Tag Archives: drill rig

Epiroc upgrades SmartROC C50 drill rig with long feed option

27th March 2024Automation, Explosives and blasting, Mining equipmentdrill rig, drilling, Epiroc, Rig Control System, SmartROC C50, Ulf GyllanderDaniel Gleeson

Epiroc says its SmartROC C50 will now be available with a choice of two feeds, the standard feed or a long feed, allowing the drill rig to deliver even more metres per shift.

This rig combines high penetration rates with superior hole quality – even in the most challenging conditions, the company claims.

The long feed enables this COPROD rig to deliver even more meters per shift by increasing drilling time and reducing the time changing rods, according to Epiroc. Additionally, less rod changing reduces wear on consumables and helps lower fuel costs. This makes this machine even more cost effective.

Epiroc said: “The SmartROC C50 is one of fastest, safest and most efficient drill rigs available on the market. The well-known surface drill rig is a favoured choice for contractors and mining customers who require both raw power and precision. This is due to the COPROD technology, which offers the unique combination of precision and speed. Together with the new long feed, this rig will be beneficial to mining and quarrying operations all around the globe.”

The SmartROC C50 with a long feed can carry a 7.3 m starter rod and 6 m rods in the carousel, which increases the maximum hole depth to 37 m. There is also a significant increase in its single-pass capacity, according to Epiroc.

“We have taken this top class surface drill rig and made it even more appealing with this new long feed option,” Ulf Gyllander, Global Product Manager at Epiroc, said. “With its smart Rig Control System (RCS) and easy-to-use touch screen, we are proud to call the SmartROC C50 a class-leading rig.”

Bolting head upgrade gives Sandvik DS300 drills new life at New Afton mine

18th November 2022Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining servicesBolter, bolting, British Columbia, Canada, D300, drill rig, DS300, France, Francois Nell, Lyon, New Afton, New Gold, RD300, RD314, Sandvik, Sandvik Bolting Head, SBHDaniel Gleeson

A like-for-like Sandvik Bolting Head (SBH) upgrade at the New Afton mine, in British Columbia, Canada, is delivering a significant productivity boost at the New Gold-owned operation, according to Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions.

Launched over a decade ago, New Afton’s now ageing Sandvik DS300 drill rigs are being given a new lease of life, thanks to an upgrade that sees a current generation bolting head fitted in a like-for-like replacement. Not only is maintenance more straightforward and spare parts easier to source, the new bolting head is delivering a remarkable productivity increase – of 25% – Sandvik claims. In fact, so successful has the mine’s 2021 upgrade been that New Gold has recently confirmed a second of its Sandvik DS300 drill rigs will be given the treatment.

Bolting rigs are used to stabilise hanging and side walls in underground mine applications.

“The upgraded SBH bolting head fitted to the Sandvik DS300s is the business end of the drill and features the latest RD300 series rock drill,” Francois Nell, Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions’ Head of Rebuilds and Upgrades, says. “This makes it perfect for rock reinforcement in underground mines with small-and-medium cross sections. Different bolt type and length configurations are available, providing an extensive bolt selection, while a full bolt carousel ensures the DS300 is capable of installing up to 15 bolts, ranging from 1.6-3 m in length. Bolt types include cement grouted, resin grouted, anchor point and friction bolts.”

There are several benefits of adding new technology to ageing drills, according to Nell.

“The new SBH is already proven in the field and gives an instant performance boost, thanks to the RD314’s much improved penetration rates,” he explained. “Added to that is the convenience of being able to source readily available current parts more easily, as well as increasing mine’s parts commonality across more drills.

“Also, the new SBH doesn’t put the rest of the D300 under additional strain; in fact, due to the lighter RD314 drifter compared to the drill it replaces, machine strain is, if anything, reduced.”

The SBH upgrade itself is straightforward, coming in kit form, and can be conducted by a mine’s in-house technical teams using the instruction manual the SBH comes with, according to Sandvik. Taking at most a couple of shifts to complete, customer feedback regarding the installation process has been universally positive, the OEM says.

