Mechanized Rock Excavation with Atlas Copco – No 1 / 2010

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EXCORE
has the
Driving downedge!
costs with
High Precision Tunnelling
Page 12

Advanced Kazakhstan New life for

rock bolting mines counting Arctic iron
at LKAB on success ore mine
Page 3 Page 18 Page 22
Editorial Contents

8 12

18
Features
LKAB tackles a massive reinforcement proj-
3 ect using the latest bolting technology.

T
here’s been a lot of debate over
the state of the world economy. It’s Bauma time again. Get a sneak preview
Are we still in recession? Is the 8 of the solutions Atlas Copco will present.
worst behind us? How fast will the
recovery be? What if it slides back? A Norwegian quarry discovers the key to
These are important issues, of course. 14 better drilling through overburden.
But at Atlas Copco we have kept our
Kazakhstan is on the rise. M&C reports on 22
minds on what matters most – the
long-term success of our customers. 18 the country’s buoyant mining industry.
Instead of making drastic cutbacks,
All-round service support helps bring a new
we have made planned and sensible
adjustments that have allowed us to
22 lease of life to an Arctic iron ore mine.
continue producing innovative prod- The diamond standard: New Excore drill bit
ucts – solutions that will enable our
customers to do things faster, easier
27 range boosts productivity.

and more efficiently than ever. Technically Speaking

We think this approach is so impor- Find out why High Precision Tunnelling is
tant that we have even given it a name 12 ‘money in the bank’.
27
– Sustainable Productivity. Through-
out our history we have been dedicat- Products & progress
Down-the-hole drilling just got smarter...
ed to increasing our customers’ pro-
ductivity, so that’s nothing new. The 21 introducing the SmartRig ROC D65.
key word now is ‘sustainable’.
A unique solution – how to safely perform
In today’s world, it is relatively easy
to increase productivity. Advanced
25 case drilling in sensitive ground.
technology enables us to drive tunnels,
After outstanding success in field trials, the
build roads and bridges and excavat­e
mines at an amazing speed, compared
26 new Scooptram ST7 has arrived.

with just a few years ago. The difficult Marketplace & in brief
part is to make sure that these pro- A roundup of mining and construction news
ductivity gains can be sustaine­d over 30 from around the world.
time.
That’s why, for example, we have
made great efforts during the recent
down-period to develop operator train-
ing programmes and maintenance and Mining & Construction is pub­lished by Atlas Free reproduction of articles
Copco. The magazine fo­cus­es on the company’s All product names such as Boomer, Boltec, ROC, ­Pit
service packages, because we are con- know-how, prod­ucts and meth­ods used for drill­ing, Vipe­r, DRILLCare, SmartRig and Swellex are registered
vinced that equipment that is correctly bor­ing, rock re­in­force­ment and load­ing world­wide. Atlas Copco trademarks. However, all material in this
Published by Atlas Copco Rock Drills AB, publication, including the product names, may be
used and properly maintained is the SE-701 91 Örebro, Sweden. [Link] reproduce­d or ­referred to free of charge. For artwork
key to sustainability. That’s our brand Tel: +46 (0)19 670 70 00. or additiona­l information please contact Atlas Copco.
Publisher Ulf Linder,
promise, and if you plan to visit us at
e-mail: [Link]@[Link] Safety first
Bauma, you’ll see how we intend to Editor Terry Greenwood, e-mail: terry@[Link] Atlas Copco is committed to comply with or exceed
put that promise into action. Sub-Editor Rob Naylor, e-mail: rob@[Link] all global or local safety rules and regulations for per-
sonal safety. Some photographs in this magazine may,
Advisory Board Ulf Linder, Mathias Lewén,
however, show circumstances that are beyond our
P-G Larén, Gunnar Nord, Marie Brodin.
control. All users of Atlas Copco equipment are urged
Editorial Production, Design & Layout to think safet­y first and
Greenwood Com­munications AB, Box 50, always use proper ear,
SE-121 25 Stockholm, Swe­den. eye, head and other
Tel: +46 (0)8 411 85 11. [Link] protection as required
Henk Brouwer Printed by Alloffset AB, Bandhagen, Sweden 2010. t­o minimize the risk of
President, Atlas Copco Construction Tools. ISSN 0284-8201. personal injury.
Better bolting
in the heart of Lapland
At the LKAB mine in Kiruna, northern Sweden, the latest bolting technology is making
rapid progress on a massive reinforcement project. Careful planning, effective tools and
a comprehensive training programme got the project up-and-running with remarkable
efficiency. M&C reports on the progress so far.

Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010 3

A
major rock reinforcement programme Given the significant amount of bolts to be The Boltec rigs feature two booms; one
is under way at LKAB’s Kiruna iron installed, ease and speed of installation were for drilling, injecting and bolt installation
ore mine that lies within the Arctic key factors in selecting both the type of bolts and one for handling and holding wire
Circle in the far north of Sweden. The work to use and the equipment and manpower to mesh in place during installation. The drill-
is divided into three main projects; reinforce- install them. In this regard, LKAB has taken ing boom features a ten-bolt carousel and
ment of new drifts, reinforcement of a new an holistic approach, not only in the selection can install a wide range of bolts including
haulage route at the 1365 level and comple- of effective equipment, but also in planning Swellex, rebar and split set types.
mentary support work for the mine’s older the training of operators to make sure the Before the bolts and mesh screens are
drifts and tunnels. work could be done according to schedule. installed, scaling is performed followed
Referring to the complementary sup- by the application of shotcrete that is rein-
port project, Nils Stenberg, Project Man- Dedicated fleet forced with metal or plastic strips.
ager, LKAB says: “So far, in just one year, To meet the requirements of the programme, At Kiruna, the bolt of choice is the Atla­s
we have installed more than 40 000 bolts. a range of Atlas Copco products were chosen Copco Swellex coated bolt. Both the 3- and
And we expect to put a further 100 000 in including 10 Boltec LC fully mechanized 2.4 m variant of this inflatable rock bolt –
place before we finish. After that the only bolting rigs, a Cabletec cable bolting rig, a designed to provide instant loading capac-
bolts bein­g installed will be for newly con- Boomer E2 C rig for bolthole drilling and ity along its entire length – are used. The
structed drifts.” Swellex bolts. variant used here is the Mn24 Manganese

4 Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010

 A major project: Two of LKAB’s
fully-mechanized Boltec LC bolting
rigs at work on the mine’s comple-
mentary reinforce­m ent project.
Here, 3 m coate­d Swellex bolts are
being installed along with wire
mesh.

In just one Swellex bolt that has a breaking load of

240 kN.

year, we The size of the bolt used is determined

by the cross section of the tunnel, with

have installed more 2.4 m bolts used in the smaller drifts (where
the tunnel’s height and width is under 5 m).

than 40 000 bolts and At the end of each bolt there is a face plate
that holds the wire mesh in place and evenly

will put in a further distributes the pressure from the lower sectio­n
of the bolt to the rock face.

100 000 on this part of The LC version of the Boltec rig series is
designed to install bolts of between 1.5- and

the project. 6 m in length in roof heights of up to 12 m.

It features heavy-duty booms for fast and
accurat­e positioning between holes, which at
Kiruna are placed every 1–1.5 metres apart
Nils Stenberg Project Manager, LKAB depending on the expected load on the rock

Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010 5

 Top left: 3 m Swellex bolts line the drift, ready
for installation. Above: The drilling boom of
the Boltec LC rig with its ten-bolt carousel.

ensure that well trained operators are ready

to use equipment whenever and wherever
needed.
The programme is divided into modules
and begins with safety and underground ori-
entation training before moving on to drill-
ing, bolting, explosives handling, shotcret-
ing and scaling. The training programme is
intensive, with one trainer conducting one-
on-one or one-on-two training sessions. It
also benefits from having one Boltec rig
reserve­d purely for training purposes.
Reviewing progress: Roger Jatko, Trainer, LKAB (left) and Boltec operator
Tom Grundell survey the newly reinforced tunnel roof. Effective training
The operators chosen for the rock reinforce-
ment programme were drawn from KGS,
being reinforced. The mesh and bolts are nor- ing on the complementary rock programme a subsidiary of LKAB and were new to
mally placed from 1 metre above the floor. and says he is pleased with performance of operating the bolting rigs. “Since the new
Although the cementing capability is not the rig and the Swellex bolts: “I am really sat- rigs started to arrive in spring 2009, some
required for the Swellex bolts, the rigs fea- isfied with the rig’s performance – the cabin 90 people have been trained to operate Atlas
ture an automatic cement handling system. is comfortable and the air quality is good. Copco rigs including the Boltec, Cabletec
The ratio of water to cement in the mix can In my eight-hour shift I can usually install and Boomer rigs,” says Roger Jatk­o, Traine­r,
be controlled via the Rig Control System. 40 bolts including the drilling and net instal- LKAB.
The cement handling system provides qual- lation. The Swellex bolts are easy and fast to “Some of these people had never worked
ity assurance through statistics logging and install and give instant support.” in the mine before and were new to operating
features a cement silo with agitators. After the bolt hole has been drilled by the rigs. Atlas Copco supplied comprehensive
In other parts of the mine, the Boltec Boltec rig, the unexpanded bolt is transferred training material, delivered in time befor­e the
install­s Kiruna bolts. The changeover from from the boom’s carousel to the hole. Once arrival of each rig. After training, the opera-
Swellex bolts to the Kiruna bolt requires in place, the boom’s water injector connects tors are assessed and well educated.
an adjustment of the magazine to accom- to the protruding end of the bolt and water is “The collaboration with Atlas Copco has
modate the new bolt length. injecte­d at 300 bar. This pressure forces the worked very well in terms of commission-
bolt to expan­d into the walls of the hole provid- ing the new equipment when it arrived. In
Target for production ing instant support. fact, when they arrived, the rigs worked
“The productivity target we are aiming The bolts can withstand high levels of ‘straight out of the box.’”
for is 1 600 bolts per Boltec per month,” deformatio­n and so are able to accommodate Service and maintenance of the fleet
says Nils Stenberg, “but we are achieving ground movements and are not sensitive to is provided around-the-clock by an Atlas
an averag­e of around 1 200 today. This is blasting vibrations. Further benefits include Copc­o technician and there is an under-
mainly due to time lost adjusting the boom chemical and grout-free installation and the ground workshop stocked with spares. To
when we change over from one bolt size fact that the Swellex bolt is not to be affecte­d date, the overall availability of the fleet is
to anothe­r. In the best months however, by voids, wate­r or joints in the host rock. estimated to be 80–85 percent.
we have installed 4 000 bolts using one Althoug­h LKAB is using standard 2.4 and When the programme is complete, LKAB
rig, so we know what the rig and operators 3 m bolts, connectabl­e Swellex bolts are avail- will have achieved its goal, with all the cur-
are capabl­e of.” The operators work in two able to creat­e longer lengths. rently-used areas of the mine benefitting
shifts covering 06.00 to 22.00. LKAB operates its own comprehensive from the latest rock reinforcement technol-
Boltec operator Tom Grundell is work- training programme, the goal of which is to ogy and products.

