Sandvik targets quarries

Sandvik displayed the first model in its new generation of down-the-hole drill rigs, the Sandvik DI550, at Bauma 2010, saying it offers the quarrying industry unique productivity and user comfort in 5in hammer drilling.

The DI550 will be released on to the market in the fourth quarter of this year. A new feed and rotary head will be launched at the same time.

Sandvik said businesses – small and medium-sized quarries in particular – must continuously improve productivity, so selecting the right machine for the job is of the utmost importance.

The DI550 is a down-the-hole drilling rig that features a 324kW diesel engine and a 24.4m3 compressor air flow at 24 bar pressure.

Sandvik states: “This careful balance of power and hammer size results in a uniquely productive rig that keeps fuel consumption and operating costs to a minimum. Cost-effective machine performance is further enhanced by other advanced features, such as active diesel rpm control, optimised diesel rpm level during drilling, and active control of compressor-running temperature.”

Aside from high performance, the company said the focus of the project was on simple and comfortable machine operation.

The new DTH line has benefited from Sandvik’s experience in top-hammer drilling solutions. Thus the two product lines share many solutions, components and test procedures.

The DI550 is designed to work at maximum performance when fitted with Sandvik’s RH550 hammers in sizes from 3-5in. The RH550 hammers come with bits ranging from 90-152mm, with three different bit face designs.

LANDSLIDE VICTORY

Another new geotechnical product for the quarrying industry introduced at Bauma was from RUD-Erlau – the Barriertech containment system for stopping rocks, slides and avalanches.

Located in Aalen, close to the German Alps and no stranger to the extremes of nature, RUD has been applying its 130-year experience of chain technology and advanced alloys to developing an effective defensive system. A suspended netting system, Barriertech’s energy-absorbing elasticity has been tested according to ETAG 27, the European technical approval guideline for rockfall-protection systems. RUD says that, although the system can take as much as 5,000kJ, it is guaranteed to a safe limit of 3,000kJ.

Going for gold

In 2002, Atlas Copco launched the Secoroc COP 64 Gold, its most productive 6in DTH hammer ever. The company followed that up in 2004 with the Secoroc COP 54 Gold – for those who wanted the same performance in a smaller DTH hammer. Now Atlas Copco says the family is complete with the launch of the latest model – the Secoroc COP 44 Gold.

The COP Gold range of DTH hammer can offer blastholes of 110-178mm in diameter. In addition, modern, high-pressure rigs can get the benefit of drilling with Secoroc COP 44 Gold thanks to its 35bar rating.

The new Secoroc COP 44 Gold has many features in common with the rest of the range, such as: the specially-designed piston for efficient energy transfer; the control tube suspension with new steel-disc compression rings and new, lower buffer rings; and steel hammer casing, providing greater impact strength and wear resistance. Instead of buying new hammers, Secoroc COP Gold hammer can be rebuilt up to three times using the COP Gold E-kit.

COPROD is Atlas Copco’s patented system for drilling in rock – a system of drilling rigs and drill strings, which, it says, offer the high penetration rate of top-hammer drill strings with the hole straightness and hole quality of DTH drill strings.

ROC F9 CR is the smaller of the two COPROD drilling rigs and uses CR76 or CR89 drill string to drill holes from 90-127mm in diameter. ROC L740 CR, a second-generation COPROD drilling rig, can be equipped with CR89, CR102, CR127 or CR140 drill strings. Translated into hole sizes, it means L740 CR can drill holes of 105-180mm.

In developing the third-generation COPROD drill strings, Atlas Copco Secoroc’s goal was to improve hole straightness and reduce noise emission, so COPROD sections were scrutinised.

The solution devised was to remove the welded centre guides in the drill tubes and replace them with a full-length, specially-designed inner tube. This patented, plastic stabiliser with its geometrical design acts as an inner lining, reducing vibrations in the COPROD tube and noise levels.

Combining and streamlining

Rockmore International, a global manufacturer of rock-drilling tools, has boosted its ROK Series DTH hammer product line with the ROK 875.

The new 203mm (8in)-diameter hammer is designed to increase drilling efficiency in blasthole and quarry applications, featuring a new design that reduces the number of hammer components. The integrated top sub combines multiple internal parts into one component, reducing the amount of component wear points, as well as cost, and simplifying service.

The streamlined design also takes advantage of Rockmore’s SonicFlow technology, which optimises airflow by simplifying the air path. “Our R&D staff found that every time the airflow changes direction, energy is lost through turbulence,” said Pejman Eghdami, executive vice-president of Rockmore International.

“With fewer obstructions, more energy is delivered to the piston while minimising backflow interference. We’ve also added smooth radius ports in the airflow chambers, which minimise energy loss even further. That means faster penetration rates and greater overall efficiency.”

The solid piston design of the ROK 875 is made from a material that is case-hardened, combining high strength with wear resistance. The high-frequency, reciprocating piston is designed to strike the bit with maximum force. The hammer also features a heavy-duty wear sleeve and back-reaming buttons for increased drill life.

The ROK 875 accepts industry-standard drill bits with 16 spline Ingersoll Rand QL8/QL80 shanks. Recommended bit sizes range from 215-254mm (8.5-10in). This new hammer is rated for use with large compressors and air packages of 24.1bar (350psi) at 39.7m3/min (1,440scfm).