ABM Contractors purchased the very first Highlander drill rig built in March 2007 and now has three in its fleet.

The rig is the 41st to be manufactured at Highlands’ workshop in Emerald, Queensland, and has been purpose-built for the installation of secondary support in underground coal mines using compressed air.

Highlands Mining started out as an installer of secondary support using old air track drill rigs around 12 years ago and with that operating knowledge has designed and manufactured the Highlander drill rigs.

The Highlander Series 4 drill rig is the latest version of its product and includes all the features of the Low Air Series 3 but has been narrowed to 1.3m to allow better access along belt roads.

The rig has been engineered to operate in cross grades of up to 20% and is designed to comply with all regulatory guidelines.