Engineering and Mining Journal - Whether the market is copper, gold, nickel, iron ore, lead/zinc, PGM, diamonds or other commodities, E&MJ takes the lead in projecting trends, following development and reporting on the most efficient operating pr
Issue link: https://emj.epubxp.com/i/271090
duty boom and capable of carrying a range of drill options to suit individual customers' requirements. For tramming, the machine is pow- ered by a 55-kW (78-hp) Deutz engine, certificated to meet Tier 3/Stage IIIA emission requirements, while drilling power is electro-hydraulic. It carries a cable reel sufficient to hold up to 200 m (219 yd) of power cable, depending on the power requirements of the drill used and the voltage supplied. With a length of less than 10 m (33 ft) including the boom, and just 1.3 m wide, 40° articulation means that the machine can maneuver around a 3-m inside-radius turn. Its face cover- age is up to 4.9 m high by 4.75 m wide, with the capability of drilling down to 1.6 m below floor level—giving a maximum 23 m 2 area coverage. For rockbolting, Atlas Copco offers its Boltec S, a fully mechanized rig for 1.5- to 2.4-m bolt lengths that has an effective roof height of up to 7.5 m (24 ft. 6 in.). Tramming power is pro- vided by a similar Deutz engine to that used on the Boomer T1D, with electro- hydraulic bolting functions. The rig's magazine carries 10 bolts, and can handle resin or cement cartridges, as well as Splitset or Swellex bolts. The rig's control system incorporates both drilling and bolting in a single, color-display operating panel, and can be upgraded to a higher degree of automation, Atlas Copco said. The oper- ator can view all of the information and settings needed on the display, includ- ing parameters such as pressure gauges and the hole depth, using a USB card to transfer data and store optimal drill set- tings. The control panel also includes a diagnostic system. The company's Simba S7D, de- signed for production drilling in narrow- vein applications, has a similar carrier vehicle to the other rigs, but is equipped with a single-boom long-hole drilling module. Using a hydraulic top-hammer COP-1800 series drill with a 10-plus- one-rod carousel, the unit can handle hole depths of up to 20 m (66 ft.) using R32, TC35, T38 or T45 rods to drill holes in the range of 51 mm to 76 mm (2-3 in.). Each of the drill rigs mentioned here come with a FOPS-compliant, telescopic operator-protection canopy as standard, with the option of a fully enclosed cab. When it comes to loading and haul- ing, Atlas Copco's Scooptram ST7 may not be as small as some of the other machines available, but at just 2.1 m wide is still small enough to fit into tight headings. With a standard 3.1 m 3 (4 yd 3 ) bucket, it can carry up to 6.8 mt. The ST7 is powered by a 144-kW (193-hp) Cummins Tier 3-compliant engine requiring a ventilation rate of 241 m 3 /minute and giving a fuel con- sumption of 37 liter/hour at full load. Atlas Copco claims that the machine has the best operator visibility in its class because of its low back end, while the operator has increased legroom in the cabin's footbox. Control is through ergonomic multi-function joysticks. A Boomer T1D development rig and a Simba S7D are currently working at Norton Gold Fields' Paddington mine, near Kalgoorlie in Western Australia, Atlas Copco said. The underground resource is held in three vertical or near- vertical basalt-hosted veins that can grade up to 32 g/mt gold. Currently working at a depth of around 450 m, the mine has the potential for further resources at depth, according to Norton. Stoping involves the Simba S7D long-hole drill, which can drill up to 20-m-deep holes using 1.8 m rods. Its COP 1838 rock drill handles hole diam- eters of 55-89 mm, with Atlas Copco stating that the rig's drilling accuracy allows the precise shape of the vein to be isolated from the surrounding waste, thereby minimizing dilution. Mini-machines from France From its headquarters in the south of France, Aramine not only offers rebuild services for underground drilling, haul- ing and utility equipment, but also sup- plies its own range of machines that are specifically aimed at the narrow-vein market. In addition to the L130D miniLoader, featured on p. 36 of this issue, Aramine's product portfolio in- cludes the D130D miniDriller, the L110E and L130E miniLoaders, and the L150D miniLoader. It also produces the S150D, a mini-scaler version, equipped with a boom-mounted hy- draulic hammer. The miniDriller is, in fact, a kit that can be mounted on an L130 LHD in place of the bucket. Both diesel and electric-powered versions are available, corresponding to the equivalent LHD carriers. With a width of just 1,040 mm (or 1,205 mm with rim extenders), the unit provides face coverage of 1.4 m wide by up to 2.8 m high from one set- up, or a maximum of 3.4 m x 3.3 m by moving the machine during the drilling cycle. It can drill holes up to 2.2 m deep at 32- to 45-mm diameter. The company's smallest LHD, the L110E, is just 880 mm (2 ft. 11 in.) 30 E&MJ; • MARCH 2014 www.e-mj.com N A R R O W V E I N M I N I N G Atlas Copco's Simba S7D, designed for production drilling in narrow-vein applications, is equipped with a single- boom long-hole drilling module. EMJ_pg28-37_EMJ_pg28-37 2/28/14 3:10 PM Page 30