MESHA® mesh installation handler for tunnels
A mechanical installation handler fitted to jumbos and bolting rigs: it unrolls a MINAX roll, presses it to the surface and lets it be bolted in one working step. Personnel do not go under unsupported roof; no drilling boom is lost.
What it does
MESHA turns mesh installation underground from manual work into machine work. It is fitted to a standard jumbo or bolting rig; it carries the MINAX roll, unrolls it against the roof and side wall, presses it to the surface and keeps it tensioned, and bolting is done in the same working step. According to the manufacturer the handler can also be retrofitted to multi-boom bolting rigs and costs no existing drilling boom. The product is Geobrugg AG's; Artusa has been Geobrugg's representative in Türkiye since 2009.
Why
| Topic | Manual installation | Installation with MESHA |
|---|---|---|
| Position of personnel | Under unsupported roof | In the machine cabin; not exposed to unsupported ground |
| Tension | Limited by hand | The roll is pressed mechanically, the mesh stays pretensioned, deformation is reduced |
| Speed | Panel by panel | As a roll, in one working step; according to the manufacturer clearly faster than manual and sheet installation |
| Extra cost | — | Not a separate machine but an attachment to the existing one |
Mesh
The manufacturer's standard pair is MESHA + MINAX 80/4 (4 mm, ≥ 1,770 N/mm²); the roll size is produced to suit the bolt spacing and the advance length. Thanks to the low weight, more mesh is carried at a time and a longer advance is laid without interruption.
Acceptance
At installation, the seating of the mesh on the surface, the tightness of the plates and the number of clips at roll joints are checked; the result is recorded by drift section. For underground support as a whole: mining and tunnelling.
Source: Geobrugg AG mining brochure and MESHA product information.