6 Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010

>>>>> Products & progress >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

New Minetruck MT42 delivers

superior productivity
Atlas Copco’s Minetruck MT42 is the latest addition to it’s family of underground eras, one backup camera and one loading
camera covering the box which complement
haulage vehicles. This 42 tonne articulated truck has been designed to maximize
the operator’s view from the cabin.
productivity and provide increased safety and comfort. The Minetruck MT42 is avail- The truck features spring applied,
able now in Scandinavia and Canada and will be launched globally in 2011. hydrauli­c released (SAHR) brakes – the
safes­t in the industry. SAHR brakes elimi-
nate the need for a separate parking brake,

T
he Minetruck MT42 is powered by a a truck operator for mining contractor are low maintenance and provide extended
fuel efficient, low-emission Cummin­s Eurominin­g. service life. A service bay on the side of the
QSX15 520 hp EPA Tier 3/Stage Fellow operator, Jan Lehtinen also com- truck allows easy access to filters, valve
IIIA engine, coupled with proven drive- mented on the driving qualities of the new blocks and service points for daily mainte-
train components, delivering reliable per- Minetruck. “The MT42 is able to go round nance and the cabin can be hydraulically
formance and speed on ramps. The trans- corners that other trucks would need to tilted to expose the engine bay.
mission has eight forward and two reverse back up again and again to get round. Both
gears and features a self-diagnostic system backwards and forwards, it takes corners
for troubleshooting. smoothly,” he says. “Some trucks can lose Minetruck MT42: quick facts
Operator comforts in the standard ISO traction on inclines, especially when they XXTier 3 Cummins 520 hp engine
XXSpring Applied Hydraulic Released brakes
ROPS/FOPS certified cabin include an air are not carrying a load or in wet conditions.
XXAir conditioned, ROPS/FOPS cabin
suspended forward-facing seat, a clear, This is no problem for the MT42, you just XXFront axle suspension
multi­function display monitor, air condition- drive straight on.” XXOnboard diagnostics system
ing and a trainer’s seat. The operator’s sound XXArticulated steering

exposur­e is below 80 dB(A) in the cabin. Front axle suspension XX8 forward, 2 reverse gears

Front axle suspension contributes to oper-

Successful trials ator comfort, while also allowing greater
During a successful 12-month field test at speeds on mine roadways.
Boliden’s Garpenberg mine in Sweden, the The truck’s articulated steering increases
truck won praise from operators and proved maneuverability and allows agile cornering,
its capabilities. “The Minetruck MT42 has while the dump system can discharge a full
a lot of power and with its four-wheel drive load in just 13 seconds. Excellent all-round
it can go anywhere,” says Stefa­n Olsson, visibility is provided via rear-facing cam-

Proven capabilities: The

new Minetruck MT42 won
praise from operators durin­g
extensiv­e field tests at
Boliden’­s Garpenber­g mine.

Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010 7

>>>>> BAUMA 2010 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Sunrise for Sustainable

Atlas Copco will be making a strong world economy begins to recover, Atlas offer a 1 400 sq m display with the common
Copco is ready to present one of its big- theme “Sustainable Productivity”.
appearanc­e at this year’s Bauma
gest and best showcases ever at Bauma Henk Brouwer, President of Atla­s
trade fair in Munich, Germany, with 2010. Copco’­s Construction Tools Division
an impressiv­e display of equipment Bauma will run from 19 to 25 April. It explain­s : “At Atlas Copco we have
will have an exhibition area of 540 000 alway­s focused on developing products
and services dedicate­d to achieving
square metres and is expected to attract that improv­e our customers’ produc­tivity.
sustainabl­e productivity. more than 500 000 visitors, not only from However, sustainability is now more
the world of construction and demolition, importan­t than ever and that’s what we

F
or the first time in decades, multi- but also from the mining community. inten­d to demonstrate for the visitors to
national companies around the world, In the open air exhibition area Atlas our booth at the Bauma show.”
including Atlas Copco, did not partici- Copc­o will be in pole position in Area F,
pate in last year’s Intermat trade show in Section 10 on one of the main aisles and Sneak preview
Paris, one of the biggest events for the con- among the big players. The Atlas Copco booth promises to be a
struction industry. Easy-to-locate and with an attractive, favourit­e destination and some 2 000 visitors
It was a clear sign that the global reces- spacious design, the Atlas Copco booth will
sion was beginning to bite. Now, as the

Sustainability is more importan­t than

ever – and that’s what we inten­d to
demonstrat­e at Bauma.
Henk Brouwer President, Atlas Copco Construction Tools

8 Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Dawn breaks over the Bauma

international exhibition out-
side Munich, Germany.

Productivity! Atlas Copco gears up for

biggest and best display ever

per day are expected to pass through. Here, These include breakers for concrete, The cutting edge
M&C presents an exclusive preview of some asphal­t and frozen ground applications, as New Combi-cutters are also bound to attrac­t
of the most exciting elements of the show. well as for trenching, tie-tamping, spike the crowds and the new CC 6000 will be
driving and general demolition jobs. no exception. With its service weight of
Breakers for all reasons Moving up the weight scale, visitors 6 500 kg it is the heaviest combi-cutter
There will be an extensive array of will find the latest heavy duty hydraulic in the range. It is designed for carriers of
hydrauli­c breakers – both handheld and breakers ranging from 450 kg to 10 tonnes, 58 to 85-tonnes which meets the trend
heavy duty units for carrier mounting. incorporatin­g unique features which can toward­s larger demolition excavators.
On the handheld side, a new generation only be found on Atlas Copco breakers such The CC 6000 is in line with the design
consist­i ng of vibro-reduced hammers, as PowerAdapt, VibroSilenced Syste­m, of the entire range of Atlas Copco hydrau-
breakers and drills will be launched, all Auto­Control, ContiLube, StartSelec­t and lic CombiCutters; two movable jaws, two
with significantly improved vibration the optional DustProtector. lifting cylinders and a constant, high crush-
dampening. This is thanks to new design While in the heavy breaker section, ing force throughout the entire closing pro-
elements which dampen the handles with- visitors will also see two new units in the cess. And the combination of a single- and
out reducin­g the breaker’s performance. heavy range which, until open day on April double-blade jaw arm provides maximum
19, will be a closely guarded secret. stability even under extreme loads.
In addition to the CC 6000, visitors to

The HB 3100 heavy duty

breaker – just part of the
breaker line up at Bauma
that covers everything
from concrete breaking
to demolition.
Ergonomic: Atlas Copco’s lat- A cut above: A range of CombiCutters,
est handheld tool features new with service weights of up to 6 500 kg will
vibration-reducing technology. be on display at the Bauma show.

Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010 9

>>>>> BAUMA 2010 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Bauma will see the launch of the Com- dampen­ed, has a highly efficient percussion range of site investigation tools.
biCutter CC 650 which has a hydraulic mechanism and requires less energy to gen- Elemex is a drilling and casing advanc-
rotatio­n device allowing endless 360º rota- erate the maximum output of 11 kW. ing system that provides all the benefits of
tion of the attachment and quick and easy The new SmartRig ROC D65, on the DTH drilling such as high productivity and
positioning. It also has a crushing force of other hand is big news for miners. This rig straight, deep holes, without the risk of air
45 tonnes and knives that can be turned around combines all the strength and power of the leakage or over-drilling that can cause damage
and replaced on site. The service weight of highly successful ROC L8 down-the-hole to surroundin­g structures. (See page 25).
630 kg makes the CC 650 ideally suited drill rig, with the intelligent, automated SDA T111 is the latest technology in
for light demolition work and carriers of functionality of the SmartRig range. The micropiling – a self-drilling micropile that
6–14 tonnes. result is a unique rig which makes surface drills and reinforces a hole in one single
mining smarter. (See page 21) process. T111 can drill through anything
Two new drill rigs Visitors involved in underground tunnel- from sand to rock. It is ideal for sites with
When it comes to drilling, Bauma will be ling will be interested in the Atlas Copco limited access and has a low impact on the
the launch pad for two new Atlas Copco rigs concept of High Precision Drilling (HPT), surrounding environment.
– the ROC T20 for construction, and the or, simply, how to get as close as possible to Terracore geotechnical core drilling tools
SmartRig ROC D65 for mining. the original design of a tunnel profile. This includes bits and In-The-Hole equipment
ROC T20 is the second model in the four- will be represented by the computerized, for applications such as soft core sampling,
wheel hydraulic rig range and confidence is two-boom drill rig Boomer E2 C, which, ground investigation and foundation defi-
high that it will achieve the same level of coupled with a wide range of innovative nition. The range is also suitable for other
success as the smaller ROC T15. software, makes Atlas Copco the world geotechnical applications such as drilling
With its approximate weight of five tonnes leader in this technology. (See page 12). holes for grouting, drainage, ventilation and
and compact size, this rig is well suited pilot holes for raise boring.
for drilling applications in urban environ- All eyes on the ground For the mining industry, there will be
ments. Its large coverage area and optiona­l, As usual at Bauma, Atlas Copco’s geo­ Roofex rock bolts and monitor tools for
hydrauli­c roll-over boom also makes it ideal technica­l engineering equipment and rock mining in difficult ground and connectable
for rock reinforcement work. reinforcemen­t tools will play a central role. Swellex Pm24C bolts for deep anchoring.
ROC T20 is intended for 38–64 mm holes This time the display will feature three new Added to this will be a Unigrout grouting
and is equipped with an on-board 82 kW products – the Elemex overburden drilling platform and the CE certified range of Self
Cummins diesel engine and a 50 l/s free air system for flushing control, the SDA T111 Drilling Anchors for soil nailing.
delivery capacity compressor. The rig’s new self-drilling micropile and the Terracore
generation rock drill, COP 1132, is double-

Drill and reinforce in one process:

The innovativ­e SDA T111 self-drilling
micropile with sacrificial drill bits.

