TECHNOLOGY
T
he innovation, which stems from
a partnership between three
specialist companies namely
Kemach Equipment, Liyema
Drilling and Integrated Air Solutions,
combines an excavator with a compressor
and a locally designed, tailor-made drilling
tower that conforms to all original equipment
manufacturers (OEM) specifications.
To achieve this seamless 3-in-1 integration,
the companies worked closely on a solution,
dedicating their respective technical expertise.
Basie Roelofse and his team from Liyema
Drilling was responsible for converting the
JCB JS205 excavator into a drilling machine.
According to Roelofse mines today are under
constant pressure to improve efficiency,
production and safety.
“To remain competitive and secure
contracts drilling machines must be fast,
efficient, productive and equally important,
safe. It’s not about how fast you drill, it’s about
the speed of the set-up, that is, how fast you
can retrieve and move to the next hole. We
are therefore relentless in our search to find
ways to improve and innovate machines to
maximise our set-up time,” says Roelofse.
Liyema Drilling is currently operating
the JS205 drilling machine at a mine close
to Delmas in Mpumalanga. “The JS205 has
reduced our set-up time from seven minutes
to an astounding 11 seconds which enables
us to complete between 450m to 750m in a
single 12-hour shift,” says Roelofse. “With
the capacity to drill 100m more each day,
this fully integrated solution has enabled us
1.
2.
3.
On board control panel inside
the cabin for seamlessly and
convenient control.
The JCB JS 205 drilling
machine with locally designed
drilling tower and on-board
compressor offers a seamless
integrated three in one solution.
The innovative drill rig
is a result of a successful
partnership and teamwork
between Kemach Equipment,
Liyema Drilling and Integrated
Air Solutions.
QUARRY SA | MAY/JUNE 2018 _ 21