NORDIC SUPPLIER FOCUS_proof 27/04/2016 10:22 Page 5
NORDIC SUPPLIER FOCUS
As in all large underground mines, there was a
need for long utility holes at LKAB Malmberget.
The Wassara water powered DTH drilling system
is the preferred method there when connecting
different sub-levels with electrical service,
communication, water drainage etc.
Utility holes are usually much longer than the
blastholes in a mine. Using conventional
blasthole drilling systems, such as top-hammers
and air DTH, can be challenging due to the length
of the holes and required accuracy. More
common is to use a rotary, non-percussive drill
rig. But these rigs are supposed to drill core
samples, which are a high priority application in
many mines. Drilling utility holes with a rotary,
non-percussive drill is also very time-consuming
and costly.
With a Wassara drilling system, it is possible
to drill straight holes without sacrificing
performance, with a better working environment
as a bonus. Wassara’s DTH hammer is powered
by high pressure water at up to 180 bar. When
the water leaves the hammer, the pressure is
reduced to atmospheric level as it is an open
system. This ensures a low up-hole velocity, still
powerful enough to bring any cuttings to the
surface and to clean the borehole.
For utility holes at Malmberget, the target was
to drill downwards from the main decline in the
mine at level 1,100 m for an electric installation at
sub-level 1,250 m.
The app reacts to the ‘target’ image, meaning that if you make it bigger, the 3D-presentation gets
bigger and you need to tak e a few steps back. In the same manner it is possible to use a ‘target’
image in the Grindex pump handbook to get a smaller, but still zoomable 3D presentation on a
smartphone when sitting at a table. If you turn the ‘target’ image, the 3D presentation will turn too,
meaning you can ‘walk around’ the pump and look what’s in the other side of it.
On the right, this 3D-presentation will turn as you swipe the screen with your finger, and you can
look at the parts from any angle, and you can zoom in. The app contains many different features,
describing features and functions in the pump, this is just one example
Choosing submersible pumps
At Bauma in April, Grindex, a world leader in
electrical submersible pumps, launched a digital
tool based on Augmented Reality (AR). The
company says “the tool equips users with X-ray
vision of the products and with state-of-the-art
tools like this, Grindex reaffirms its leading
market position within submersible drainage
pumps and pumping accessories.”
With this new app all Grindex distributors and
resellers will have a unified base for presenting
Grindex products. “Grindex is giving all partners
the same technical information and we believe
this will be of magnificent use in informing end
users and service personnel worldwide,” says
Andreas Malmport, Managing Director for Grindex.
The launch of the first Grindex submersible
pumps in 1960 started an era of supplying
dewatering pumps to the world’s most
demanding sites within mining. “As the pump is
the most common and widely used machine
equipment in the world today,” Grindex says, it
“aims to use the experience that it gained along
the way to share engineering expertise with our
customers.”
“Simply point the tablet’s camera at a pump
and a cut-away image will be added on the
screen, providing the user with buttons that
explain and/or animate certain features,” Sales
Manager Peter Uvemo explains.
“Grindex strives to make sustainability a dayto-day priority for all activities and is dedicated
to meeting the highest environmental standards.
As a further step in caring for the environment we
see that this digital tool makes less impact than
a physical cut-away pump that has to be shipped
around the world,” adds Malmport.
The new app will be available for iOS and
Android and is preferably run on a 10 inch screen,
though even modern smart phones will provide
an impressive experience.
Drives for conveyors and more
Two strong Nordic drive companies are now
celebrating more than a year after their
successful merger to form Danfoss Drives, with
BOREHOLE POSITIONING SOLUTIONS
Measure your drill hole trajectory with precision
Protected within a titanium structure
Other products :
Find out more at devico.com
Or contact us [email protected]
54 International Mining | MAY 2016
Non-magnetic Multishot
Precise and versatile core orientation instrument
2337DEV
Magnetic Wireless Multishot