Changing how core samples are stored & protected

Joseph Whitmore spent years lifting, logging and photographing all types of core trays across New Zealand, Australia and Canada. As a former field geologist, he saw firsthand why alternative core trays from overseas never took hold here.

They weren't lacking durability - they were simply too large, too heavy, too expensive, and incompatible with the racks sites already owned.

Instead of writing off the problem, Joe dug in. He travelled the length of New Zealand, talking to drilling teams, consulting engineers, and core shed managers about what really mattered.

Safe lifting limits, quick drainage even with silty runoff, clear labelling prompts, and a tray footprint that wouldn't force expensive rack rebuilds.

Back in Wellington, Joe partnered with Uniplas' injection-moulding experts to engineer a solution that spoke the language of real drilling crews.
‍
The result: Explora Core Trays built from recyclable polypropylene, matching the footprint of fluted trays but adding wide borders for photo-ready labelling, 'Start' prompts to eliminate orientation errors, and handles on all sides.

Every feature of Explora was born from field-tuned feedback. Crews testing prototypes praised how trays rolled smoothly in any rack orientation, how a single operator could lift one safely, and how the circular recycling programme made sustainability real.

By launch time, it wasn't just another import — it was a homegrown answer refined through thousands of hours in New Zealand's toughest drill sites.