Bauma debut: The new ROC T20 for a

wide range of contruction applications
drilling 38–64 mm holes. Powerful combination: The SmartRig
ROC D65 offers down-the-hole drilling
with SmartRig functionality.

Introducing Elemex: A new system for

Terracore geotechnical core drilling tools installin­g casings in sensitive environments
for site investigation. and challenging ground.

10 Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Major breakthrough which is designed to optimize fuel con- viced and maintained and also that opera-
The mining industry will also witness sumption and enhance component life tors are properly trained.
what amounts to a major breakthrough in thanks to Oiltroxic technology. At Bauma, several simulators will be
the field of drill cuttings analysis; a new The XAHS 237 12 bar and XAMS 287 available to give operators the chance to put
scanning device which enables ore content 8.6 bar compressors, powered by Deutz Tier their skills to the test. For example, excavato­r
to be constantly measured while drilling. 3 engines, are also currently available with operators will be able to manoeuvr­e several
The resul­t from the online analysis will be FuelXpert as part of the standard package. different attachments – breakers, Combi-
provided as a digital block model, giving a The XAS 87, specifically designed for the Cutters, pulverizers and grapples on a car-
clear view of the orebody. European construction and rental industries rier and compete for points.
The scanner can be fitted to all Atlas Copco will also be on show. Weighing in at less The crowd outside the simulator enclo-
drilling equipment. The system reduces lead than 750 kg, this highly portable unit can sure will be able to follow the progress of
times for analyses as there is no need for the easily be relocated between worksites. the operator on a screen and the best score
preparation of samples, improves sampling Last but not least, the full range of will be shown at the end of each day. For
accuracy, gives detailed ore grade and loca- QAS generators will be on show for the each top score achieved, Atlas Copco will
tion information and cuts sampling costs. In first time to an international public. With make a donation to the Haiti restoration
addition, the possibility to scan while drilling powe­r ratings from 14–571 KVA, the range fund. For drillers, there will also be an
will enable mines to optimize downstream is designe­d for fast, safe and easy trans- opportunity to try out simulators for the
excavations and mineral processing. portation and can be used on virtually any SmartRig and Boomer E2 C and learn all
unprepare­d surface. The flagship of the about the new Atlas Copco Master Driller
The power of air range is the QAS 500 gen-set which is idea­l training programme.
A range of Atlas Copco compressors will also for a wide range of applications including In all, Atlas Copco intends to send a
be displayed at Bauma this year and among industrial, rental, construction as well as clear message at Bauma: operator train-
the highlights will be the latest developments public utilities powering. ing and preventive service and mainte-
in the DrillAir, XAHS and XAMS ranges as nance go hand-in-hand with precision,
well as the QAS range of generators. Training and service efficienc­y, safety and comfort in the quest
The Open Unit compressors from the- Atlas Copco advocates that sustainable for Sustainabl­e Productivity.
DrillAir range deliver an airflow of up to productivity can only be achieved by
727 litres per second for drilling applica- optimizin­g the products and solutions used.
tions. They feature the FuelXpert system This includes making sure that equipment
is used correctly, that it is regularly ser- For more details on the Atlas Copco display,
go to [Link]/bauma

Virtual experience: Equipment simula-

tors will be available at the Atlas Copco
stand, offering visitors the chance to
display their skills at operating a drill
A great new innovation for miners: This drill rig rig or heavy breaker carrier.
mounted scanning device enables cuttings to be
analysed for ore content during drilling.

Open air: This new portable air

Impressive line-up: The full QAS generator range consisting of compressor, the Open Unit from the
a wide variety of models rated between 14-571 kVA for easy DrillAir­range, delivers a flow of up
transportation and set-up on practically any unprepared surface. to 727 l/s (1550 cfm) at 25 bar.

Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010 11

>>>>> Technically speaking >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

One of five technologies in

the High Precision Tunnellin­g
concept: Atlas Copco’s Tunne­l
Manager displays a 3D
renderin­g of Measurement
While Drilling data.

HPT puts money

in the bank
It costs money to drive a tunnel. Manpower, know-how,
heavy equipment, materials… it all adds up. But whatever
the project, large or small, straightforward or complex, there
are always savings to be made if the right method is used. ­­
At­Atlas Copco, we call it HPT (High Precision Tunnelling).

By Mathias Edhammar

A
s every tunnelling engineer knows, achieve that goal in every type of tunnel- est information – the production planning
there are almost as many ways of ling project. department can initiate immediate analyses
driving a tunnel as the number of The concept consists of five advanced of the incoming data. Automatic updates
rock formations that exists around the technologies, working in harmony with eliminate the need to manually collect new
world. Technology has come a long way in Boomer drill rigs – Tunnel Manager, Rig drill plans for the rig operator, and service
the past decade, but even the most prove­n Remote Access, Total Station Navigation personnel can conduct online diagnoses
tunnelling methods often fail to live up and Tunnel Profiler. and order appropriate replacement parts
to demands, resulting in time-consuming prior to service calls.
remedia­l work and extra costs that break • Tunnel Manager is PC-software
budgets along with each new blast. that enables the worksite office to pro- • Total Station Navigation (TSN ) ,
vide operationa­l support to Atlas Copc­o enable­s the rig to be rapidly navigated to
Insist on total precision Boome­r rigs equipped with the Rig precisely the right position every time.
The answer, in my view, is simple: insist Contro­l System (RCS). The software is Navigation is accurate to within 1 cm
on the one thing upon which everything used to plan, store and evaluate data for compared to the more normal 10 cm and
else depends: total precision. Quite simply, the drilling process, and makes it possible takes no more than five minutes compared
the closer a tunnel is blasted to match its to optimize the tunnelling cycle. to the 10–30 minutes for manual methods.
planned profile, the more you save in terms With a 2 000 metre long tunnel, savings
of less shotcreting, extra rock bolting and • Rig Remote Access (RRA) ensures rapid of about EUR 100 000 can be achieved.
other corrective work. and secure transfer of the latest data to and Navigation is conducted by the rig opera-
A better quality tunnel is the road to a from the drill rig – as well as secure data tor, using a tripod-mounted Total Station,
better overall economy and today Atlas storage. With the drill rig online, the whole in combination with prisms mounted on
Copco’s HPT concept makes it possible to organization has constant access to the lat- the rig and tunnel walls.

12 Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The system that has been

reducing costs since 1998
Atlas Copco introduced its Rig
Control System (RCS) – a com-
puterized control system for
drill rigs – as early as 1998.
It was an innovation that rev-
olutionized the industry. Since
then, the company has led the
development in computerized
and automated rock drilling.
Today, more than a thousand
RCS rigs are in operation the
world over.
This long experience and on-
going dialogue with customers
has resulted in increasingly
sophisticate­d functions, culmi-
nating in the concept of High
Precision Tunnelling.

A wide range of benefits

Computerized drilling is all about creating more productive conditions for rock excavation. Compu-
terized automation improves drilling rates and drill steel economy. But there are many more ben-
efits such as faster fault detection, lower maintenance costs and enhanced rig availability. A recent
study confirms that fully automated drilling will, on average, reduce time at the face by 6 %, increase
advanc­e rates per face by 3% and reduce overbreak by 7 cm.
Today’s Atlas Copco rigs feature fourth generation RCS automation. This latest system offers even
more refined functions for planning, conducting and analyzing the drilling process, including wireless
online data transmission between rig and site office. And it doesn’t stop there. The RCS system and
its range of functions is also utilized in many other Atlas Copco products and applications.

• Tunnel Profiler is a 3D-scanning ledge of the rock’s characteristics allows “Every tunneller strives for perfection but
syste­m for rapid and high-precision tun- the tunnelling process to be adjusted dur- knows that in reality it is impossible to achieve.
nel profiling. A section can be scanned ing drilling. The HPT functions developed by Atlas Copco
immediately prior to drilling each round, in co-operation with companies like us at
requiring very little extra time. The data Used together with our tunnelling rigs, and Veidekke, help us to get as close as possible
is processed and the rig operator is in- also our rock bolting rigs, these technolo- to that perfection, whatever the conditions. It
formed about any over or underbreak in a gies optimize the tunnelling process right makes no sense to spend money on correcting
matter of minutes. As a result, drill plans from the start, thereby reducing unneces- excessive over and underbreak, so by using
can be corrected quickly, which can save sary extra work, optimizing tunnel quality HPT we optimize our ability to maintain the
up to 5 cm in overbreak. In a tunnel with a and keeping project costs under control. original tunnel contour and, as a result, also
40 m² profile, this can yield savings in We developed the RCS system in the keep our costs to a minimum.”
overbreak-costs of about EUR 125 000 mid-nineties and have been refining it ever
per kilometr­e (shotcrete and man-hours). since, in close co-operation with our many
customers around the world. That’s why Mathias Edhammer
• Measurement While Drilling (MWD) ­Atlas Copco is the undisputed leader in high is Product Manager,
is a rig option offering rapid acquisition precision tunnelling. Atla­s Copco Rock Drills,
of vital drilling data, such as penetration According to Konstantin Spinos, Directo­r Swede­n and a key
membe­r of the team
rate, feed force, rotation speed and more. of Underground Operations at Veidekke, the behin­d the development
With Tunnel Manager MWD, the data Scandinavian building contractor and prop- of computerize­d drilling.
can also be used to analyze rock hard- erty developer, the HPT concept has helped e-mail: [Link]-
ness, crack zones and other relevant rock the company to raise accuracy to levels that mer@[Link]
mass characteristics. Thorough know­ were previously unattainable.

Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010 13

 First choice
at Jelsa How Norway found
the COPROD key to
better drilling

Straighter blast holes, longer-lasting bits and fuel efficiency. These are just some of ROC D7, ROC D9, ROC F9 and ROC L7
rigs. This flexible fleet can drill holes in
the variables that contribute to productivity in blast-hole drilling. M&C reports from
the range of 35-165 mm – enough to cover
Norway’s remote Jelsa quarry, north of Stavanger, where one drill and blast contracto­r most drilling in quarrying and construction
has found the key to achieving all three. application­s.
The company has a drill and blast team
at the Jelsa quarry, owned by Norsk Stein,

N
orwegian contracting company, blasting, excavation and transport services 90 km north of Stavanger on Norway’s
Bertelsen & Garpestad (B&G) was in Norway’s Rogaland county and around west coast. This is one of the largest aggre-
founded in 1959 by Kjell Garpestad the south and west coasts, to being one of gates quarries in Europe (annual produc-
and Arne Bertelsen – two carpenters that the largest drilling and blasting contractors tion: approx­. 6 million tonnes) and supplies
met in the autumn of that year and decided in the country. Today this family-owned differen­t grades of aggregate to more than
to start their own business. It turned out to company employs 80 people. 40 European ports including those in the
be a good decision. B&G has used Atlas Copco drill rigs UK, Germany and as far south as Spain.
Since it was founded, the company has from the start and currently operates a fleet Looking for an economical drilling tech-
steadily grown from providing drilling and of 17 surface crawlers including ROC D3, nique that could offer optimum results in

14 Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010

 A key supplier of aggregates to Europe: Atlas Copco ROC F9 C and ROC L7 40 CR drill rigs at work on the bench
at Jelsa, Norway, one of Europe’s largest aggregates quarries. Above: Rune Støle, drill rig operator, B&G (left)
discusse­s the performance of the COPROD drilling system with Atlas Copco’s sales and service representatives.

difficult overburden, B&G attended the side each rigid COPROD pipe, there is an
2008 MinExpo exhibition in Las Vegas – impact rod that transmits the energy from
and discovered the Atlas Copco Secoroc the rock drill to the bit. The result is more
COPROD drilling system. Atlas Copco then impact power and minimal wear on the pipe
invited B&G to see the technology in ac- thread. As the outer pipes are flush along the
tion at the Glensanda aggregates quarry in entire length of the drill string, it is almost
­Scotland and in Silinjaarvi, Finland. impossible for jamming to occur.
Impressed by what they saw at Glensand­a
Perfect combination and Silinjaarvi, B&G decided to try the
The Secoroc COPROD is a top hammer drill- COPROD system and in December 2008, a
ing system that offers the straightness and new ROC L7 40 CR drill rig, fitted with the
accuracy of down-the-hole drilling with the COPROD system and a COP 4050HE-CR
Impressive performance: The ROC L7 40
speed of hydraulic tophammer drilling. The rock drill, arrived at the Jelsa site.
CR fitted with the COPROD drilling system
technology also benefits from having the long Rune Støle, drill rig operator at B&G, has has impressed operators at the quarry with
service life of the down-the-hole method. been operating the new ROC L7 40 CR at its ability to produce straight, clean holes
A key element of the system is that in- Jelsa since it arrived. With 11 years’ drilling through the challenging overburden.

Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010 15

 the best feature
of the system is
its ability to produce very
straight holes – they are
totally straight.
Rune Støle drill rig operator, B&G

experience gained on a range of drill rigs, ­ OPROD system, Støle replies that it is pro-
C 18 metre hole takes around 18 minutes,
Støle was keen to try the COPROD system viding more than just good drilling through during which time Støle simply monitors
to see how it would cope with the challeng- the overburden. “I think the COPROD’s per- the drilling parameters from the cabin of
ing overburden at the site. “The overbur- formance is excellent,” he says. the ROC L7 40 CR which, he points out, is
den at Jelsa can be a couple of metres deep “It copes very well with the overburden ergonomicall­y designed and warm, even in
and it’s not always easy to produce clean and the holes don’t collapse when you retract Norway’s challenging winter climate.
holes through to the rock. I was interested the drill string. The overall quality of the hole “The rig is extremely comfortable with
to see how COPROD would cope with it,” is also very good, but the best feature of the fingertip controls placed within reach of
says Støle. system is its ability to produce very straight the arm rest and the combination of the rig
The drilling pattern at the quarry is 5.6 m holes – they are totally straight. and the COPROD system makes for a good
by 4.2 with blast holes drilled 15–18 m working environment: the dust from the
deep including two metres of sub-drilling Excellent economy drilling is deposited at the front of the rig,
using a Secoroc 165 mm diameter bit. The “Another benefit is economy. The bits not dispersed in the air.”
rock (granodiorite) is close to granite in its are reground every 30 metres and can be The dust control is achieved thanks to
composition and features abrasive quartz. regroun­d 20 or 30 times so I get a lot of a pre-separator and a dust filter built into
Asked about the performance of the drilled metres from each bit.” Drilling an the boom arm and a dust hood that can be

16 Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010

 Third generation

COPROD
The Atlas Copco Secoroc
COPROD system is designed
for high capacity bench
drilling in demanding rock. It
combines the hole straight-
ness and hole quality of DTH
drilling equipment with the
high penetration rate of the
tophammer system.
The system is available for
two basic types of drill rigs
with five drill string options.
ROC F9 CR is the smaller of
the two rigs offering CR76 or
CR89 drill strings for blast-
holes ranging from 90–127
mm in diameter. Up to 8+1
Left: Rune Støle, drill rig operator, B&G says the COPROD system sections can be loaded into
copes well with the challenging overburden at the Jelsa quarry. the rig’s carousel depend-
Above, examining the drill bit with Trygve Djuvsland, Regional ing on the diameter of the
Sales Representative, Atlas Copco. COPRO­D selected.
ROC L740CR, a second-
generation COPROD drill rig,
can be equipped with CR89,
retracted while collaring to aid the opera- “We will do that by adding to our fleet
CR102, CR127 or CR 140 drill
tor’s view. The boom also features an adjust- and looking at the technology we use, and strings. Translated into hole
able double centralizer and rod gripper arms that includes the COPROD system which sizes, it means L740 CR can
that ensure minimum wear of the drill string has proven to be very effective. I have been drill holes from 105 mm to
threads for increase service life. particularly impressed with the COPROD’­s 180 mm in diameter.
The ROCF9CR drill rig is
Although the drill rig’s control system performance in the overburden at the Jels­a
capable of maximum hole
can automate many of the drilling functions, open-pit, which can be difficult to get depths of 30 m while the
as an experienced driller, Støle chooses to through. ROCL7CR can reach 36 m.
use the manual hydraulic controls saying “Using the most effective technology, Section lengths (consist-
that he prefers to control each of the drill- along with the great crews we have, ensures ing of tube and striking rod)
are 12- or 20 ft (3.6- or 6 m)
ing parameters himself. we can deliver the production required.”
long depending on hole
Sven Harbo, Quarry Division Manager, B&G has also selected Atlas Copco’s dia­meter­­s.
B&G says that the quarry has invested in ROC Care and COP Care agreements to The third generation
a new crusher line and will install a fine provide service and maintenance for its ­COPROD drill strings offer
crusher next year, and will increase pro- rock drills and rigs. “We have four ROC improved hole straightness
and reduced noise emission.
duction from 6 to 10M tonnes during 2010. Care agreements and five RIG Care agree-
The welded centre guides
“The increased production target means ments,” adds Harbo. “The big advantage for in the drill tubes have been
that we will need to increase our presence us is that we have fixed costs for mainte- replace­d with a full-length
at the site to meet the demand for drilling nance as well as extended warranties – and specially-designed inner
services,” comments Harbo. it is working very well.” tube. This patented plastic
stabilizer with its unique
geometr­y acts as an inner
lining, reducing vibrations
in the COPROD tube and

Using the dramatically reducing noise

levels.
Field tests have shown
most effective that this reduction in noise
has not only made the ope­

technology, along rator’s environment more

pleasant, it also allows

with the great crews

­COPROD rigs to operate
without causing unneces-
sary noise pollution.
we have, ensures The third generation
COPROD 102 and 127 drill

we can deliver. strings will be available in

the first quarter of 2010,
while the rest of the range
will be launched during the
second half of 2010.

Sven Harbo Quarry Division Manager, B&G

Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010 17

 Kazakhstan
gears up for growth

IRELAND

UNITED KINGDOM

N O RWAY

FRANCE SWEDEN
BELGIUM DENMARK
NETHERLANDS
LUXEMBOURG

FINLAND
LAT ANIA

GERMANY
VIA
LIT IA
SS
HU

ESTONIA
RU

CZECH.
AUSTRIA REP. P O L A N D
SLOVENIA BELARUS
SLOVAK
CROATIA REP.
HUNGARY

UKRAINE
ROMANIA
MOLDOVA Kazakhstan, that vast country south of Russia between the Caspian Sea and Chin­a, is
BULGARIA RUSSIA
on the move. Its infrastructure is being improved and its minin­g industries are bein­g
TURKEY reborn with new methods and modern equipment. It will take time, but the aim is clear:
GEORGIA
K A Z A K H S TA N
CYPRUS ARMENIA
AZERBAIJAN
AZER. MONGOLIA
to become a prime example of Central Asia’s growing prosperity.
J A PA N
LEBANON S Y R I A
ISRAEL NORTH
UZBEKISTAN KOREA
JORDAN TURKMENISTAN

f
KYRGYZSTAN SOUTH
KOREA
I R A Q
IRAN
KUWAIT
TAJIKISTAN
CHINA ew countries have such expansive The mine has a fleet of five drill rigs on
SAUDI ARABIA A F G H A N I S TA N PA K I S TA N
reserve­s of coal, oil, uranium, methane site, three DML and two DM45. Each DML
Bogatyr INDIA

Borly Coal Molodezhniy

and natural gas as Kazakhstan. And in drills around 14 000 m per month while the
Varvarinskoye this land, characterized by vast open plains, DM45 achieves about 20 000 m per month,
VasGold Atlas Copco drill rigs have become the rigs both types operating on 25 m benches. The
50 Years October of choice among coal producers. DML rigs use 228 mm tricone bits while
Beneath the surface of the Kazakh Steppe the DM45 uses 171 mm tricone bits and all
in the north of the country, there are mas- of the rigs are capable of producing more
sive coal reserves. Here, Atlas Copco has drillmetres if required.
been working with a number of mining With a 7 m burden and 5 m spacing, each
companies to upgrade their drilling technol- blast consists of 400 holes to produce more
ogy to meet productivity targets and lower than 100 000 tonnes of coal and 60 000
their costs. cubi­c metres of waste per day.
Two such operations are Bogatyr Komir Borly, located in the Karaganda region,
and Borly Coal that both operate a mix of produces about 7 Mt per year from the
Atlas Copco DML and DM45 blasthole Molodezhniy and Kulchek mines. It uses
drill rigs. Bogatyr, located in the Ekibastuz both DML and DM45 rigs on 45 m benches,
coal basin, has total reserves of 4.5 billion drilling around 17 000 m per month per rig,
tonnes and produces nearly 40 percent of although the rigs have the capacity to oper-
the country’s coal (46 Mt mined in 2008). ate at 20 000 to 25 000 m per month.

