CMS Asia Pacific has launched MEGAMEC, a reliable, sustainable and easy to install Modular Electrical Connection device to improve surveying on mine sites. We caught up with the CMS team at the Global Resources Innovation Expo where MEGAMEC was officially unveiled to find out how it will benefit the mining industry.

“Directional drilling needed a revolution to remove barriers to efficient surveying, and to enhance safety for people using the equipment,” explained CMS General Manager Scott Ferguson.

“Our team was super keen to develop a solution that was in demand by the industry and provided practical solutions to significant issues for operators and mining businesses.”

Scott explained that Underground In Seam drilling (UIS) utilised drill strings to connect the downhole component of an instrument that drills holes, with the uphole computer that provides data to operators. Inside the drill strings is a connection system that allows for an electrical circuit to be formed between the instruments at the bottom of the hole and the uphole computer.

“When the connection system was first made it was designed to suit the needs of one particular drilling system manufacturer. While it’s been widely used for the last 30 years and has got the job done, like all initial iterations it has limitations and operational issues when under demand to deliver support for more current technologies.”

Feedback from industry and customers about those limitations is what led to the CMS team deciding to take on the job of improving it themselves.

“We’ve got some very clever electronic smarts within the MEGAMEC design. The original connection system had drilling pipe forming part of the electrical circuit and through continued use the pipes deteriorated, delivering inconsistent data. Our new system doesn’t rely on the drill pipe at all for the connection between the survey equipment and the uphole computer.

“This gives our customers lightning-fast data speeds, allowing quicker and more accurate surveying – and the most important part – vastly improved signal strength so operators know what’s happening at the end of their drill string. Previously, the further the hole extended the more there was a decay curve in signal return and a loss of confidence in what was happening at the other end. Our tests have shown MEGAMEC should keep the connection strong to 2000 metres though we have not delivered a hole to that depth yet.”

The new design has also enhanced the longevity of connection equipment and improved tolerance for significant operational vibration and temperature variations allowing operators to reliably drill more metres since they are not being forced to stop and repair faulty units.

However, Scott said the real benchmark of MEGAMEC was protecting people.

“In terms of safety standards, every time you have to manhandle a rod, you are increasing the risk of a potential injury. The easiest way to make it safer is by removing the need to do that task entirely. It’s that simple. It won’t cause injury to the people because it has been designed to be more reliable, requiring less ‘pulling of rods’ to investigate a fault. It is also much easier to install than current products, only requiring one person.”

CMS are already taking orders in Australia and around the world which is quite an achievement considering that less than a year ago MEGAMEC was only an idea.

CMS Founder and CEO Stephen Brownell said bringing new products to market was a result of the business evolving to meet the demands of industry, which is the how the business has run since he started it more than two decades ago.

“We’ve predominantly been a service based business, but now because there’s a real need for some of these products we decided to go into research and development and make the products that industry has been asking for.

“I am so proud of what the entire team here has achieved, especially Mark MacCabe who only joined the company around nine months ago and has led the design team to make MEGAMEC a reality.”

Mark said since joining the team it’s been both terrifying and exciting.

“The terrifying part has been taking the seed of an idea I have had for decades and working with a team to turn it into reality.

“It’s been an absolute honour to be able to be in this position, and I’m very grateful to Steve and Scott for the opportunity to be able to bring to life MEGAMEC.

“In my time in the industry I have seen so many things that can be improved, things I know can be done but have not been for various reasons. This idea has been floating around in my head for at least ten years and CMS provided the support and innovative workplace to actually make it happen.

“That’s what we want to do, solve problems. Not problems that we are telling people they have; but the problems they have been telling us they have for years.

“MEGAMEC is the first of the products that CMS will start delivering to make people’s jobs easier and safer and to make operations more effective. That’s the exciting part.”

Image caption: L-R: Mark MacCabe, Steve Brownell and Scott Ferguson.