First Boart Longyear-AMV Mining and Tunnelling Jumbos Ready for Industrial ProductionBoart Longyear and the Norwegian tunnelling equipment manufacturer Andersens Mek. Verksted (AMV) entered a year ago into a joint venture to create a new generation of computerised, mid-size mining and tunnelling single and twin-boom jumbo drill rigs. With design and engineering work initiated three years ago, the JV has led to the development of a new range of effective, price-competitive drilling machines: the FaceMaster 2.5 for underground mining and the AMV 2ABC-CC for tunnelling. From automated control of individual components, such as a drifter, to full automatic control, these new rigs have the technology to deliver great quality, reliability and improved productivity at the rock face. AMV has provided most of the advance jumbo technology for both, with the computer guidance systems supplied by Bever Control. The new rigs have been designed specifically for applications in cross sections between 14 sq and 90 sq m including room and pillar mining operations and development works such as declines and drifts, as well as civil tunnelling projects for road, rail and hydro contracts. Visit www.bevercontrol.comThe basic Drilling Machine & Drill Log module system incorporates hydraulic settings to reduce power consumption automatically and prevent bits jamming in the hole or rod breakage problems. The system should increase drilling accuracy, average penetration rates, regulate the power flow and reduce unnecessary wear and tear of the drill string and the rig, as well as cutting maintenance downtime and running costs and increasing machine availability. At the other end of the scale will be a fully Automatic Pattern Positioning module that is capable of optimising the drilling pattern.Testing of the first prototype FaceMaster 2.5 machine is now completed. Tests went on well, requiring to correct some inconveniences to acquire satisfactory results. The machine is now ready to enter industrial production. The FaceMaster 2.5 will be manufactured at Boart Longyear's plant in Poland. More from bzarebski@boartlongyear-eu.pl. Visit www.boartlongyear.com, www.boartlongyear-eu.pl and www.amv-as.no 14/05. Click to enlarge Click to enlarge Click to enlarge