SURFACE DRILLING
rate of investment and return on investment based on the expected performance gains. We have an excellent understanding of the benefits that a customer will realise long before the converted drills are up and running.”
FLANDERS optimises the drill configurations and the automation parameters, then can also operate the maintenance and maintenance training programs, making sure they ' re ready; then establish a data-driven performance monitoring process, which is the continuous improvement piece. It can also help reduce cycle variations and reduce unneeded maintenance stoppages that can cause delays.
Labuschagne:“ We then introduce routines on a site level where they can consistently monitor and manage the correct information, how to manage it correctly, and how to scale up to ensure the best ROI in the business.”
Sandvik’ s iE-Series – outstanding flexibility
The big blasthole rig news at Sandvik Mining & Rock Solutions is that the iSeries Rotary drills are available as electric across all models, which was announced in January 2025. This range of Sandvik iE Series Rotary drill rigs boasts a sophisticated electric system that incorporates a soft starter to help reduce impact on the mine ' s grid power, preventing disruptions to other equipment. The multi-voltage and multifrequency electric motors offer outstanding flexibility, while the optional cable reels ensure ample capacity for connecting to the mine substation.
Operators will appreciate the familiar and intuitive DRi control system. This common system, featured across all Sandvik iSeries rotary drills, provides a consistent operating experience and simplifies operator training.
Sandvik iE Series Rotary drills are equipped with a heavy-duty feed system with travelling centraliser on single pass mast application. This hydraulic motor or cylinder-driven chain feed system delivers superior pulldown force and increased weight on bit, resulting in significantly faster penetration rates.
Nellaiappan Subbiah, Product Manager, Rotary Drills at Sandvik talked with IM in some detail about the design philosophy behind these machines and how Sandvik’ s surface drilling strategy is evolving.“ We were already successful with our diesel powered i Series machines; but there has been a marked increase in demand for cable electric powered drills which now represent about 20-30 %. We are therefore ramping up our blasthole portfolio offering to reflect this, and it ties in with our wider goal of having a complete range of electrified drilling solutions in all hole sizes and drilling applications by 2030.”
Sandvik already has orders in place for the
Sandvik now offers electric versions of its entire range of next generation intelligent rotary blasthole drills- the iE Series
DR410iE and DR412iE – last April it announced an order from Mongolyn Alt MAK LLC to supply electric rotary drill rigs for use at the Tsagaan Suvarga Project in Mongolia. The order includes five cable-electric DR410iE drills, with deliveries scheduled to conclude by the fourth quarter of 2025. Tsagaan Suvarga ranks as the third-largest copper and molybdenum reserve in Mongolia.
The whole spectrum of iSeries Rotary drills are now available as iE series Rotary drills – that
covers the DR410iE, DR411iE, DR412iE, DR413iE and DR416iE – that means 152 to 406 mm holes. This has not been done in a staggered way – all the drills were made available as electric in one go. Subbiah:“ We spent three to four quarters designing the new range in parallel before we were ready to launch rather than opting for a model by model approach.” Electric blasthole drills are not a new concept – what is different about Sandvik’ s take?“ The functionality of the electric drills is comparable to others but our design platform is very distinct. We have designed the platform in such a way that it is highly flexible – so that the drills can be converted to either power source( diesel or electric) quite quickly and cost effectively without having to change a lot of parts – this is unique in the market. The platform and chassis cases are built in such a way that there are bolt on pieces and modular aspects so that we can make a diesel setup into an electric setup relatively easily – and back to diesel if needed, as it works either way. This offers customers maximum flexibility – they may not have the electrical infrastructure in their open pit today to support an electric drill fleet, but they may be planning for this in the next three to four years and with
our next generation drills their fleet can be adapted accordingly. There are also mines where the main open pit has electrical power, but there might be an adjacent pit or satellite pits which do not – and again with the new iE Series Rotary drills modular platform, it allows drills to be repurposed from power point of view to allow for this. Our drills can last for 20 years or more depending on the applications and the maintenance, so flexibility over the whole life is important as well.”
What is it about the chassis that allows for this high level of modularity and ease of conversion? Subbiah states:“ When we started the design process, we took the existing diesel machine and mapped out common electric components – across all the models from the DR410iE to the DR416iE. We wanted to avoid any upscaling or downscaling of components as that adds to complexity. So all the iE Series Rotary drills have the same electrical components and part numbers right across motor control cabinet, transformer, soft starter, and other major electrical components – with this in place it gave us the ability from a space planning point of view to replace the diesel engine along with associated components like radiator, fuel tank, air intake and exhaust system, with a drop-in electrical system replacement with minimal reworking. It’ s all about using the real estate on the drill in the most efficient way. Then the hydraulic pump drive, compressor and other components stay where they are and are not touched. All we do is some bolting on and some additional brackets, mounts and walkways to allow for the electrical components drop in.”
Initial functionality and factory validation of the new iE Series rotary drills was done at Sandvik’ s global Rotary drilling hub in Alachua, Florida, but testing is also planned at Sandvik’ s new surface test mine in Finland 40 km northwest of Tampere to allow for drill testing in hard rock and with deeper holes. In addition, Sandvik is talking to some key customers about mine site validation as well.
Further down the size classes into pre-split and crawler drills, Sandvik has been integrating battery technology for tramming with its Electric Concept Rig. Is there potential in the future for battery packs to also be used with larger blasthole rigs for the same purpose? Subbiah:“ There is some scope for that for sure. We are very early in the phases of doing some power mapping for different operations, including tramming, levelling, drilling, idling – all drill rig states. This is aimed at seeing in what ways we can use an onboard energy source for certain applications like tramming – which could be battery or another power source. This is all aimed at greater rotary drill sustainability and mobility.”
On to autonomy – Sandvik already offers AutoMine for its iSeries drills. Where does AutoMine stand today in relation to the iE rigs especially in relation to cable management? AutoMine for the iE Series is already available,
International Mining | APRIL 2025