With several hundreds of Sandvik’s Lyon, France-built D300s still working around the world, Sandvik says it expects that this SBH upgrade will be as popular with other mines as it is at New Afton.

Redpath puts Australia’s first Sandvik DD212 into operation at Silver Lake’s Rothsay

26th March 2021Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metalsChris Riethmuller, DD212, drill rig, narrow vein mining, Redath Australia, Rothsay, Sandvik, Silver Lake ResourcesDaniel Gleeson

Redpath Australia says it has taken delivery of the first Sandvik DD212 production drill in Australia, putting it into action at Silver Lake Resources’ Rothsay gold mine in Western Australia.

The DD212 is a single-boom, electro-hydraulic drill for mining development and production and has been highly anticipated in the Australian narrow-vein market, Redpath says.

Redpath Australia’s Plant Manager, Chris Riethmuller, said the contractor specifically needed a rig that could drill in a 2 x 3 m drive and was able to drill within 100 mm of each wall to minimise dilution and increase recovery.

“Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions stepped up to the challenge to the extent of redesigning the boom configuration to accommodate the request,” he said. “We then challenged them further and requested a 12-rod carousel be fitted to both of the rigs we have ordered. Sandvik had a plan in the pipeline for this carousel but agreed to fast track the project for us.”

The carousel has not yet been fitted to the first machine working at Rothsay due to scheduling requirements but is due to arrive in June, according to Riethmuller, who said the company is looking forward to taking advantage of the increased safety and expected productivity gain this tool will deliver.

In January, Sandvik announced the introduction of the DD212 rig, an upgrade of the Sandvik DD210 development drill rig, which is designed for narrow-vein operations.

Redpath, back in April 2020, announced it had been awarded a contract to carry out underground mining services at Rothsay.

Sandvik advances narrow-vein drilling options with new DD212 rig

11th January 2021Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining servicesDD210, DD212, drill rig, mining development, narrow vein mining, Sandvik, SB201i, THC562Daniel Gleeson

Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions has introduced a new compact and intelligent single-boom electro-hydraulic drill for tunneling and mining development in narrow-vein drifts.

The Sandvik DD212 is an upgrade of the Sandvik DD210 development drill rig, and is designed for narrow-vein operations. It delivers both high level productivity and low cost of ownership, the mining OEM says.

Based on factory and field tests, the Sandvik DD212 delivers an up to 20% reduction in boom positioning time per face and a circa-15% improvement in drill penetration rate. Its 3% improved pull out ratio, meanwhile, can result in an up to 10 cm greater advance per face when compared with similar equipment.

The machine reached 93% mechanical availability during its mine site test period, accumulating 300 hours of percussion drilling within two-and-a-half months of operation.

“The drill provides great performance with net penetration rate, drill quality and rock tools improvements with zero drill rods jammed during the test period,” Sandvik added.

Among the new features are a drilling control system, the THC562, which provides torque control and reaming hole selection. This enables the DD212 to provide increased drilling performance, while reducing the wear on both the rock drill and rock tools.

The SB20i intelligent boom is used for accurate hole electronic positioning, which enables the precise and fast navigation of drill feed and tool, with automatic parallelism and instrumentation for hole angle measurements, Sandvik says. The boom offers a large face drill coverage from 6-25 m² thanks to the 1 m boom extension and the two narrow-vein type rotation actuators.

The development drill has an extended, 12 ft (3.7 m) TF feed rod, which optimises the advance/round, while its RDX5 rock drill provides a fast drilling cycle time and low operating costs.

The specific compact and versatile CFX telescopic feed, meanwhile, can retract from 12 ft to 6 ft (1.8 m), enhancing multipurpose operation in small tunnel sizes of 2.5 m x 2.5 m to 3.5 m x 3.5 m.

“The DD212 delivers accurate face drilling, cross cutting and bolting and enables mines to open smaller tunnel sections, reducing overbreak, dilution and drilling costs,” Sandvik says.

The company added: “The new DD212 brings operational safety and versatility for tackling different applications, precise electronic positioning, ergonomic operator interface and data monitoring, all leading to a superior pull-out ratio and reduced tool consumption, ensuring that the new DD212 delivers the best fit in narrow-vein drilling.”

