RC hammeR deliveRs

MECHANIZED ROCK EXCAVATION WITH ATLAS COPCO
No 3 2009
RC hammeR deliveRs
gRade ContRol
finanCing
foRthe futuRe
ikea stoRes go
geotheRmal
CReating the
masteR dRilleR
MINING &
CONSTRUCTION
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2
A
s I write this, one year has passed since the collapse of investment
banking firm Lehman Brothers, which sent a shock wave around
the world followed by financial panic and distress. The date was
Septembe­r 15, 2008 – a day that many of us will refer to as the start of
the worst recessi­­on in modern history. Since then, it seems that every
time we open a newspaper, visit a website or turn on the TV we are
confronted by more bad news about the world economy. It’s almost as
if we have come to expect it, along with our morning coffee.
Well, here’s some good news. Even though many of our customers
still face some of their toughest challenges, they will be pleased to
know that Atlas Copco is on their side and is ready and willing to lend
a helping hand. In a downturn, and especially one as serious as this, we
all know how hard it can be to keep costs down while at the same time
invest in the future. Suitable financing can be difficult to obtain, even
at the best of times, and that’s when we can offer our support.
Atlas Copco Customer Finance, our in-house finance organization
for Atlas Copco customers, is able to provide alternative financing to
make it easier for mining and construction companies to get the equipment they need, when they need it. And with the strength of the worldwide Atlas Copco Group behind us, we can offer long term support and
financing solutions designed to meet our customers’ individual needs.
We know the realities of the mining and construction business and
we have a great appreciation for what our customers are trying to
achieve. By helping them to finance their equipment needs, we also
enable them to benefit from the superior productivity that our products
provide. In other words, we invest in our customers’ future success.
However, it is important to understand that we are not a bank. Our
mission, pure and simple, is to support our customers with financing
alternatives in connection with the acquisition of Atlas Copco products, if they feel they need our assistance. It’s all about working together to find the best possible solution that allows our customers to
acquire the technology they need to stay competitive.
Over the years, we have assisted countless customers to secure the
equipment they require through a variety of tailor-made financing
agreements – Rudnik of Serbia, IESA of Peru, Coeur Mexicana of
Mexico, Barminco of Australia and Navarrete Servicios Mineros of
Chile – to mention just a few.
On page 10 you can read about how we are working closely with
Barminco to ensure that they get the equipment they need, now and in
the future, both at home and abroad. And on page 16 we show how
Navarrete Servicios Mineros has grown to become a leading specialist
in its field. Naturally, like everyone else, I look forward to the day
when business gets back to more favoura­
ble levels. But our long term commitment
to our customers will remain the same. We
will continue to do our utmost to support
their needs for equipment and to offer our
financing assistance whatever the eco­­
nomic climate.
Peter Ahlstedt
General Manager
Atlas Copco Customer Finance
MINING &
CONSTRUCTION
MINING & CONSTRUCTION
is pub­lished by Atlas Copco.
The magazine fo­cus­es on the
company’s know-how, prod­
ucts and meth­ods used for
drill­ing, bor­ing, rock re­in­force­
ment and load­ing world­wide.
22
Published by
Atlas Copco Rock Drills AB,
SE-701 91 Örebro,
Sweden
www.atlascopco.com
Telephone
+46 (0)19 670 70 00
Publisher
Ulf Linder
e-mail: [email protected]
INSIDE
Managing Editor
Terry Greenwood
e-mail: [email protected]
Sub-Editor
Rob Naylor
e-mail: [email protected]
Editorial Advisory Board
Ulf Linder, Mathias Lewén,
P-G Larén, Gunnar Nord,
Hanna Hall, Sandra Lagerqvist
Editorial Production,
Design & Layout
Greenwood Communications AB,
Box 49021, SE-100 28 Stockholm,
Swe­den
Telephone
+46 (0)8 411 85 11
Internet
www.greenwood.se
Printed by
Alloffset AB,
Stockholm, Sweden 2009
ISSN 0284-8201
Safety first
Atlas Copco is committed to comply with
or exceed all global or local safety rules
and regulations for personal safety.
Some photographs in this magazine may,
however, show circumstances that are beyond our control. All users of Atlas Copco
equipment are urged to think safety first
and always use proper ear, eye, head and
other protection as required to minimize
the risk of personal injury.