18 Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010

 Productivity partners: Above, from left, Atlas Copco’­s
John Stinson and Kamshat Galiyeva with Chief
Enginee­r Valeriy Kim and Chief Mechani­c Khamit
Omaro­v of the Borly Molodezhniy coal mine, owned
by Kazakhmy­s Copper Corporation.

At Borly Coal Mine Atlas Copco DML and DM45 rigs work on 45 m benches. Above, the new electric-powered DML rig with hydraulic tophead drive.

The DML drills a 228 mm hole, while the in the country’s western copper region. ing was not always initially successful, but
DM45 drills a 200 mm hole using Secoroc The multi-pass DM30 for hole diame- with time and co-operation, the full benefit
Epsilo­n bits lasting 15 000 to 18 000 m. Borl­y ters of 127 mm to 171 mm, is the rig of was realize­d.
also has the distinction of having receive­d choice for Polymetal’s Varvarinskoye Mine,
the world’s first electric DML drill rig. Mean- whereas the single-pass Pit Viper 275, for Progress in “October”
while, the recent delivery of the country’s hole diameter­s up to 270 mm, is used by Production was started at the “50 Years
first Atlas Copco RD20 drill rig for oil and Kazzinc’s VasGold mine. Octobe­r” deposit, located some 200 km
gas, has paved the way for exploration of the “We have introduced blasthole drilling from Aktob­e, in 2006. During the initial
huge Karaganda methane field. equipment to Kazakhstan that can increase planning stages, rotary drilling was used to
productivity and lower operating costs,” produce a 215 mm blasthole for the overbur-
Rich reserves explain­s John Stinson, Global Business den. Once the overburden was removed, the
Kazakhstan also has gold, Manager, Atlas Copco, “but it was not a use of down-the-hole (DTH) drilling was
copper, iron ore and man- straightforward task.” studied for use on harder rock formation­s.
ganese open pits. Here too, From the start, Atlas Copco advanced Following these studies, the mine select-
Atlas Copco drill rigs are new ideas into Kazakhstan. The region ed eight Atlas Copco rigs – six DML and
well represented. DM45 traditionally used a common hole diam- two DM45 high pressure blasthole rigs for
and DML blasthole rigs eter, bench height and annual meterage DTH drilling using Secoroc QL60 and DHD
are used by Kazakhmys using electric-powered rotary drilling 360 hammers for drilling 171 mm holes on a
Copper Company and methods. 12 m bench with a 5 m burden and 6 m spac-
Aktob­e Copper Company Atlas Copco converted the country to ing. The central pit has a 14-year life and
diesel-powered hydraulic drills, as well as satellit­e pits are under development.
high-pressure Down-The-Hole hammer While the owner, Aktobe Copper
drilling. Today, the time-tested technol- Compan­­y, was impressed with the pene-
ogy of DTH drilling has proven itself at tration rate, overall production levels had
Superior produc-
tivity: The Pit Viper
Varvarinskoye Gold as well at the Aktobe not reached expectations and the com-
275 at Kazzinc’­s Copper Company’s “50 Years October” cop- pany turned to Atla­s Copco for a way to
VasGol­d Mine. per mine. This change-over to DTH drill- increas­e the rigs’ productivity. GRT, a sister

Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010 19

Golden touch: On site at the Vararvarinskoye Xxxx x xxxx xxxxx xx xx xxxx xxxxxx Xxxx
Mine, owned by OJSC Polymetal of Russia, x xxxx xxxxx xx xx xxxx xxxxxx Xxxx x xxxx
where five Atlas Copco DM 30 rigs and one xxxxx xx xx xxxx xxxxxx Xxxx x xxxx xxxxx
T3W are used for mining gold. xx xx xxxx xxxxxx

Varvarinskoye is a good example of Kasakhstan’s developing metals industry:

Drill Master Pavel Bobylev (left) with Atlas Copco’s Kamshat Galiyeva.

compan­y of Atlas Copco’s distributor Ken Moving forward, Ken Group/GRT will facilit­y over the projected 15-year life span
Group, an experienced contractor, had been either expand the contract drilling or offer a of the mine. Each rig is expected to drill
getting good results with rotary drilling at structured training and drilling programme 20 m per hour to produce 10 000 drillme-
other copper mines and wanted to duplicate for Aktobe Copper’s operators. tres per month. The drilling pattern con-
that success by employing DTH drilling at sists of a 4 m burden with 3.5 m spacing
the “50 Years October” site. Developing metals (or 4.5 m x 3.7 m depending on the rock)
The company operated a DM45HP rig Varvarinskoye Gold Mine in Varvarinka, with a bench height of 5 m and sub-drilling
during a four-month test period and of the was developed in the 1990s when European of up to 1 m. The rigs operate at 24 bar,
total metres drilled the rig achieved 60 per- Minerals conducted exploration, followed each applying 55 bar of pull down with
cent of the total productivity rate of the by pit work with overburden removal in 70 bar rotation.
three rigs in operation at the site. 2006. Gold production began in December The mine uses 152 mm hammers with
According to Alexander Merzlikin, 2007 with copper-gold concentrate follow- the 165 mm bits averaging 1 000–1 200 m
Deputy General Director, Special Projects, ing in March 2008. per bit and 10 000 m on the hammers before
Ken Group, there were no technical prob- Varvarinskoye is located on the north- they are rebuilt.
lems and the drill rigs all achieved the same western plains close to the Russian border. Vladymir Sterlyagov, Mine Manager at
penetration rate. Ken Group/GRT also co- Recently acquired by OJSC Polymetal of Varvarinskoye Gold, is satisfied with the
ordinate­­d all supplies and service to keep St. Petersburg, Russia, the mine is a good overall success of the DM30 blasthole
the rigs running at maximum efficiency, in- example of the equipment used for min- rigs. One of these is nearing 12 000 hours.
cluding all lubricants, drilling consumables, ing development in Kazakhstan. To date, Sterlyago­v credits drill supervisor Pavel
parts, maintenance and repairs. the mine has been moving 3 Mt per year. It Bobylev for keeping the rigs at a high rate
Merzlikin continues: “When you manage operate­s five Atlas Copco DM30 and one of productivity. It is Bobylev’s working and
the bench, you need to plan for up to three T3W high pressure blasthole drill for DTH drilling knowledge, gained in many differ-
months. Our success comes from teaming drilling. Three DM30s were acquired when ent environments, that has allowed this team
experienced operators with an equivalent the mine opened, and two more were recent- to get the most out of the DM30 and make
service organization and supply chain. Ken ly purchased, expanding the fleet to meet them successful.
Group/GRT has a single focus and that is to ore demands. Varvarinskoye has proven and probable
provide the maximum metres at the lowest The mine will be developed to produce resources of 3.1 million ounces of gold and
possible cost.” 4.2 Mt of ore per year for the processing 313 million pounds of copper.

20 Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010

>>>>> Products & progress >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

A step into the future

for open pit mining
Down-the-hole drilling in open pit minin­g New kid on the block: The SmartRig ROC
has taken a significant step forward with D65 brings full computerization to DTH
drilling in mining thanks to its Rig Contro­l
the launch of a fully computerized drill System which automatically control­s the
drilling cycle.
rig from Atlas Copco.

F
or more than 10 years, Atlas Copco’­s
ROC L8 drill rig has been the most
successful DTH crawler in open pits
around the world – largely due to its robust
construction, high performance and proven
reliability.
Now miners can combine the advantages
of the ROC L8 with those of the SmartRig;
robustness and high performance matched
with automation and intelligence. Enter the
SmartRig ROC D65.

A mining milestone
According to the developers, the new rig is
an evolution in surface drilling that repre-
sents a milestone for the mining industry. New kid on the block: The SmartRig ROC D65 brings full computerization to DTH drilling in
“The SmartRig ROC D65 is the future minin­g thanks to its Rig Contro­l System which automatically control­s the drilling cycle.
when it comes to small-hole drilling in open
pit mining,” says Olav Kvist, Product Man-
ager, Atlas Copco. “The ROC L8 and the Safety on the bench
SmartRig now come together to combine Safety improvements are also an impor-
the best technologies that each one has to tant plus-point. As the SmartRig ROC D65
offer, creating a completely new drilling automaticall­y adds and retracts drill tubes,
experienc­e.” the operators are relieved of this tedious
In practice, this means that in addition task and are free to prepare materials on
to the strength, power and reliability that the bench while the rig completes the hole
made the ROC L8 famous, the SmartRig’s by itself.
computerized rig control system (RCS) Designed for the 110–203 mm hole range,
enable­s it to support the full drilling cycle, the SmartRig ROC D65 uses Secoroc COP
from hole navigation with automatic angle 44, COP 54 or COP 64 hammers and drills
set-up, through to drilling, the adding and holes up to a maximum depth of 54 m (long
extracting of drill tubes and simultaneous feed version).
time logging of performance. A Caterpillar C15 engine running at
The rig integrates with the mine office 402 kW, 539 hp provides the power and Smart rig roc D65: Quick facts
XXFull drill cycle automation
planning system, reducing the need for sur- an onboar­d Atlas Copco XRX10 com-
XXHole navigation and integration
veyors working on the bench. The log files pressor deliver­s a full working pressure of XXHole range: 110–203 mm
support on-site communication, lessening 30 bar. XXEngine power: 500kW (670 HP)
the risk of communication errors between Footnote: See the SmartRig ROC D65 on show in
XXAvailable air flow: 500 l/s

operators and the office. German­y at Bauma construction show (page 8).

Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010 21

Getting to grips with
Arctic iron
Sydvaranger Mine reopens after 14 years

The first new iron mining operation to be launched in Europe in the 21st centur­y is now
under way on the northern tip of Norwa­y. Sydvarang­er Mine, which was closed in 1996,
has been reopene­­d with new management, refurbished facilities and a comprehensiv­e
support agreement with Atlas Copco.

A
t 400 km above the Arctic Circle, ments should allow ore to be produced at
the Sydvaranger Mine, in the com- the rate of 7Mt/y, yielding 2.9 Mt/y of iron
munity of Kirkenes, is about as far ore concentrate over the next 30 years.
north as you can get. Here, in the region That plan has been slightly scaled back
known as Finnmark, close to the Russian and production is now expected to rise to
border, production of iron ore has just been two million tonnes of concentrate by July
restarted following a major rehabilitation this year and is then most likely to remain
programme. at that level for the next two years.
The new owner, Northern Iron of Austra- For John Sanderson, CEO of Sydvarang-
lia, believes that there’s plenty of life – and er Mine, an Australian, the revival project
profits – left in the old orebody which has an has been the most challenging of his career,
average grade of approximately 32% Fe. characterized by management changes, set-
backs in the refurbishment programme,
Challenging project changing equipment specifications, bit
Since August 2008 the venture has focused life issues and delays caused by the global road for about 13 months now and there’s
on reviving the huge open cast pit in paral- financia­l crisis. been no shortage of challenges, much of
which has had to do with the refurbishment
of the processing plant,” he says. “But now
There’s been no shortage I’m pleased to say that everything is begin-
ning to fall into place. We are moving for-
of challenge­s but now we ward, the mine is up and running and we
can say that we are now into our first year
are moving forward and service of full production.”

plays a major role. Supporting the operation

Sydvaranger relies on Atlas Copco for all of
John Sanderson CEO, Sydvaranger Mine its drill rigs and rock drilling tools as well
as compressors, lighting towers, hydrauli­c
breakers and other auxiliary equipment. But
lel with refurbishing the existing processing However, Sanderson, previously mine perhaps most importantly, the mine also
plant, including the installation of a new manager at one of Rio Tinto’s Pilbara mines relie­s on a comprehensive Atlas Copc­o ser-
pelletiza­tion unit. in Western Australia, is optimistic. “We’ve vice and maintenance programme to sup-
According to pre-studies, these improve- been working very hard to get this on the port the whole operation.

22 Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010

 ICELAND
Artic
Circle

FINLAND
SWEDEN

NORWAY

R U S S I A

ESTONIA
SCOTLAND

NORTHERN LATVIA
IRELAND

IRELAND DENMARK
LITHUANIA

UNITED KINGDOM RUSSIA

WALES
ENGLAND
BELARUS

NETHERLANDS
BELGIUM
P O L A N D
GERMANY

LUXEMBOURG
CZECH
REPUBLIC U K R A I N E
SLOVAK
REPUBLIC
FRANCE
MOLDOVA
LIECHTENSTEIN AUSTRIA
SWITZERLAND
HUNGARY

SLOVENIA
R O M A N I A
CROATIA
I TA LY BOSNIA-
PORTUGAL SAN- HERZEGOVINA
MONACO
ANDORRA MARINO

Y U G O S L AV I A BULGARIA

SPAIN
MACEDONIA

ALBANIA

GREECE T U R K E Y

MOROCCO SYR

TUNISIA MALTA CYPRUS

ALGERIA LEBANON

Right at home drilling 8-inch holes: The

Atla­s Copco DML-HP rig, fitted with a QAS 40
generator set and Secoroc TD80 hammer for
high pressure DTH drilling, is just as much
at home in these Arctic conditions as the
loca­l reindeer.

Three DML drill rigs have been chose­n

for drilling the 20 cm (8-inch) diameter pro-
duction holes. Here, their ability to econom-
ically drill large vertical blastholes holes
contributes to overall productivity. There
are also four ROC L8 (DTH) units, capable
of drilling in the 110–203 mm hole range
which will also be used as primary produc-
tion rigs, depending on the size of the pit.
In addition, a ROC D9 is on site for bench
preparation.
The benches are 14 m high and the blast-
holes are vertical. One of the four ROC L8
rigs is equipped with a RC (Reverse Circu-
lation) drilling kit for grade control.
The DML rigs were selected for the larg-
er benches at the Bjornevatn site and are
fitted with the HP (High Pressure-24 bar)
option so that they can be used for drilling

Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010 23

A complete package the 203 mm holes using the Secoroc TD 80 • Service Measuring Unit (SMU) – the
down-the-hole hammer. cost of maintenance per engine hour
The ROC L8, with its Secoroc COP 54 • rock tools supply, on site delivery, main-
Gold DTH hammer, is using 140 mm bits tenance and management
while the ROC D9, fitted with an Atla­s
­Copco COP 2560 tophammer, is using Performance is measured according to equip-
76 mm bits and T45 Speedrods. ment availability, the mean time between
All the drill rigs have been fitted with a breakdowns, mean time to repair, mainte-
water mist system for dust suppression and nance backlog management and lost time
all fluid tanks and piping are heated for use injurie­s frequency rate.
in Arctic conditions.
In the bit grinding workshop: New Hard as iron
Secoroc button bits and worn bits in Round-the-clock service There are three iron deposits at Sydvaranger
the background waiting for regrinding
The equipment is taken care of by a team – Hyttemalmen, Kjellmannsåsen and Bjør-
with the Secoroc GrindMatic grinding
machine. of Atlas Copco service and maintenance nevatn – and this quartz banded magnetite
technicians who strive to provide round- ore is notoriously hard to drill. Although it
the-clock coverage, 365 days a year. fragments well when blasted, it is extremely
Anders Berglund, Atlas Copco’s Business abrasive, or as Berglund says, “hard as iron”.
Line Manager, Parts and Services, based As a result, the mine has made ‘pessimistic’
in Oslo, explains: “Our service contract calculations for wear on consumables.
at Sydvaranger includes everything from However, CEO Sanderson says he is
equipment maintenance to extensive oper- confident that the operation is sufficiently
ator training. Right now we have eighteen “manned-up and geared-up” to meet the
guys on site and more will be needed as we challenge. Three to five engineers work
move ahead. in the bit-grinding shop, using a Secoroc
“We’ve set up a hammer maintenance GrindMatic BQ2 grinding machine to
shop, a drill bit grinding shop, stores, office­s regrin­d the worn Secoroc bits round-the-
and other facilities and these are shared by clock, five days a week. It is estimated that
Pon Equipment, the local representative of 10 000 to 14 000 regrinds will be performed
Caterpillar. We’ve been co-operating with per year with each regrind taking 20 min-
Good breaking: The HB 4200 hydraulic Pon from day one and this has proven to be utes to complete.
breaker in action. Mounted on a Cat 345
hydraulic excavator, the breaker is used
a very good arrangement.” The miners will work two 10-hour shifts
either for breaking oversize blasted rock A big advantage, explains Berglund, is with a blasting break from 16.00 to 20.00
or for clearing rock-jams in the crusher. the use of Promaint software which en- hours, while the MARC service crews will
ables the crew to predict the service needs work two, 12-hour shifts.
of each drill rig and to plan the mainte- Sanderson concludes: “Despite some
nance schedules accordingly. issue­s relating to the performance of some
The MARC agreement (maintenance and of the rigs in this Arctic climate, we are con-
repair contract) is divided into three parts: fident that we have made the right choices.
• a monthly management fee (MMF) Overall we are happy with the set-up and
for management, manpower and the service at this point and we are confident
investment­s that it will get even better.”

A new lease of life

The town of Kirkenes (pop. (pop: 9 000) lies at the very
northern tip of Norway and borders borders with
FinlandFinland
and
and Russia.
Russia.
The mining concession of Sydvaranger Gruve
covers an area of 35 km2 south of Bjørnevatn, 4 km
south of Kirkenes. In addition, there are a further
23 prospects with known mineralization over a 12
km, north-south strike.
The processing
processingfacility
facility
is situated
is situated
on aoncliff-top
a cliff-
at
top
Kirkenes
at Kirkenes
and theandrailway
the that
railway
carries
thatthe
carries
pelletsthe
to
pellets
the portto(which
the port
is susprisingly
(which is susprisingly
ice-free throughout
ice-free
throughou­
the year) ist the northernmost
year) is the northernmost
railway in therailway
world.
in Mining
the world.
is now under way at Hyttemalmen and wegians
ees, including
with about
12 full-time
20 perdrillers.
cent from Theother
majority
Scandi-
are
Kjellmannsåsen.
Mining is now Hyttemalmen
under way at is Hyttemalmen
expected toand be navian
Norwegian­
and sEuropean
with about countries.
20 percent coming from
Kjellmannsåsen.
worked for two years, Hyttemalmen
Kjellmannsåsen
is expected
for four
to be
to other
FromScandinavian
its opening inand 1906European
to its closure
countries.
in 1996, Syd-
worked
five yearsforand
twoproduction
years, Kjellmannsåsen
will start at Bjørnevatn
for four to varanger
From itshadopening
produced in more
1906 to
than
its200
closure
millionintonnes
1996,
five
in two
years
to three
and years’
production
time. will start at Bjørnevatn of
Sydvarange­
iron ore forr had
markets
produced
in Western
more Europe.
than 200The million
new
in There
two to are
three
about
years’
350time.
people on site consisting of revival
tonnes project
of iron isore
expected
for markets
to provide
in Western
the mine
Europe.
with
Northern lights: Eight QAS lighting
250There
mine are
employees
about 350 andpeople
100 contractor
on site consisting
employees, of aThefurther
project
19 to
years
revive
of life.
the mine is expected to provide
tower­s provide light and power even
250
including
mine 12employees
full-time drillers.
and 100The contractor
majority employ-
are Nor- it with a further 19 years of life.
during the summer months when the
sun can shine at midnight.

