gRade ContRol - Atlas Copco
gRade ContRol - Atlas Copco
gRade ContRol - Atlas Copco
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MECHANIZED ROCK EXCAVATION WITH ATLAS COPCO No 3 2009<br />
RC hammeR deliveRs<br />
<strong>gRade</strong> <strong>ContRol</strong><br />
finanCing<br />
foRthe futuRe<br />
ikea stoRes go<br />
geotheRmal<br />
CReating the<br />
masteR dRilleR
MINING &<br />
CONSTRUCTION<br />
Where to find us<br />
For more information, please<br />
contact your local <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong><br />
Customer Center or use the reply card.<br />
Area City (HQ) Phone no.<br />
Angola Luanda +244 222-840165<br />
Argentina Buenos Aires +54 (0)11-47172200<br />
Australia Blacktown +61 (0)2-96219700<br />
Austria Vienna +43 (0)1-760120<br />
Belgium Brussels +32 (0)2-6890511<br />
Bolivia La Paz +591 (0)2-2112000<br />
Brazil São Paolo +55 (11)-34788200<br />
Bulgaria Sofia +359 (0)2-4893178<br />
Canada Sudbury +1 (0)705-6736711<br />
North Bay +1 (0)705-4723320<br />
Chile Santiago +56 (0)2-4423600<br />
Croatia Zagreb +385 (0)1-6111288<br />
China Beijing office +86 (0)10-65280517<br />
Nanjing +86 (0)25-8575 7600<br />
Colombia Bogotá +57 (0)1-4199200<br />
Cyprus Nicosia +357 (0)22-480740<br />
Czech Republic Praha +420 225 434 002<br />
Denmark Glostrup +45 43454611<br />
Egypt Cairo +20 (0)2-6102057<br />
Estonia Finland, Vantaa +358 (0)9-2964235<br />
Finland Vantaa +358 (0)9-296442<br />
France Saint Ouen l’Aumône +33 (0)1-39093222<br />
Germany Essen +49 (0)201-21770<br />
Ghana Accra +233 (0)21-774512<br />
Great Britain Hemel Hempstead +44 (0)1442-222100<br />
Greece Rentis +30 (0)210-3499600<br />
India Pune +91 (0)20-30722222<br />
Indonesia Jakarta +62 (0)21-7801008<br />
Iran Tehran +98 (0)21-66937711<br />
Ireland Dublin +353 (0)1-4505978<br />
Italy Milan +39 (0)2-617991<br />
Japan Tokyo +81 (0)3-57657890<br />
Kazakhstan Almaty +7 (0)727-2588534<br />
Kenya Nairobi +254 (0)20-6605000<br />
South Korea Seoul +82 (0)2-21894000<br />
Latvia Finland, Vantaa +358 (0)9-296442<br />
Lithuania Finland, Vantaa +358 (0)9-296442<br />
Macedonia Skopje +389 (0)2-3112383<br />
Malaysia Selangor +60 (0)3-51238888<br />
Mexico Tlalnepantla +52 55 2282 0600<br />
Mongolia Ulan Bator +976 (0)11-344991<br />
Morocco Casablanca +212 (0)22-600040<br />
Namibia Windhoek +264 (0)61-261396<br />
Netherlands Zwijndrecht +31 (0)78-6230230<br />
New Zealand Auckland +64 (0)9-5794069<br />
Nigeria Abuja +234 7069686223<br />
Norway Oslo +47 64860300<br />
Pakistan Lahore +92 (0)51-8356075<br />
Peru Lima +51 (0)1-4116100<br />
Philippines Manila +63 (0)2-8430535 to 39<br />
Poland Raszyn +48 (0)22-5726800<br />
Portugal Lisbon +351 214 168500<br />
Russia Moscow +7 (495)-9335552<br />
Saudi Arabia Jeddah +966 (0)2-6933357<br />
Singapore Jurong +65 6210-8000<br />
Slovenia Ljubljana +386 (0)1-2342725<br />
South Africa Witfield +27 (0)11-8219000<br />
Spain Madrid +34 (0)916-279100<br />
Sweden Stockholm +46 (0)8-7439230<br />
Switzerland Studen/Biel +41 (0)32-3741581<br />
Taiwan Taoyuan Hsien +886 (0)3-4796838<br />
Thailand Bangkok +66 (0)-38562900<br />
Turkey Istanbul +90 (0)216-5810581<br />
United Arab Emirates Dubai +971 4-8861996<br />
Ukraine Kiev +38 (044)4991871<br />
USA Denver, Colorado +1 800-7326762<br />
Venezuela Caracas +58 (0)212-2562311<br />
Vietnam Ho Chi Minh +84 (0)8-38989638<br />
Zambia Chingola +260 (0)2-311281<br />
Zimbabwe Harare +263 (0)4-621761<br />
Now, here’s the good news<br />
A s<br />
I write this, one year has passed since the collapse of investment<br />
banking firm Lehman Brothers, which sent a shock wave around<br />
the world followed by financial panic and distress. The date was<br />
Septembe r 15, 2008 – a day that many of us will refer to as the start of<br />
the worst recessi on in modern history. Since then, it seems that every<br />
time we open a newspaper, visit a website or turn on the TV we are<br />
confronted by more bad news about the world economy. It’s almost as<br />
if we have come to expect it, along with our morning coffee.<br />
Well, here’s some good news. Even though many of our customers<br />
still face some of their toughest challenges, they will be pleased to<br />
know that <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> is on their side and is ready and willing to lend<br />
a helping hand. In a downturn, and especially one as serious as this, we<br />
all know how hard it can be to keep costs down while at the same time<br />
invest in the future. Suitable financing can be difficult to obtain, even<br />
at the best of times, and that’s when we can offer our support.<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> Customer Finance, our in-house finance organization<br />
for <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> customers, is able to provide alternative financing to<br />
make it easier for mining and construction companies to get the equipment<br />
they need, when they need it. And with the strength of the worldwide<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> Group behind us, we can offer long term support and<br />
financing solutions designed to meet our customers’ individual needs.<br />
We know the realities of the mining and construction business and<br />
we have a great appreciation for what our customers are trying to<br />
achieve. By helping them to finance their equipment needs, we also<br />
enable them to benefit from the superior productivity that our products<br />
provide. In other words, we invest in our customers’ future success.<br />
However, it is important to understand that we are not a bank. Our<br />
mission, pure and simple, is to support our customers with financing<br />
alternatives in connection with the acquisition of <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> products,<br />
if they feel they need our assistance. It’s all about working together<br />
to find the best possible solution that allows our customers to<br />
acquire the technology they need to stay competitive.<br />
Over the years, we have assisted countless customers to secure the<br />
equipment they require through a variety of tailor-made financing<br />
agreements – Rudnik of Serbia, IESA of Peru, Coeur Mexicana of<br />
Mexico, Barminco of Australia and Navarrete Servicios Mineros of<br />
Chile – to mention just a few.<br />
On page 10 you can read about how we are working closely with<br />
Barminco to ensure that they get the equipment they need, now and in<br />
the future, both at home and abroad. And on page 16 we show how<br />
Navarrete Servicios Mineros has grown to become a leading specialist<br />
in its field. Naturally, like everyone else, I look forward to the day<br />
when business gets back to more favourable<br />
levels. But our long term commitment<br />
to our customers will remain the same. We<br />
will continue to do our utmost to support<br />
their needs for equipment and to offer our<br />
financing assistance whatever the eco -<br />
nomic climate.<br />
For further in form a tion, please visit www.atlascopco.com<br />
or contact <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> AB, SE-105 23 Stock holm, Swe den,<br />
Telephone: + 46 (0)8 743 80 00 Tele fax: + 46 (0)8 702 21 29.<br />
Peter Ahlstedt<br />
General Manager<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> Customer Finance<br />
2
MINING & CONSTRUCTION<br />
is pub lished by <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>.<br />
The magazine fo cus es on the<br />
company’s know-how, products<br />
and meth ods used for<br />
drill ing, bor ing, rock re in forcement<br />
and load ing world wide.<br />
22<br />
MINING &<br />
CONSTRUCTION<br />
Published by<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> Rock Drills AB,<br />
SE-701 91 Örebro,<br />
Sweden<br />
www.atlascopco.com<br />
Telephone<br />
+46 (0)19 670 70 00<br />
Publisher<br />
Ulf Linder<br />
e-mail: ulf.linder@us.atlascopco.com<br />
Managing Editor<br />
Terry Greenwood<br />
e-mail: terry@greenwood.se<br />
Sub-Editor<br />
Rob Naylor<br />
e-mail: rob@greenwood.se<br />
Editorial Advisory Board<br />
Ulf Linder, Mathias Lewén,<br />
P-G Larén, Gunnar Nord,<br />
Hanna Hall, Sandra Lagerqvist<br />
Editorial Production,<br />
Design & Layout<br />
Greenwood Communications AB,<br />
Box 49021, SE-100 28 Stockholm,<br />
Swe den<br />
Telephone<br />
+46 (0)8 411 85 11<br />
Internet<br />
www.greenwood.se<br />
Printed by<br />
Alloffset AB,<br />
Stockholm, Sweden 2009<br />
ISSN 0284-8201<br />
Safety first<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> is committed to comply with<br />
or exceed all global or local safety rules<br />
and regulations for personal safety.<br />
Some photographs in this magazine may,<br />
however, show circumstances that are beyond<br />
our control. All users of <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong><br />
equipment are urged to think safety first<br />
and always use proper ear, eye, head and<br />
other protection as required to minimize<br />
the risk of personal injury.<br />
Free reproduction of articles<br />
All product names such as Boomer, Boltec,<br />
ROC, Pit Viper, DRILLCare, SmartRig and<br />
Swellex are registered <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> trademarks.<br />
However, all material in this publication,<br />
including the product names, may be<br />
reproduced or referred to free of charge. For<br />
artwork or additional information please<br />
contact <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>.<br />
15<br />
PAGE 4<br />
PAGE 10<br />
PAGE 10<br />
PAGE 15<br />
PAGE 16<br />
PAGE 18<br />
PAGE 20<br />
PAGE 22<br />
PAGE 24<br />
DEPARTMENTS<br />
PAGE 26<br />
PAGE 27<br />
I N S I D E<br />
No 3 2009<br />
24<br />
m&C travels to Mexico and the mines of Chihuahua and Zacatecas to see how<br />
modern mining equipment is boosting productivity above and below ground.<br />
at the best of times securing the financing needed to keep up with technological<br />
development isn’t easy. In hard times, it can be impossible. Barminco of<br />
Australia is one company that found a solution.<br />
ConstRuCtion foRges ahead at the Boyabat dam in northern Turkey where<br />
contractor Dogus is using a fleet of <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> crawler rigs for all of the surface<br />
drilling work.<br />
eneRgy-saving projects are under way to provide IKEA facilities around the<br />
world with geothermal wells for heating and cooling. In Finland, it was the perfect<br />
job for <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>’s Symmetrix overburden drilling system.<br />
m&C Pays tRibute to a drilling and blasting contractor that has become a<br />
leading specialist in pre-split drilling in Chile.<br />
teChnically speaking Dustin Penn explains how RCS technology can be<br />
used for automated blasthole drilling in open pit mining.<br />
sand and gRavel are typical types of unconsolidated soil that give construction<br />
engineers a major headache – unless they have T111 micropiles on hand.<br />
neW yeaR’s Resolution <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> will greet customers with a new global<br />
training programme that enables drillers to become masters of their art.<br />
PRoduCtive Combination How the latest drilling technology and <strong>Atlas</strong><br />
<strong>Copco</strong> surface rigs are securing production at Turkey’s largest gold mine.<br />
Products & progress<br />
MARKETPLACE<br />
COVER<br />
Examining cuttings<br />
samples obtained<br />
with reverse circulation<br />
drilling at the<br />
Palmarejo mine,<br />
Mexico.<br />
3
F O C U S<br />
I C O<br />
O N M E X<br />
Pit Viper fleet excels as<br />
peÑasquito po<br />
In just 14 months the site of the Goldcorp Peñasquito Mine in the state of<br />
Zacatec as, Mexico, has been transformed from a flat, open valley into a mine<br />
producing more than 500 000 tonnes of rock each day. Its choice of equipment<br />
and service support has proven to be the perfect fit.<br />
Peñasquito is Mexico’s largest openpi<br />
t mine and comprises the Penasco<br />
and Chile Colorado/Azul deposits<br />
that contain gold, silver, lead and zinc.<br />
At an elevation of 1 900 m above sea<br />
level, the surface of the site is made up of<br />
