SURFACE DRILLING
Pull down force
Surface drilling is becoming more intelligent, more autonomous and more electric – Paul Moore investigates
Epiroc has announced full availability of its Common Automation Panel( CAP) for both RCSbased surface drill rig models – Pit Viper and SmartROC DTH MKII
Autonomous drilling in mining has been around for some years but it is not standing still. Epiroc recently announced the full availability of its Common Automation Panel( CAP) for both RCS-based surface drill rig models – Pit Viper and SmartROC DTH MKII. With CAP, operators can control mixed fleets from a single, ergonomic station, transforming the remote-control centre into a more efficient, costeffective, and safer environment. The Common Automation Panel is specifically designed to revolutionise control rooms for modern mining operations.
“ CAP exemplifies our vision of an interoperable control room, allowing Pit Viper and SmartROC drills to be controlled by a single platform. Our customers need solutions that grow with them and adapt to their needs – CAP delivers by seamlessly connecting larger, mixed fleets with ease,” said Christopher Blignaut, Automation Manager at Epiroc Surface division.
CAP offers a complete transformation in remote control centre ergonomics and functionality. With its 12 ″ touchscreen and adaptable joystick configuration, operators can easily transition between machine types, making it an ideal solution for mixed fleet operations and cross-training.
Mahmood Hassan, Product Engineer – Automation says:“ CAP simplifies operations for our customers with its intuitive interface and gamified controls, minimising training time and helping operators adapt quickly to enhance efficiency and productivity. Through engaging interactive demonstrations, CAP has generated excitement and enthusiasm from customers.” Key benefits of CAP include: n Enhanced control room layout, enabling greater operator efficiency and reduced variability n Lower costs for maintenance, training, and spare parts through a single panel for mixed fleets n A new safety system, which allows more machines to connect to a single control room, improving situational awareness and optimising fleet operations The Common Automation Panel also helps lower the total cost of ownership and supports consistent, predictable operation, which contributes to decarbonisation efforts and improved operator health and wellbeing.
With rising demands for environmental, social, and governance( ESG) standards, as well as the need for advanced digital solutions in mining, CAP directly addresses these requirements. This innovation underscores Epiroc’ s commitment to supporting safe, productive and sustainable mining.
“ CAP enables operators to control drills from anywhere in the world, offering flexibility, safety, and improved working conditions while allowing
mine and quarry sites to gradually adopt automation as their infrastructure and procedures evolve,” added Blignaut.
He told IM in a follow up in-depth interview:“ It is significant that it is now available on the Pit Viper drills. When we first released CAP in late 2023 it was the primarily the release of the platform with SmartROC – it has now very much become the backbone of our whole automated drill offering. It allows our customers to build a flexible drill control pod and that can be integrated into any control room and at multiple locations. So it gives the customer a lot more flexibility on their end. At our end it allows us to roll out new features across different models of machines in a more seamless way and ensure that every drill benefits from the latest capabilities as we integrate these into the CAP platform over time. So when we initially released it, it was fully integrated on the SmartROC drills. Now it ' s fully integrated on the Pit Viper drills as well. Over time we will also add more of our machine models to it as well as other non-Epiroc machine models – as it is a fully OEM agnostic platform.”
CAP started with the SmartROC D65 MKII to bring that range of models into the drill automation fold – as those rigs were starting out on that journey so it made sense to integrate them into CAP first, as a large population of autonomous Pit Vipers was already running –
International Mining | APRIL 2025