Tag Archives: BenchREMOTE

OceanaGold’s Haile mine steps up drilling productivity with Epiroc BenchREMOTE

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The drill and blast team at OceanaGold’s Haile gold mine, in South Carolina, recently added remote technology from Epiroc to its blasthole drilling process.

Haile is the first gold mine in the US to use Epiroc’s BenchREMOTE technology for remote control drilling with two of its three Epiroc drills, according to the miner.

“This technology provides many advantages for Haile’s workforce – no strangers to working in sometimes harsh South Carolina environmental conditions of extreme heat, wind, and rain,” the company said.

The BenchREMOTE system enables operators to work from a safe distance in a comfortable environment, handling up to three rigs in parallel. This technology allows the operator station to be placed up to 100 m away and +/- 30 m in elevation with a line of sight to communicate with the drills. Haile purchased two Epiroc D65 drills, BD7 and BD8, in 2019 compatible with this new technology.

“The BenchREMOTE package includes the operator station only, so installation design is determined at the operator’s discretion allowing for a customisable end product,” the company said.

Haile Drill and Blast General Supervisor, Aaron Kash, worked with ATC Trailers to design Haile’s housing, building the remote station into a fully insulated enclosed trailer.

“When we bought the equipment from Epiroc, I reached out to our local ATC trailer dealer and had them bring up the specs of a similar trailer,” Kash said. “We made a few changes – making it a little longer, equipping it with a bigger A/C unit to withstand the heat, and upgraded the generator.”

Safety is a primary concern any time people are present on a drill pattern with remotely operated drills. Communication, situational awareness, preparation, and warning systems are necessary for maintaining safe operation, according to the miner.

“Perhaps the most significant benefit of the remote drills is the potential for increased productivity,” the miner said. “Now one driller can operate up to three machines at a time, increasing utilisation.”

Another safety benefit is that the remote drill can access areas that may be unsuitable for people to access.

“With the development of the new Haile Pit, we are encountering historic workings,” Kash said. “We may want to drill into an area with little cover to see what’s there, but we don’t want to risk putting somebody physically in the drill.”

In 2020, the Haile gold mine is expected to produce between 180,000-190,000 oz of gold.

Epiroc to showcase surface drilling automation expertise at CONEXPO 2020

Automation, Equipment maintenance, Explosives and blasting, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining events, Mining services, , , , , , , ,

Jon Torpy, General Manager and President for Epiroc USA, says the company is heading into its first CONEXPO-CON/AGG as “an experienced company committed to driving the future of intelligent infrastructure development, quarrying and mining”.

The company plans to showcase its surface drilling automation expertise at the Las Vegas show, taking place on March 10-14, with several “innovative and productive offerings” set for their North America debut.

The new Epiroc SmartROC D60 down-the-hole (DTH) surface drill rig for quarrying, mining and construction (pictured) will get a showing. This rig has been updated with Epiroc’s innovative automation-ready platform, with the D60 offering the “intelligence and power to consistently and efficiently drill high-quality blast holes with accuracy and precision”, Epiroc says.

It is loaded with smart features such as automated drilling and rod handling that increase safety, efficiency and consistency for a lower total cost of ownership, according to the company.

The automation-ready platform also includes the new Auto Feed Fold feature. With a single action, Auto Feed Fold enables the operator to fold the feed for tramming or position it for drilling. This also comes in handy when operating one or more drill rigs remotely with the BenchREMOTE option, Epiroc said.

The D60 can drill holes of 4.6-7 in (11.68-17.78 cm) in diameter and to a maximum depth of 182 ft (55.47 m). “All these features and flexibility are packed in a rig that is economical to run due to the intelligent control of the compressor and engine rpm,” Epiroc said.

The SmartROC D60 also uses 79 gallons (359 litres) less hydraulic oil than previous versions and features fewer hoses and pumps, according to the company. This helps to further reduce costs and makes servicing easier, while increasing sustainability and reducing the environmental impact of the rig.

Alongside the SmartROC D60 rig at the Epiroc CONEXPO-CON/AGG stand will be the PowerROC D60 Tier 4 Final surface drill rig.

