UNDERGROUND DRILLING
effective. This was accomplished through
utilising many of the same components found on
the Fletcher narrow vein bolters, and borrowing
controls and functionality from Fletcher’s
standard drills.”
In technology terms, Fletcher’s Graphic
Operator Angle Display (GOAD) is offered as an
option on all Fletcher drill jumbos. The system is
available in varying levels, dependent on the
customer needs. Each system utilises sensors on
the boom and feed mechanisms that display hole
angles and depth of drilling on an in-cab monitor.
This ensures accurate boom and feed alignment
for precise hole placement and direction.
The system is designed for use with both burn
patterns and V-cut patterns. In operations using
burn patterns, the drill round can be optimised,
or longer rounds drilled due to precision drilling.
In operations using V-cut patterns with variable
hole depth, the system automatically calculates
the proper depth for a flat blasted face and
retracts the rock drill when the correct calculated
depth is reached. The GOAD system in operation
has seen a 30% improvement in the tonnage
blasted along with significant savings in fuel,
blasting agents, drill steel and bits.
The latest development in Fletcher drill jumbos
is the Fletchbus system, which works as a smart
hub for machine operations and data collection.
In other words, the system works as a port of
communication between the operator and
machine, by interpreting to the operator what the
machine is doing, and to the machine what the
operator wants it to do. The system incorporates
and refines previous features offered through the
GOAD system. However, previously manually-
hydraulic operations now function through
electrically-actuated hydraulics. This refinement
translates to less wires, hydraulic logic, hoses,
and valves.
“With the Fletchbus system, customers will
receive more interlock features, safety features,
diagnostics, flexibility, and an increase in
per