Element Six (E6) - a prominent developer and manufacturer of polycrystalline diamond (PCD) and ultra-hard materials – and Master Drilling – a global tech firm specializing in drilling and mechanized rock excavation technology – announced a new global partnership. The Element Six and Master Drilling partnership introduces a diamond-enabled technology designed to significantly increase tunneling development speed, reducing costs, and minimizing the environmental impact of tunnel construction.
The collaboration combines Element Six's leading patented polycrystalline diamond cutting technology with Master Drilling's fully mechanized services for the mining, infrastructure, and energy sectors to deliver a new synthetic diamond-enabled tunnelling technology, with a reduction of more than 17% in waste rock generation compared to traditional tunnelling operations.
Company staff have tested this technology under both underground and surface conditions in the UK and South Africa with several end-users in the mining and infrastructure industries, demonstrating general higher performance compared to traditional rock excavation methods.
Koos Jordaan, executive director of Master Drilling, said, "Achieving high quality, nonexplosive tunnel construction with various aspects of value generated compared to traditional rock excavation methods is a key global challenge for tunnel builders—a challenge that Master Drilling and Element Six are uniquely positioned to address. By combining our technologies and expertise, we can offer quality tunnel development with competitive productivity, lower costs and reduced waste, enabling safer, faster, and more economical tunnel construction. This innovation holds great potential for expanding underground operations in industries such as mining, energy, transportation, and infrastructure."
Underground tunnels provide access to critical mineral resources, create efficient transportation routes, and house essential utilities, all while minimizing surface disruption. In mining, tunnels are key for accessing mineral resources and providing transportation and ventilation networks for underground operations. In transportation, they shorten routes through difficult terrain or urban areas. In construction, tunnels house utilities underground, and in energy, they support hydroelectric plants and pipelines.
Despite its importance, building tunnels poses technical and environmental challenges such as geological unpredictability, water ingress, high costs, waste generation, and safety concerns.
More information is posted on www.E6.com and www.MasterDrilling.com.
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