approximately 30 metres of alluvium.<br />
The virtually flat topography has helped<br />
the mine carry out its development plan<br />
that includes moving large amounts of<br />
rock. “I’m used to mining in mountains<br />
so this is easy mining by comparison,”<br />
says Mine Manager Tim Collins.<br />
The company reports that annual production<br />
over the life of the mine (estimated<br />
to be 22 years) is expected to ramp<br />
up to approximately 500 000 ounces of<br />
gold, 30 million ounces of silver and<br />
more than 400 million pounds of zinc.<br />
The Peñasquito project is considered<br />
a total community improvement programme<br />
that includes educating future<br />
generations by building schools.<br />
When looking for potential employees<br />
in the surrounding area, Peñasquito<br />
found that most of the local inhabitants<br />
had no mining experience or even a driver’s<br />
license. Today, however, 70 percent<br />
of Peñasquito’s truck drivers are local<br />
women, many of whom had never driven<br />
before, and now work at the mine as a<br />
result of Goldcorp’s investment.<br />
In addition, operating millions of dollars<br />
of earth moving equipment required<br />
an intensive training programme before<br />
the workers entered daily production.<br />
Powerful fleet<br />
From the outset, it was the mine management’s<br />
vision to achieve a high level of<br />
production, but first it was necessary to<br />
find the right combination of equipment<br />
and support for the project.<br />
To drill and blast half a million tonnes<br />
of rock every day, the mine needed a special<br />
drilling fleet and rig management<br />
programme. The mine uses only <strong>Atlas</strong><br />
<strong>Copco</strong> drill rigs which include eight Pit<br />
Viper 351 blast hole drill rigs plus a DML<br />
and an ECM 590 for specialized tasks.<br />
Production hole size is 311 mm (12 ¼<br />
inches) for the 15 m (49 ft) bench height.<br />
Different types of <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> Secoroc<br />
Epsilon tricone bits are also used, depending<br />
on ground conditions. The entire<br />
drill string, including the pipe, stabilizers,<br />
bushings and subs are supplied by<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> Thiessen.<br />
Learning to operate the rig also<br />
require d extensive training, but it takes<br />
time to learn the ‘feel’ of the ground. To<br />
speed up this process, Peñasquito chose<br />
rigs with <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>’s Rig Control<br />
Syste m (RCS), which simplifies the<br />
drilling functionality for the operator.<br />
They have it all<br />
“These drills have it all,” says Mine<br />
Manager Collins. “The operator only<br />
needs to move it and level it and the rig<br />
drills its own hole.” Collins adds that<br />
he does have four experienced drillers<br />
who like to drill manually and they can<br />
match the auto-drilling performance.<br />
“There are times when the bit can take<br />
more down pressure and less rotation; a<br />
4
wers up<br />
Powerful fleet: Five of the eight<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> Pit Viper 351 blast hole rigs<br />
lined up in the Peñasquito open pit.<br />
Mine Manager Tim Collins: “Technolog y<br />
is the future. The operator only needs to<br />
move it and level it and the rig drills its<br />
own hole.”<br />
skilled operator can feel that,” said<br />
Collin s.<br />
The Rig Control System (RCS),<br />
integrate s common drilling functions<br />
such as collaring a hole with low pressure<br />
air and down pressure, applying just<br />
the right amount of water and anti-jamming,<br />
with several high-tech options<br />
such as GPS hole navigation (for more<br />
informatio n, see Technically Speaking,<br />
page 18).<br />
Ensures efficiency<br />
RCS ensures efficient drilling, but many<br />
features are also for the safety of the<br />
miners and equipment. These include<br />
jack and tram interlocks which ensure<br />
that the rig and tooling are secure before<br />
a rig can move.<br />
The mine has installed a complex dispatch<br />
system that integrates with the GPS<br />
on each haul truck, shovel, drill rig and<br />
every other piece of mining equipment.<br />
The entire operation is monitored from a<br />
control room where two dispatchers and a<br />
maintenance person watch and direct the<br />
activity in the mine.<br />
All data is recorded and is retrievable<br />
by those in the mine who need constant<br />
equipment information. However, the<br />
operation can also be monitored in real<br />
time through a web-browser interface<br />
anywhere in the world.<br />
Technology is the future<br />
“Technology is the future of mining,”<br />
continues Collins. “If you’re monitoring<br />
maintenance and operational data to this<br />
level, decisions are made when they need<br />
to be made. Mining is more efficient toda y<br />
than it once was – technology has a lot to<br />
do with that – and safety can only move<br />
forward at the same time.”<br />
When searching for the right equipment,<br />
Alan Hernandez, Project Engineer,<br />
Technical Services, and Tim Collins,<br />
spent seven months travelling around the<br />
world trying to decide which products<br />
would fit the programme. “There were<br />
some hard decisions, but for drill rigs it<br />
was always <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>,” said Hernande z.<br />
More time was spent debating which<br />
Atla s <strong>Copco</strong> drill models would best fit<br />
the plan.<br />
“We looked at feasibility studies,<br />
calculation s, pit design, tonnage – every<br />
scenario that would determine what would<br />
work best,” says Collins. “For most equipment<br />
it was a matter of elimination. The<br />
choice consistently came down to service<br />
and support, but with <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> there<br />
was no debate.<br />
“As far as drilling goes, everything<br />
here comes from <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>,” he adds,<br />
complimenting the speed and penetration<br />
rate of the Pit Viper 351. “The 351 will<br />
drill fifty holes per twelve-hour shift.”<br />
5
F O C U S<br />
I C O<br />
O N M E X<br />
Solid platform: The<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> Robbins<br />
34RH C QRS raiseborer<br />
stabilizes itself<br />
between the floor and<br />
roof of the drift before<br />
conventional raiseboring<br />
or downreaming.<br />
Making the most of bits: Xavier<br />
Garcia, Key Account Manager,<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>, trains operators on<br />
the correct use of the eH64OA<br />
Secoroc Epsilon Tricone bits.<br />
raISES<br />
Drilling and blasting half a million tonnes of rock every day: The <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong><br />
Pit Viper 351 drill rigs in operation at Penasquito.<br />
The fleet at Peñasquito drills an<br />
averag e of 2 300 to 2 500 holes per<br />
week. To keep ahead of the crushers,<br />
about 15 million tonnes of inventory<br />
are kept in the pit. “I like to keep at least<br />
a month ahead,” says Collins. This<br />
inventor y allows time to support the<br />
drills. “The maintenance plan includes<br />
having two or three rigs serviced for<br />
preventative maintenance. That takes<br />
care of normal wear and tear. I can say<br />
the Cummins engines in all our drill rigs<br />
are solid, they don’t even burn oil.”<br />
Close support<br />
In addition to parts and training,<br />
Xavier Garcia, <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>’s Key<br />
Account Manager for Goldcorp, personally<br />
handles drilling consumables<br />
at the mine. “Twice a month, Xavier<br />
spends nearly a week here analyzing<br />
bits. Sometimes it feels like he practically<br />
lives here,” says Collins. <strong>Atlas</strong><br />
<strong>Copco</strong>’s Marcus Pantoja and Octavio<br />
Garcia (Service Manager and Product<br />
Specialist) also play a key role,<br />
providing training, equipment start-up,<br />
commissioning and technical support.<br />
To date, the epsilon tricone bit line<br />
has changed from eH53CA to eH61-<br />
CA, eH62OA and eH64OA, to adjust<br />
to the rock formation. “We are constantly<br />
reviewing bit wear and performance.<br />
We’ll keep testing bits until<br />
we settle on the one that works the<br />
best,” he says. “A great advantage has<br />
been the use of the TeamAlloy Drill<br />
Pipe from <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> Thiessen, which<br />
seems to last foreve r.” M&C 3•09<br />
The Peñasquito mine will have a long<br />
life. As of December 31, 2008, proven and<br />
probable gold reserves totalled 17.4 million<br />
ounces. Silver reserves totalled 1 045.7<br />
million ounces, while lead and zinc stood<br />
at 7.07 million tonnes and 15.36 million<br />
tonnes respectively. Measured and indicated<br />
gold resources, inclusive of proven<br />
and probabl e reserves, increased 39<br />
percen t to 17.8 million ounces. Measured<br />
and indicated silver resources increased<br />
55 percent to 1.3 billion ounces.<br />
How the world’s largest underground<br />
silver mine uses raiseboring to boost<br />
efficiency in mine development.<br />
The Fresnillo Mine in Zacatecas produces<br />
ore containing an average of 500<br />
grams of silver per tonne with one vein,<br />
San Alberto, averaging 700 grams per<br />
tonne. The San Carlos vein has been mined<br />
for years, to a current total length of 5 km<br />
and an average of 500 grams per tonne.<br />
Martin Robledo, Mine Superintendent,<br />
puts the San Carlos vein into perspective:<br />
“When this six-kilometre long<br />
vein appeared at the 200 metre level, it<br />
was five metres wide and continues that<br />
way down to the 600 metre level.”<br />
The mine produces three million ounce s<br />
of silver per month from 8 000 tonnes of<br />
ore produced each day. Of this, 2 000<br />
tonnes are trucked through the San Alberto<br />
ramp and 2 000 tonnes and 4 000 tonnes<br />
respectively are hoisted via two separate<br />
shafts.<br />
For future growth, the mine is currently<br />
in the process of developing a new<br />
shaft consisting of two 3.6 m (12 ft) parallel<br />
raises, using a Robbins 73RH C commissioned<br />
in early 2009. The drilling of<br />
these raises, each totalling 530 m, has<br />
been extremely accurate. The first raise<br />
had a deviation of just 20 cm and of only<br />
3 cm on the second raise.<br />
6
Clear view: Monitoring<br />
the raiseborer from the<br />
control station a few metres<br />
from the drilling platform.<br />
Smooth operator: The four-cutter Secoroc<br />
reamer cuts a clean raise between levels.<br />
on the rise<br />
Multiple mining methods are used<br />
and 30 cut-and-fill stopes and 20 longhole<br />
stopes are currently active. “From<br />
the time we begin developing a stope<br />
block it takes about a year before it’s in<br />
production,” says Robledo.<br />
The process of developing a long<br />
hole block includes multiple stopes<br />
about 200 m long, one above the other,<br />
up to 30 m. For long hole stopes,<br />
multipl e levels are mined simultaneously.<br />
Multiple stopes will be blasted at<br />
the same time, removing the ore from<br />
the lowest level.<br />
Raising efficiency<br />
Raiseboring is an important part of the<br />
mining cycle in long hole stoping. The<br />
raises are used to create slots which serve<br />
as starting areas for each new stope. In<br />
order to increase the efficiency and speed<br />
of this type of raising in the production<br />
areas, an <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> Robbins 34RH C<br />
QRS raiseborer was recently added to<br />
the mine’s fleet.<br />
This raiseborer was specially designe d<br />
to rapidly drill short and small diameter<br />
raises. It is the first raise drill to be designed<br />
with the transporter (diesel powered<br />
crawler) as an integrated part of the<br />
machine, and a drilling platfrom eliminating<br />
the need for a concrete pad.<br />
As of October 2009, the new unit had<br />
completed 15 raises. Of those, 10 were<br />
