In a market dominated by the orange and yellow drill manufacturers, it is of note that other firms are also contributing to the underground rig sector by rolling out new designs. Most notable is ReedrilPs MK7 jumbo, the first of a new generation of underground rigs from the company. The machine marks a key development for Reedrill, which is bringing its designs up to date with the launch. Product Manager Jim Laroche said, "First we hired a consultant to do a survey with 173 North American mines. He solicited operators for the good, the bad and the ugly of all jumbos and that gave us a highlight of what features we had to put into the new machine." Once the five month survey was complete, design and development started and Laroche said that the eight person engineering team had the configuration laid out in just 19 months. A key point identified by the research team was the ease of maintenance at the face and Reedrill has taken this to heart, locating components and service points where they're readily accessible, All the hydraulics can be accessed from outside the operator's compartment.
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