Geomechanics.io

  • Free Tools
Sign UpLog In

Geomechanics.io

Geomechanics, Streamlined.

© 2026 Geomechanics.io. All rights reserved.

Geomechanics.io

CMRR-ioGEODB-ioHYDROGEO-ioQCDB-ioFree Tools & CalculatorsBlogLatest Industry News

Industries

MiningConstructionTunnelling

Company

Terms of UsePrivacy PolicyLinkedIn
    AllGeotechnicalMiningInfrastructureMaterialsHazardsEnvironmentalSoftwarePolicy
    Projects
    Product
    Safety

    Sandvik drill bit resharpening expansion: safety and productivity notes for mines

    February 10, 2026|

    Reviewed by Joe Ashwell

    Sandvik drill bit resharpening expansion: safety and productivity notes for mines

    First reported on International Mining – News

    30 Second Briefing

    Sandvik is adding the mid-range RG550Be drill bit resharpening machine to its portfolio, extending coverage across both top hammer (TH) and down-the-hole (DTH) drilling with a tiered line-up of high-end, mid-range and handheld units. The OEM is targeting improved safety and ergonomics in bit maintenance, moving more grinding work off manual benches and into enclosed, purpose-built machines. For mine operators, the broader range allows closer matching of resharpening capacity to fleet size and bit type, with potential gains in bit life and drilling penetration rates.

    Technical Brief

    • Machine design targets safe handling of heavier TH and DTH bits that exceed ergonomic manual limits.
    • Enclosure and guarding reduce operator exposure to grinding sparks, dust and rotating components.
    • Integrated coolant and dust extraction aim to control respirable dust and bit overheating during grinding.
    • Fixed grinding geometry supports consistent button profile restoration, reducing risk of bit failure in-hole.
    • Purpose-built controls and ergonomics are intended to minimise awkward postures and repetitive-strain injuries.
    • Moving resharpening from open benches into enclosed machines aligns with stricter site safety and hygiene regimes.
    • Wider adoption of such units could shift mine maintenance risk profiles from manual to engineered controls.

    Our Take

    Across recent Mining coverage, Sandvik appears repeatedly in product- and project-tagged items, signalling a push to control more of the drilling value chain from bits and resharpening through to full surface drill fleets, such as the AutoMine-ready rigs ordered for Vale Base Metals’ copper operations.

    The Tampere site expansion reported on 5 February 2026 suggests Sandvik is backing its rock drilling and crushing lines with added manufacturing and R&D capacity, which is likely where incremental drill bit and resharpening technology will be industrialised.

    Sandvik’s concurrent overhaul of global warranty processes and expansion of crushing and screening support in West Africa indicate a strategy of tying consumables like drill bits to stronger aftersales and service frameworks, which can lock in long-term fleet support contracts for contractors such as Redpath at Cowal gold operations.

    Geotechnical Software for Modern Teams

    Centralise site data, logs, and lab results with GEODB-io, CMRR-io, and HYDROGEO-io.

    No credit card required.

    • Save and export unlimited calculations
    • Advanced data visualisation
    • Generate professional PDF reports
    • Cloud storage for all your projects

    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.

    Related Articles

    Mining
    about 12 hours ago

    Boliden Somincor–EDP–Greenvolt solar UPAC: integration notes for Neves‑Corvo mine engineers

    Boliden Somincor has partnered with EDP and Greenvolt to build Portugal’s largest self‑consumption solar generation unit (UPAC) near the Neves‑Corvo zinc mine at Castro Verde, supplying power directly to mine operations. The distributed solar plant will sit adjacent to one of Europe’s largest zinc orebodies, reducing grid dependence for high‑load processes such as hoisting, ventilation and paste backfill plants. For mine planners and electrical engineers, the project signals growing integration of large‑scale on‑site renewables into base‑metal underground operations in southern Europe.

    Mining
    about 16 hours ago

    Aramine AutoNav Tele loader at Reward Gold mine: design and safety notes for planners

    RCT – Powered by Epiroc’s AutoNav Tele automation has been fitted to an Aramine L350D loader to support narrow vein stoping at Vertex Minerals’ Reward Gold mine at Hill End, after the unit was commissioned through Epiroc’s Orange Service Centre in New South Wales. The compact L350D, designed for ultra-narrow headings, is now operated via tele-remote AutoNav control rather than line-of-sight, allowing tramming and loading in constrained drives. For geotechnical and mine planners, this enables extraction in thinner ore lenses while keeping operators out of unsupported ground.

    Mining
    about 17 hours ago

    Bosch Rexroth–MEDATech off‑highway electrification: integration notes for mine engineers

    Bosch Rexroth is partnering with MEDATech Engineering to deliver end‑to‑end electrification packages for off‑highway and mining mobile equipment, combining Rexroth’s mobile hydraulics, inverters and controls with MEDATech’s EV drivetrain integration capability. The collaboration targets full systems from componentry and software through to application‑specific design and build, aimed at OEMs and retrofit projects for haul trucks, loaders and other heavy units. For mine operators, this points to more standardised electric powertrain architectures and a clearer route to integrating high‑voltage drivetrains with existing hydraulic and control systems.

    Related Industries & Products

    Mining

    Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.

    Construction

    Quality control software for construction companies with material testing, batch tracking, and compliance management.

    CMRR-io

    Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.

    QCDB-io

    Comprehensive quality control database for manufacturing, tunnelling, and civil construction with UCS testing, PSD analysis, and grout mix design management.

    HYDROGEO-io

    Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.