Water, geothermal energy, mining: Mobile rigs from Bauer for the challenges of the future

Schrobenhausen, Germany – Water, energy and raw materials are core topics of our times. The only way we can overcome the challenges of a rapidly changing world is by successfully generating and supplying these resources in a sustainable manner. After all, even though the demand for water, energy and raw materials is already massive today, it will continue to grow exponentially in the future due to the major trends of urbanization and digitalization. Climate change also requires rethinking energy and raw materials for the long term. How can these issues be tackled effectively? Part of the answer is buried deep below the ground, beneath tons of soil and rock. Here there are resource deposits that have not yet been mined or even explored at all. And Bauer Maschinen offers just the right rigs for this purpose.

Mobile rigs

Challenging geology, large drilling depths or drilling diameters: no problem for Bauer’s mobile universal drilling rigs from the RB series. They offer the optimal technical prerequisites, for example, to develop low-lying drinking water sources, make geothermal energy usable, explore raw material deposits or for dewatering well drilling in mining operations. Their major advantage: With minimal retrofitting, the same equipment can be used to implement various methods, such as direct flush, mud rotary reverse circulation airlift, hammer drilling or cable core drilling. “This flexibility as well as the implementation of solutions tailored to the specific customer are what make the RB series special,” says Ulrich Schöpf, Head of Production – Water, Energy, Mining at BAUER Maschinen GmbH.

The current RB product series includes the trailer-based rigs RB-T 100 and RB-T 135 (max. hook load: 142 t) along with the two truck-based rigs RB 50 and RB 65 (max. hook load: 70 t). The on-board hydraulic system of the RB 50 and RB 65 is powered via the truck’s auxiliary drive, and the two rigs feature a hybrid feed system using cylinder and hoist. External components such as compressors or flushing pumps are integrated into the drilling system of the rigs.

Focus on automation

Last spring, Bauer Maschinen presented the latest generation of the RB 65. In particular, this enhancement focused on automation of the modular equipment. For this reason, the rigs feature an electrical pilot control for more economical and safe operation based on automation processes. Depending on the geology as well as the size and weight of the drilling tool, the RB 65 can be used for small caliber drilling up to a depth of 1,550 m as well as large caliber diameters of 1,200 mm up to a final depth of roughly 400 m. With the Restricted Operating Mode (ROM), the protective cage, safety control and other features, the RB 50 and RB 65 also fulfil all requirements pursuant to CE/DIN EN 16228 – an important factor for the European market. But several RB rigs are already being used successfully not only here, but also in Africa and South America.

Closing the circle

With a view to the market in North and Central America, Bauer acquired the long-established GEFCO brand in 2020, which is one of the market leaders in the region when it comes to well drilling for water supply and irrigation. The GEFCO equipment is currently produced on the premises of BAUER Equipment America in Conroe, Texas. Depending on the model, these feature a hook load of between 12 and 42 t. “The GEFCO brand is an optimal addition to our portfolio,” says Wolfgang Pünnel, head of the Water, Energy & Mining division at BAUER Maschinen GmbH. “And in a certain sense, this is also a nice reference to our origins: after all, it was when Bauer got started with well construction in the first half of the 20th century that the company took its first steps away from being a coppersmith’s workshop towards the internationally successful company it has become.”