On top of things

Surface mining accounts for the vast majority of the world’s mining operations. It is estimated that around 80 percent of materials extracted from mines worldwide come from surface mines. And with the ever-increasing need for more metals and minerals to meet tomorrow’s global needs, it is no wonder that the surface mining industry is growing rapidly.

In terms of electrification, however, which is so important for the mining industry’s decarbonization goals, surface mining is lagging behind underground mining. This is something that, with increasing customer demand for electric surface solutions, Sandvik is helping to change. “We aim to meet the demand with solutions that are safer, more productive and sustainable,” says Lauri Laihanen, Vice President, R&D and Product Manage-ment, Surface Drilling, Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions. “And electrification goes hand in hand with automation and digitalization, which together help operators to reduce costs and increase efficiency.”

Sandvik is therefore making several key investments to support its surface drilling customers’ shift towards electri–fication, automation and digital-ization. One of these is the acquisition of a new test facility to develop and prove future surface drilling technologies.

The new surface test mine, which previously served as a quarry, is located 40 kilometers northwest of Tampere, Finland. Sandvik already operates a state-of-the-art test mine in Tampere, with six kilometers of tunnels. The new facility, however, will be the first Sandvik test site dedicated on such a large scale exclusively to surface drilling.

“The development of comprehensive solutions that not only harness the latest technologies, but also deliver productivity and reliability in our customers’ real-life applications and conditions, requires a real-life test environ–ment,” says Petri Virrankoski, President Surface Drilling. “The surface test mine will facilitate the exchange of our extensive know-how in equipment manufacturing, rock tools, automation and digitalization, supporting the design and development of even
more new products and solutions in the future.”

Sandvik is developing the site, but it is already in operation with drills now being tested there. Over the next two years, permanent office buildings and designated customer facilities will be constructed. Sandvik will use the test mine for R&D as well as hosting customers for technology demonstrations, particularly those related to surface drill automation, digitalization and electrification.

The site will enable technology development and training for both surface boom and rotary drill rigs, as well as rock tools, parts and services and related digital technologies such as automation and fleet telematics and monitoring solutions.

The test mine will also allow Sandvik to explore and demonstrate power source alternatives in a real-world environment, in which infrastructure to support both boom and rotary drilling electrification can be provided.

“Decarbonization is accelerating across our industry, and the role of electrification in surface mining sustainability will help guide our development of new systems and solutions,” says Patrick Murphy, President Rotary Drilling. “Testing is a major part of our R&D cycle. This new test mine will help us shorten time to market and verify even more swiftly that we’re delivering the safest, most reliable and productive drill rigs to our customers.”

Elevating electric surface drilling

The electrification of underground mining has advanced further than on the surface, partly due to the significant positive effects on the working environment. Removing diesel engines from pits and tunnels means cleaner air, less heat and reduced need for ventilation. Electrification has also proceeded slower above ground because in underground operations there is generally a grid and an electrical infrastructure in place. This makes the costs of hooking up electric vehicles lower.

But the electrification of surface equipment, such as drill rigs, would have a huge effect on the decarbonization of surface mining. And as the world leader of electric equipment for underground operations, Sandvik is now building on the expertise it has developed in this area to speed up electrification above ground.

One of the first pieces of equipment to be tested at the new Sandvik surface test pit, therefore, will be the company’s first battery-electric concept surface mining drill rig. “It is a continuation of a decades-long technology development that started in the underground space and now is moving towards the surface,” says Laihanen. “With the industry shifting towards intelligent, autonomous and emission-free equipment, surface drill rigs need to be reinvented. And this new concept rig elevates electric surface drilling.”

The BEV is the first in its size class, capable of drilling down-the-hole (DTH) holes up to 229 millimeters (9 inches) in diameter. And while electric surface rigs have long depended solely on a tethered cable as the power source, the new rig blends the autonomy of a battery with the continuous endurance of a power cable.

“The battery means greater freedom and flexibility and more efficient use of time, as the rig can drill immediately while the cable is being set up,” Laihanen says. “The major benefit of the battery electric concept drill rig is the flexibility it brings to operations planning. This did not previously exist for electrified equipment.”

Sandvik introduced its smaller top hammer battery-electric concept surface drill rig in May 2022, developed to support more sustainable drilling in construction applications. The sub-
systems and technologies for the new battery-electric larger size class DTH drill are therefore all tried and tested, mine-proven and energy-efficient.

“Testing of the smaller concept with our construction customers has been very successful and produced valuable feedback,” Laihanen says. “We’ve learned a lot, and now it’s time to apply these learnings to mining, which has its own unique challenges. The purpose of the concept drill is to have a physical example of the technology and what it can do, and together with our customers, test and validate to make sure that the technology that we’re putting into the drill actually meets the customer’s needs.“

Sandvik will test the battery-electric concept drill rig in real-world surface mining environments, including at its new surface test mine, in close collaboration with surface mining customers.

“We need to identify the challenges, learn from them and share the knowledge,” Laihanen says. “The shift towards more sustainable mining will change the entire operating environment, and with the learnings from our latest concept rig, we can produce more value for our customers on their decarbonization journey. We’re excited to write the next chapter in surface drilling together.”