As a result of this collaboration, Mincon Drill Mast Attachments for skid steers and excavators now have an option for the installation of the Trimble® Groundworks Machine Control System, which can significantly reduce the cost and complexity of the installation for the contractor.
Mincon Solar Installation Drills and Pile Drivers are designed to pre-drill through rock, install ground screws and drive piles on solar construction projects. Trimble Groundworks is a purpose-built machine control solution that enables contractors to perform drilling and piling operations quickly, safely and accurately. Equipping Mincon solar drilling solutions with Trimble Groundworks technology provides stakeless navigation, positioning accuracy and as-built data that enables solar contractors and installers to build scalable efficiency into their installation processes.
Trimble and Mincon Offer Trimble Ready Drilling and Piling Solutions for Solar Industry.
“Demand for solar is so high right now that engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies urgently need more installation capacity to meet the industry’s growing needs,” said Elliott Duck, vice president of marketing for integrated systems at Mincon. “By equipping Mincon Drill Mast Attachments with Trimble Groundworks machine control, a machine operator can both pre-drill and install solar foundations without the need for someone on the ground checking for accuracy. This innovative workflow helps make solar installation contractors and EPCs more efficient and more scalable, reducing reliance on scarce labor resources.”
Trimble Groundworks is part of the Trimble Connected Site® portfolio of solutions that provides a high-level of workflow and process integration from the design phase through to the finished project. The integration of Trimble Business Center Software design capabilities in the office and Trimble Groundworks machine control in the field can increase the efficiency and productivity of drilling and piling operations. Trimble WorksManager Software also enables the syncing of data from office to field, to reduce site visits and provide a single source of truth.
“Trimble and Mincon are both industry leaders that share a common goal to deliver technology that significantly accelerates—and improves—the quality of solar farm installations,” said Kevin Garcia, general manager of civil specialty solutions at Trimble. “Our SITECH Northeast distributor initially brought the idea of a Trimble and Mincon collaboration to the table, and we saw right away what a great fit our solutions were for each other. We’re excited by the work that Mincon, Trimble and SITECH Northeast have done to get the Mincon solar drilling and piling products Trimble Ready for the benefit of solar contractors.”
Availability
Trimble Ready Mincon Drill Mast attachments are available now for customers worldwide. Visit trimble.com/groundworks or https://mincon.com/products/rock-drills/ for more information.
For more information on the Mincon x Trimble products integration, watch the video below as the Mincon and Sitech Northeast lead team members discuss the benefits and outline the challenges it has solved for solar contractors.
Mincon & Sitech Northeast give an introduction to their product integration for Solar Contractors.
About Trimble Construction
Trimble is developing technology, software and services that drive the digital transformation of construction with solutions that span the entire architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. Empowering teams across the construction lifecycle, Trimble’s innovative approach improves coordination and collaboration between stakeholders, teams, phases and processes. Trimble’s Connected Construction strategy gives users control of their operations with best-in-class solutions and a common data environment. By automating work and transforming workflows, Trimble is enabling construction professionals to improve productivity, quality, transparency, safety, sustainability and deliver each project with confidence. For more information, visit: construction.trimble.com.
About Trimble
Dedicated to the world’s tomorrow, Trimble is a technology company delivering solutions that enable our customers to work in new ways to measure, build, grow and move goods for a better quality of life. Core technologies in positioning, modeling, connectivity and data analytics connect the digital and physical worlds to improve productivity, quality, safety, transparency and sustainability. From purpose-built products and enterprise lifecycle solutions to industry cloud services, Trimble is transforming critical industries such as construction, geospatial, agriculture and transportation to power an interconnected world of work. For more information about Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB), visit: www.trimble.com.
About Mincon
Mincon manufactures hard rock drilling solutions for the mining, construction, water well and renewable energy industries. Mincon’s comprehensive range of drilling products are designed to increase productivity and efficiency, helping installers save time and reduce total drilling costs. Mincon’s range of DTH hammers and drill bits, mast attachments, rotary bits, construction systems, drill pipes and accessories are precision-engineered to the highest specifications and manufactured at their facilities in the USA, Canada, Australia, UK, Ireland, Finland, Sweden and South Africa. For more information visit www.mincon.com
Milton CAT has joined Mincon’s network of distributors as their solar drilling solutions distributor in the Northeast U.S.
Milton CAT’s fifteen locations across the Northeast will help Mincon’s customers in the solar market gain access to industry-leading service and support as well as on-demand equipment. Milton CAT is already supporting Mincon’s growing customer base in the Northeast as demand in the solar market increases. With experienced service staff and facilities throughout the Northeast, Mincon’s customers will benefit from a growing support network of experts on every side of the solar installation industry.