slots for the long hole production operation<br />
and five were ventilation holes. Once<br />
in position, the raisedrill is stabilized<br />
usin g stinger cylinders prior to drilling.<br />
Easy down-reaming<br />
The 34RH C QRS can bore a raise of 720<br />
mm in diameter, either by down-reaming<br />
a pilot hole or by back reaming a conventional<br />
raise to 1.2 m in diameter in<br />
most rock types.<br />
When down-reaming, a pilot hole is<br />
drilled to a lower level. The drill pipe is<br />
then removed and a Secoroc 720 mm<br />
down-reamer with three cutters is<br />
installe d. The pilot hole is then downreamed<br />
with the cuttings falling down<br />
the pilot hole.<br />
When the raise is complete, the pipe<br />
and reamer are pulled back to the raise<br />
drill and removed at the upper level, eliminating<br />
the need for operators to remove<br />
or install the bits at the lower level. On<br />
average, the raises are 24 m high but<br />
have gone as far as 30 m.<br />
“When the vein is less than three<br />
metres wide, we use the <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong><br />
Simba 1254 with the COP 1238 tophammer<br />
and two-inch bits,” Robledo<br />
explains. If more than three metres, the<br />
Simba M4C with COP 44 ITH hammer<br />
and a 102 mm (4-inch) bit is used.<br />
The mine also has an <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong><br />
Simba H252 and a Simba H262 as well<br />
as Diamec U6 exploration rigs.<br />
Robledo says that in the six months<br />
since the 34 RH rig started drilling, it has<br />
made the overall mine plan more productive.<br />
“During the drilling of the 15<br />
raises, totalling 450 metres, we have had<br />
no problems,” he says, adding that the<br />
Secoroc cutters will last for an estimated<br />
1 000 m before they have to be replace d.<br />
Fresnillo is said to produce more silver<br />
at a higher grade than any other mine<br />
and the end of its productive life is nowhere<br />
in sight. M&C 3•09<br />
A Mexican leader<br />
Raiseboring, as a method of driving various<br />
types of shafts, is well established in Mexico<br />
and <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> is a market leader with some<br />
40 units in operation in the country’s mines.<br />
These raiseborers, called <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong><br />
Robbins, incorporate the very latest technology<br />
for quick-set up and push-button<br />
operatio n as well as high performance reamers<br />
and cutters from <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> Secoroc.<br />
Fresnillo PLC, which operates three mines,<br />
is a forerunner with six units of various types<br />
on site: a Robbins 73RAC and a 73RH C, two<br />
73RDC and two 34RH C QRS (Quick Raisebore<br />
Set-up).<br />
Since the mid-60s, <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> has produced<br />
some 420 raiseborers for driving shafts<br />
in a wide variety of mines around the world.<br />
7
F O C U S<br />
I C O<br />
O N M E X<br />
Palmarejo maxi<br />
The Palmarejo Mine has been developed into a productive gold, silver, coppe r<br />
and lead operation in just 18 months. M&C finds out how grade control using<br />
reverse circulation drilling is helping to maximize ore recovery.<br />
When Coeur d’Alene Mines started<br />
developing the Palmarejo<br />
Mine, it took six to eight hours<br />
to drive to the site from the last community<br />
along the road, San Rafael. Today, it<br />
takes just three hours.<br />
Since the mine opened, just 18 months<br />
ago, the site has been transformed from a<br />
steep mountainous ravine into two highly<br />
productive open pits plus an underground<br />
operation with three portals – and<br />
looks to have a promising future.<br />
Two separate excavation areas are<br />
opening up the mountain from above,<br />
while long-hole stoping is carried out below<br />
the mountain’s base.<br />
Mine Manager Kerry Barker explains<br />
the mine’s approach to selecting the<br />
technology and mining methods used at<br />
Palmarejo. “Take the best mining methods<br />
and apply them,” he says. “It’s great<br />
Examining the quality of the cuttings<br />
samples, taken every two metres. <strong>Atlas</strong><br />
<strong>Copco</strong>’s Melchor Ramirez (left) and<br />
Palmarejo geologist Arturo Soto.<br />
8<br />
to bring in fresh ideas from other places<br />
and we have great people here who have<br />
no problem with accepting new ideas.”<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> equipment is involved in<br />
every aspect of mine development and<br />
exploration. Barker says: “We like having<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> around here and that<br />
includes the great service.” The open pit<br />
production drilling is done by the <strong>Atlas</strong><br />
<strong>Copco</strong> DM45 high pressure DTH drill<br />
rigs which are highly mobile on the<br />
benches, while <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> Boomer and<br />
Simba rigs are used for the underground<br />
long-hole stope mining with cement<br />
backfill.<br />
Reverse circulation<br />
Palmarejo uses two <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> ROC<br />
L8 RC drill rigs to perform reverse circulation<br />
drilling (RC) ahead of the open pit<br />
operation. RC drilling involves forcing<br />
air down the centre of a double-wall drill<br />
pipe with the cuttings returning up the<br />
inside of the double pipe. These cuttings<br />
are then sent through a separator that allows<br />
samples to be taken at specific drilling<br />
depths. The samples are bagged and<br />
sent to a laboratory for analysis.<br />
The Secoroc RC50 reverse circulation<br />
hammer used on the ROC L8 rigs<br />
is available in two versions, one for<br />
deep hole exploration and one optimized<br />
for in-pit grade control with corresponding<br />
bit options. The hammer<br />
features a unique, easy to service collector<br />
tube that can be replaced without<br />
disassembling the hammer. The impact<br />
frequency of the RC hammer is up to<br />
34 percent higher than competitor models<br />
and gives more rapid drilling.<br />
The open pit operation recovers 3 000<br />
tonnes of ore per day and moves a total<br />
of 1.5 million tonnes of waste per month.<br />
The underground mining operation includes<br />
5.5 km of drift at a 5 x 5 m heading,<br />
advancing 30 m or 2 000 tonnes per<br />
day, for a total of 100 000 tonnes per<br />
month. And there are two places for all<br />
this rock to go – the mill or waste pile.<br />
As General Manager Stewart Mathews<br />
points out: “It only takes 20 trucks going<br />
to the wrong place to know that reverse<br />
circulation drilling is worth it.”<br />
Working ahead of the operation by<br />
about three months, the two ROC L8 RC<br />
rigs drill 140 mm holes (5 ½ inches) to<br />
depths of 7, 10 and 18 m. Each rig averages<br />
12 holes per day and the plan is to<br />
complete a total of 600 holes per bench.<br />
RC the way to go<br />
“We use the ROC L8 for horizontal drain<br />
holes too, but the rig is made for RC<br />
drilling,” says Mathews. “In-pit grade<br />
control is the way of the future, I can’t<br />
understand why it isn’t done everywhere.<br />
It’s the only way to go.”<br />
When RC drilling, the Secoroc RC50<br />
hammer drills 18 m penetrating and sampling<br />
three bench depths at once. The<br />
holes are drilled on a 10 x 10 m pattern
mizes quality<br />
as reverse circulation drilling pays off<br />
In the bag: Samples of cuttings from the ROC L 8 and its Secoroc<br />
RC50 reverse circulation hammer, are collected for analysis. The<br />
results help the Palmarejo Mine to optimize its ore recovery.<br />
with the ore zone over-drilled by 30 percent.<br />
The holes are drilled at 56 degree<br />
angles and the veins run at a 57 degree<br />
dip. “We are actually drilling two veins,”<br />
says geologist Arturo Soto.<br />
“We have great<br />
people who<br />
have no trouble<br />
accepting new<br />
ideas.”<br />
Kerry Barker,<br />
Mine Manager,<br />
Palmarejo Mine.<br />
The separate veins, named La Blanca<br />
and La Prieta, are a short distance apart,<br />
joining towards the west before separating<br />
again. “The hanging wall between<br />
the veins can present economic grade<br />
ore,” adds Soto. Taking samples allows<br />
the mine to assess the quality of the ore<br />
as they drill through it.<br />
For the most part, the RC drilling<br />
presents few problems. The only challenges<br />
encountered being some shale<br />
above the ore body and occasional water.<br />
Shale creates some difficulty in drilling,<br />
but hitting water is more problematic for<br />
the drillers.<br />
When water is encountered, the<br />
driller must clean the air holes in the bit<br />
and hammer between holes to ensure<br />
the integrity of the samples. “We have<br />
3D modelling of the mine but sometimes<br />
you just can’t be sure, and RC<br />
drilling makes you sure,” says Soto.<br />
The RC drilling is used to measure the<br />
ore body and test the gold, silver, lead and<br />
copper in the ore, but it also has another<br />
important use. “Just yesterday we ran into<br />
two voids when drilling,” points out Soto.<br />
Locating voids as well as soft and unconsolidated<br />
rock is an important use of the<br />
ROC rigs in this formation. The voids are<br />
mapped to ensure safe drilling for the<br />
DM45 rigs that will follow.<br />
It takes operator Oswaldo Gaxiola and<br />
assistant Victor Hernandez about 30 minutes<br />
to drill and bag each hole. “When I<br />
hit soft rock I have to back off and clean<br />
the hole, then go back in slowly,” said<br />
Gaxiola, who learned to drill just two<br />
months ago and finds the ROC L8 RC<br />
easy to operate. Gaxiola says he likes the<br />
auto-drill functionality on the ROC L8<br />
because it does most of the work and prevents<br />
jamming in the hole.<br />
In an average shift, about twelve, 18 m<br />
holes are drilled per rig. Soto points out<br />
that he is more concerned with producing<br />
quality samples than simply fast drilling.<br />
Palmarejo was targeted for a 10-year<br />
life with a yearly production of 110 000<br />
ounces of gold and nine million ounces<br />
of silver. Stewart Mathews is convinced<br />
RC drilling is the best solution for managing<br />
the mine development and concludes:<br />
“It ends all arguments about<br />
reconciliation. Quality samples are<br />
needed to make quality decisions. RC<br />
drilling for grade control is the only<br />
way to go.” M&C 3•09<br />
The Secoroc<br />
RC50 reverse<br />
circulati on hammer:<br />
the star performer ensuring<br />
quality samples in grade<br />
control operations at Palmajero.<br />
9
FINANCING<br />
FOR THE FUTURE<br />
Barminco of Australia has<br />
the key to funding its equipment needs<br />
Despite the global economic crisis, many mining and construction<br />
compani es around the world are still able to invest in the future – thanks<br />
to tailor-made financing solutions from <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>. Mining contractor<br />
Barminco is a typical example.<br />
B<br />
arminco is one of Australia’s leading<br />
mining contractors with operations<br />
at 18 sites across the continent<br />
as well as two others overseas. The<br />
company is well known for its productivity<br />
performance both above and below<br />
ground – and for its insistence on using<br />
the best technology available.<br />
However, when it was time for the<br />
company to renew its equipment fleet<br />
this year, the tough economic conditions<br />
caused by the global financial crisis<br />
require d a more creative approach to<br />
satisf y its financing needs.<br />
With major undertakings in Australia<br />
and a new project about to get under way<br />
in Africa, Barminco needed to increase<br />
its fleet of <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> equipment. But<br />
instead of seeking funding from traditional<br />
sources – mining financiers, banks<br />
and the like – the company asked <strong>Atlas</strong><br />
<strong>Copco</strong>, a preferred Barminco supplier, to<br />
