Control in the hole

SANDVIK DU412i extends the Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology offering of advanced drilling solutions to in-the-hole (ITH) longhole applications. The third member of the supplier’s Next Generation family of drill rigs follows in the footsteps of Sandvik DD422i and Sandvik DT922i. In-the-hole technology substantially expands the Sandvik portfolio of longhole drilling systems. While top-hammer drills produce smaller holes at a faster initial penetration rate and with lower energy consumption, ITH technology delivers better accuracy particularly in fractured rock. It can drill deeper holes well beyond 100 metres as well as larger drilling patterns – essentially more tonnes per drilled metre. Hole sizes optimally range for top hammer drills between 51 and 127 millimetres (2 to 5 inches), while ITH applications generally start from around 100 millimetres (4 inches) and extend well beyond 203 millimetres (8 inches), reamed holes up to 445 millimetres (17.5 inches) and V30 holes to 762 millimetres (30 inches). Natural applications for Sandvik DU412i specifically will include production drilling fans, undercut drilling, slot raising, drainage and service holes, preconditioning holes, reverse circulation for grade control and precollaring for exploration.

The completely new drill module, specifically optimized for instrumentation and automation possibilities, was designed jointly by the Sandvik production units in Winnipeg, Canada, and Tampere, Finland. The flexibility philosophy even extends to the drill’s power pack: the multi-voltage-compliant system enables mining contractors to freely move the drill rig from one country to another, as the machine can easily adapt to different network ratings ranging from 380V to 1000V in both the 50 Hz and 60 Hz frequencies. Extensive automation is another key theme in Sandvik DU412i. The offering is structured on two levels: Silver-level single-hole automation as a standard for all rigs and Platinum-level automation for multiple-hole applications. The single-hole automation system enables the drill to automatically drill a hole to depth and retrieve the drill string when completed, allowing the operator to temporarily leave the equipment during drilling. The Platinum version builds on the automation by enabling automatic boom positioning between holes, drill plan handling and data collection with wireless transfer through the mine network. These automatic features increase equipment utilization through shift changes, during the blast clearing time or at any unmanned time of the day.

“Automation is a trend we see as very important,” says Jordan Letkeman, product manager for underground ITH production drilling at Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology, “not only in high-technology mines where it is used to increase utilization of a highly effective fleet into hours where the machine wasn’t previously operating, but also in lower technology areas where drilling automation can significantly raise the productivity of a new operator to be a much more consistent driller.”

On an even higher level, using teleremote drilling, a single command centre can simultaneously run multiple units and integrate the drilling operations with loading and hauling operations by means of the Sandvik AutoMine system. Drill plan handling and drill diagnostics based on the International Rock Excavation Data Exchange Standard (IREDES) file format provides compatibility with third-party mine planning systems and consistent daily reporting for improved and faster information available to engineering and operations departments. Readiness for the Sandvik OptiMine remote monitoring system and Sandvik AutoMine drilling fleet and information management system offers further possibilities in terms of digitalized mine infrastructure.