24 Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010

>>>>> Products & progress >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Atlas Copco’s new Elemex system case drilling system provides security for
structures adjacent to the drilling site, while still offering all the benefits of
DTH drilling for maximized productivity.

New Elemex system offers

the best of both worlds

Thanks to the extended ring bit, the air flow is redirected across the bit face, resulting An operator attaching the Elemex pilot bit to
in efficient flushing without air escaping to the surrounding ground. the drill string.

D
rilled casings are one of most popu- ever, when working close to existing foun- which redirect the flow across the face.
lar piling methods for foundations in dations though the method poses one great Becaus­e of this, the pressure is decreased
urban areas and utilizing DTH ham- challenge – controlling the removal of cut- just enough to allow an efficient flushing
mers in foundation construction is increas- tings from the hole with compressed air. of the bit face without air escaping to the
ingly common. The flow of compressed air needs to be surrounding ground.
strong enough to transport the cuttings up
New solutions to the surface, but it should not escape into Proven capability
There is, however, increasing concern about the surrounding ground or remove exces- The system has undergone comprehensive
using compressed air in sensitive locations sive amounts of soil. field trials that have demonstrated its ability
due to the possibility of damaging sur- to operate in sensitive areas without causing
rounding structures through air leakage or Unique airflow damage to either the surrounding ground or
overdrilling. To meet these challenges, Atlas The Elemex system minimizes the air escap­e nearby structures. The system is available in
Copco has developed Elemex, a new flush- to the surrounding ground, as the high-pres- the full range of casing sizes and requires
ing controlled case drilling system. sure air never faces the ground directly. The no additional operator training to perform
The use of DTH drilling systems in unique concept behind the Elemex design is successfully.
foundation construction offers several ben- built on redirection of the airflow.
efits including high productivity, straight Once the air reaches the bit face, it is For more information, please visit
holes and deep hole drilling capacity. How- blown against the extended ring bit walls [Link]/elemex

Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010 25

>>>>> Products & progress >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Operators praise performance of

new scooptram st7
The latest addition to Atlas Copco’s range of Scooptram underground loaders – the operator­s are very happy with it. They think
Scooptram ST7 – has now been launched. It offers major advances in performance, it is more comfortable to drive and easy to
service – so we think it’s a good investment
productivit­y, serviceability and comfort. for us.”
The Scooptram ST7 will be available in

T
he new Scooptram ST7 load, haul dump The Scooptram ST7 underwent field Scandinavia, Peru and Canada by mid 2010
(LHD) vehicle benefits from a range of tests at the Lovisa lead and zinc mine in and launched globally in 2011.
features designed to increase the pro- central Sweden for almost a year – and has
ductivity of underground LHD operations. passed all of its trials by a wide margin.
It has a tramming capacity of 6.8 tonnes,
articulated steering and an oscillating rear Clear productivity increase
axle. It is powered by a clean burning, Mine Manager Jan-Erik Björklund reports
193 hp 6.7 litre Cummins Tier 3 engine and that the Scooptram ST7 has resulted in a
benefits from traction control that increases dramatic productivity increase in loading
loading performance and improves tyre life. operations as well as improvements in the
A load-sensing hydraulic system increases working environment.
traction and improves fuel economy. “The Scooptram ST7 is just great,”
Key safety features include spring- he says. “It’s been going for more than
applied, hydraulically released (SAHR) 2 000 hours and we have seen a productivit­y Scooptram st7: quick facts
XXTier 3 Cummins 193 hp engine
brakes, automatic brake testing with diag- increase of almost 100 percent, going
XXSpring Applied Hydraulic Released brakes
nostics and logging and an oil-free cabin from two loads per shift to nearly four. In XXAutomatic brake testing system
environment. Safety is further enhanced by additio­n, we previously had four loaders in XXTraction control
three emergency machine stop buttons and a operation and now we only need one – the XXArticulated steering
system that applies the brakes, blocks steer- Scooptram ST7. XXLoad sensing system
XXOil-free cabin environment
ing, and prevents bucket movement when “Only a few modifications have been
the cabin door is open. require­d during the test period and our

26 Mining & Construction 1 / 2010

 Excore sets the
diamond standard
Excore is a new generation of diamond drill bits from Atlas Copco that offers superior bit life and penetra-
tion rates. The product range covers soft to hard rock formations and offers a number of crown designs
optimized for different drilling scenarios. The product can be used in variou­s rock formations, reducing
inventory size while its longer life means fewer bit changes and consequentl­y less time lost to rod pulling.
Trials in six countries including Sweden and South Africa, have demonstrate­d the new bit’s capabilities.

Sweden

Productivity up, rod handling down

A
t 1 300 m deep, Boliden’s Renströms- productio­n for 2008 was 260 000 tonnes drilling and has an experienced workforce
gruvan mine around 120 km north- of ore. with excellent knowledge of diamond core
west of Skellefteå, Sweden, is one Core drilling is currently under way drilling.
of the country’s deepest mines. Its com- at the 850 m level on behalf of Boliden One of the drillers is Jerry Hedman who
plex orebody produces zinc, copper, lead, by the contractor Protek Norr AB. The has many years’ experience of both sur-
gold and silver. Using cut-and-fill stoping, company specialises in diamond core face and underground projects. Hedman

Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010 27

starte­d his career as a diamond core driller to increase the productivity it became clear It’a just a question of increasing the feed
25 years ago and has been working with that a new drill bit was needed. Ingemar force slightly. They are free-cutting and very
undergroun­d core drilling at Renströms­ Larsson, Atlas Copco’s sales engineer in the well balanced. I did not have to sharpen the
gruvan since 1995. mine, introduced the new diamond drill bit bits manually in the drill hole by temporar-
For about a year he has been drilling in – Excore 7–9. “When Ingemar suggested ily decreasing the amount of flushing water,
an area of the mine where the geological this new drill bit I hoped that it would per- which is good since manually sharpening
formations vary. In this formation, the dia- haps last 150 – 200 metres,” says Hedman. the bit considerably decreases its life.”
mond drill bits he was previously used had
a life of 100 m. When drilling a 900 m deep Better than expected
hole he ran the drill rods out of, and into The first Excore drill bit used at the site last-
the drill hole 8 times in order to change the ed 326 m and the best Excore bit in the test Comparison of Excore/previous bit under the
drill bits. had a life length of 347.5 m. This means same drilling conditions. Calculation based
This operation is known as rod running that only two rod running operations are re- on a 900 m hole:
or rod handling and is a heavy, time con- quired versus eight. The result is less time previous bit Excore bit
suming, unproductive operation, during spent on rod running, less fatigue on the
which drilling time is lost, leading to less drilling equipment, driller and helper, and Bit life (m): 100 324
core in the box. an increase in productivity. No of bits needed: 9 3
“It’s the metres of core in the core box that Commenting on the performance of the No of bit changes: 8 2
matters to us. Rod running is just a waste Excore bits, Hedman concludes: “They are Bit changing (hrs): 16 4
of time and it leads to a lot of unnecessar­y easy to work with and they cut the rock very
and heavy work,” says Hedman. In order smoothly even when the rock gets harder.

South Africa

Excore excels in South Africa trials

D
rillcorp is a South Africa-based drill- Orkney, 250 km west of Johannesburg. To experienc­e of core drilling, it was clear a
ing contractor with operations in meet the deadline for the contract, Drill- new solution was needed.
several countries in southern Africa corp operated two drill rigs to define the
and Brazil. The company’s fleet includes values of the ore 400–500 m below the Excore solution
more than 40 drill rigs, which are moved surfac­e. Jimmy Erasmus, Sales Engineer, Atlas
between sites after each contract is com- With a total of 46 holes to be drilled, Copco Exploration Products suggested
pleted. each rig first drilled a 500-m pilot hole and that Drillcorp test the Excore, Atlas Copco’­s
Recently, Drillcorp completed a five- then employed the wedge technique. At newly developed bit that had yet to be
month contract for 20,000 m of core drill- depths ranging from 350–400 m a wedge release­d to the market. Drillcorp agreed.
ing to define gold values for a mine at was placed which deflected the bit, increas- When the company put the first Excore
ing the area of exploration via a single pi- bit into action, there were 250 m left of the
lot hole. current hole. Typically, Drillcorp would
expec­t to change the bit at least three more
Challenging ground times, spending at least six hours pulling
When the project started, Drillcorp used rods on the remaining part of the hole.
the same drill bits they had used at other The new Excore bit finished the hole and
sites, but soon discovered that the ground still had some productive life left so was
posed some challenges: The bits did not cut used to drill another 52 m in the next hole.
the hard rock as expected when more pres- In total, the life of the Excore bit on the first
sure was applied. Instead of cutting harder, test was 302 m compared the 60–70 m that
the drill rig lifted. In the toughest spots, the Drillcorp had achieved on the first 10,000 m
drill bit merely polished, instead of the rock of the contract where the penetration rate
bein­g cut, and in fractured rock it was dif- was 30 m per shift.
ficult to drill without getting stuck. The last 10,000 m, drilled with Excore,
The operators managed to drill about saw an average bit life of 280–300 m at a
30 m per shift with a bit life of 60–70 m, penetration rate of 54 m per shift. Excore
but only 10,000 m were drilled in three achieved an 80 percent higher penetration
months. Unless more drill rigs were rate and more than four times longer bit life.
Discussing the new Excore bits: Willie Smit,
brought on site, the current production During the drilling operations with Excore,
Site Manager, Drillcorp (left) with Bertie
Zaaiman, Atlas Copco’s Sales Manager and
rate would not allow Drillcorp to com- Drillcorp did not change any settings on the
Charl Sommers, Buyer and Store Supervisor, plete the contract on time. For Willie Smit, rigs and used both the most and least expe-
Drillcorp, in the background. a Drillcorp site manager with 17 years’ rienced operators to get a fair result.

