Securing the future using reinforced bolts.

• Author: Stewart, Nick
• Position: SPECIAL REPORT: MINING

The first North American production line for one of Atlas Copco Exploration Products' signature rock reinforcement bolts is coming to North Bay in 2008, as part of a new 75,000-square-foot plant expansion.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

"Swellex has been a very successful product for Atlas Copco, and as mines begin to put more and more emphasis on safety and secure ground support, the growth of the product, as we see it, is very positive," says Jeff Hagar, general manager, Atlas Copco Exploration Products.

"The decision was made by Atlas Copco to put Swellex manufacturing somewhere in North America, and we lobbied for this investment to happen in North Bay, and we were successful."

Construction is already underway on the new plant, with relocation of the current 40,000-square-foot site expected as early as next spring. Diamond bits, drill rods and core barrels will be manufactured at the site alongside the Swellex products.

Mississauga-based O.R.E. Development Corp. has been selected to design, build and lease the facility back to Atlas Copco. Local contractors are being encouraged to submit tenders.

The Swellex bolts are part of a ground stabilization system where a hole is drilled into rock, the Swellex bolt is inserted, and the water is fired into the hole at a pressure of 600 pounds per square inch, thereby expanding the bolt within the hole. The rock is then considered to be secure, and nearby work can begin immediately. Hagar says this is a much simpler and easier method than the traditional method of first filling the hole with shotcrete, cement or resin cylinders and then waiting for the grouting or resin to settle before being able to move equipment into the area. The nature of the bolt makes it better suited to withstand shears and rock movement, than traditional rock bolts, he says.

Currently, the 20-year-old product is only manufactured in...