As mining operations face ongoing demand to increase productivity and decrease costs without sacrificing safety, a challenge exaggerated by a lack of highly skilled operators, Atlas Copco has published Blasthole Drilling in Open Pit Mining aimed at helping customers successfully meet these challenges. Atlas Copco shares the knowledge of its product experts and customers through 11 technical articles and nine case studies. The technical articles offer important information in a practical and concise manner that everyone from experienced drill operators to industry novices will find useful and easy to understand.

Among the topics covered are blasting techniques in open-pit metal mines, using technology and automation on site, and ergonomics and safety. The case studies detail various successful mining operations from around the world. From the Pit Viper 271 being used at a mine in Butte, Montana, that produces 102,000 t/d of rock to the Kuznetsk Basin coal field in Siberia that used three DML rotary blasthole rigs to reach its goal of 1.1 million drillmetres in 11 months, Atlas Copco blasthole products and technology are contributing to high productivity and efficiency.

“We trust,” says Dustin Penn, Product Line Manager, Blasthole Drills, “that miners, students and other people with an interest in open pit mining will find this 204-page selection of technical articles, case studies and product specifications useful for their businesses.”

This new reference book will be available through local Atlas Copco customer centres and distributors: Blasthole Drilling in Open Pit Mining, Atlas Copco Printed matter No. 9881 0169 01.