28 Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010

Excore proves successful at
Renströmsgruvan, Swede­n :
Jerry Hedman, Core Driller,
Protek Norr AB, (right) with
Ingemar Larsson, Sales
Enginee­r, Atlas Copco.

diately ordered 20 new Excore bits to com- simplicit­y with Excore,” concludes Smit.
Comparative performance on a 500 m hole:
plete the contract on schedule. “This is an excellent bit; I would recom-
Previous Bits Excore BITS
“Even if we only gain small advan- mend it to anyone, especially for the type
Bit life 65 m 290 m tages in bit life and penetration rate, we of ground conditions we have experi-
No. of bits needed 8 2 will alway­s gain with the flexibility and enced.”
No. of pulls to
replac­e bit 7 1
Time to pull rods 14 hrs 2 hrs
Capacity 30 m/shift 54 m/shift Happy with performance:
Total time to drill 118 hrs 74 hrs Drillcorp’s operators quickly
Total time per hole 132 hrs 76 hrs saw the benefits of the new
diamond core drilling bits.

The fact that one Excore bit type could

handle all the challenges Drillcorp faced
also made a big difference. “The new bit
replace­s six other bits needed in stock,”
says Charl Sommers, store supervisor
and buyer for Drillcorp. “This makes our
operatio­n much more efficient.”
This is not only important from an inven-
tory perspective, but also for the operatio­n.
As rock conditions change, there may be a
need to pull the rods to change bit type – if
only for a few centimeters of drilling.
With Excore the same bit type could be
used throughout the operation as the bit cuts
through all of the formations encountered.

Multiple benefits
“We need bits for hard and soft rock, but we
don’t know which until we are in the forma-
tion,” Smit explains. “If we need to pull rods
to change a bit, it might be to get through
just a small amount of rock. It saves us a
lot if we don’t need to do this.” Because of
the successful test results, Drillcorp imme­

Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010 29

>>>>> Marketplace >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Atlas Copco concept for Rio Tinto

Artist’s impression: The Atlas Copco concept that forms the basis
of a co-operation with Rio Tinto involving block caving.

USA Atlas Copco has been selected by the achieve more than twice the performance
international mining company Rio Tinto of normal tunnelling methods in the
to develop one of two rapid tunnelling ground conditions anticipated, enabling
concepts for underground block caving rapid and cost-effective development.
projects. John McGagh, Head of Innovation at
Rio Tinto’s development of mines Rio Tinto, says: “The proposed machine
such as Resolution Copper in Arizona is a very promising new concept based
and Oyu Tolgoi in Mongolia require sig- on a combination of well proven methods Smooth and quick response: The ROC T35
nificant underground infrastructure work and components. at the famous Folsom Dam in California.
prior to ore production using the block “This innovative combination is a key

New ROC T35

caving method. reason for selecting Atlas Copco as one
Atlas Copco’s Modular Mining of the two suppliers to work with on new

at Folsom Dam
Machin­e concept is a mechanical rock tunnelling methods for our future block
excavation system that is expected to caving operations.”

Usa Atlas Copco’s recently launched sur-

face crawler, ROC T35M is performing well
at the Folsom Dam improvement site, north
of Sacramento, California. The rig is part of
a fleet of Atlas Copco crawlers on the site
including ECM rigs and the ROC D7.
Designed for hole diameters of
64–115 mm, the new rig benefits from COP
Logi­c technology, an optional automatic
The new drill rig arrives on site: From left: Chamnan Nimnual, Glenn McNamara, Apivat hydrauli­c sensing system that offers better
Tienpolkrang and Surachai Piriyasawedchai. respons­e to the operator’s controls as well
as straighte­r holes, higher penetration and

DM45 boosts mining at Phu Kham

longer consumable life.
And the reaction from drillers is positive.
With 33 years of drilling experience, Boyd
Laos Australian mining company PanAust is operating a Pollard of Foxfire Drilling Company says:
mining project at Phu Kham, Laos, for the production of “The auto-drilling , anti-jamming featur­e
copper, gold and silver. The estimated production for 2010 is makes this drill better than any drill I
expected to be around 60 000 tonnes of coppe­r concentrate, ever ran.”
55-65 000 oz of gold and 600-700 000 oz of silver. The ROC T35M can drill to 25 m. In
The project received a boost early this year with the additio­n, the well-proven COP 1840, 18
arriva­l of an Atlas Copco DM45 drill rig. This crawler kW rock drill offers more drilling power
mounted, multi-pass, rotary blasthole drill is specifically from less energy input resulting in lower
designed for production blasthole drilling and was chosen fuel consumption. The onboard compressor
for service at Phu Kham by PanAust. With an operating offer­s 7.64 m3/min and maintenance is
height of just over 13 metres, the rig is the largest ever to simplifie­d thanks to easy access points and
b­e used for mining in Laos. effective hose management.

30 Mining & Construction – 1 / 2010

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Where to find us
For more information, please contact your
local Atlas Copco Customer Center.

Country City (HQ) Phone no.

Angola Luanda +244 222-840165
Argentina Buenos Aires +54 (0)11-47172200
Australia Blacktown +61 (0)2-96219700
Austria Vienna +43 (0)1-760120
Belgium Brussels +32 (0)2-6890511
Bolivia La Paz +591 (0)2-2112000
Brazil São Paolo +55 (11)-34788200
Bulgaria Sofia +359 (0)2-4893178
Canada Sudbury +1 (0)705-6736711
North Bay +1 (0)705-4723320
Chile Santiago +56 (0)2-4423600
Croatia Zagreb +385 (0)1-6111288
China Beijing office +86 (0)10-65280517
Nanjing +86 (0)25-8575 7600
Colombia Bogotá +57 (0)1-4199200
Cyprus Nicosia +357 (0)22-480740

SHANGHAI SURPRISE
Czech Republic Praha +420 225 434 002
Denmark Glostrup +45 43454611
Egypt Cairo +20 (0)2-6102057
Estonia Finland, Vantaa +358 (0)9-2964235
China “The Spirit of Innovation” will be the theme of the Finland Vantaa +358 (0)9-296442
Swedis­h contribution at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo to be France Saint Ouen l’Aumône +33 (0)1-39093222
Germany Essen +49 (0)201-21770
held from May 1 to October 31. And in keeping with this theme, Ghana Accra +233 (0)21-774512
Atlas Copco, an official sponsor of the Swedish pavilion, has a Great Britain Hemel Hempstead +44 (0)1442-222100
surprise in store for the thousands of expected visitors. Greece Rentis +30 (0)210-3499600
India Pune +91 (0)20-30722222
The company’s Surface Drilling Equipment division will revea­l
Indonesia Jakarta +62 (0)21-7801008
its vision of a surface drill rig that will offer greatly increased Iran Tehran +98 (0)21-66937711
productivity, high mobility, silenced operation and environmen- Ireland Dublin +353 (0)1-4505978
tal friendliness. The model rig will be on display for the dura- Italy Milan +39 (0)2-617991
Japan Tokyo +81 (0)3-57657890
tion of the exhibition. During the week of May 5–10, an 800 m2 Kazakhstan Almaty +7 (0)727-2588534
VIP area will be used exclusively to host Atlas Copco customers Kenya Nairobi +254 (0)20-6605000
and contacts. South Korea Seoul +82 (0)2-21894000
Latvia Finland, Vantaa +358 (0)9-296442
The overall theme of the Shanghai World Expo – expected to
Lithuania Finland, Vantaa +358 (0)9-296442
attract some 70 million visitors – is “Better City – Better Life.” Macedonia Skopje +389 (0)2-3112383
This event, also known as the World Fair, is one of the largest Malaysia Selangor +60 (0)3-51238888
events in the world together with the FIFA World Cup and the Mexico Tlalnepantla +52 55 2282 0600
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Olympic Games and was first held in London in 1851. Morocco Casablanca +212 (0)22-600040
Namibia Windhoek +264 (0)61-261396
Netherlands Zwijndrecht +31 (0)78-6230230
New Zealand Auckland +64 (0)9-5794069
Nigeria Abuja +234 7069686223
>>>>> In brief >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Norway Oslo +47 64860300
Pakistan Lahore +92 (0)51-8356075
Peru Lima +51 (0)1-4116100
Philippines Manila +63 (0)2-8430535 to 39
New Exploration Drilling book Poland Raszyn +48 (0)22-5726800
Atlas Copco has just released a new referenc­e Portugal Lisbon +351 214 168500
Russia Moscow +7 (495)-9335552
book for Exploration Drilling. The 96 page book
Saudi Arabia Jeddah +966 (0)2-6933357
includes technical articles, case stories and
Singapore Jurong +65 6210-8000
product information relating to all areas of
Slovenia Ljubljana +386 (0)1-2342725
exploratio­n drilling. To receive a copy, contact
South Africa Witfield +27 (0)11-8219000
your local Atlas Copco Customer Center. Spain Madrid +34 (0)916-279100
Sweden Stockholm +46 (0)8-7439230
Switzerland Studen/Biel +41 (0)32-3741581
M&C online relaunched Taiwan Taoyuan Hsien +886 (0)3-4796838
Thailand Bangkok +66 (0)-38562900
Mining & Construction Online, the Atla­s Turkey Istanbul +90 (0)216-5810581
Copco website containing searchable United Arab Emirates Dubai +971 4-8861996
article­s from worksites around the world, Ukraine Kiev +38 (044)4991871
has been revamped and relaunched. The USA Denver, Colorado +1 800-7326762
site has been upgraded with a new techni- Venezuela Caracas +58 (0)212-2562311
cal platform and a broader focus. Besides the main theme of drilling and Vietnam Ho Chi Minh +84 (0)8-38989638
mechanized rock excavation, the site now also carries articles on the use Zambia Chingola +260 (0)2-311281

of construction tools and air compressors which also form a large part of Zimbabwe Harare +263 (0)4-621761

the Atlas Copco product portfolio. There are also technical articles, news
items, eye-catching photos and illustrations, and much more. Bookmark For further in­form­a­tion, please visit [Link] or contact
[Link] Atlas Copco AB, SE-105 23 Stock­holm, Swe­den.
Telephone: + 46 (0)8 743 80 00.

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Precision for everyday safety

By integrating precision into our mining solutions, initiating global training

programs and establishing international certifications, we ensure safety
throughout your operations. Every day. We bring together experience and
innovation to contribute to performance that withstands the test of time.
This is what we call – Sustainable Productivity.

[Link]/rock

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