Mincon’s M1-Series Drill Masts, for solar pre-drilling and ground screw installation, and M2-Series Pile Driver Mast Attachments have been integrated with CAT skid steers and excavators into complete solar solutions. As all Mincon Drill Mast Attachments are now Trimble Ready®, Sitech Northeast provides direct installation, setup and support of Trimble® Groundworks Systems throughout Milton CAT’s territory.
“Milton CAT are more than distributors, they’re a solutions partner for our mutual customers. We supply the solar drilling and installation system, they supply the carrier machine and Trimble supply the technology. Much more than just an equipment package, this 3-way integration provides our customers a fast and flexible solar solution to grow their business with.” says Elliott Duck, VP of Marketing for Integrated Systems at Mincon Inc.
To find your nearest Milton CAT location or to inquire about Mincon’s solar drilling solutions and integrated packages, visit MiltonCAT.com/locations.
The team at Mincon Chile has a service contract for supplying drilling consumables and conducting drilling for all operations at the mine. Mincon equipment used at this site includes our class-leading rotary drill bits, as manufactured at our North Bay Factory, as well as associated accessories and consumables from our factories in the USA and Sweden. Mincon also designed and supplied one of the of the safety innovations introduced at the site: a rod-handling truck that automates the process of swapping the large drill rods used on rigs.
Deployment of this rod-handling truck has greatly improved safety at the Radomiro Tomic mine by reducing the risk of human injury through manual handling of drill rods. Additionally, the robotic systems on the truck have allowed for incredible time savings when it comes to changing rods: conventional methods require up to 90 minutes, while the Mincon team in Chile have reduced this time to around 15 minutes.
Tom Purcell, VP, Mincon Americas Region, said:
“Two years without any safety incidents is a remarkable achievement in any industry – the fact that this has been achieved at an operational mine is even more noteworthy. I’m incredibly proud of the team in Chile. Their approach to efficiency, innovation, and safety have shown the mine’s operator why Mincon is The Driller’s Choice.”
Pictured at top, from left to right: Héctor Cortés, Alexis Vidal, Germán Cortés, Luciano Quecaño, Mayco Panire, Heriberto Mollo, Tom Purcell, Renato Schiaffino
]]>Mincon was represented by a team of dedicated employees from Mincon Canada, North Bay Factory, who contributed to the fundraising efforts and had a great time participating in the tournament. The event offered two four-end games, a delicious lunch, and a round of trivia.
This event forms part of Mincon’s ongoing efforts to give back to the communities in which it does business – including people and animals.
Charlene Ylimaki, General Manager, Mincon Canada, North Bay Factory, said:
“It was such a pleasure to participate in Curling for Kibble and support such a wonderful cause. Our team all love animals, so had a great time competing and contributing to the fundraising goal. We are already looking forward to next year’s tournament and the opportunity to support the North Bay and District Humane Society once again.”
]]>Work on the project started in August 2022, when a drill team – using Mincon drilling tools – sunk a 64-metre-deep (210 foot) borehole at Leeuwpoort Primary School, a non-fee-paying public school in the city of Germiston, near Johannesburg. In the months that followed, Mincon arranged for the installation of all required pumps and plumbing, which meant that water from the borehole could be pumped into storage tanks, and then into the bathrooms and kitchens at the school.
Through this project, Mincon has helped play a part in addressing one of the biggest challenges facing people in developing communities: access to clean drinking water.
In addition to giving the children and families in the community access to water, this project also allows the school to save a significant amount of money that would have been required for accessing the paid municipal water supply. As a public school reliant on government funding, this frees up funds in the school’s budget to allow for development of other resources that can benefit the students and teachers.
Fernando Anceriz, General Manager, Mincon South Africa, said:
“We’re thrilled that we could put our drilling expertise to good use, as well as our Mincon tooling, to help make a significant difference to the quality of life in this community. Our CSR Champion, Nolundi, and her team, have done an excellent job at executing this creating opportunities for the young children attending the school.”
The event was organised by Soa “The Hulk” Palelei, a former UFC and PRIDE mixed martial artist, and West Australia’s premier Mark McGowan was also in attendance.
A total of AU$121,063 was raised for all charities involved, of which AU$41,500 is allocated to the event’s beneficiary: mental health organization, the Blue Tree Project.
Chris Flamini, General Manager, Mincon Australia, said:
“We care deeply about the mental health cause, because it’s often the case that people aren’t comfortable speaking up or feel that others may not want to listen. Supporting events like these, with beneficiaries like the Blue Tree Project, is how we can play a role in supporting the community in our region.”
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The Crown Bridges Light Rail (Kruunusillat) project is one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Finland in recent years. When the projected is finished in 2027, a total of three new bridges, including a 1,200-metre-long bridge that will be the longest one ever built in Finland, will connect Helsinki downtown to the expanding suburbs of Laajasalo and Kruunuvuorenranta, shortening the travel distance from 11 km to 5,5 km. This new scenic route is designed for light rail and pedestrians only, encouraging people to use public transport and travel by bicycle.
