SURFACE DRILLING
Caterpillar’ s MD6310 and autonomy progress
Today’ s Caterpillar drills, including the MD6310 that was displayed at MINExpo 2024, share a common platform, parts, components and technologies to enhance lifecycle value and streamline operator training, maintenance strategies and fleet planning. Every component and subsystem are matched to work together as a system to increase uptime, improve efficiency and lower cost-per-metre. The exhibited MD6310 was equipped with the latest automation building-block technologies to drive drilling efficiency and performance, while the in-booth remote operating station( ROS) gave visitors the chance to remotely operate a MD6250 located at Caterpillar’ s Tinaja Hills Demonstration & Learning Center in Green Valley, AZ.
Onboard Drill Assist functionality, for both rotary and down-the-hole( DTH) drilling, helps automate the functions of a drill cycle – enabling accuracy, consistency and hole quality on par with a skilled operator. Drill Assist capabilities include Auto Level, which provides machine leveling and jack retraction; and Auto Mast, which raises the mast to the desired angle and locks it in place and then, if required by the site, unlocks and lowers the mast after drilling is complete.
Available for both single- and multi-pass applications for the MD6310, Auto Drill provides automated drilling for a complete drill cycle. It helps ensure holes are drilled to the defined depth by monitoring real-time parameters and automatically modulating the drill string to handle complicated ground conditions.
Cat MineStar™ solutions build on the automation capabilities from Drill Assist with additional technology options, including Terrain for drilling which provides high precision guidance to help complete patterns
The Cat ® MD6310 rotary drill delivers value with a building-block approach to drilling automation
accurately and efficiently.
Operator Machine Assist( OMA) allows the
operator to select a row, and the machine automatically navigates from hole to hole and autonomously drills each hole in the row, increasing the productivity and consistency of an operation
Non-line-of-sight( NLOS) Remote Control uses an ROS to enable positioning the operator safely away from the drilling site. The Command for drilling Autonomous Drilling System( ADS) automates the drill cycle for multiple rows on a pattern enabling increases in machine utilisation, productivity, and safety
Cat MineStar Health Product Link Elite and Vital Information Management System( VIMS), enables the collection and transmission of equipment data to be visualized and analyzed through Cat MineStar Health or other thirdparty applications
The MD6310’ s electronic compressor controls boost productivity while reducing fuel burn. Major components are built to be rebuilt for multiple machine service lives. Meanwhile the Cat Electronic Technician( Cat ET) makes troubleshooting quick and convenient.
Caterpillar’ s rotary blasthole drill cab features floor-to-ceiling windows to improve line of sight to the drill deck and surrounding areas. Closed-circuit cameras, including a camera in the mast, improve operator visibility.
Back to autonomy and Thiess recently pointed to some success with Caterpillar autonomous drills at its operations in its 2024 Sustainability Report. In April 2024, Thiess, along with WesTrac and Caterpillar, celebrated setting a record of drilling one million lineal metres autonomously at the Mt Arthur South operation in New South Wales. The three companies began the program in 2019 and commenced a multi-phase three-year journey, which enabled a remotely located operator to control three drills simultaneously.
Building on their success at Mt Arthur South, Thiess deployed three Caterpillar ® autonomous drills at the Olive Downs Complex in Queensland, with all drills reaching full capacity in 2024. These two projects are the only sites globally to run fully autonomous Cat ® drilling systems and in addition, it is the world’ s first mining operation to deploy Cat ® MineStar™ Command for hauling and Command for drilling solutions simultaneously. In total, Thiess has now drilled more than four million lineal metres autonomously with a fleet of nine autonomous drills – six Caterpillar and three Epiroc. Their autonomous drilling systems have resulted in 20 % improvement in drilling performance, up to 22 hours per day of utilisation and up to 8 % reduction in fuel use and emissions compared to conventional systems. Olive Downs has three autonomous MD6310 rigs and Mt Arthur South has an autonomous Cat MD6250 and two autonomous Cat MD6310 drills. algorithm. By eliminating the requirement for the operator to‘ estimate’ and enter drill site parameters prior to commencing drilling on each hole( or even multiple times during a single hole), new operator training for the drilling process was reduced to just 15 minutes for each new operator.
The Hexagon AI solution performs key functions. On drilling parameters, rotary RPM and force on the bit are now autonomously controlled via the Decision Engine and Genetic AI Algorithm. Together they continuously improve performance of the drill rig within machine and drill bit limitations. The Genetic AI Algorithm automatically determines when ground conditions are stable enough to allow parameter testing; once stable ground is detected, the algorithm automatically changes one of the drilling parameters and measures the overall performance. If the performance is improved, the new parameter becomes the baseline and another test is initiated. If performance is adversely affected, the new parameter is eliminated and another test is initiated.
“ Following the principles of Darwin’ s theory of evolution, parameter changes that result in loss of performance are superseded by changes that significantly improve performance; this results in always using the best possible drilling parameters for any given ground condition.”
Baseline parameters are controlled based on rate of penetration, and all parameters must operate within machine and drill bit manufacturer limitations. This combination ensures the highest possible production whilst providing the optimal machine and consumable life.
The drill Decision Engine
At the heart of the Hexagon drill automation system is the Decision Engine. The Decision Engine leverages AI to monitor all sensor inputs
simultaneously, applying a rules-based decisionmaking process based on the sensor input levels to generate control responses. This approach allows Hexagon to eliminate nearly all parameters associated with drill automation and provides optimised drill control throughout all
International Mining | APRIL 2025