NORDIC SUPPLIERS
From mobile equipment , to mineral processing , to networks and communications , to drilling consumables , the Nordic METS sector is an established global brand in its own right .
This expertise has been developed and tested over time in some of the harshest conditions the global mining sector offers – some of the hardest rock , some of the most complex orebodies , some of the coldest temperatures and some of the most remote operations .
The thinking goes : if equipment and solutions work at mines in the Nordic region in the heart of winter , they will be able to deal with any conditions they may face operating across the world .
Bits that bite
Finland-based Robit and its drill bits are a case in point .
The company ’ s products are used worldwide after being developed in the challenging rock
The new Robit Superior Rbit Button Bit Series achieves faster rates of penetration and the lowest cost-per-metre , Robit says
Nordic technology and expertise continue to be valued on a domestic and international level , with the sustainability agenda only strengthening demand for these solutions , Dan Gleeson reports
Built to last
conditions of Scandinavia .
It has recently taken up the task of making its drill bits even better and more environmentally friendly by introducing a new button bit series manufactured with recycled steel .
The new Robit Superior Rbit™ Button Bit Series achieves faster rates of penetration and the lowest cost-per-metre , according to the company .
In line with Robit ’ s sustainable manufacturing process , the Rbit is manufactured on fully automated production lines and finished with “ eco-friendly ” water-based paint , Robit says .
Coming in two models – the Flat Face and Drop Center – the new bits are designed with state-of-the-art computer fluid dynamics simulation , with global field tests demonstrating “ clear evidence ” of a superior drilling performance , it added .
They feature an optimised button layout configuration on the Flat Face model to ensure maximum rock contact and energy transmission ; a new transition face developed in both models to improve percussive energy transfer into the rock ; an enhanced flushing design for an even faster rate of penetration ; redesigned wider retrac grooves to allow more space and deliver a better flow for the cuttings ; and optional heavyduty models .
Robit says its partner drillers were happy with the performance and noted better flushing and longer grinding intervals with the new Rbit drill bits .
Completing the automation loop
Still in the realm of drilling and Finland , IMA Engineering is aiming to complete the automation cycle in blasthole and rotary drilling by providing autonomous sampling and analysis solutions that can be retrofitted to any manufacturer ’ s drill rig .
Automating the sampling and analysis process when carrying out drilling allows miners , at the most basic level , to know where the ore and waste is coming from within the drill hole itself
As Ilpo Auranen , Chairman of IMA , says , autonomous drilling operations have been an option for companies in the most established mining regions for more than a half decade . Despite the established nature of the technology , no miners or OEMs to date have looked to complete the automation loop with a robotised sampling and analysis system .
“ They have forgotten they need samples in this process ,” he told IM . “ Why have they forgot this ? It is because the big drilling OEMs are not in the sampling business . They are selling the idea that automation can save you significant cents per tonne on your operating costs , but if you are not carrying out accurate sampling to find out just what you are drilling – and subsequently blasting – you are not increasing the value of your operations .”
While conventional sampling and analysis processes would see personnel approach the mining bench to collect a sample only when it safe to do so and send the sample off to the lab for analysis , what IMA and Auranen are proposing is a lot safer , efficient and , Auranen argues , accurate .
IMA provides the whole automated sampling and analysis solution in this drilling context , for any type of blasthole or reverse circulation drill rigs , with its IMA Blasthole Sampler Analyzers ( BSAs ). These units consist of a sampling system with conveyor and hopper and an on-line X-ray Fluorescence ( XRF ) analyser that continuously measures the ore grade and value as material is fed past it . The drilling process is not held up by personnel needing to step onto the bench – a potential safety hazard – and the sampling and analysis comes with the improved accuracy of constant analysis , compared favourably with gathering a fraction of the cuttings after drilling is complete for the lab to check over .
“ There are two basic differences depending on the drill cutting handling system on the drills ,” Auranen said of the BSA system . “ On down-the-hole and top hammer rigs , the cuttings are typically sucked from the hole collar to a cyclone where they drop on the ground . There we collect all the cuttings from that system continuously for analysis .
“ In large rotary-type blasthole drills , the drill cuttings normally stay around the hole collar , creating a cuttings cone . Only the fine dust is sucked to the dust collection system , or rather you put water in the hole to prevent the dust flying around . In those applications , we have a sampling conveyor extended to the collar of the hole and 10-20 % of the cuttings land on the conveyor and are transported to the analyser .”
MAY 2021 | International Mining 45