The University of Arizona has operated and trained students since 1958 in the San Xavier Mine, formerly a private silver, lead, zinc and copper mine, in Sahuarita, Ariz.

Today, students in the university’s School of Mining Engineering & Mineral Resources use advanced equipment at the mine for hands-on education, research and technology development. Mining equipment includes a Cannon drill jumbo manufactured by Cannon Mining Equipment, a subsidiary of J.H. Fletcher & Co., which was commissioned in 2026.

The drill’s large operator control panel features 16 of OTTO Controls’ JHM CAN-based joysticks, each fitted with two handle-mounted pushbuttons, along with two CAN Keypad modules. Organized by the machine’s left- and right-side operations, these controls manage boom positioning, drill-feed alignment, and drilling functions.

“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished with this project,” says Jamy McClanahan, design engineer at J.H. Fletcher & Co. in Huntington, W.V. “Students will gain hands-on experience with advanced technologies, including feedback-controlled latched drilling, CAN-based controls and intelligent machine systems. That experience will help prepare them for careers in today’s mining industry.”

A Closer Look at the Project 

9/9/2026