MacLean Engineering has been testing a proof of concept of its upcoming 985-Abi bolter at its research and development facility and test mine in Sudbury. Courtesy of MacLean Engineering

Working in unstable environments is a particularly demanding task in underground mining operations. “Ground control is typically almost always the bottleneck in the mining cycle,” explained Steve Denomme, product manager of bolters at MacLean Engineering. “The time that it takes, the trickiness to it and the challenges you’re dealing with in terms of ground conditions.”