Schopenhausen, Germany — Water, energy and raw materials are the core topics of our time. Only by successfully producing and supplying these resources in a sustainable manner can we overcome the challenges posed by a rapidly changing world. After all, although the current demand for water, energy and raw materials is already enormous, future demand will still grow exponentially due to the major trends of urbanization and digitalization. In the long term, climate change also requires a rethink of energy and raw materials. How can these problems be effectively solved? Part of the answer lies deep underground, buried beneath tons of soil and rock. Here lie resources that have not yet been extracted or even explored at all. Bauer Maschinen GmbH provides the right equipment for this.

Truck-mounted drilling rigs

Complex geological conditions, greater drilling depths or borehole diameters: none of these are a problem for Bauer's RB series truck-mounted drilling rigs. This series of rigs provides the optimal technical prerequisites for operations such as developing low-lying drinking water sources, making geothermal energy usable, exploring raw material deposits or performing dewatering drilling in mining operations. Their main advantage: with minimal modification, the same equipment can be used for various methods, such as direct circulation mud drilling, air-lift reverse circulation mud drilling, down-the-hole hammer drilling or wireline core drilling. "This flexibility and the customized solutions for customers are what make Bauer's RB series rigs unique," says Ulrich Schöpf, head of the Water, Energy and Mining Division at Bauer Maschinen GmbH.

The current Bauer RB product range includes the trailer-mounted rigs RB-T 100 and RB-T 135 (maximum hook load: 142 tons), as well as two rigs mounted on truck chassis - the RB 50 and RB 65 (maximum hook load: 70 tons). The power for the truck-mounted hydraulic systems of the RB 50 and RB 65 comes from the truck's auxiliary drive, and these two rigs use a combined feed system with cylinders and hook. External components such as the hole pressurization compressor or flushing pump are also integrated into the rig's drilling system.

Focus on automation

Last spring, Bauer Maschinen GmbH launched the latest generation of the RB 65 truck-mounted drilling rig. The focus of this improvement was the automation of the modular equipment. The rig uses electro-pilot control to enable more economical and safer operation based on automated processes. Depending on the geology and the size and weight of the drilling tools, the RB 65 can be used for small-diameter boreholes up to 1,550 meters deep, or for large-diameter drilling of 1,200 millimeters to a final depth of about 400 meters. The RB 50 and RB 65 feature restricted operation mode (ROM), protective guards, safety controls and other functions, and also meet all requirements of CE/DIN EN 16228, which is an important factor for the European market. Many RB rigs are successfully in use not only in Europe but also in Africa and South America.

A perfect combination

To open up the markets of North and Central America, Bauer acquired the long-established GEFCO brand in 2020, one of the leaders in the water supply and irrigation drilling market in the region. GEFCO equipment is currently produced at the Bauer Equipment USA plant in Conroe, Texas. Depending on the model, these products have hook loads of between 12 and 42 tons. "The GEFCO brand is the perfect complement to our portfolio," says Wolfgang Pünnel, head of the Water, Energy and Mining Division at Bauer Maschinen GmbH, "and in a sense this also fits with our origins: after all, it was when Bauer began constructing water wells in the first half of the 20th century that the company took its first steps from a coppersmith's workshop to an internationally renowned major company."