come up with an attractive solution.<br />
The result is a multi-million dollar<br />
credit and commercial hire purchase<br />
facilit y arranged through <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong><br />
Customer Finance (ACF), the <strong>Atlas</strong><br />
Copc o Group’s in-house finance compan<br />
y (see box).<br />
Close co-operation<br />
The agreement was completed in February<br />
2009 and immediately paved the way<br />
for the delivery of new MT6020 trucks<br />
and Diamec MCR rigs for deployment in<br />
Australian mines.<br />
Theresa Mlikota, Chief Financial Officer<br />
at Barminco, says these special arrangements<br />
with <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> have been<br />
instrumental in enabling the company to<br />
maintain its high quality services to its<br />
customers.<br />
Mlikota, who has more than 20 years’<br />
experience in structured financing, explains<br />
the background leading up to Barminco’s<br />
decision.<br />
“This funding is<br />
very flexible and<br />
tailor-made to<br />
our needs.”<br />
Theresa Mlikota,<br />
Chief Financial Officer,<br />
Barminco.<br />
“The recent uncertainty in capital<br />
markets has resulted in many financiers<br />
exiting the Australian market,” she says.<br />
“As a result we knew that financing<br />
would be critical to Barminco being able<br />
to continue delivering quality services to<br />
our own customer base.<br />
“<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> understands the contract<br />
mining business and is always keen<br />
10
to understand Barminco’s requirements.<br />
This sets them apart from traditional<br />
financin g, which is often reactive. In<br />
additio n, <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>’s focus on customer<br />
service means we often work together<br />
to deliver viable solutions to operate<br />
and fund our business.<br />
“In this case, the <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> custome r<br />
service team has worked closely with<br />
Barminco to deliver our operational requirements<br />
and with our financing team<br />
to effect a sale. The financing offered by<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> is not a definitive driver in<br />
our business but it is certainly a key driver<br />
and we are very happy with how it works.”<br />
Flexible and tailor-made<br />
Barminco has been using hire purchase<br />
and lease-styled financing for a long time<br />
as these methods suit its clients and its<br />
own cash flow. So why is the <strong>Atlas</strong> Copc o<br />
agreement especially attractive<br />
“Firstly,” Mlikota says, “this funding<br />
is very flexible, and secondly the terms<br />
are tailor-made to our practical needs<br />
and working realities.”<br />
She continues: “<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> has<br />
analyzed what we need and when we<br />
need it and has linked the funding to<br />
the life cycle of the equipment and a<br />
performance guarantee. This is very<br />
favourable for both Barminco and<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>.<br />
“In supporting us this way, <strong>Atlas</strong><br />
Copc o has shown that it is willing to play<br />
a much stronger role in supporting our<br />
business than a conventional financier<br />
which has been especially useful for us<br />
Barminco – a leader down under<br />
Barminco was established in 1989 and is one of<br />
Australia’s leading hard rock, underground mining<br />
contractors. With more than 1 500 employees<br />
and one of the largest fleets of underground mining<br />
equipment in Australia, the company aims to<br />
deliver high productivity while minimizing the cost<br />
of production in the mining of nickel, gold, copper,<br />
lead and zinc.<br />
Barminco prides itself on its leading market<br />
position and long-term relationships with many of<br />
the world’s largest mining companies, including<br />
at this time when financing is difficult.”<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> has been supporting<br />
Barminco since 2006 and the new agreement<br />
clearly further cements the relationship<br />
between the two companies.<br />
Rod Herman, Sales Manager, Customer<br />
Finance, Pacific and South East Asia,<br />
“This has<br />
definitely added<br />
to the ease of<br />
business.”<br />
Rod Hermann,<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> Customer<br />
Finance, Australia.<br />
points out: “This shows that despite the<br />
tough times that have been experienc ed<br />
over the last 12 months or so, <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong><br />
is there and is willing to support customers<br />
by helping to fund their equipment<br />
acquisitions.<br />
“I believe this has definitely added to<br />
the ‘ease of business’ that Barminco<br />
Barrick Gold, AngloGold Ashanti, MMG, Xstrata<br />
Copper, Vedanta Resources and Rio Tinto.<br />
Using proven methods and modern equipment,<br />
Barminco provides long hole production drilling,<br />
shotcreting, ground support, concrete and crushing,<br />
hand held mining, shaft sinking and diamond<br />
drilling.<br />
Barminco’s Australian operations are mainly<br />
located in Western Australia, Queensland and<br />
Tasmania and are managed from its head office<br />
in Perth.<br />
experience s when they do business with<br />
us. They know that when they talk to us<br />
about their equipment solutions that, in<br />
general, we can support the funding of<br />
that equipment.” M&C 3•09<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong><br />
Customer Finance<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> Customer Finance (ACF) has<br />
been providing equipment financing to <strong>Atlas</strong><br />
<strong>Copco</strong> customers since 1998 and has concluded<br />
numerous transactions in more than<br />
60 countries. Its mission is to help customers<br />
find the most suitable financing solutions to<br />
meet their specific needs in terms of equipment,<br />
business requirements and local market<br />
conditions. Working through <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong><br />
sales channels, the company offers a wide<br />
range of tailor-made financing solutions.<br />
Using the market knowledge of the <strong>Atlas</strong><br />
<strong>Copco</strong> Group and by focusing on the Group’s<br />
products and consumables, ACF enables customers<br />
to benefit from leasing, supplier credits<br />
and various types of project financing.<br />
Power and flexibility: The Minetruck<br />
MT6020 being put though its paces during a demonstration<br />
in Sweden for international mining companies.<br />
New kid on the block: This wheel-based<br />
Diamec MCR (Mobile Carrier Rig) has been developed<br />
together with Barminco to meet demands for<br />
greater flexibility in underground core drilling.<br />
Previously available only on skids, the rig can move<br />
around in less than a quarter of the time needed<br />
for a skid-based rig. With no need for disassembly<br />
or transport assistance, it helps lead times for mining<br />
operations to be further reduced.<br />
11
The big picture: Once complete,<br />
the 195 m high Boyabat dam<br />
will span the Kizilirmak valley<br />
and generate 1.5 billion kWh of<br />
electricity per year.<br />
Proven performance: Dogus selected <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> ROC D7 drill rigs for the<br />
Boyabat hydropow er project after the rigs’ impressive performance on an<br />
earlier project.<br />
DRILLING FOR P<br />
The town of Boyabat, northern Turkey is located on the ancient<br />
and famous Silk Road. But it is a more modern construction that is<br />
putting the town on the map today – the Boyabat dam.<br />
ON THE<br />
12<br />
The town of Boyabat (pop. 25 000)<br />
in northern Turkey, was once an important<br />
trading post on the ancient<br />
Silk Road that once brought exotic goods<br />
such as silks, spices and gemstones from<br />
the East to Europe and beyond. These<br />
days, it is still a centre of trade, serving<br />
as a bustling commercial hub for more<br />
than 100 surrounding villages.<br />
But it is not just the sound of traders,<br />
market-goers and troubadours that can<br />
be heard in the Kizilirmak valley today<br />
– the sound of construction work at the<br />
USD 1.2 billion Boyabat dam is also<br />
now a regular feature of daily life.<br />
Construction of the 510 MW Boyabat<br />
dam and hydropower station on the nearby<br />
Kizilirmak River, started in 2008 and<br />
is due for completion in 2012. The dam<br />
will be the third on the river and lies<br />
approximate ly 30 km from Boyabat and<br />
123 km from the Black Sea.<br />
Once finished, it will stand at a height<br />
of 195 m from its foundation and will<br />
have a crest of 262 m spanning the<br />
Kizilirm ak valley. The dam is ex pected<br />
to produce 1.5 billion kWh per year for<br />
distribution to cities across the country.<br />
The dam is being constructed by the<br />
Turkish company, Dogus Insaat, and<br />
involv es drilling a total of 600 000 m<br />
over three years. Of this, 400 000 m will<br />
be drilled in a nearby quarry for concrete<br />
production and 200 000 m will be drilled<br />
in pre-splitting holes. Some 13 million<br />
tonnes of excavated limestone will be<br />
produced from the quarry. A total of<br />
1 000 people are working on the project,<br />
including sub-contractors.<br />
The environmental impact of the<br />
operatio n is being monitored by the<br />
Ministr y of the Environment, a safety<br />
team from Dogus Insaat (working to ISO<br />
14001 and 18000 procedures) and the<br />
owner of the project, Boyabat Elektrik<br />
Uretim ve Tic.Ltd.Sti.<br />
Proven performance<br />
The drilling fleet at Boyabat consists of<br />
four <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> ROC D7 and four ROC<br />
203 rigs. Dogus Insaat had previously
An artist’s impression of the finished dam.<br />
OWER<br />
TURKISH SILK ROAD<br />
used <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> surface drill rigs on<br />
anothe r project, a highway construction<br />
job in Morocco, where two ROC D7 rigs<br />
were used. This experience convinced the<br />
company that the same rigs would have<br />
the capacity and performance to cope<br />
with the Boyabat dam project.<br />
Another factor in choosing these rigs<br />
was <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>’s parts, service and<br />
maintenance capacity which would be<br />
essential given that the Boyabat dam site<br />
is remote – 700 km from Istanbul and<br />
400 km from Ankara.<br />
The rigs drill 89 mm holes for production<br />
drilling and 70–76 mm holes for<br />
presplit drilling. Additionally, a sub-contractor<br />
is operating two ROC D7-11 rigs<br />
fitted with COP 1840 rock drills and<br />
drilling is carried out 22 hours per day.<br />
The teams work 14 x 11-hour shifts per<br />
week. The blasted rock is removed with<br />
back-hoe excavators, loaded onto trucks<br />
and transferred to the dump site.<br />
For production drilling, a 2.5 x 3 m<br />
drilling pattern is used with an inclination<br />
of 4:1, and an inclination of 1.36:1<br />
for presplitting. Bench heights for production<br />
drilling vary from 6 –12 m.<br />
Durin g an average shift, the ROC D7<br />
rigs achieve 300 m per rig per shift for<br />
production drilling and 250 m per rig per<br />
shift for presplitting.<br />
Quarry Operation Manager, Can<br />
Celiksırt says: “We are very satisfied<br />
with the hole quality in such tough terrai n<br />
– especially in presplitting holes where<br />
we faced big problems because of the inclination<br />
of the bench.” Celiksırt designe d<br />
the software, DelPat v6.0, used to design<br />
the drilling pattern at the site.<br />
Presplit drilling solution<br />
The initial challenge, faced by the drill<br />
rigs and operators was encountered on<br />
the pre-split holes, spaced every 70 cm.<br />
The rock shelf was specified at 40 cm<br />
wide or less, with the 7 m holes drilled at<br />
an inclination of 40 degrees from the<br />
horizontal and it was difficult to place<br />