Free reproduction of articles
All product names such as Boomer, Boltec,
ROC, ­Pit Viper, DRILLCare, SmartRig and
Swellex are registered Atlas Copco trademarks. However, all material in this publication, including the product names, may be
reproduced or ­referred to free of charge. For
artwork or additional information please
contact Atlas Copco.
24
15
No 3 2009
PAGE 4m&C travels to Mexico and the mines of Chihuahua and Zacatecas to see how
modern mining equipment is boosting productivity above and below ground.
PAGE 10at the best of times securing the financing needed to keep up with technological development isn’t easy. In hard times, it can be impossible. Barminco of
Australia is one company that found a solution.
PAGE 10ConstRuCtion foRges ahead at the Boyabat dam in northern Turkey where
contractor Dogus is using a fleet of Atlas Copco crawler rigs for all of the surface
drilling work.
PAGE 15eneRgy-saving projects are under way to provide IKEA facilities around the
world with geothermal wells for heating and cooling. In Finland, it was the perfect job for Atlas Copco’s Symmetrix overburden drilling system.
PAGE 16m&C Pays tRibute to a drilling and blasting contractor that has become a
leading specialist in pre-split drilling in Chile.
PAGE 18TEchnically speaking Dustin Penn explains how RCS technology can be
used for automated blasthole drilling in open pit mining.
PAGE 20sand and gRavel are typical types of unconsolidated soil that give construction engineers a major headache – unless they have T111 micropiles on hand.
PAGE 22
neW yeaR’s Resolution Atlas Copco will greet customers with a new global
training programme that enables drillers to become masters of their art.
PAGE 24
PRoduCtive Combination How the latest drilling technology and Atlas
Copco surface rigs are securing production at Turkey’s largest gold mine.
DE P A R TMENTS
C OVE R
PAGE 26
Products & progress
PAGE 27MARKETPLACE
Examining cuttings
samples obtained
with reverse circulation drilling at the
Palmarejo mine,
Mexico.
3
CO
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FO
CUS ON M
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Pit Viper fleet excels as
peÑasquito po
In just 14 months the site of the Goldcorp Peñasquito Mine in the state of
Zacatec­as, Mexico, has been transformed from a flat, open valley into a mine
producing more than 500 000 tonnes of rock each day. Its choice of equipment
and service support has proven to be the perfect fit.
P
eñasquito is Mexico’s largest openpi­­t mine and comprises the Penasco
and Chile Colorado/Azul deposits
that contain gold, silver, lead and zinc.
At an elevation of 1 900 m above sea
level, the surface of the site is made up of
approximately 30 metres of alluvium.
The virtually flat topography has helped
the mine carry out its development plan
that includes moving large amounts of
rock. “I’m used to mining in mountains
so this is easy mining by comparison,”
says Mine Manager Tim Collins.
The company reports that annual production over the life of the mine (estimated to be 22 years) is expected to ramp
up to approximately 500 000 ounces of
gold, 30 million ounces of silver and
more than 400 million pounds of zinc.
The Peñasquito project is considered
a total community improvement programme that includes educating future
generations by building schools.
4
When looking for potential employees in the surrounding area, Peñasquito
found that most of the local inhabitants
had no mining experience or even a driver’s license. Today, however, 70 percent
of Peñasquito’s truck drivers are local
women, many of whom had never driven
before, and now work at the mine as a
result of Goldcorp’s investment.
In addition, operating millions of dollars of earth moving equipment required
an intensive training programme before
the workers entered daily production.
Powerful fleet
From the outset, it was the mine management’s vision to achieve a high level of
production, but first it was necessary to
find the right combination of equipment
and support for the project.
To drill and blast half a million tonnes
of rock every day, the mine needed a special drilling fleet and rig management
programme. The mine uses only Atlas
Copco drill rigs which include eight Pit
Viper 351 blast hole drill rigs plus a DML
and an ECM 590 for specialized tasks.
Production hole size is 311 mm (12 ¼
inches) for the 15 m (49 ft) bench height.
Different types of Atlas Copco Secoroc
Epsilon tricone bits are also used, depending on ground conditions. The entire drill string, including the pipe, stabilizers, bushings and subs are supplied by
Atlas Copco Thiessen.
Learning to operate the rig also
require­d extensive training, but it takes
time to learn the ‘feel’ of the ground. To
speed up this process, Peñasquito chose
rigs with Atlas Copco’s Rig Control
Syste­m (RCS), which simplifies the
drilling functionality for the operator.
