Plant Equipment and Hire November 2018 | Page 24

NEW EQUIPMENT THIS LEOPARD IS SPOT ON By Kim Kemp By investing heavily in R&D, Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology Southern Africa is seeking new ways to lift production and lower costs in the mining sector, enabling them to deliver products and equipment that meet and exceed the sector’s needs. A s the industry increasingly demands technologically advanced ‘intelligent’ equipment, OEM Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology recently revealed its first intelligent down-the-hole (DTH) surface drill rig: The Leopard DI650i, designed for larger hole sizes. 22 NOVEMBER 2018 Designed for DTH blasthole drilling, the Leopard DI650i is intended for demanding high-capacity production drilling applications in surface mining, as well as large-scale quarry applications. The Leopard is a diesel-powered, self- contained crawler-mounted drilling rig, equipped with an operator’s cabin, fixed boom, dry dust collector and drill pipe changer, and incorporates a cutting-edge design and layout. Rumisha Motilal, Sandvik’s business line manager: surface drills and exploration, is effusive: “Sandvik is extremely excited to introduce the first intelligent machine within the 115mm to www.plantonline.co.za