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| Cubex Ltd.: Meeting the Niche |
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| By Alan Dorich | |||
| Thursday, 02 October 2008 | |||
 Cubex is a major manufacturer of surface and underground down-the-hole (D.T.H.) drilling equipment, an innovative drilling technology.
Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, the company designs and manufactures surface and underground D.T.H. drilling equipment. President Kitch Wilson started the company in 1972 as a contract drilling business and expanded into manufacturing its own equipment in 1982. However, when Wilson saw there was a need for more drill equipment suppliers, “[He] began manufacturing his own product to meet [the] niche market requirements for both underground and surface mining markets,” Corcoran explains. Today, Cubex operates a drill manufacturing and engineering facility in Winnipeg. In addition, the company has global distribution agreements with other firms. Terex Mining, for instance, distributes Cubex products in the United States, Canada and Australia. P&H Mining Equipment Inc. distributes Cubex products in South Africa, Mexico, Brazil and the western United States. “We have a group of smaller distributors looking after [our products] in other parts of the world,” Corcoran says. Accurate Equipment Cubex has stayed successful by focusing on D.T.H. drilling technology, Corcoran says. While many of its competitors chose to concentrate on top hammer drilling equipment, “We see a lot of opportunities for more mines [now] choosing the down-the-hole process,” he says. This is because clients require improved drilling accuracy, Corcoran says. “In large mines, the drilling accuracy has to be precise,” he explains. The top hammer application can have a degree of accuracy error when drilling long holes over 25 meters. Instead, Cubex says D.T.H. hammers are the “world standard” when accurate, straight-hole drilling is required. “Holes ranging from 100 mm [4 in] to 762 mm [30 in] diameter can be drilled very economically and efficiently with D.T.H. drilling tools,” the company says. “Even with the greater depth capacity, they are recognized for providing clean, truly aligned drill holes at a high penetration [rate] with minimal operating costs when compared to the larger top hammer drills.” Today, Corcoran says that the company’s customer base includes “every major hard-rock miner.” Mining companies including Barrick Gold Mines, HudBay, Newmont, Rio Tinto, Vale Inco, Vedanta and Xstrata plc are all clients. Cubex serves an industry that does not give many accolades, but “[our awards] would be repeat business,” he says, adding that it comprises a strong percentage of the company’s work. “[We’ve supplied] drilling technology that has provided very good end-results for our end-user,” Corcoran adds. “Today’s buyer is actually looking for solutions, not just a sales option. He’s looking for a solution for his drill program to assist in a safe production process resulting in the lowest cost per ton,” he says. Product Presentation Cubex will be exhibiting several of its machines at this year’s MINExpo show in Las Vegas, Corcoran says. The company will show attendees its GEN V High Pressure D.T.H. drill, as well as the Aries, a mobile D.T.H. drill. The Aries ITH is a drill with a high-pressure booster compressor mounted on a mobile center articulated carrier. The new Pegasus Mobile drill features a reciprocating booster and is designed “for high mobility high pressure in underground mines with ramp access and smaller headings,” Cubex says. The company will present further information about its new underground Pegasus mobile drill at the MinExpo conference in September 2008. It recently sold the first Pegasus drill to Xstrata, Corcoran says. “[It is] Cubex’s first hydrostatic drive developed carrier,” Corcoran says. The Pegasus features a compact, mobile D.T.H. drill and an onboard reciprocating or screw booster, which provides higher performance, Corcoran says. “It brings higher volume and brings higher operating pressure, [while meeting] the future technology requirements for the mine operations personnel,” he says. Steady Focus Although Cubex is a global company that provides D.T.H. equipment solutions to clients on every major continent, “A focus of ours is to reach further with our products,” Corcoran says. The company’s core business markets are in Canada, United States, Latin America and Australia, but it now wants to further its business in Russia, Africa, China and India. This will require strong partners in these countries who can provide solid and efficient aftermarket support, he says. In addition, Cubex wants to continue providing strong customer support, which includes training clients on how to use its products. “Normally when you focus in on [support services], the repeat business normally comes back to you,” he says. |
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