Epiroc Uphole Brake at PDAC 2026: safety integration notes for drill engineers
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan
First reported on International Mining – News
30 Second Briefing
Epiroc will use PDAC 2026 in Toronto (1–4 March) to unveil new underground drilling safety and automation products, led by its Uphole Brake integrated safety module. The Uphole Brake is designed to control and secure uphole drill strings during rod handling and tramming, reducing the risk of dropped rods and unintended movement in longhole and production drilling. For mine operators, the package signals further OEM integration of safety functions into drill rigs, potentially simplifying compliance with site-specific ground control and isolation procedures.
Technical Brief
- More broadly, OEM-embedded safety modules reduce reliance on retrofit guarding and procedural controls alone.
Our Take
Epiroc has featured repeatedly in our recent coverage, from fully electric Pit Viper rigs for Mesabi Metallics to autonomous haulage at Agnico Eagle’s Odyssey mine, signalling that any new safety products shown at PDAC are likely to be designed to integrate with increasingly automated and electrified fleets.
Among the 2095 tag-matched pieces in our database, relatively few combine ‘Product’ and ‘Safety’ without a specific commodity, suggesting Epiroc is targeting a cross-commodity market segment where standardised safety hardware can be rolled out across both surface and underground operations.
With exploration cited as one of Epiroc’s fastest-growing business lines in 2025, a safety-focused launch at PDAC in Toronto is likely aimed at capturing early adoption among junior and mid-tier explorers that are refreshing drill fleets and procedures ahead of new campaigns.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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