This hydraulic DTH surface drill rig for mining and quarrying not only drills the largest holes in the PowerROC family, it is equipped with an engine that meets Tier 4 Final emissions regulations to reduce its environmental footprint, the company says.

The rig can drill large holes ranging from 4.31-7 in. In addition, the 5+1 Rod Handling System makes it possible to drill holes down to a depth of 98.5 ft, according to the company.

“The rig features a pilot hydraulic system and straightforward electronics which make the PowerROC D60 both easy to operate and simple to service,” Epiroc says. “The powerful rotation unit ensures that the rig can operate reliably in all types of rock conditions. In addition, a highly effective dust collection system ensures that the work environment is kept clean and safe, which protects both machine and personnel.”

The last big rig to go on display will be the Epiroc DM30 II.

Built off the same platform as the DM45 and DML blasthole drill rigs, the Epiroc DM30 II is suitable for a variety of multi-pass rotary and DTH drilling applications, Epiroc says. The compact yet heavy-duty design of the DM30 II delivers powerful performance and easy transport between benches or even between properties, according to the company.

A crawler-mounted, hydraulic tophead-drive rig, the DM30 II can achieve a clean hole depth of 28 ft for single-pass applications and up to 148 ft for multi-pass applications with a starter rod under the rotary head. It also features a 30-ft drill pipe change and a four-rod carousel. It is designed to handle 4-6.5 in drill pipes with a pulldown of up to 30,000 lbf (133,446.7 newtons) and a hole diameter of 5.5-7.875 in.

The mainframe and layout of the machine has been updated for 2020 to better assist customers needing a small-profile machine for tight drilling conditions or transit between sites, Epiroc said. Reductions include: working width (to 14.16 ft); transport width with ladders and non-cab side jack removed (12.3 ft); and height, tower down (15.4 ft).

Customers can choose a low- or high-pressure compressor to create the right configuration for their drilling operation. The DM Series drill rig can be equipped with on-board technology capabilities with the optional Epiroc Rig Control System (RCS) Lite for added safety and productivity.

The company will also use the show to talk up its new digital fleet management solution, My Epiroc.

My Epiroc is available on web and mobile devices with features for increasing fleet efficiency and safety. The platform enables mining and infrastructure operations to optimise fleet performance, with the solution to be demonstrated at the Epiroc booth.

“Regardless of role – a fleet manager focusing on uptime, a machine operator getting the job done, or a member of the service team keeping on top of equipment performance, safety and reliability – My Epiroc is built to assist in accomplishing jobs and improving work flow,” the company said.

Epiroc will also exhibit rock drilling tools solutions for integration with the FlexiROC T30 R, PowerROC D60 and SmartROC D60 drilling rigs, while presenting its TCO supervisory agreement to improve fleet maintenance and lower total cost of ownership.

Anglo American selects Epiroc drilling equipment for Quellaveco copper project

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Epiroc has been awarded a “significant” order from Anglo American for its new copper mine in Moquegua, Peru, Quellaveco.

The diversified miner has ordered multiple drill rigs and related equipment to be used at the planned open-pit copper mine as it looks to build an operation with optimal safety, productivity and efficiency, Epiroc said.

The order totals about $44 million, with most of the contracted value booked in the December quarter of 2018 and a smaller portion booked in the current quarter, Epiroc said.

Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s Senior Executive Vice President Mining and Infrastructure, said: “We are proud to once again team up with Anglo American and play a key role in making sure that its new mine in Peru is operated in the most productive, safe and cost-efficient manner possible.”

The order includes Pit Viper 351 and SmartROC D65 drill rigs, BenchREMOTE remote operator stations (pictured), rock drilling tools and HB 10000 hydraulic breakers.

“The machines incorporate state-of-the-art technology features,” Epiroc said, adding that operators are, for example, able to run rigs remotely from a safe distance.

Delivery of the machines will start in early 2020 and continue through 2021, in line with Anglo American’s plan of first copper production during 2022.

Fluor is carrying out the project build at Quellaveco as part of an EPCM contract. With a reserve of 1,300 Mt at 0.58% Cu, Quellaveco is expected to have a 30-year mine life at an average production capacity of 127,500 t/d. This could see the mine produce around 300,000 t/y of copper.