Sandvik Mining has released the DR461i, a diesel-powered, self-propelled, crawler-mounted blasthole mining drill designed to withstand harsh conditions in different climates.
The company says the rig — developed using customer feedback as a guide — is ‘automation ready’, reliable, easy to use, suitable for both rotary and down-the-hole (DTH) applications, and has a number of new safety features.
The latter include autonomous pipe handling, above-the-deck bit change, additional walkways, hand railings and safety interlocks.
“The drill has been designed to fully comply with the various safety standards around the world, including Australia’s own Mining Design Guidelines (MDG) for mobile and transportable equipment in mines, Earth Moving Equipment Safety Roundtable (EMESRT) Design Philosophies and CE conformity marking,” Sandvik Mining surface drills and exploration business line manager Scott Wright says.
The operator is looked after with a completely new cab designed for comfort and ease of operation, the company says.
Features include what Sandvik calls a “unique all-in-the-seat drilling and tramming control system”, air conditioning and sound insulation to 80 dBA or less. Cabin operating temperatures are kept lower through the use of a separate canopy element which sits above the roof with a 10cm air gap between them.
Instead of vertical hanging steps, the Sandvik DR461i drill rig uses a self-levelling hydraulic main access stairway which is height-adjustable depending on the length of the rig’s jack extensions.
In keeping with the current trend towards improved control and data systems, the rig has a touchscreen digital display that shows key operating parameters while operating and tramming.
“Running off the drill’s CanBus system, it acts like an electronic depth counter and drill monitoring system in one,” Sandvik says.
“Sensors monitor data from different parts of the machine such as the motor, compressor, rotary head and tracks. This data is presented via an interactive touch screen that the operator can easily scroll through in order to keep track of drill operating conditions, drilling ranges, upcoming maintenance requirements and so on.”
Click here to find drilling and boring machinery for sale.