ROCK TOOLS
Mining and Rock Solutions . “ Playing a part in improving safety and sustainability for our customers is a key priority at Sandvik , and our new Heavy Duty bits do just that .” The Heavy Duty bits complement Sandvik ’ s current top hammer bit collection and are now available for both production drilling and quarrying in sizes ranging from 3 to 4 in .
Moving on to hammers , the new Tundo™ RH650 hammer for DTH drilling from Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions it says can reduce fuel consumption by up to 15 % while increasing penetration rates by up to 20 %. The hammer ’ s design features a new and highly efficient air cycle , contains no foot valve “ and is smaller and lighter compared to other hammers in its class . Flushing is done through the splines . An efficient air cycle means that the new hammer can be used on smaller class drill rigs , delivering fuel savings and efficiency benefits .”
“ With the revolutionary new Tundo™ RH650 DTH hammer , customers can drill more with less ,” said Edgar Halling , Product Manager DTH Hammers at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions . “ Since it can be used on smaller class drill rigs - something unique in the market - customers can expect great cost savings , reduced investment costs , productivity improvements and reduced CO 2 emissions .”
For a customer using a 6 in DTH rig with a conventional hammer , the transition to Tundo™ RH650 could increase annual drilling productivity by 32,000 m . Customers choosing to use a 5 in rig would enjoy significant investment cost savings and reduce fuel consumption by up to 71,000 litres per year while reducing CO 2 emissions by about 185 t . The Tundo™ RH650 DTH hammer is available for order with drill bit diameters of 6 1 / 2 and 6 3 / 4 in .
Epiroc ’ s newest COP hammers & Auto Bit Changer
One of the things Epiroc highlighted at MINExpo was its 6th Sense philosophy that ties back to how it connects the autonomy and digitalisation value chain for its mining customers . 6th Sense as an approach breaks down into a number of tangible layers including down to the machine level . And the final big piece of the autonomous drilling puzzle was put in place in Las Vegas with the launch of Epiroc ’ s Auto Bit Changer ( ABC ) system which was displayed on the Pit Viper 291 blasthole drill at the show .
Tyler Berens , Epiroc Automation Director Surface Mining commented : “ This is a ground up , very holistic design . It will be available on the 270 and 290 series of Pit Viper rotary drills first off . And while it might just look like a big box of bits attached to the drill – a lot of technology went into it . It has a top deck position which was the best fit for robotic operation and serviceability . It is based on a fully automated carousel design with one bit on the string and three more in the carousel . Plus they can be different sizes if mix and match is needed as the formation geology changes .”
Despite various efforts to get people out of the line of fire in bit changing , including prototypes from other OEMs , Berens says this represents the first true commercial autonomous bit changer on the market in terms of achieving live work elimination . It is equally applicable on an autonomous drill or conventional operatorcontrolled drill and was designed to be that way as an independent technology .
Berens adds : “ It is designed to be directed from the operator whether that be an on-drill cab or via a teleremote operation – at the push of a button the bit is broken out and meets the drill string at the right angle and after it is fitted with error checks to make sure it is positioned correctly , the next bit is positioned ready to be used . It can also be operated as part of a fully autonomous drill set up .”
Berens said several Auto Bit Changer systems have been produced , with the first already in field trials at a mine on a PV-271 drill as a retrofit . This retrofittable aspect is crucial to be able to apply the safety benefits to the installed base of drills . “ There are more than 800 Pit Vipers running out there – so it wouldn ’ t have made sense to not make it workable with those .”
For new drills ordered , Auto Bit Changer will still be an option , but Berens said a number of major customers are looking to standardise their blasthole drilling operations with it . Plus it isn ’ t just a safety benefit , it has a major efficiency benefit by getting rid of a lot of delays and downtime associated with manual bit changes . “ In manual changes , sometimes the bit is there ready to go , but often it isn ’ t . Then the operator has to get out of the cab , and there is a lot of heavy manual work in the actual changeout itself including sometimes cleaning the new bit that has been lying around . Plus in a very cold region the operator may need to put gloves and other equipment on . Typically this all takes 15 to 25 minutes – from bit change need to it being completed and the drill running again . This compares to just a few minutes for Auto Bit Changer – yes , it eventually needs a carousel change but only every four bits . Finally , the system has algorithms to recognise very slight dimension changes in bits from other OEMs even though there are meant to be standardised sizes – so it
can work with any rotary bit not just those from Epiroc .”
Epiroc also recently designed the COP M- series DTH hammers “ to be the lightest , fastest , and most durable DTH hammers ever built . Bundling the COP M6 , COP M7 and COP M8 with an Epiroc drill rig , ensures maximum drill speed and productivity for every hole diameter .”
Since the introduction of the M-series product line in 2019 , the COP M6 DTH hammer has proven to be the optimal choice for the SmartROC D65 drill rig – one of the newest additions to the Epiroc premium-class surface crawler rigs for quarrying and construction . Pairing the market leading SmartROC D65 with Epiroc ’ s COP M6 DTH hammer in LowFlow ( LF ) mode capitalises on the higher pressure available for better penetration rates . The M6 hammer is capable of operating at 425 psi ( 30 bar ) while most DTH hammers are designed to operate at 350 psi ( 25 bar ). “ Matching the M6 hammer ’ s airflow cylinder to the compressor configuration of the D65 , ensures maximum performance and drilling efficiency . The result is powerful drilling for greater productivity and less cost per foot for a drilling operation .”
Epiroc ’ s M-series hammers are designed to adapt to different air pressures and volumes with a simple component exchange . The two-in-one feature makes M-series hammers compatible with a variety of Epiroc or competitive drill rigs operating at most altitudes in nearly any climate . For drills like the Epiroc DM45 or other machines delivering greater cfm but a lower psi compressor package , like a 1070 / 350 airend , the M6 DTH hammer with the HighFlow ( HF ) configuration is able to utilize the extra air volume to the maximum extent . The adjustable feature of the M-series hammers gives mixed fleet operators the flexibility to have one hammer that gets the best productivity from any drill rig in the fleet .
The COP M-series DTH hammers it says come with innovative and patented technology . “ A unique air cycle , and an all-new bit design
Epiroc Auto Bit Changer on the top deck of the cabless Pit Viper 291 blasthole drill at MINExpo 2021
14 International Mining | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2021