Construction started in 2021 and Mincon’s drilling expertise has played a significant role. With the foundations of the bridges drilled right at the shore banks using the DTH method, it is important that air flow is controlled. Our patented Spiral Flush technology prevents the air from escaping into the soil, thus making the drilling safer in complex ground conditions, like seashores in this case. This was well observed by the constructor company, YIT, which compared Mincon’s Spiral Flush ring bit system with a competing wing bit alternative without air control.
Site manager trainee Tommi Pentikäinen said, ”With Mincon’s Spiral Flush products, there is not as much air coming from the ground as with the systems we used previously, so you dare to drill in a city environment. Mincon’s pilots have also lasted longer.”
The responsible YIT site manager, Antti Eskelinen, also continues, “The reliability of Mincon’s Spiral Flush products and the assistance from Mincon’s customer support has been first-rate and matched our expectations and wishes. Also, the difference between Mincon’s products and the systems we used previously has been like night and day.”
In addition to Spiral Flush, Mincon’s contribution to the project involves an M-Wall solution at the construction site of one of the two shorter bridges. The M-Wall solution is used to fortify the shore bank and prevent its collapse into the sea while acting as a bedrock foundation for the 422 metre-long bridge.
This is a good example of Mincon’s commitment to develop and offer high-quality tools that help our customers to succeed in their projects promptly and safely. As Mr. Eskelinen put it, “Based on what we’ve seen, the difference in durability of the current pilots and the previous systems is substantial. With Mincon’s products, we gain efficiency and cost savings, even though the point price of one pile is higher.”
For more information about the project, visit https://kruunusillat.fi/en/home/
Mincon’s MP-series is the company’s next generation of DTH hammers. It starts with the MP30, a 3-inch-class hammer that can be equipped with drill bits between 85 mm (3.4″) and 105 mm (4.2″), and tops out with the MP400, a 40-inch-class hammer for large-diameter drill bits between 1000 mm (39.4″) and 1524 mm (60″).
The complete range:
- 3-inch-class hammers: MP30, MP35, MP36
- 4-inch-class hammers: MP40, MP4H
- 5-inch class hammers: MP50, MP56
- 6- and 7-inch class hammers: MP60, MP65, MP6H, MP70
- 8- and 9-inch class hammers: MP80, MP8H, MP90
- 10- and 12-inch class hammers: MP100, MP120
- Large-diameter hammers (15 to 40-inch): MP150, MP180, MP240, MP340, MP400
Shanks for all applications
When it comes to support for drill bits, Mincon’s MP-series of DTH hammers offers unparalleled versatility and compatibility. Each hammer model supports the industry-standard shanks for its size class. Additionally, Mincon offers hammer variants that support drill bits without a footvalve (also known as tubeless drill bits). Drillers may prefer to use drill bits that have no footvalve depending on ground conditions and also for reliability reasons.
New arrivals
Included in this comprehensive range are two all-new models to bolster the large-diameter range: the MP150 and MP400; both of which have been designed to deliver efficient performance for piling and foundation drilling.
Efficient performance
Since launching its first DTH hammer design in the 1980s, Mincon’s ethos of continuous improvement has seen its product range evolve and grow. Mincon’s technical experts work closely with drillers to get feedback from work sites, which the engineering, manufacturing, and customer support teams use for the ongoing development of new models.
Mincon manufactures all models in the MP-series of DTH hammers at its state-of-the-art facilities in Ireland and Finland. With ownership of the manufacturing and heat-treatment processes, Mincon is able to ensure that each DTH hammer is built to deliver the most reliable and efficient performance.
The 2023 DTH hammer range offers a comprehensive selection of models for all ground conditions and applications. When used with other products in Mincon’s range, including DTH drill bits, drill pipe, and associated accessories, customers will benefit from next-generation drilling technologies that improve penetration rates without compromising on efficiency, while reducing emissions and drilling costs.
Joe Purcell, CEO, Mincon Group, said:
“I’m immensely proud of the work our engineers and product teams have done to bring a comprehensive DTH hammer range to market. Thanks to decades of fine-tuning our manufacturing processes and product designs, these next-generation hammers will offer customers real-world cost savings and higher productivity.”
]]>The powerplant is owned by PVO-Vesivoima Oy, a part of Pohjolan Voima Group, which is one of the biggest energy companies in Finland. Originally built in 1971, the 140-metre-long dam has recently been found to have water slightly seeping through. This issue was first repaired by injecting bentonite and concrete into the cavities of the dam.
Following this – to ensure the dam’s integrity into the future – engineers proposed that the dam be reinforced with a watertight, steel pipe-pile wall. KFS Finland, a specialty ground engineering company, was selected as the constructor.