the rig close enough to the slope (the<br />
shelf was specified at 40 cm so that the<br />
13
All in a day’s work for the Dogus team: From left, Can Celiksirt, Quarry Operations Manager, with his colleagues Dursun Bozdogan,<br />
Erdal Can, Yasin Kuru and Tufan Kirik.<br />
steps created on the hillside would be<br />
minimal). The position of the rigs’ rod<br />
handling carousels and hydraulic valve<br />
groups meant the rig could only drill the<br />
required inclination and hole depth on 70<br />
cm benches.<br />
A sales and service team from <strong>Atlas</strong><br />
<strong>Copco</strong> decided to change the feeds on<br />
two of the ROC D7 rigs used for presplitting<br />
with the company’s underground<br />
rock drilling version, the BMH 6821.<br />
This allowed the operators to position the<br />
feed closer to the slope. As the feed was<br />
longer than the previous version, the rodhandl<br />
ing carousel could also be removed.<br />
After this modification, the required<br />
inclina tion and hole depth was achieved<br />
on a shelf width of just 30 cm.<br />
the high availability of the drilling fleet,<br />
Dogus Insaat’s Selahattin Kolasinli,<br />
Mechanica l Machinery Supply &<br />
Purchasin g co-ordinator, recently signed<br />
up for the COP Care maintenance programme<br />
that covers all of the site’s COP<br />
1840 rock drills. COP Care is a full-service<br />
agreement for COP rock drills and<br />
comprises five key elements; scheduled<br />
service, optimized rig performance,<br />
overhaul protocols; extended warranty<br />
and remote monitoring. M&C 3•09<br />
Full-service<br />
Celiksirt is very satisfied with the solution:<br />
“The <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> sales and service<br />
team helped us greatly by solving this<br />
problem,” he says. “We are grateful to<br />
them, especially <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>’s technical<br />
development and training manager,<br />
Yavu z Akkaya for his great efforts.”<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> is planning to provide<br />
regular on-site training for the drill rig<br />
operators and maintenance teams to<br />
maximize drilling performance, ensure<br />
productivity and increase the drill steel<br />
life.<br />
As an additional measure to maintain<br />
Bench test: The modified ROC D7 managed to exceed the drill plan specifications<br />
that required a maximum 40 cm wide shelf.<br />
14
Symmetrix the solution<br />
as IKEA goes geothermal<br />
Sixty wells, each 200 m deep were drilled into bedrock<br />
in just ten days – part of a geothermal energy system<br />
for the new IKEA store in the city of Tampere, Finland.<br />
Challenging ground conditions were overcome by<br />
Symmetrix drilling technology.<br />
When IKEA’s new store opens in<br />
Tampere, Finland, the 37 500 m 2<br />
building will be heated and cooled using<br />
only geothermal energy. The project is<br />
the largest of its kind in the country and<br />
part of IKEA’s long-term programme to<br />
have all IKEA buildings powered by 100<br />
percent renewable energy.<br />
Geothermal energy is solar energy,<br />
stored in the bedrock. Using heat pumps,<br />
this energy is collected from the ground<br />
via holes and used for heating buildings<br />
and water. And the popularity of this environmentally-friendly<br />
energy source is<br />
increasing rapidly; in Finland, 7 500<br />
ground source heat pumps were sold in<br />
2008 – a 42 percent increase on the previous<br />
year.<br />
Loose ground<br />
After the groundwork was completed at<br />
the site of the new IKEA store, the surface<br />
consisted of a three-metre layer of<br />
unconsolidated rock. Drilling the 60 energy<br />
wells would require a system that<br />
could both drill and advance a casing<br />
pipe at the same time.<br />
The contract to drill the 60 energy<br />
wells was awarded to drilling contractor<br />
Suomen Porauspalvelu. With each hole<br />
200 m deep, a total of 12 km of drilling<br />
was required. The wells were designed in<br />
“We are<br />
pleased we<br />
could meet this<br />
challenging<br />
deadline.”<br />
Tor Enqvist,<br />
Joint Owner, Suomen<br />
Porauspalvelu.<br />
15
five rows, each consisting of 12 wells.<br />
The wells in the central row were<br />
drilled vertically. The two rows either<br />
side of this row were drilled with an<br />
inclination of five degrees. The wells<br />
in the outermost two rows had an<br />
inclinati on of ten degrees away from<br />
the centre row. The holes were drilled<br />
in this way to ensure sufficient space<br />
between each hole at the 200 m depth,<br />
regardless of deviation.<br />
A case for Symmetrix<br />
A range of <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> products were<br />
selected for the project which included<br />
the compressors, drill rods, Symmetri x<br />
P140/5-115 casing advancement system,<br />
Secoroc 115 mm bits, Secoroc<br />
COP44 and TD40 DTH hammers.<br />
Jukka Ahonen, General Manager,<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> Rotex explains that the<br />
Symmetrix system was ideally suited<br />
to the ground conditions. “At this site,<br />
there was an unconsolidated layer of<br />
rock created by blasting and excavation<br />
works,” he explains. “Passing<br />
this layer quickly and efficiently was<br />
the key to achieving high productivity.”<br />
The Symmetrix system consists of<br />
drill bits and a casing shoe that is welded<br />
to a casing tube. Using percussive<br />
drilling, the drill bit drills a hole large<br />
enough for the casing tube to advance<br />
down the hole. With this system, it is<br />
possible to install casing tubes through<br />
hard and rocky unconsolidated material<br />
and into the bedrock. The contact area<br />
of the casing tube and bedrock is sealed<br />
in order to prevent surface water entering<br />
the well.<br />
Rapid drilling<br />
Drilling began with the Symmetrix<br />
system in August installing permanent<br />
casings with an outer diameter<br />
140 mm. After this, drilling was carried<br />
out through the cased hole using<br />
Secoroc 115 mm bits until the final<br />
depth was reached.<br />
The time schedule for the assignment<br />
was tight and Suomen Porauspalvelu<br />
put its entire fleet of three<br />
drilling rigs onto the project. The<br />
work, including 12 km of drilling was<br />
completed in just ten working days.<br />
Tor Enqvist, Joint Owner, Suomen<br />
Porauspalvelu, says: “A condition of<br />
this contract was that it could be completed<br />
within a tight timeframe. We<br />
are pleased to have managed with this<br />
challenging schedule. Since 2007,<br />
when we started our company, we<br />
have chosen to invest in modern, high<br />
quality tools and machines. By doing<br />
so we can meet our customer expectations,<br />
both in terms of reliability and<br />
productivity.” M&C 3•09<br />
Of the thousands of drilling contractors<br />
around the world, M&C sometimes<br />
comes across a company whose<br />
achievements are worthy of special<br />
mention. Such a company is Jaime<br />
Navarret e Servicios Mineros, of Chile.<br />
Helping Ikea to cut energy consumption: Kari Pyttynen of <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>, discusses<br />
the progress with Joint Owners of Suomen Porauspalvelu, Svante Snellman and<br />
Tor Enqvist.<br />
J<br />
aime Navarrete, General Manager of<br />
Servicios Mineros, started his drilling<br />
contracting company in 2001. The business<br />
has grown steadily and is today a medium<br />
size company, specializing in pre-splitting and<br />
reverse circulation drilling at Chilean mines.<br />
Servicios Mineros provides drilling services<br />
for some of the country’s largest mining<br />
groups such as Anglo American and Barrick.<br />
16
A market leader in pre-split drilling: Jaime Navarrete of Servicios Mineros, puts ROC L8<br />
rigs to work at Codelco’s Chuquicamata mine in 2001 (left). Above, today’s new generation<br />
ROC L8-30 at Anglo America’s Los Bronces mine.<br />
Trust is a must<br />
for Chile’s pre-split specialist<br />
Hand-in-hand: Jaime Navarrete, General<br />
Manager of Servicios Mineros, receives recognition<br />
from Andreas Malmberg, President,<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> Surface Drilling Equipmen t,<br />
Sweden). They are joined by Ricardo<br />
Ornela s (left) and José Manuel Sánchez of<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> Chilena.<br />
Navarrete started out with two <strong>Atlas</strong><br />
<strong>Copco</strong> ROC L8 drill rigs and quickly<br />
earned a reputation as a specialist in presplit<br />
drilling. Today, Servicios Mineros<br />
has a major share of the pre-splitting<br />
market in Chile.<br />
The company now has a fleet of 20<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> ROC L8 rigs which in 2008<br />
achieved a record average performance<br />
of 100 000 drilled metres per month.<br />
Jaime Navarrete says: “Our success is<br />
the result of a combination of a strong<br />
customer focus and the latest drilling<br />
technology for reliable production, supported<br />
by a large fleet of drill rigs. This is<br />
in line with our policy to always offer best<br />
practice in the services we provide.”<br />
The skill of the company’s rig opera-<br />
tors also plays a major role. “They are<br />
well trained and bring a lot of experience<br />
and expertise to every site they work on<br />
– they are critical to our success. In addition<br />
we offer the latest technology and<br />
our drilling capability is supported by a<br />
spare parts contract with <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> and<br />
a ‘pay-as-you-go’ drilling consumables<br />
con tract with Secoroc.<br />
“Reliable support from key suppliers<br />
has always been important to us,” he<br />
continues. “Right from the start, we had<br />
that support from <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> and we<br />
still have it today. I think that in every<br />
commercial relationship, trust is a must,<br />
and every time I have contact with <strong>Atlas</strong><br />
<strong>Copco</strong>, at all levels, I get the best service<br />
and co-operation.” M&C 3•09<br />
17
NEW PLATFORM DRIVES<br />
AUTOMATED<br />
DRILLING<br />
By Dustin Penn<br />
Combining the latest computer and IT technology, <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>’s latest RCS-equipped<br />
blasthol e drill rigs feature modularized software and hardware that can easily be upgrade d<br />
to offer increased functionality as well as a wealth of automation options.<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>’s current Pit Viper drill<br />
rigs showcase the leading-edge<br />
computer-aided automation technology<br />
that has been deployed across the<br />
company’s range of drill rigs.<br />
The common platform makes it easier<br />
for customers to familiarize themselves<br />
with <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> technology across a<br />
range of products. In turn, this simplifies<br />
operation, maintenance, servicing and<br />
training. It also helps to facilitate continuous<br />
product development and the<br />
rapid application of new technology<br />
across the entire product range.<br />
The Rig Control System (RCS) and<br />
Auto interlock button. Press<br />
and hold this first and then<br />
choose one of the following<br />
auto functions.<br />
Using multilever rocker switch.<br />
Autolevels up for<br />
switch up. Autolevels for<br />
down in drill mode.<br />
Autodrill. Drills to predefined<br />
depth and returns head to propel<br />
safe position. Anti-jam, void detection<br />
and so on in drill mode.<br />
Future option. Auto tramming or<br />
autonomous operation.<br />
CAN-bus technology provides the backbone<br />
of the new system, bringing flexibility<br />
and expandability to the RCS and<br />
means that new modules can be added<br />
anywhere along the data bus, without<br />
adding extra cables.<br />
Easily upgraded<br />
Customers can start with a low level of<br />
automation and as their requirements<br />
change, they can upgrade. The RCS allows<br />