They have it all
“These drills have it all,” says Mine
Manager Collins. “The operator only
needs to move it and level it and the rig
drills its own hole.” Collins adds that
he does have four experienced drillers
who like to drill manually and they can
match the auto-drilling performance.
“There are times when the bit can take
more down pressure and less rotation; a
wers up
Powerful fleet: Five of the eight
Atlas Copco Pit Viper 351 blast hole rigs
lined up in the Peñasquito open pit.
ming, with several high-tech options
such as GPS hole navigation (for more
informatio­n, see Technically Speaking,
page 18).
Mine Manager Tim Collins: “Technolog­y
is the future. The operator only needs to
move it and level it and the rig drills its
own hole.”
skilled operator can feel that,” said
Collin­s.
The Rig Control System (RCS),
integrate­s common drilling functions
such as collaring a hole with low pressure air and down pressure, applying just
the right amount of water and anti-jam-
Ensures efficiency
RCS ensures efficient drilling, but many
features are also for the safety of the
miners and equipment. These include
jack and tram interlocks which ensure
that the rig and tooling are secure before
a rig can move.
The mine has installed a complex dispatch system that integrates with the GPS
on each haul truck, shovel, drill rig and
every other piece of mining equipment.
The entire operation is monitored from a
control room where two dispatchers and a
maintenance person watch and direct the
activity in the mine.
All data is recorded and is retrievable
by those in the mine who need constant
equipment information. However, the
operation can also be monitored in real
time through a web-browser interface
anywhere in the world.
Technology is the future
“Technology is the future of mining,”
continues Collins. “If you’re monitoring
maintenance and operational data to this
level, decisions are made when they need
to be made. Mining is more efficient toda­y
than it once was – technology has a lot to
do with that – and safety can only move
forward at the same time.”
When searching for the right equipment, Alan Hernandez, Project Engineer,
Technical Services, and Tim Collins,
spent seven months travelling around the
world trying to decide which products
would fit the programme. “There were
some hard decisions, but for drill rigs it
was always Atlas Copco,” said Hernande­z.
More time was spent debating which
Atla­s Copco drill models would best fit
the plan.
“We looked at feasibility studies,
calculation­s, pit design, tonnage – every
scenario that would determine what would
work best,” says Collins. “For most equipment it was a matter of elimination. The
choice consistently came down to service
and support, but with Atlas Copco there
was no debate.
“As far as drilling goes, everything
here comes from Atlas Copco,” he adds,
complimenting the speed and penetration
rate of the Pit Viper 351. “The 351 will
drill fifty holes per twelve-hour shift.”
5
CO
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FO
Solid platform: The
Atlas Copco Robbins
34RH C QRS raiseborer stabilizes itself
between the floor and
roof of the drift before
conventional raiseboring or downreaming.
CUS ON M
E
Making the most of bits: Xavier
Garcia, Key Account Manager,
Atlas Copco, trains operators on
the correct use of the eH64OA
Secoroc Epsilon Tricone bits.
raISES
How the world’s largest underground
silver mine uses raiseboring to boost
efficiency in mine development.
Drilling and blasting half a million tonnes of rock every day: The Atlas Copco
Pit Viper 351 drill rigs in operation at Penasquito.
The fleet at Peñasquito drills an
averag­e of 2 300 to 2 500 holes per
week. To keep ahead of the crushers,
about 15 million tonnes of inventory
are kept in the pit. “I like to keep at least
a month ahead,” says Collins. This
inventor­y allows time to support the
drills. “The maintenance plan includes
having two or three rigs serviced for
preventative maintenance. That takes
care of normal wear and tear. I can say
the Cummins engines in all our drill rigs
are solid, they don’t even burn oil.”
providing training, equipment start-up,
commissioning and technical support.
To date, the epsilon tricone bit line
has changed from eH53CA to eH61CA, eH62OA and eH64OA, to adjust
to the rock formation. “We are constantly reviewing bit wear and performance. We’ll keep testing bits until
we settle on the one that works the
best,” he says. “A great advantage has
been the use of the TeamAlloy Drill
Pipe from Atlas Copco Thiessen, which
M &C 3•09
seems to last foreve­r.”
