Sandvik continues to grow its battery electric equipment offering. The new fully automated Sandvik DL422iE top hammer longhole drill is equipped with an electric driveline system to eliminate diesel emissions while tramming, increasing productivity while reducing environmental impact and fostering a healthier work environment.
The zero-emission Sandvik DL422iE joins the Sandvik DD422iE as the company’s second battery-driven underground drill. Sandvik expects to offer a full range of battery tramming rigs covering all underground drilling applications by the end of 2021.
The new Sandvik DL422iE is designed for underground mass mining in 4m² or larger production drifts. It features the latest intelligent technology to enable continuous and unmanned operation, with automation and teleremote for drilling during shift changes and breaks. Through these and other features, combined with comprehensive data collection and transfer through wireless networks, the Sandvik DL422iE helps to ensure improved equipment utilisation and productivity.
Improved drilling performance
The Sandvik DL422iE is capable of drilling vertical and inclined fans and single or parallel Ø 89-127mm longholes up to 54m in depth, using ST58 and ST68 tube rods. It is equipped with the powerful 33kW HF1560ST longhole rock drill, which is based on a proven concept in terms of drilling capacity, reliability and operating cost. With an impact frequency of 40-45Hz and optimised percussion dynamics for ST68 tubes, the Sandvik DL422iE delivers optimal bit-to-rock contact for improved energy transfer. This leads to decreased stress level in rock tools, lower coupling/front housing temperatures and extended service life for the shank adaptor and tube.
Extensive automation features
As standard, the Sandvik DL422iE is equipped with Sandvik’s Platinum drilling automation package for continuous and automated production drilling. This is combined with the i-Class iSOLO drilling control system to maximise productivity and enhance accuracy in drilling fans and parallel longholes. It acts as a full-time stinger control and is used in uploading drill plans to the control system, with drill plan management direct at the user interface to ensure one-hole automation drilling to a predefined depth. Feed and boom positioning to the next hole are automatic, while data is transferred via a WLAN ethernet connection.
In addition to the standard Platinum package, the Sandvik DL422iE can be equipped with an optional automatic bit changer, enabling autonomous drilling of complete fans and working through shift changes. As well as being equipped with MySandvik remote monitoring, units can be integrated with AutoMine® and OptiMine®, providing multi-unit control and fan-to-fan remote tramming.
Emission-free carrier and tramming
As the industry’s focus on sustainability increases, Sandvik’s latest drilling solutions specifically address the challenge of providing enhanced operational drilling performance combined with reduced emissions. The Sandvik DL422iE is mounted on a C400E four-wheel drive frame-steered carrier, equipped with an electric driveline system (battery package and electric motor) for zero diesel emissions and reduced operating costs. The batteries can be charged during drilling (a newly patented feature), while electric power can be drawn from the electrical supply system from the mine’s network.
The Sandvik DL422iE helps mines reduce overall emissions, ventilation and fuel costs and create a healthier working environment. Thanks to shorter cycle times and increased drilling capacity, the drill has the potential to help mines increase drilled metres per shift by up to 10%. Productivity can increase by up to 20% via improved equipment utilisation.
Hole accuracy and versatility in production drilling and air-mist flushing
The Sandvik DL422iE is equipped with the ZR35 telescopic boom and horseshoe type boom support with telescopic jacks for maximum drilling stability, the most effective foundation for accurate longhole drilling in mass mining. The wide 3,000mm total boom offset and 620mm telescopic extension allows a pivot line height of 2,100mm, which is typical for a wide range of mining methods. The 360º feed rollover, large boom tilt and swing angles ensure fan drilling versatility in 4m² or larger cross sections. To ensure maximum accuracy in alignment, the boom is fully equipped with electronic parallelism. An optional extended boom support allows for up to +/-45° feed tilt in drilling fans or longholes, increasing versatility in downhole drilling in stopes at the end of the orebody, in drilling longholes in the ore/waste contact and in slot raise drilling.
Net penetration rates with air-mist flushing are up to 15% higher on the Sandvik DL422iE when compared to water flushing. The drill rig can be equipped with a CT80 onboard screw compressor (8m³/min at 7bar), which ensures efficient flushing and high net penetration rates. The use of the onboard air supply is a cost-effective alternative to mine air infrastructure or portable units.