new functionality to be added,<br />
without major rebuilding of the rigs.<br />
Every Pit Viper rig can be equipped<br />
with RCS Basic. The system also offer s<br />
Fingertip control: RCS automated function buttons on the operator’s panel.<br />
a range of optional technologies including<br />
auto-levelling, auto-drilling, GPS<br />
hole navigation, Remote Rig Access<br />
and communication, wireless remote<br />
tramming and Measure While Drilling<br />
data log files, all supplied in IREDES<br />
format (International Rock Excavation<br />
Data Exchange Standard).<br />
In addition to the interlock features<br />
that ensure safe operation and tramming<br />
of the Pit Viper, the Rig Control System<br />
is also packed with capabilities to optimize<br />
drilling performance.<br />
Automated operations<br />
In scenarios that involve drilling through<br />
several rock types, the RCS’s Autodrilling<br />
function reacts to feedback from the<br />
rig’s sensors. Auto-drilling imitates the<br />
reactions of an experienced operator by<br />
adjusting the drilling parameters according<br />
to the drilling conditions.<br />
The system detects the bit’s contact<br />
with the rock and controls the air, water,<br />
rotation and feed to collar the hole. Next,<br />
these variables are adjusted as drilling<br />
commences and the optimum pulldown<br />
pressure and rotation are applie d.<br />
The system will drill as fast as possible<br />
without stalling the rotation or getting<br />
stuck. When the specified depth has<br />
been achieved, the hole is automatically<br />
flushed and the bit is retracted to the<br />
tram-safe position.<br />
To increase the quality of the drill<br />
rig’s set-up at the hole, the RCS platform<br />
18
Major advantages: Thanks to the new<br />
Rig Control System, every Pit Viper can<br />
now be equipped with auto-levelling,<br />
auto-drilling, GPS hole navigation, Rig<br />
Remote Access and communication,<br />
wireless remote tramming, Measure<br />
While Drilling data log files and IRE-<br />
DES format.<br />
can offer an auto-levelling option. This<br />
feature automatically levels the drill rig,<br />
reducing wear and tear of the rig’s structure<br />
by limiting torsion of the frame and<br />
tower during the levelling and de-levelling<br />
process.<br />
The accuracy of the system depends on<br />
the ground conditions but a typical levelling<br />
sequence on normal ground is achieved<br />
in less than 35 seconds and to an accuracy<br />
(in pitch and roll) of 0.2 degrees.<br />
The Rig Control System’s GPS hole<br />
navigation feature allows holes to be positioned<br />
with an accuracy of +/– 10 cm.<br />
The system ensures that the blastholes<br />
are accurately located according to the<br />
blast pattern in terms of both location<br />
and drilled depth.<br />
A drill plan, containing the mine’s<br />
coordinate s, is imported and the position<br />
of the bit, relative to the plan, is displayed<br />
in real time. The integration of<br />
the GPS to the rig’s RCS control system<br />
is via a standard RS serial link.<br />
Advanced communication<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>’s Rig Remote Access<br />
(RRA) technology allows the drill rig to<br />
be connected to a worksite’s computer<br />
network, again operating via the RCS.<br />
The system consists of a communication<br />
server and a network adapter and<br />
provides the user with three functions; a<br />
web server that can be accessed by any<br />
standard web browser, an FTP server<br />
for file transfer and a server process that<br />
enables data to be integrated into the<br />
user’s administrative systems and databases.<br />
The system uses standard communication<br />
protocols such as TCP/IP<br />
and PPP.<br />
Using the wireless network, working<br />
procedures are simplified and new capabilities<br />
are available to the mine’s planning<br />
organization. Work orders that were<br />
previously distributed before the shift<br />
bega n can now be distributed instantly<br />
and directly to the rig, creating more flexibility<br />
and adaptability in production.<br />
Computer-designed drill plans that<br />
were previously loaded manually into<br />
the rig’s RCS can now be transmitted<br />
wirelessly, saving time and allowing last<br />
minute changes to the drill plan.<br />
The system also allows drill logs to be<br />
transferred as soon as the round or individual<br />
blasthole is completed. This<br />
means that geological and geomechanical<br />
data can be instantly shared within<br />
the organization and that the drilling and<br />
blasting plans can be adapted, immediately<br />
and as required.<br />
Another key benefit of RRA is the<br />
ability to remotely monitor the status of<br />
the rig in real time. It also means that<br />
troubleshooting can be performed re-<br />
mote ly by specialized technicians at the<br />
mine or <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>.<br />
Remote control capability<br />
The Rig Control System’s teleremote feature<br />
uses the mine’s wireless network, either<br />
2.4 or 5.2 GHz frequency and allows<br />
an operator to operate the drill remotely,<br />
including the drilling, levelling, tramming<br />
and GPS hole navigation functions.<br />
A dedicated communication channel,<br />
guaranteeing the bandwidth and response<br />
required for real time operation of the rig,<br />
is required. The Teleremote module includes<br />
a dedicated safety system, independent<br />
of the RCS. If communication is<br />
lost between the remote operator and the<br />
rig, it will shut down. Additional safety<br />
systems, such as those that detect people<br />
moving into the rigs’ working area, should<br />
also be used and combined with the<br />
mine’s own safety regime. M&C 3•09<br />
Dustin Penn is Product<br />
Line Manager, Blasthole<br />
Drills at <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong><br />
Drilling Solutions. He is<br />
responsible for product<br />
marketing and provides<br />
master specifications<br />
for product development<br />
projects.e-mail:dustin.<br />
penn@us.atlascopco.com<br />
19
NEW SOLUTION<br />
for rapid micropiling<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> has launched a new<br />
self-drilling micropile – the T111 –<br />
that drills and reinforces the hole in<br />
a single drilling operation.<br />
P<br />
rimarily aimed at supporting unconsolidated<br />
soil formations such<br />
as sand and gravel, <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>’s<br />
new MAI SDA T111 self drilling technology<br />
is ideal for a wide range of challenging<br />
micropiling applications.<br />
The system consists of a 111 mm<br />
(4.3") diameter hollow threaded rod with<br />
a sacrificial drill bit. Thanks to the full<br />
length rod thread and extension couplings,<br />
the flexible system allows the rod<br />
length to be easily adjusted to the site’s<br />
requirements.<br />
A selection of drill bits means the T111<br />
micropile system is able to drill through a<br />
wide range of material from sand and clay<br />
to rock. The piles work well as both tension<br />
and compression piles and can be<br />
installed on a vertical or inclined angle to<br />
provide grouped pile solutions.<br />
Faster installation<br />
Installation of conventional micropiles,<br />
for example drilled casings, require up to<br />
three separate operations. The T111<br />
minimizes the total installation time and<br />
increases productivity. Experience of installing<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>’s existing 76 mm<br />
self-drilling system has demonstrated<br />
“The T111 system<br />
is ideal for<br />
a wide range of<br />
applications.”<br />
Mark Bernthaler,<br />
Geotechnical Sales and<br />
Applications Manager,<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>.<br />
that it is not unusual for an operator to<br />
install 25 to 30, 15 m-long piles per day.<br />
During installation, cement grout is<br />
simultaneously injected into the rod,<br />
out through the bit and distributed evenly<br />
into the surrounding ground. The rod<br />
and bit are then left in place to act as the<br />
pile’s reinforcement element. Once the<br />
cement sets, the ground consolidates and<br />
forms a friction pile.<br />
With only light equipment needed<br />
for installation of the T111 and with no<br />
need to use large concrete mixing<br />
trucks, less impact is made on the surrounding<br />
area in terms of exhaust fumes,<br />
noise pollution and vibration. With the<br />
use of easily manoeuvrable rigs and<br />
only a few steps of installation, the operator<br />
is exposed to as few potentially<br />
harmful operations as possible.<br />
Flexible<br />
Mark Bernthaler, Geotechnical Sales and<br />
Applications Manager at <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>,<br />
says the T111 micropile complements<br />
20
PR<br />
New Simba offers more<br />
for production drilling<br />
DUCTS<br />
PROGRESS<br />
New solution for micropiling:<br />
The system created<br />
great interest among the<br />
650 engineers who attended<br />
this years’ Deep<br />
Foundations Institute exhibition<br />
and seminar, held<br />
in Kansas.<br />
A<br />
tlas <strong>Copco</strong> has introduced a<br />
new production drill rig for<br />
small and medium sized drifts. The<br />
Simba S7 D replaces the well-proven<br />
Simb a 1257 and benefits from a<br />
range of new features.<br />
The new Simba S7 D has an efficient<br />
hydraulic direct control system<br />
for manual control of the drilling<br />
functions, with all controls placed<br />
ergonomically within reach of the<br />
operator’s seat.<br />
The standard version of the rig<br />
includes a canopy with a FOPS approved<br />
cabin available as an option.<br />
The cabin features air conditioning<br />
and a hi-fi sound system as standard<br />
equipment.<br />
Compared to its predecessor, the<br />
Simba S7 D offers higher ground<br />
clearance, a Tier 3/Stage IIIA engine,<br />
increased tramming speed and the<br />
possibility to carry a water hose reel.<br />
Rod handling on the Simba S7 D<br />
is fully mechanized and the rod carousel<br />
can carry up to 10 rods with<br />
one in the rock drill shank adaptor,<br />
allowing mechanized drilling up to<br />
20 metres.<br />
The modular design of the rig<br />
means that it shares many key<br />
components and design elements<br />
with other rigs in the <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong><br />
range. This simplifies operator familiarization<br />
and makes servicing<br />
simpler while reducing spare parts<br />
inventories.<br />
The Simba S7 D is designed for<br />
a wide range of applications including<br />
long hole drilling, production<br />
drilling and drilling for cable<br />
bolt holes. M&C 3•09<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>’s range of Self Drilling<br />
Ancho rs and meets a growing need for<br />
ground engineering micropiling solutions.<br />
“The T111 is the ideal micropiling solution<br />
for a wide range of applications,”<br />
says Bernthaler. “They can be used as<br />
bearing piles for domestic and light industrial<br />
applications, as soil retaining and<br />
reinforcement piles and tension piles below<br />
towers and buoyant structures.”<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> MAI SDA products are<br />
all manufactured according to strict ISO<br />
rules. There are two important quality parameters<br />
for a self drilling system: firstly,<br />
that the rods can withstand the stipulated<br />
working pressure and, secondly, that couplings<br />
and bits can be easily threaded.<br />
Ultimat e load tests are carried out on one<br />
in 200 of the manufactured systems.<br />
The T111 micropile is available in<br />
two dimensions: T111L with an ultimate<br />
tensile load of 2 640 kN (593 k lbf), and<br />
the T111N, with a larger wall thickness,<br />
is rated at 3 650 kN (821 k lbf). M&C 3•09<br />
Easy access: Routine maintenance and servicing<br />
tasks are quickly performed on the Simba<br />
S7 D thanks to the large chassis panels and<br />
grouping of key components.<br />
Compact and versatile: The Simba S7 D can be used for long hole drilling,<br />
