Equipment to improve drilling, blasting operations

By |  March 29, 2021
Photo: Rockmore International

Photo: Rockmore International

Rockmore International’s new retrac reaming bit for tunneling, mining and underground construction drilling operations is designed with unique retrac-style cutting fins in the rear section to promote better retraction out of the hole, according to the company. The fins effectively force out any rock chips from behind the bit when the drill string is pulled from the blasthole, resulting in more efficient reaming operations, Rockmore says.

 


Produce precise holes with special drilling system

Photo: Brunner & Lay

Photo: Brunner & Lay

Brunner & Lay developed the Arrow drilling system to allow modern, high-powered rock drills in surface and underground applications to produce precise holes. The Arrow provides less bending stress on drill string and reduces hole deviation to improve the service life of the string. According to the company, this saves fuel and wear and tear on the drill. Improved blasting reduces flyrock and backbreak, and the string delivers the intended fragmentation to reduce the need for secondary drilling and breaking – benefiting the operational bottom line, Brunner & Lay adds. The Arrow is available in T38, T45, T51 and B60 thread.


Simplified system for measuring borehole deviations

Photo: Carlson Software

Photo: Carlson Software

The Boretrak2 is a simple-to-use, gyro-based system for measuring the deviation of boreholes drilled in underground mines, surface operations, and open-pit mines and quarries, Carlson Software says. The software was developed as a successor to the Rodded and Cabled Boretrak systems. According to Carlson Software, the new unit features capabilities of both units and includes a miniature inertial measurement unit containing a triaxial accelerometer, magnetometer and gyro. Prior to deployment, the Boretrak2 is calibrated against a known orientation on a supplied mount, establishing a starting reference azimuth for the gyro. The gyro provides the Boretrak2 with an accurate, live heading that’s tracked as the probe is deployed into the borehole. It is not reliant on a magnetic compass or physical rod alignment for orientation, the company says.


Photo: Soosan America

Photo: Soosan America

Touchscreen tech present on DTH drill

The SS-2000 from Soosan America is the newest DTH (down-the-hole) drill in the company’s Rock Commander line. Powered by a Cummins X15 Tier 4 diesel engine, the SS-2000 is applicable for 4.5- to 8-in. holes. The drill produces 950 cu. ft. per minute of air at 350 psi, Soosan says, and it has the capability to power the DTH hammer and clear holes with ease. The machine has an 8-in. touchscreen monitor, enabling users to view and check equipment status and system functions with a touch of the hand. Drilling depth and drilling angle are displayed in real-time on the monitor. In addition, fine control of lubrication oil flow on the SS-2000 enables operators to adjust the oil flow to the hammer under all conditions.


Improve efficiency, accuracy with global positioning system

Photo: Dyno Nobel

Photo: Dyno Nobel

Dyno Nobel’s differential global positioning system (DGPS), the newest addition to the company’s electronic initiation lineup, can eliminate potential human errors and speed up the blasting process through accurate tagging of blastholes, the company says. DGPS has a semi-autonomous tagging method and is capable of integration into future fully autonomous deployment and tagging. When blasthole GPS coordinates are not available, the DGPS tagger can log hole positions and import them into Dyno Nobel’s ViewShot 3D software. According to Dyno Nobel, standard GPS provides the position of an object on earth using signals generated by satellites revolving around the earth. GPS uses standalone receivers where the location is directly calculated but is also prone to orbit errors, multi-path errors and clock errors.


Mobile app helps improve performance

Photo: Sandvik

Photo: Sandvik Mining & Rock Technology

Sandvik’s mobile application for iOS and Android devices, My Rock Tools – Analyze, is designed to help customers improve their rock tool performance through analyzing failure and discard reasons. The application is specifically designed to remotely conduct failure and discard analysis and provide advice and guidance in a customer report. The aim is to determine the root cause of the failure or discard reason of the rock tool, prevent it from happening again and help improve future performance, the company says. To use the application, customers receive an invitation from Sandvik to log in, download the app, provide key product information, take a few photos of their worn-out tool and then send it to Sandvik for analysis and feedback. The application is available for all Sandvik Rock Tools customers and can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play Store.


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