Terratec has launched a new rig to join its raise boring product line. The machine, called the Universal Boxhole Boring Machine – UB1000, is designed to boxhole sections up to 1.06 m in diameter and 100 m long; while it can also ream conventional raises nominally at 1.8 m diameter by 200 m deep. The design and production of the machine were entirely carried out in the company’s facilities in Tasmania, Australia. With this new Universal Borer, Terratec expects to cover the gap in the market in terms of safety, efficiency and fully automated box-holing machinery, for which the demand has increased significantly over the past few years in the mines in Australia and worldwide..” The machine brings into the maket innovative solutions to allow the safe and efficient execution of slots in the mines with a fully automated raise drill”, said the company. Terratec will be discussing this and other solutions in-depth at the forthcoming IM Rapid Development conference in Sydney on 15th and 16th August – see http://corporate.im-mining.com/imevents/Rapid-Development-2013.asp

The major features include the derrick assembly, including the gearbox complete with floating drive box (chuck), is suitable for a 10 in diameter by 48 in long drill string. The gearbox is designed so it can be positioned with the drive box pointing up for box-holes, or down for conventional raising. The machine is supplied complete with a gearbox turning cradle suitable to quickly and easily index from box hole mode to raise-bore mode in less than one shift. The integrated torque column/thrust cylinders provide balanced thrust and clear access from all sides. The rig is able to operate at up to a 45 degree dip, either side of centre-line, in a “cross-drift” orientation, with no requirement to turn the rig first, or any modifications to change from left hand to right hand dip.

Powered overhead worktable doors with an integrated powered wrenching system ensure no man access is required at height. The machine also has an extendable muck chute for boxholing, with a door to allow 1.06 m diameter drill string components past. It also has integrated “stinger” cylinders and adjustable “spears” to help control vibration. An all-purpose ground-loading rod handler is included in the machine, which handles all drilling consumables, including the reamer and non-rotating stabilisers. The sled-mounted crane/conveyor with integrated operator station removes the muck to a skip bin location beyond the pipe loading area, and allows easy positioning of the reamer, non-rotating stabilisers etc around the drill.

Drill rod feed cassettes are supplied and each holds ten rods. The cassettes are mechanised to feed one rod at a time to the rod handler, or accept one rod at a time from the pipe loader when removing rods from the machine. The feed cassette is powered from the hydraulic power unit. The hydraulic power unit and electrical cabinet are mounted on twin stackable sleds, with fire suppression fitted to both sleds. Full pressure and return filtration for each pump. It has a stainless steel operator control console complete with radio remote for selected functions; and ceramic-coated thrust cylinder rods for corrosion resistance. Transportation is via a radio-remote controlled transporter/erector crawler complete with 104 kW diesel motor and hydraulic system plus fire suppression system.