Epiroc ups the surface drilling ante with PowerROC D60

16th May 2019Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining safety, Mining servicesdown-the-hole, drill rig, DTH, Epiroc, PowerROC, PowerROC D60, surface drilling, Wei Wen XuDaniel Gleeson

Epiroc says its new PowerROC D60 is able to drill the largest holes in the PowerROC family thanks to a design offering high pressure operation as well as an increased penetration rate.

Wei Wen Xu, Product Company Business Line Manager at Epiroc, said: “PowerROC D60 has been working in the field for some time and has already delivered great results. This rig will definitely bring a lot of value to our customers.”

The PowerROC D60 offers a high level of productivity when it comes to drilling large holes ranging from 110 mm to 178 mm, according to Epiroc. On top of this, the 5+1 Rod Handling System makes it possible to drill holes down to a depth of 30 m. “Well-proven Epiroc technology ensure good quality and straightness of the hole,” the company said.

Features such as a pilot hydraulic system and straightforward electronic system make PowerROC D60 both easy to operate and easy to service, according to the company, with the rotary unit ensuring the rig can operate reliably in all types of rock conditions. In addition, a dust collection system ensures the work environment is kept clean and safe, protecting both machine and personnel.

“The PowerROC D60 hydraulic down-the-hole drill rig is safe, powerful and helps you increase your production capability,” Epiroc said. Matching this with the rig’s ease of maintenance and repair, ensures high availability and productivity, according to the company.

Wei Wen Xu said: “The PowerROC D60 rig performance will show that this is a very strong, competitive product for mining and quarrying. I’m convinced that this this rig will meet our customers high expectations – which is already confirmed with recent success in Russia.”

The Tier 3 version of the PowerROC D60 is available now. The Tier 4 Final version will be available in North America, Japan and Korea from July.

Sandvik focuses on exploration technology for PDAC crowd

5th February 2019Mineral exploration, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining events, Mining servicesBSU, Canada, DE712, drill rig, drilling, DTH hammer, exploration, Mineral exploration, PDAC, Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada, RE531 RC, Sandvik, Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology, TorontoDaniel Gleeson

Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology will show off its exploration technology at the upcoming Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Convention on March 3-6, with the DE712 Core Drill Rig one of the highlights.

Experts will be on hand to discuss the rig at booth 1031 in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Sandvik said, explaining the DE712 is suitable for both directional drilling and geotechnical drilling

“This rig features a capacity of 1,126 m depth in N size and is available in both, truck- and crawler-based configurations making it easy to transport across the site. Its open and accessible design make service and maintenance tasks fast and simple,” Sandvik said.

The DE712 comes with a heavy-duty frame and a robust design, Sandvik said. It is also a space efficient drill rig featuring a drill mast supported by a strong main hoist with a failsafe brake mechanism designed for angles between vertical and 45°.

“Equipped with a powerful diesel engine, water pump and highly efficient hydraulic system, this drill is easy to learn and simple to operate while its robust and precisely engineered design has proved its durability even in the toughest working environments,” the company said.

The DE712 also features a standard automatic fire suppression system and rod spin guard, which protects the operator from the rotating rod string. The on-board Sandvik Safe-T-Spin tool provides consistent pre-torqued joint in the drill string, increasing drill rod thread life while reducing use of stillsons and other hand tools, Sandvik said.

The Sandvik booth will also feature:

“BSU core barrel system featuring interchangeable components and offers standard and pump-in applications in a single system. The BSU system offers greater flexibility, a more cost-efficient solution, greater safety and increased productivity. The system is user-friendly and designed for safer handling. There is no need for different coring tool systems as this multifunctional system is ideal for both surface and underground applications;
“A new series of impregnated diamond core bits which simplify the selection for each geological condition and deliver unsurpassed balance between best penetration rates and optimum bit life;
“The RE531 RC down the hole hammer (86-102 mm (3 ⅜ -4 in) designed to achieve high penetration rates in all rock conditions while providing large, uncontaminated sample return and offering increased longevity and lower cost per metre.”