Brisbane, Australia-based Universal Field Robots (UFR) says it recently presented its robotic drill bit replacement solution in response to a real operational challenge from Antofagasta Minerals’ Los Pelambres mine at the Fundación Chile open innovation program Expande Demo Day on April 30, 2020. UFR builds robotic machines for various mine site tasks that can be operated remotely, with assisted automation and fully autonomously.

The company stated: “The problem with autonomous drills operating in Chile is that the bits require manual changing, which is a particularly dirty, dusty job with high potential for injury due to handling the heavy, awkward 80 kg drill bits. This challenge fitted well with our mining product development, so the UFR team set to work and applied ourselves, first by developing a concept and then simulating the solution in a 3D model, which we then turned into a video and submitted to Expande on April 3, 2020. After being reviewed, our solution made the cut, and we were invited to present it to a mining team at the challenge day.”

UFR says the submission is now at the evaluation stage, but other mining companies have already expressed their interest. The company adds that COVID-19 is challenging the industry to find alternative ways of doing things and give options to support mines when personnel cannot safely do the work. “Automation and robotics will increasingly be needed to drive better outcomes for operators.”

The unit that would be suitable for this application is the E20C, based on a Caterpillar 2 t next generation excavator, upon which it integrates robotics. “The unit is diesel powered with hydraulic controls and a quick hitch. The robotic features include a GUI interface, radio joystick control, emergency stop, a safety system with safety controller, mode indication lights, vision sensors, position sensors, remote video camera unit, radio communications and GPS positioning.”

The E20C is fitted with a tool attachment for breaking and handling the tricones. The purpose designed attachment for this application will allow the remote or autonomous handling of the bit, with no people needed to be near the operations.

Attachment features include:

• Attaches to the quick hitch and is hydraulically powered.
• Hydraulically driven bit coupling which will fit around the bit and capture it allowing it to be driven to unwind.
• A gripper for holding the bit in the bit coupling.
• A drill string hydraulic clamp that will lock the drill string to prevent it turning when the bit and coupling are turned to unscrew the bit.

The drill would park with the drill raised on jacks to its maximum position and the front rubber dust skirt would be raised. The bit would be lowered to be approximately 500mm above ground level with the E20C operating on the bit under the platform. The E20C would carry a new bit in the attachment, drive and position in front of the drill and swing and place the new bit on the ground. Robotic operation would communicate with the drill to find its GPS location to drive and position in the correct location using the E20C GPS.

The E20C would then swing and move the arm to place the tool around the drill steel and bit. Robotic operation will use the vision system to localise the bit and drill steel to place the attachment over the drill steel. The arm would raise the attachment while turning the bit coupling to engage with the bit.

With the bit engaged in the coupling, the drill string hydraulic clamp will clamp the drill string to prevent it from turning and the coupling would be driven with the high torque hydraulic drive (70,000 Nm torque) to unscrew the bit and release it from the string. With the bit free of the string, the E20C will release from the drill rod and remove the bit and place it on the ground. The attachment will then be placed over the new bit and clamp the bit in the coupling.

The E20C will then swing and move the arm to place the tool around the drill steel. Robotic operation will use the vision system to localise the drill steel to place the attachment over the drill steel. The arm would raise the attachment while turning the bit coupling to engage the bit with the thread on the drill string and screw the bit in position and tighten it. With the bit in position, the attachment will be removed, and the machine will pick up the old bit and drive clear of the drill to allow drilling to recommence.

Another solution, the UFR AutoLog product, saw a collaboration with IMDEX to deliver IMDEX BLAST DOG™, a semi-autonomous system that helps optimise blasting based on high-resolution three-dimensional material models built from sensor data. To perform the sensing, UFR AutoLog drives on the mining bench to hole locations as directed by autonomous drills, uses robotic vision to check the hole location and then winches a wireline sensor down the blasthole. “The valuable data is sent to the cloud in real-time to be used by mining engineers to make changes to blast design. The improved blast design can lower the cost of blasting, increase recovery, and reduce the dilution of ore to improve mining outcomes. UFR AutoLog moves people out of a dangerous zone to improve safety and productivity and reduce risk.”