ROCK TOOLS
Sandvik has chosen to gather its most powerful
cemented carbide grades into a new group
called PowerCarbide™
and cost effectiveness,” Sandvik said. Sandvik
was the first company to produce rock tools with
cemented carbide, which is one of the most
successful composite engineering materials ever
produced. Marie Lundbäck, R&D Manager Hard
Materials, Rock Tools, Sandvik Mining and Rock
Technology, said the introduction of
PowerCarbide™ enables the company to
showcase the importance of carbide grades in
drilling operations. “Our key strengths in this
area lie in our innovations in advanced material
compositions and production processes,” she
said. Sandvik says its leading position in the
cemented carbide tool market is down to a focus
on R&D, continuous investments and close
customer collaboration. Sandvik also controls its
entire production chain – from its own tungsten
mine to the production of drill bits – which is
unique in the market, it said.
Lundbäck said: “As we have the most
comprehensive range of advanced carbide tools,
we can offer our customers tailored solutions to
meet their specific drilling needs. At the same
time, we are able to contribute to a more
sustainable future through our unique global
carbide recycling system.” The Sandvik
PowerCarbide™ family currently consists of the
grades DP55, DP65, GC80, SH70, XT49, XT70 and
XT90. New grades will be launched and added to
the family as Sandvik continues to develop the
range.
Robit button options for top hammer
Robit is launching diamond button bits for top
hammer drilling applications as it looks to
increase the life and reduce the maintenance
associated with these consumables. The
company plans to commence mass production
and deliveries by the end of the year, but it has
already signed up its first mining customer.
Traditionally, drill bits for top hammer drilling
have been made of hard metal, but, while they
may often prove effective when it comes to
penetration in the initial stages, these bits can
be worn down easily depending on the
application.
46 International Mining | NOVEMBER 2019
The Robit Diamond
Button Series bits
have an industrial
diamond coating that
lasts many times
longer than a regular
bit and does not need
to be sharpened,
according to Robit’s
R&D Engineer and
Materials Specialist,
Niko Ojala.
The diamond coating is applied to the buttons
in much the same way as diamonds are created;
namely by subjecting it to high pressure and
heat, which makes it even more durable than
natural diamonds.
Ojala said: “The coating has several layers,
which ensures adherence and enables the
diamond bit to withstand the shocks and heat
fluctuations of top hammer drilling. Robit Group
has previously used the diamond coating with
success in oil and gas operations in softer
substrates. Now the durability of diamond is
offered for the first time for shock drilling in hard
rock.”
Robit has been developing these buttons for
five years, and field tests have been conducted
extensively “with ever-improving results and
great success,” Robit Sales Manager, Kimmo
Kangas, said.
“Mass production and deliveries will begin
during the latter part of the year; initially 89 mm
and 102 mm diamond bits will be offered,”
Kangas said, adding that Agnico Eagle’s Kittilä
gold mine, in Finland, is to start using the Robit
Diamond Button series later this year.
Agnico Eagle Kittilä Production Manager, Jari
Kolehmainen and General Supervisor, Janne
Saukko, remarked: “Test cooperation with Robit
in these new innovative products has been
productive. The goal is to use diamond bits to
make remote drilling more efficient in terms of
use of resources and productivity than drilling
using regular bits.”
In test cases, the new diamond bits have
yielded outstanding results, according to Ojala:
“When drilling hard granite you may have to
sharpen – ie change – a traditional hard metal
button bit, for example, after 80 m, while with
the diamond button bit you can drill nearly one
kilometre.
“And, as the diamond buttons do not, in
practice, wear out, then their penetrating ability
does not deteriorate like regular hard metal
buttons. Drilling speed, therefore, remains the
same throughout the bit’s time of use. Similarly,
the diameter of the borehole does not decrease
as the bit ages, resulting in a more consistent
and predictable end result in production
drilling.”
He concluded: “The many times longer change
interval of the bit saves time and is particularly
important for remote-controlled drill rigs in fully
automated mining environments where people
are not present during the process.”
Cat gets in the DTH tools game
Caterpillar has introduced its first Cat ® down-
the-hole (DTH) hammer and bits for blasthole
drilling as it looks to speed up penetration rates
and reduce drilling costs in difficult conditions.
The new Cat DTH Hammer is 152 mm (6 in) in
diameter and is the first to be introduced in the
new DTH line. Its valved design provides reliable
operation, low air consumption, easier
maintenance and cost effective rebuild,
according to the company. The piston design,
meanwhile, delivers long life and efficient energy
transfer.
The new hammer is rated to run with
compressed air systems driving working
pressures up to 34.5 bar (500 psi). Cat explained:
“This additional back-head pressure, when
combined with corresponding airflow demanded,
generates more blows-per-minute to generate
faster penetration rates in the hardest of
materials.”
Caterpillar also is introducing bits for DTH
drilling. Several different configurations of 171
mm (6.75 in) bits are now available in both
standard and heavy-duty versions to allow
matching the bit to the rock characteristics and
job requirements. The bit selections include a
variety of carbide shapes (spherical, ballistic)
and face shapes (concave, flat, convex).
“Cat bits are optimised for high wear
resistance and improved rock chipping,” the
company says. “The aggressive, long-lasting
cutting structure in conjunction with the efficient
Cat DTH Hammer delivers a superior rate of
penetration.”
Caterpillar’s advanced materials and heat
treatment technology used in the DTH products
yield longer life and result in lower overall
drilling costs in demanding conditions, it says. In
head-to-head tests conducted in iron ore and
quarry applications, Cat says its hammers and
bits demonstrated significantly lower total cost
of drilling.
DeviGyro to launch in Australia
The Devico team says it is pleased to announce
the launch of the new DeviGyro in Australia.
“After several months of testing in Norway and
Western Australia, proving its ruggedness and
incredible precision, the world’s smallest
multifunctional borehole gyro instrument will
make its debut in Australia.”
Devico’s Australian agent, Downhole Surveys
(DHS), is all set to bring the “revolutionary” new
DeviGyro to the Australian market and is already