Flanders has completed the development and deployment of ARDVARC 4.0, the world’s first fully automated multi-pass drill rig that also incorporates the world’s first autonomous angle drill implementation. The suite of Flanders original, innovative ARDVARC systems—ARDVARC Intelli-Rig Complete Data System, ARDVARC One-Touch Drill System, and ARDVARC Auto Propel Complete Autonomous Operation “deliver significant improvements in productivity, safety, fragmentation predictability, and machine life cycle management”, says the group. Building on the success of ARDVARC, ARDVARC 4.0 now serves as the basis for all ARDVARC systems, and features multi-pass and semi-pass automation; unprecedented drill hole and hole angle accuracy (0.5 m on X and Y axes, +/- 1 degree on hole angle); automatic drill string adding and racking; a new Human/Machine Interface (HMI); new data collection; and new, more modular hardware. Flanders states that the advanced technology resulted from a commitment to listen to and serve customers with solutions that meet their needs, including improving safety and increasing productivity.

“ARDVARC is a state of the art automation technology that no one else, including the OEMs, have been able to deliver. We have removed operators from harm’s way, have improved fragmentation consistency and increased drilling efficiency because that’s what matters to our customers. It’s been a remarkable journey for Flanders bringing this solution to market, and in conquering this challenge, we raised the bar for optimising assets and serving customers with tomorrow’s machine systems solutions,” said Curtis Stacy, Director of Product Support.

Currently deployed in Queensland, Australia, ARDVARC 4.0 allows the machine to automatically handle its own drill string, taking only 2.1 minutes to add a rod and 3.3 minutes to rack. The machine can also align itself to within +/-1 degree of the design heading of the hole and automatically set the proper mast angle, thereby reducing operator error and providing unprecedented drill hole position, depth and angle accuracy. These enhancements will improve coal operations ability to cast blast overburden shots without interrupting the integrity of the coal seams thereby reducing the need for production dozing and improving dragline/shovel productivity. In addition, all mining segments will benefit from the modular hardware design by reducing the time to install the equipment and by improving line of sight issues commonly associated with the previous hardware kits.