The most obvious challenge during the project planning was to avoid disturbing the soil masses of the dam during the renovation: conventional drilling would risk discharging high-pressure air into the surrounding ground and possibly weaken the dam.
Another challenge was posed by the topology of the area: the granite bedrock under the Nokianvirta river forms a deep V-shaped ravine and this meant that any drilling would have to be performed on a very steeply inclined rockface. Without precise drilling using the best tools it would be difficult to maintain the hole straightness required for the success of the project.
This is where Mincon’s drilling expertise in sensitive and complex ground conditions came into play. The team at our Geotechnical Centre was asked to offer an interlocked retaining wall solution that would ensure the safety of the dam while still being cost-effective and quick to deploy. The solution chosen by engineers at KFS and PVO turned out to be Mincon’s integrated M-Wall ring bit casing system, which is purposely designed for building pipe-pile walls safely and quickly – even in technically demanding ground conditions like those in Melo.
Learn more about M-Wall: https://mincon.com/m-wall-ring-bit-system-made-for-walls/
Our patented Spiral Flush technology was a natural fit for the project, as it is the only system that allows air control for high-pressure DTH drilling in highly sensitive ground conditions. The unique design of Spiral Flush offers safe drilling, ensuring that air and cuttings flush into the casing without escaping into the soil.
Learn more about Spiral Flush: https://mincon.com/spiral-flush/
During project planning, engineers determined that drilling 508 mm pipe piles would be the sweet spot: a size that allowed for optimised steel usage, which was more practical and kept build time to a minimum. It was also an excellent opportunity for our new MP150-MC hammer to be used, as it was designed to deliver unbeatable drilling speed in rocky ground and bedrock.
And speed, it turned out, was a key factor in the success of this project. Since the deepest piles reach 67 m into the ground – totaling 7,867 metres of drilled piles – every second saved per drilled metre added up in the end. Equally important was the robustness of the solution: drilling had to proceed no matter what was encountered beneath the surface.
Another benefit of the MP150-MC hammer was in its design: it supports drill bits that don’t have a footvalve, which eliminates the risk of expensive downtime should the footvalve fail.
The delivered hammers were already coupled with Mincon’s SA15 shock absorbers at the factory, offering further protection for the drill rigs that have to drive these large hammers. And, of course, Mincon drill rods were supplied to round off the package for drillers at Melo – once again showing Mincon’s comprehensive range to give drillers everything they need.
All of this has resulted in exceptional progress at the Melo hydroelectric site and work being completed much earlier than initially anticipated as drilling operations are estimated to finish several months ahead of schedule.
If you are looking for solutions of geotechnical drilling and piling in complex ground conditions – or just want peace of mind in presumably easy ground conditions – contact our Geotechnical Center for more information on solutions that will save time and money.
Mincon Geotechnical Center
+358 10 207 5000
minconfinland@mincon.com
https://mincon.com/geotechnical-center/
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The team in South Africa coordinated with teachers and learners at each location to determine how they could best assist those in need. The initiatives to date include:
Feminine Hygiene Packs for Students at Katlehong Primary School
The Mincon team coordinated with the school’s staff of 30 teachers to deliver a supply of feminine hygiene products to help improve the quality of life for more than 800 girls at the school.
Hygiene Packs for Adult Learners at Oliver’s Village Non-Profit Organization
Mincon assembled hygiene packs for the 60 students in the computer training program at Oliver’s Village, ensuring that they can further their education without worry about simple necessities. Each pack supplied to a student contained essentials such as deodorant, soap, a toothbrush, and other personal hygiene products for both women and men.
Sanitary Pads for Students at Nkumbulo Secondary School
Nkumbulo Secondary School has 1,300 learners, with 720 girls and 580 boys. Mincon distributed 720 packs of sanitary pads to Nkumbulo Secondary School as to assist young girls with their sanitary needs.
Sanitary Pads and School Shoes for Students at Dikathole Primary School
Mincon provided free sanitary pads and school shoes to students at Dikathole primary school, which has 2,000 learners. 107 pairs of shoes were distributed along with 350 packs of sanitary pads for young girls.
Sanitary Pads and Soccer Boots for Students at Tamaho Primary School
Mincon provided free sanitary pads and soccer boots to students at Tamaho primary school, which serves 1,500 children. 144 packs of sanitary pads were distributed to young girls and 33 pairs soccer boots to the soccer team
To date, Mincon is on track to achieve its 2022 Social Impact goals of creating opportunities to improve quality of life, delivering essential aid, and building long-term relationships with community organisations.
Joe Purcell, CEO, Mincon Group plc, said:
“What a great achievement for the first half of 2022. The team at Mincon South Africa has done excellent work to understand, develop, and support local schools. Not only have they created opportunities for many young lives, but also nurtured hope in their community.”
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