Atlas Copco have taken steps to lessen the impact of noise and dust from urban construction by upgrading two of its drill rigs to include dust collection and noise suppression features.
The company says the updates to the FlexiROC T25 R and FlexiROC T30 R drill rigs are aimed at improving operator well-being and reducing negative impact on the surrounding environment.
The main update to the dust collection system is the addition of a mist sprayer that can be used with an included tank or connected to an external water source. Using water mist when drilling will bind the dust to the water, preventing it from escaping and being inhaled by the operator or others.
The dust collection system is a closed system, and filters and bags can be changed without any dust escaping during bag changeover.
The upgraded silence kit reduces the drill’s noise output by as much as 10dB and works by encasing the drill rod in a double layer of noise-absorbent material, housed in an aluminium chassis which Atlas Copco says is resistant to drill rod vibration.
“I am very happy to present these new features,” Atlas Copco global product manager Marcus Leu says. “They will definitely help the operator to win the battle against noise and dust and will increase the overall productivity of the operation.”
In addition to the dust and noise suppression updates, Atlas Copco says it plans to introduce GPS aiming and satellite navigation as updates to its remote-controlled drill rigs in the near future.