Toowoomba mining firms Russell Mineral Equipment, GEARS Mining reveal new plans, initiatives to mark anniversaries

Two separate Toowoomba companies servicing the global mining sector have laid out new products and initiatives to mark their respective anniversaries. Here’s what it means for local jobs:

Russell Mineral Equipment; GEARS Mining.

Two Toowoomba mining manufacturing companies have made bold predictions about their economic futures, in a showcase of the city’s ability to service the global resource sector.

Gears Mining and Russell Mineral Equipment (RME) each this week launched new initiatives in differing formats, with the focus on either new products or expanded ranges of liner handler machines.

Gears launches world’s largest machine at 10-year celebration

Celebrating the launch of the world’s largest mill relining machine by Gears Mining, which will be shipped over to Zambia for First Quantum Minerals, are Gears Mining electrician Zeke Turrell and business development manager Brett Morgan.

Having just completed what it believes is the largest machine of its kind in the world, Brett Morgan says he and Gears Mining are ready for another decade of growth.

“We’re probably better known outside of Toowoomba than we are inside it,” the company’s business development manager said.

“Part of this launch is for the local community to understand who Gears are, what we stand for and where we’re going.”

The 10-year-old manufacturing firm in Harlaxton pulled out all stops on Thursday for the launch of its new 8.1 tonne-capacity liner handler machine, which it built for Canadian giant First Quantum Minerals at one of its Zambian operations.

Highlights from Gears Mining's launch of its 8.1-tonne liner handler machine at its Harlaxton site in Toowoomba.

The massive multimillion-dollar machine plays a key role in the maintenance of a grinding mill at a mineral mine, replacing the steel plates that are crucial to turning large rocks into pebble-sized pieces and extract the resource.

Celebrating the launch of the world’s largest mill relining machine by Gears Mining, which will be shipped over to Zambia for First Quantum Minerals, are Gears Mining electrician Zeke Turrell and business development manager Brett Morgan.

It’s a major step for a company that generates 90 per cent of its revenue from exports, with its directors believing it has flown under the radar in Australia.

Mr Morgan, who has decades of experience in the sector and previously worked for RME, said the machine supported the work of more than 100 Toowoomba employees but believed Gears was ready to go to the next step.

“We’re very busy into 2025, things are looking up for us,” he said.

“The industry is really starting to open up and see what we are, and recognise us as one of the leading high-quality manufacturers that services this very sector.

“This works in the maintenance phase but there’s the operational phase and that’s one of the areas we’re starting to get into with our equipment.

“What’s really critical to understand is what it delivers to the community, because it’s labour-intensive and delivers a lot of dollars to the main street.”

Company co-director Ben Dunlop said Gears had a plan for a huge expansion over the next decade, and would need even more workers.

“We have done projections out 10 years and probably where we are now is 10 per cent of the size we could be, and they’re conservative projections,” he said.

RME asserts legacy in 40th anniversary celebrations

Russell Mineral Equipment has launched a new year-long campaign to celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2025, showcasing many of its staff and customers.

The launch comes as longstanding Toowoomba manufacturer Russell Mineral Equipment revealed a new campaign to celebrate its 40th anniversary in business.

The year-long campaign has kicked off with an short film exploring the company’s history in Toowoomba and its legacy of innovation in the sector.

“We are proud of the local jobs we have created, our contribution to Australia’s sovereign

industrial capabilities, and our efforts to better the communities in which we operate,” founder John Russell said.

“It has taken 40 years of persistent innovation and enduring commitment from an exceptionally talented team at RME, forward-thinking customers and reliable suppliers.”

RME's team with the Thunderbolt Skyway, which roboticises the operation of Thunderbolt Hammers to vastly improve the speed and safety of the knock-in phase of mill relining.

RME non-executive director and former chief engineer Peter Rubie used to opportunity to remind the public of the company’s own range of liner handler (or liner exchange) machinery that he said ranged up to 10 tonnes.

“Whether it’s our 400kg Russell mill liner handlers or 10 tonne capacity Russell mill relining

machines, our durable technology solutions are built to last with 90 per cent of those we’ve

manufactured in the past 40 years still in operation,” he said.

“Through ‘juntos’, meaning our togetherness, collaborating across RME teams and with industry, we continue to push the boundaries and pioneer new means to continually improve industry safety standards and productivity gains for mill relining.”

It comes after RME last year launched the world’s first semi-automated mill relining system, which improved safety during a dangerous process.

These new technology platforms, including the new RUSSELL 7-axis Mill Relining Machine (MRM), have been available since March 2021 and were officially launched to the market in September 2023.