Data driven accuracy

For New Zealand-based RedBull Powder Company, the quality of data gathered from each drill and blast is integral to driving safety, innovation and continuous improvement. Through its 10-year partnership with Sandvik, the integrated explosives services provider became the first New Zealand drilling and blasting company to use the GPS and measurement-while-drilling data capability that the TIM3D drill navigation system provides on new Sandvik drill rigs.

Four of RedBull’s 12 Sandvik drill rigs have TIM3D drill navigation capability which improves drilling accuracy, efficiency and productivity in quarrying operations. Using satellite systems, the TIM3D’s improved accuracy results in better fragmentation and fewer boulders and fines by producing parallel holes and keeping spacing and bottom levels accurate. The system also removes the need for surveying and hole marking, minimizing the risk of errors and speeding up drilling significantly.

“The machine control system allows automatic hole set-up and mast positioning,” says technical manager Nick Bastow, “increasing accuracy and reducing rework. And being able to send the drill plan directly to the operator electronically using GPS coordinates saves so much time.”