Mine Education Center Receives Generous Support Adapted from Information by Montana Technological University Students at Montana Technological University gain valuable firsthand experience in the school’s Underground Mine Education Center (UMEC). Entirely funded by industry gifts and donations, UMEC is a hands-on, interdisciplinary educational space consisting of the former Orphan Boy and Orphan Girl Mines located immediately west of the campus, in Butte. It is home to courses for mining engineering, geological engineering, environmental engineering, metallurgical and materials engineering, in addition to occupational safety and health. It also serves as a research facility. A MTI/Komatsu LT-270 mucker was donated to Montana Tech in 2016, by Stillwater Mining Company. It allows students to scoop 1.5 cubic yards of blasted rock from the UMEC so the next set of ground support can be installed and the next round for blasting can occur. Mining Engineering Department Head Dr. Scott Rosenthal gave Katie Zindler, a Human Resources and Accounting Representative, and Andy Hartford, Service Manager, both from Komatsu Billings, a tour of the UMEC. They realized quickly that it was time for the mucker to be repaired. Komatsu Mining Corporation donated the labor to install a new engine for the mucker while Cummins Inc. provided an engine for a competitive price. “The donation of labor to replace the engine is a huge outlay in working time and travel for the Komatsu Service Technicians Baili Thompson and Zachary Smith,” Rosenthal said. “Montana Technological University is greatly appreciative of the support provided by Komatsu and Cummins in getting our machine running again.” According to Rosenthal, the repair was a critical piece of providing the best experience possible for students who rely on the hands-on training the center provides at Montana Tech. “We’ve put a lot of effort into upgrading the equipment and facilities at the UMEC to show students how it should be done correctly,” Rosenthal said. “This process started with the Joy mucker eight years ago followed by obtaining a roof bolter, new fans, and the new Epiroc mucker last year. Keeping the Joy mucker in good operating shape with this replacement motor continues our efforts to maintain the integrity of our equipment. This is what I learned in industry managing mines and maintenance functions, so it should not be any different for us at Montana Tech.” MIN 29 JULY 2025 WorldWide Drilling Resource®
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