Many of the bolts being developed partly come under research funded by the Australian Coal Association Research Program (ACARP) to identify what was needed to improve roadway development rates to support a new generation of longwall mines.

 

The five manufacturers currently working on these bolts include German company Hilti, Sandvik’s Australian office Voest Alpine Mining and Tunnelling (VAMT), rebar manufacturer OneSteel, research group Cutting Edge Technologies and bolting rig manufacturer Hydramatic.

 

CSIRO’s Queensland Centre for Advanced Technologies

 

Head office (Australia): Pullenvale QLD

Phone number: (07) 3327 4444

Corporate HQ:

URL: www.cat.csiro.au

Overview of bolt being developed: This bolt relies on a resin anchor injected by an injection pump and mixed with a static mixer within the bolt and manufactured from a pierced billet

 

Cutting Edge Technology

 

Head office (Australia): Pinjarra Hills QLD

Phone number: (07) 3720 1555

URL: www.cetpl.com

Overview of bolt being developed: Cutting Edge Technologies, has also developed a self drilling bolt, and it is expected that the bolt will be commercialised in January 2006 through a local bolt manufacturer

 

Hilti

 

Head office (Australia): Silverwater NSW

Phone number: (02) 8748 1000

Corporate HQ: Liechtenstein

URL: www.hilti.com.au

Overview of bolt being developed: The Hilti bolt is manufactured from a pierced billet thus creating a corrugated tube. It utilises a resin anchor within the bolt, injected by compressed air after the drilling process

 

OneSteel

 

Head office (Australia): Sydney NSW

Phone number: (02) 9239 6666

URL: www.onesteel.com

Overview of bolt being developed: This bolt relies on a resin anchor injected by an injection pump and mixed with a static mixer within the bolt and resembles a conventional rolled bar rock bolt

 

SANDVIK

 

Head office (Australia): Newcastle (NSW)

Phone number: (02) 4924 2100

Corporate HQ: Zeltweg, Austria

URL: www.vab.sandvik.com

Overview of bolt being developed: The Seedsman self drilling, tensionable, post groutable bolting system stands up to 10 tonne tests. Using conventional rolled bar, the bolt relies initially on a mechanical anchoring process