production drilling and drilling for cable bolt holes, while its compact dimensions<br />
make it ideal for smaller drifts.<br />
21
MASTERS<br />
of the art<br />
Unique training programme will<br />
turn rig operators into Drill Masters<br />
Superior productivity in mining and construction operations depends on many<br />
different parameters. Now the most important parameter of all – the skill of<br />
the drill rig operator – is about to be developed into a global standard.<br />
The skill of the drill rig operator is<br />
a key factor in the battle to maximize<br />
productivity and reduce cost.<br />
Now a new training programme has been<br />
launched that will enable the world’s operators<br />
to perform as ‘masters’.<br />
Called Drill Master and recently introduced<br />
by <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>, the programme<br />
offers three levels of proficiency –<br />
bronze, silver and gold – with the aim to<br />
enable drillers to achieve optimum performance<br />
and maximum productivity<br />
when using <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> equipment.<br />
“This is something our customers<br />
have been waiting for, for some time,”<br />
says Patrik Rylander, leader of the team<br />
behind the programme. “We are proud to<br />
be able to offer such a comprehensive<br />
and modern training programme that<br />
covers all of the skills required to master<br />
our equipment.<br />
“But that’s not all. The skills that the<br />
trainees acquire through this programme<br />
will be recognized around the world,<br />
which means it will be easier for them<br />
to relocate to any country where <strong>Atlas</strong><br />
<strong>Copco</strong> equipment is being used.”<br />
Rylander emphasizes that by enabling<br />
operators to perform at the best of their<br />
ability, employers will find it easier to<br />
achieve their goal of “maximum productivity<br />
at lower cost.”<br />
The programme currently consists of<br />
training in three levels for face drilling<br />
and for surface drilling with SmartRig.<br />
Production drilling will be added to the<br />
programme at a later date.<br />
Influence on productivity<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> is convinced that, irrespective<br />
of whether an operator is “a rookie”<br />
or an experienced driller, the Drill Master<br />
programme will increase their possibility<br />
to have a direct influence on productivity<br />
and cost levels for their companies.<br />
Says Rylander: “It’s all about giving<br />
our customers the possibility to gain,<br />
maintain and increase the skills they need<br />
to succeed under today’s tough conditions<br />
where high productivity is vital and every<br />
second counts.”<br />
22
Going for Gold: A drill rig simulator is used at the Silver level and<br />
trainees going for Gold are required to repeat what they have learned in<br />
the simulator under real-life conditions at a work site.<br />
Different companies have<br />
different requirements and<br />
the Drill Master programme<br />
is easily adapted to individual<br />
needs. For example, a drilling<br />
contractor may require all of<br />
its operators to achieve the<br />
Bronze level but only its high<br />
potential operators to achieve<br />
the Silver and Gold. Others<br />
may want their operators to<br />
achieve all three levels, which<br />
is particularly interesting for<br />
companies that may be hesitant<br />
about switching to fully<br />
computerized rigs.<br />
Some companies may<br />
even wish to make the programme<br />
mandatory in order<br />
to reduce the risk of damage<br />
caused to equipment through<br />
misuse. Less damage results<br />
in higher productivity, increased<br />
safety and lower<br />
parts consumption.<br />
Drill Master provides a<br />
full set of skills from basic<br />
theory of geology and rock<br />
mechanics at the Bronze<br />
level using e-learning techniques.<br />
The Silver level consists<br />
of a step-by step presentation<br />
followed by hands-on simulator training<br />
consisting of scenarios from real-life<br />
drilling conditions and tasks operators<br />
have to face every day. At the Gold level,<br />
trainees are required to repeat the skills<br />
they have acquired at the Silver level under<br />
real-life conditions at a work site.<br />
The Silver and Gold levels are led by<br />
an <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> specialist, ensuring that<br />
the same high quality is maintained irrespective<br />
of where in the world the courses<br />
are held. When the Gold level has<br />
been successfully completed, the operator<br />
qualifies as a Drill Master.<br />
Experience in Spain<br />
One country which has considerable experience<br />
of training drill rig operators is<br />
Spain. Alfonso Gonzalez, Service Supervisor<br />
and Training Co-ordinator at <strong>Atlas</strong><br />
<strong>Copco</strong> in Madrid says: “There has always<br />
been interaction between us and<br />
our customers in the training of their<br />
operator s, but in 2005 we took a big step<br />
forward when we introduced a Boomer<br />
simulator.<br />
“Since then, our customers definitely<br />
realized the benefits of improving the<br />
skill of their operators, both to improve<br />
safety and to keep up their productivity<br />
performance.<br />
“Almost 300 operators have been<br />
trained here over the last four years,<br />
sharing experiences, performing navigation<br />
and drilling exercises in the simulator<br />
in combination with theoretical classes<br />
including safety, daily checks and<br />
drilling protocols.<br />
“Our latest generation of Boomer and<br />
SmartRig drill rigs have a high level of<br />
computerization and automation and for<br />
that reason I think the Drill Master programme<br />
will be very welcome here. It<br />
will provide all the competence our<br />
Drill Master at a glance<br />
• three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold<br />
• training period: 2 days to 2 weeks<br />
• number of trainees: Bronze level, no limit;<br />
Silver level, up to eight per class; Gold<br />
level, one-on-one training, on-site<br />
• method: e-learning, simulated scenarios<br />
with tasks from real drilling conditions<br />
followe d by on-site training in an actual rig<br />
The goals<br />
Bronze: To understand drilling and excavation<br />
and achieve basic familiarity with the <strong>Atlas</strong><br />
<strong>Copco</strong> rig and rockdrill.<br />
Silver: To convert theoretical understanding<br />
into practical and correct equipment use.<br />
Gold: To reinforce best-practice capability,<br />
and provide the operator with a complete understanding<br />
of their equipment’s capabilities.<br />
For more information, visit www.atlascopco.<br />
com/drillmaster<br />
custome rs need to get the maximum<br />
benefi t from this equipment. It’s the perfect<br />
solution for them and it will be available<br />
very soon.” M&C 3•09<br />
Developing tomorrow’s masters: The Silver and Gold courses are always led by an<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> specialist to obtain uniform training quality, irrespective of where in the<br />
world the courses are held. Here, Sebastian Lee instructs trainees in Sweden.<br />
23
Powerful drilling combination sets<br />
The GOLD<br />
Turkey’s largest gold mine is securing reliable production using the latest<br />
Secoroc hammers and bits combined with <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> surface drilling rigs.<br />
At 157 km 2 , the Kisladag gold mine<br />
in the Usak province of western<br />
Turkey, is the largest gold mine in<br />
the country. It is owned by Tuprag Metal<br />
Madencilik San. Tic. A. (Tuprag), a wholly<br />
owned subsidiary of Eldorado Gold Corp.<br />
Tuprag uses two <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> DM45<br />
rigs equipped with Secoroc COP 64 Gold<br />
DTH hammers for bits with a QL60<br />
shank. In addition, there is an <strong>Atlas</strong><br />
Copc o ROC L6 equipped with a Secoroc<br />
COP 34 DTH hammer for bits with COP<br />
34 shanks for presplitting, or a COP 54<br />
Gold DTH hammer for bits with a QL 50<br />
shank for production.<br />
The result is reliable performance on<br />
the site that has continuously increased<br />
production from 70 895 ounces in 2006<br />
to 109 177 ounces in just the first six<br />
months of 2009.<br />
Kisladag started commercial production<br />
in 2006 with a local mine contractor<br />
and has been developed as a low grade,<br />
bulk tonnage open pit operation using<br />
heap leaching for gold recovery.<br />
In May 2008, the mine began the<br />
transition to a being fully owner-operated<br />
pit. The transition, which included<br />
technical and practical training of operators<br />
and maintenance crew, was completed<br />
in four months and the mine began<br />
using its own fleet exclusively in<br />
October, 2008.<br />
Maintaining productivity<br />
Kisladag has been using <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong><br />
rigs with Secoroc hammers and bits since<br />
the transition began. Penetration rates<br />
are good through the volcanic rock and<br />
Mine Manager, Ahmet Raci Uslu, says<br />
Kisladag Mine Manager Ahmet Raci<br />
Uslu in front of one of two DM45 rigs<br />
that enables his team to surpass<br />
productivity expectations.<br />
24
STANDARD<br />
the rigs and rock drilling tools were<br />
select ed to maintain the high productivity<br />
rates required at the mine.<br />
“The amount of metres we drill is really<br />
important for us to keep up mine<br />
production,” says Uslu. “In June 2009<br />
we drilled nearly 48 000 metres and we<br />
aim to maintain this level of production.<br />
High productivity is one of the reasons<br />
we chose <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>.”<br />
Heavy schedule<br />
The anticipated production capacity at<br />
Kisladag is 1.73 million tonnes a month,<br />
but the current rate of mining is more than<br />
two million tonnes per month. To achieve<br />
this, drilling operations are run for 20 hours<br />
a day; mining operations are 10 hours per<br />
shift and there are 14 shifts per week.<br />
A ROC L6 equipped with its Secoroc<br />
COP 34 DTH hammer averages 45 m per<br />
hour drilling pre-split holes. Hole diameters<br />
are 95 mm and the spacing between<br />
the holes is 1 m. The holes are 22 m deep<br />
and have an inclination of 65–77 degrees.<br />
For production drilling, the ROC L6<br />
with the Secoroc COP 54 Gold hammer<br />
averages 400 m per shift. Each DM45,<br />
equipped with a Secoroc COP 64 Gold<br />
hammer, averages 31–35 m per hour.<br />
The hole diameters are 152–165 mm and<br />
the drilling pattern is 5.5 m x 5.5 m with<br />
vertica l holes. The production drilling<br />
benches are 10 m high with 0.5– 0.8 m of<br />
sub-drilling.<br />
The total drilling capacity for all rigs<br />
is 1 500 –1 700 m per day. Total drill metres<br />
from May to December 2008 were<br />
163 973 m and from January to June in<br />
2009 Kisladag drilled 233 516 m.<br />
Hole quality is checked by measuring<br />
tape before each blast. Kisladag<br />
uses cord, downhole delays and surface<br />
delays for detonators and ANFO and<br />
emulsion ANFO explosives.<br />
While high speed drilling increases the<br />
number of holes completed per day, air<br />
consumption, fuel costs, penetration rates<br />
and bit and hammer life have a major impact<br />
on profitability. The operating life for<br />
the Secoroc DTH hammers with e-kits<br />
is; COP 34 – 9 900 m, COP 54 Gold –<br />
12 853 m, and COP 64 Gold – 27 332 m.<br />
Bit grinding essential<br />
Kisladag uses Secoroc drill bits to<br />
achieve high production rates for extended<br />
intervals. To utilize the full power of<br />
the drill rigs, regular bit grinding is<br />
essenti al. The bit on the COP 34 averages<br />
1 540 m, the bit on the COP 54 hammer,<br />
2 257 m, and the bit on the COP 64<br />
Gold, 3 099 m. However, the economics<br />
of drilling often comes down to balancing<br />
penetration against bit life. A rule of<br />
thumb is that a 10 per cent increase in<br />
