08/12/2025
🚀 Umusa Compact In-Stope Hydropower System: Key Benefits
1. Superior Speed and Enhanced Safety
The Umusa Hydropower system dramatically accelerates the drilling process. While pneumatic systems typically take 5 to 6 minutes per hole, and other hydropower systems take approximately 3 minutes, the in-stope, compact Umusa unit drills a 1.2 meter hole in just 1 minute and 16 seconds per drill.
Crucially, each power pack is designed to run two rock drills simultaneously, maximizing efficiency. This rapid drilling rate significantly reduces the time workers spend in the high-risk "red zone," directly enhancing safety and substantially reducing worker fatigue. Shorter drilling times also translate directly to less power consumption and lower operational energy costs.
2. Simple Deployment and Low Setup Costs
The Umusa system is designed for ease of use and rapid implementation. It boasts a simple design that does not require extensive setup and is easily commissioned. A key financial advantage is that the system requires no special foundations or extensive steel piping, making it highly cost-effective to purchase and install. This contributes directly to a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) and facilitates a higher operational efficiency from day one.
3. Proven Durability Under Extreme Conditions
Extensive testing conducted by Umusa and Sulzer validates the robust nature of the system. Testing on the power pack and the new lightweight Sulzer 45 L/min rock drill demonstrated excellent compatibility and proven durability.
The benchmark thrust for the rock drill is between 150 kg to 180 kg. However, the system was pushed far beyond this, with testing reaching up to 765 kg of pressure. Even under this extreme load, the rock drill maintained rotation, and the power pack sustained a steady pressure of 160 bar. The system’s reliability is further demonstrated by having drilled over 1,500 meters to date in real-world applications.
4. Maximized Uptime and Mitigated Financial Risk
The Umusa system virtually eliminates costly downtime caused by pump failure. Thanks to its new auto-docking system, in the unlikely event of a pump breakdown, the unit can be replaced with a spare kept underground within a mere 20 minutes.
This capability ensures that mines can avoid "lost blasts." In the Gold Mining industry, preventing just a single lost blast is critical, as the financial value of that production can range between R900,000 and R1.6 MILLION PER PANEL PER BLAST. NO MORE LOST BLASTS DUE TO BREAKDOWNS! Furthermore, the optimized maintenance schedule ensures high availability, as the day shift Umusa hydropower maintenance man maintains the water jet during drilling operations.
5. Increased Production Through Optimized Operation and Maintenance
By combining the new in-stope hydropower drilling with a water jet cleaning combo, mines can achieve significant production gains. This approach enables production to be increased by a minimum of 40%.
This gain is achieved through operational and maintenance optimization:
• Mine personnel efficiently operate the rock drills during the day shift. The dedicated day shift Umusa hydropower maintenance man manages the maintenance of the water jet while it is not in operation.
• The night shift Umusa personnel operate the water jet cleaning and also manage the maintenance of the hydropower pack, ensuring the unit is ready for the next day's drilling.
This effective collaboration between management teams and cross-functional shift duties has been proven to result in substantial production improvements, enabling the ultimate goal of achieving A BLAST EVERY SINGLE DAY.
