Drill firm reaps the benefits of mining publicity

THE Shannon engineering company that made the drill head used to rescue the 33 Chilean miners last week has been winning new business due to the publicity its equipment received internationally.

Mincon, manufacturer of precision mining equipment, supplied the drill which broke through the cavity where miners were trapped since August 22.

The narrow hole it drilled through half a mile of rock was widened into the rescue bore hole.

Mincon, which employs 52 people at Shannon and has a worldwide workforce of 130, is embarking on a €4 million expansion of its Shannon operation and recruiting more highly skilled machinists.

Joe Purcell, director of Mincon and son of Paddy Purcell who founded the company in 1977, said at the time of the rescue they were working flat out to keep up with demand.

They are since pressing ahead with increasing their capacity with extra high skilled workers and additional machinery.

Mr Purcell said: “Since the rescue we have been getting interest in our products from areas where we had not been distributing up to now. We are now getting into Libya and into countries in South America.

“It has given us an entry into new markets. We are working hard to keep up with demand.”

One of their distributors in Chile was contacted by Chilean rescue workers for their Mincon MX5053 drill, which was designed at the Shannon headquarters and makes a hole 137mm in width.

Using the Shannon made tool, rescue workers heard tapping on the drill at a depth of 2,260ft after 17 days of drilling.

The Mincon drill was then used to bore a second hole and it was used to get food, medication and a communication system to the trapped miners.

The drill piece used in the rescue consists of a hammer part attached to a bit. The hammer part is made in Shannon and the bit is made in their manufacturing plant in Australia.