penetration rate results in a reduction of<br />
20 per cent in bit life.<br />
To extend the life of its bits and maximize<br />
the number of drilled metres per<br />
bit, Kisladag uses a Secoroc Grind<br />
Mati c grinder, and each bit is reground<br />
The drilling pattern at the Tuprag open<br />
pit with 152–165 mm production holes,<br />
152 mm buffer holes and 95 mm pre-split<br />
holes. The purpose of the pre-split holes<br />
and the row of buffer holes is to ensure<br />
the stability of the final walls of the pit.<br />
A B C C C ……<br />
65–77º<br />
10 m<br />
A = 22 m Pre-split holes<br />
B = 11 m Buffer holes<br />
C = 11 m Production holes<br />
10 m<br />
Pre-split<br />
holes<br />
Buffer<br />
holes<br />
Production<br />
holes<br />
Berm<br />
1 m<br />
4.2 m<br />
5.5 m<br />
2.5 m<br />
4.2 m<br />
5.5 m<br />
4.75 m<br />
10 m<br />
On the bench at Kisladag: <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> drill rigs and Secoroc<br />
hammers provide high productivity drilling of pre-split, buffer and<br />
production holes (pictured: the ROC L6).<br />
25
pR<br />
DUCTS<br />
pROGReSS<br />
New ROC D3 with remote control<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> has introduced two new<br />
drill rigs with built-in remote radio<br />
control systems, the ROC D3 01 RRC and<br />
the ROC D3 03 RRC. The ROC D3 01<br />
RRC features a rod handling system with a<br />
capacity of up to five 3.66 m rods and can<br />
be equipped with R32, T38 and T45 rods.<br />
The onboard <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> compressor has<br />
a free air delivery capacity of 95 l/s.<br />
The ROC D3 03 RRC features a long<br />
folding boom with optional rod rack for<br />
manual rod adding and an optional rod<br />
adding system to enable the addition of an<br />
extension rod. The rig can be equipped<br />
with R32 and T38 rods. The onboard <strong>Atlas</strong><br />
<strong>Copco</strong> compressor has a free air delivery<br />
capacity of 80 l/s.<br />
Both rigs are powered by Cummins engines<br />
and offer two rock drills, the 12kW<br />
COP 1240 or 16 kW COP 1640.<br />
“The new ROC D3 RCC rigs not only<br />
enhance drilling performance and productivity,<br />
but also create a safer working environment<br />
in harsher, less stable terrain,” says<br />
Hakan Aytekin, Product Manager at <strong>Atlas</strong><br />
<strong>Copco</strong>.” That’s where you most often rely<br />
on these rigs to perform.” M&C 3•09<br />
ROC T35M a ‘contractor’s dream’<br />
Good performer: Inspecting the wear<br />
on the Secoroc QL60 drill bit.<br />
two or three times. The efficient<br />
grinders extend the service life of<br />
the bits, which also results in less<br />
wear and tear on each rig’s drillstring.<br />
The availability of consumables,<br />
parts and the durability of the equipment<br />
also played a role in Ahmet<br />
Raci’s Uslu’s decision to use <strong>Atlas</strong><br />
<strong>Copco</strong> at Kisladag. “We have our<br />
own maintenance shop and crew. We<br />
get good maintenance support from<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> Turkey and a good supply<br />
of parts and consumables – that<br />
makes life easy for us,” he says.<br />
Since the first year of commercial<br />
production (July 2006), Kislada g<br />
has surpassed productivity expectations.<br />
Initially, plans were to increase<br />
production in year four, but<br />
Tuprag was able to move forward<br />
with expansion in year two.<br />
And the trend continues. Tuprag’s<br />
parent company, Eldorado Gold,<br />
recentl y completed a review of the<br />
Kisladag mine. The study identified<br />
opportunities to effectively increase<br />
annual production by 30–40 percent,<br />
while decreasing unit operating costs<br />
by approximately 15 percent – all of<br />
which is expected to be achieved using<br />
Tuprag’s existing fleet.<br />
For Ahmet Raci Uslu, the relationship<br />
with <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> and the<br />
reliability of the equipment will<br />
continue to contribute to the production<br />
capability of Kisladag. And<br />
with Secoroc equipment offering<br />
the lowest cost per metre in the industry,<br />
taking all costs into consideration,<br />
his fleet will also make a<br />
major contribution to the mine’s<br />
profitability. M&C 3•09<br />
26<br />
Living the dream: ROC T35M in action.<br />
he new ROC T35M for quarrying and<br />
T construction drilling in the 64–102 mm<br />
hole range, is another surface rig that is<br />
expected to quickly become a favourite<br />
choice for contractors. A highly robust rig,<br />
ROC T35M uses the well-proven 18kW<br />
COP 1840 rock drill, giving more drilling<br />
power for less energy input, resulting in<br />
lower fuel consumption.<br />
As Bo-Göran Johansson, Vice President,<br />
Marketing at <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>, says:<br />
“Every contractor dreams of higher penetration<br />
rates, straighter holes and better<br />
accessor y life. The ROC T35M employs a<br />
cylinder-driven aluminum feed system<br />
that fulfills this dream by providing optimal<br />
penetration rates and drill steel life.<br />
“Its rod handling system using T38 and<br />
T45 rods, has a streamlined number of<br />
parts ensuring easy adjustment and maintenance,<br />
and the aluminum feed is sturdy<br />
and highly resistant to bending.”<br />
The hydraulic control system, COP<br />
Logic, adjusts the feed speed, feed pressure<br />
and impact pressure in real time,<br />
accord ing to the rock conditions. And continuous<br />
feeding by use of cylinder and<br />
rope, results in constant bit-to-rock contact<br />
and leads to optimum transfer of the<br />
impact power.<br />
In addition, the ROC T35M is built of<br />
modules and parts that are common to<br />
Atla s <strong>Copco</strong>’s surface crawlers. This makes<br />
training easy and reduces parts stocking<br />
requirements for contractors with different<br />
<strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> rig models.<br />
Maintenance is simplified thanks to<br />
all-around access to service points and<br />
good hose management. Together with<br />
ROC Care and COP Care service agreements,<br />
this means fewer breakdowns,<br />
increased availability and lower service<br />
costs. M&C 3•09
Grand opening<br />
It’s open! Nicolás Castenada, Secretary of Economic Development for Zacatecas, cuts<br />
the ribbon. From left, Victor Tapia, Robert Fassl, Horacio Mejia and Oscar Duprix.<br />
MEXICO. <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> has officially opened<br />
its new Distribution and Service Centre in<br />
Calera, Zacatec as. More than 200 guests,<br />
including officials from the Mexican government<br />
represented by Nicolas Castaneda,<br />
Secretary of Economic Development<br />
for Zacatec as and Horacio Mejia, President<br />
of the Municipality of Calera. They<br />
were joined by Robert Fassl, President of<br />
Atla s <strong>Copco</strong> Drilling Solutions, Oscar<br />
Duprix, Atla s <strong>Copco</strong>’s Regional Chairman<br />
for Latin America and other executives.<br />
Many of the local mines were also represented<br />
including Gold Corp., Fresnillo<br />
PLC, Peñoles, Grupo Mexico, Grupo<br />
FRISC O, Madisa, CAUSA, and Aispell.<br />
For these companies, the new facility offers<br />
faster response times for parts and<br />
service from the city of Zacatecas.<br />
Victor Tapia, General Manager, <strong>Atlas</strong><br />
<strong>Copco</strong> CMT Mexico, said: “This facility<br />
is a symbol of our continued commitment<br />
to the region’s mining industry. Having<br />
centrally located parts and service support<br />
for Mexico and Central America will help<br />
to make our customers’ businesses more<br />
efficient and productive.” M&C 3•09<br />
DM45 exceeding expectations<br />
MONGOLIA. <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> DM45 drill rigs<br />
supplied to SGS (South Gobi Sands), a<br />
Canadian-operated coal mine in Southern<br />
Mongolia, are producing impressive results.<br />
Since commissioning, the rigs have<br />
been operating 24 hours a day, seven days a<br />
week with an average availability of 98%.<br />
The first DM45 LP was delivered in April<br />
2008 and the excellent performance of this<br />
rig and the on-site service personnel led to<br />
the order of the second rig, delivered in<br />
June 2009. As a result of this performance,<br />
Denis Lehoux, Operations Director and<br />
Vice President of SGE, presented <strong>Atlas</strong><br />
<strong>Copco</strong> Mongolia with a 2008 Supplier<br />
Appreciation Award.<br />
High performance: The DM45 rigs work<br />
round-the-clock at South Gobi Sands.<br />
Taking good CARE of productivity<br />
World. Scheduled service, detailed inspection<br />
protocols and extended warranties are the key<br />
elements of <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong>’s new Care agreements<br />
for the preventive maintenance of underground<br />
equipment.<br />
Scoop Care covers Scooptram loaders and Minetruck<br />
trucks while Rig Care covers the face drilling<br />
rigs and COP Care takes care of the rock drills.<br />
All three agreements feature:<br />
• scheduled service and inspection at regular<br />
intervals<br />
• inspection protocols ensuring that the equipment<br />
has been properly serviced<br />
• fixed cost, spread over the duration of the con<br />
tract, with monthly invoicing<br />
Scoop Care protects everything that is essential to<br />
loading, tramming and hauling and also extends the<br />
warranty up to two years or 5 000 hours of operation.<br />
Rig Care & COP Care are backed by extended warranties<br />
of three years or 3 000 impact hours. With<br />
COP Care, the rock drill is overhauled every 400<br />
impact hours. A replacement is provided while the<br />
mine’s rock drill is being overhauled.<br />
OUT NOW! <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> has published a new reference<br />
book, Blasthole Drilling in Open Pit Mining. The<br />
204-page book presents 11 technical articles, nine<br />
case studies and useful<br />
product specifications.<br />
The book will be<br />
availabl e through <strong>Atlas</strong><br />
<strong>Copco</strong> customer centres<br />
and dis tributors.<br />
INSIDE JOB: Customers<br />
who are interested<br />
in the new COP<br />
3060MUX rock drill,<br />
launched by <strong>Atlas</strong><br />
<strong>Copco</strong> earlier this<br />
year, can now get a<br />
good look at how it<br />
works – from the inside. A new, interactive website<br />
offers a 3D, cutaway animation which gives visitors<br />
the possibility to see the mechanism in action.<br />
The COP 3060MUX is designed to increase performance<br />
and efficiency in long-hole drilling applications.<br />
It addition to benefits such as increased power<br />
efficiency, it enables service intervals to be extended<br />
to up to 600 hours.<br />
See the COP 3060MUX in action at:<br />
www.atlascopco.com/cop3060mux<br />
Visit M&C at www.miningandconstruction.com<br />
GOLDEN ROLL-OUT: <strong>Atlas</strong> <strong>Copco</strong> Secoroc has<br />
launched COP 44 Gold – a new down-the-hole hammer<br />
that completes the family of Secoroc hammers.<br />
COP 44 Gold is designed for production drilling<br />
and offers blast holes from 110 mm up to 130 mm<br />
(4 5/6" – 5 1/8").<br />
The hammer is maintenance free, has a 10 –15 percent<br />
longer service life than other equivalent hammers<br />
and can be re-built up to three times using the Gold E-<br />
kit, consisting of a casing, chuck and backhead.<br />
In addition, high pressure rigs can get the full benefit<br />
of drilling with Secoroc COP 44 Gold thanks to its<br />
35 bar rating.<br />
27
We know that you can<br />
No matter if you’re the world’s largest or smallest mining<br />
company, a veteran or a newcomer; we have the tools to<br />
help you develop your business. To make it easy for you<br />
we’ve gathered it all in one place.<br />
Start your development right away at atlascopco.com/rock<br />
Committed to your superior productivity.<br />
www.atlascopco.com/rock<br />
9853 8002 01