Close support
In addition to parts and training,
Xavier Garcia, Atlas Copco’s Key
Account Manager for Goldcorp, personally handles drilling consumables
at the mine. “Twice a month, Xavier
spends nearly a week here analyzing
bits. Sometimes it feels like he practically lives here,” says Collins. Atlas
Copco’s Marcus Pantoja and Octavio
Garcia (Service Manager and Product Specialist) also play a key role,
The Peñasquito mine will have a long
life. As of December 31, 2008, proven and
probable gold reserves totalled 17.4 million
ounces. Silver reserves totalled 1 045.7
million ounces, while lead and zinc stood
at 7.07 million tonnes and 15.36 million
tonnes respectively. Measured and indicated gold resources, inclusive of proven
and probabl­e reserves, increased 39
percen­t to 17.8 million ounces. Measured
and indicated silver resources increased
55 percent to 1.3 billion ounces.
6
T
he Fresnillo Mine in Zacatecas produces ore containing an average of 500
grams of silver per tonne with one vein,
San Alberto, averaging 700 grams per
tonne. The San Carlos vein has been mined
for years, to a current total length of 5 km
and an average of 500 grams per tonne.
Martin Robledo, Mine Superintendent, puts the San Carlos vein into perspective: “When this six-kilometre long
vein appeared at the 200 metre level, it
was five metres wide and continues that
way down to the 600 metre level.”
The mine produces three million ounce­s
of silver per month from 8 000 tonnes of
ore produced each day. Of this, 2 000
tonnes are trucked through the San Alberto
ramp and 2 000 tonnes and 4 000 tonnes
respectively are hoisted via two separate
shafts.
For future growth, the mine is currently in the process of developing a new
shaft consisting of two 3.6 m (12 ft) parallel raises, using a Robbins 73RH C commissioned in early 2009. The drilling of
these raises, each totalling 530 m, has
been extremely accurate. The first raise
had a deviation of just 20 cm and of only
3 cm on the second raise.
Clear view: Monitoring
the raiseborer from the
control station a few metres
from the drilling platform.
Smooth operator: The four-cutter Secoroc
reamer cuts a clean raise between levels.
on the rise
Multiple mining methods are used
and 30 cut-and-fill stopes and 20 longhole stopes are currently active. “From
the time we begin developing a stope
block it takes about a year before it’s in
production,” says Robledo.
The process of developing a long
hole block includes multiple stopes
about 200 m long, one above the other,
up to 30 m. For long hole stopes,
multipl­e levels are mined simultaneously. Multiple stopes will be blasted at
the same time, removing the ore from
the lowest level.
Raising efficiency
Raiseboring is an important part of the
mining cycle in long hole stoping. The
raises are used to create slots which serve
as starting areas for each new stope. In
order to increase the efficiency and speed
of this type of raising in the production
areas, an Atlas Copco Robbins 34RH C
QRS raiseborer was recently added to
the mine’s fleet.
This raiseborer was specially designe­d
to rapidly drill short and small diameter
raises. It is the first raise drill to be designed with the transporter (diesel powered crawler) as an integrated part of the
machine, and a drilling platfrom eliminating the need for a concrete pad.
As of October 2009, the new unit had
completed 15 raises. Of those, 10 were
slots for the long hole production operation and five were ventilation holes. Once
in position, the raisedrill is stabilized
usin­g stinger cylinders prior to drilling.
Easy down-reaming
The 34RH C QRS can bore a raise of 720
mm in diameter, either by down-reaming
a pilot hole or by back reaming a conventional raise to 1.2 m in diameter in
most rock types.
When down-reaming, a pilot hole is
drilled to a lower level. The drill pipe is
then removed and a Secoroc 720 mm
down-reamer with three cutters is
installe­d. The pilot hole is then downreamed with the cuttings falling down
the pilot hole.
When the raise is complete, the pipe
and reamer are pulled back to the raise
drill and removed at the upper level, eliminating the need for operators to remove
or install the bits at the lower level. On
average, the raises are 24 m high but
have gone as far as 30 m.
“When the vein is less than three
metres wide, we use the Atlas Copco
Simba 1254 with the COP 1238 tophammer and two-inch bits,” Robledo
explains. If more than three metres, the
Simba M4C with COP 44 ITH hammer
and a 102 mm (4-inch) bit is used.
The mine also has an Atlas Copco
Simba H252 and a Simba H262 as well
as Diamec U6 exploration rigs.
Robledo says that in the six months
since the 34 RH rig started drilling, it has
made the overall mine plan more productive. “During the drilling of the 15
raises, totalling 450 metres, we have had
no problems,” he says, adding that the
Secoroc cutters will last for an estimated
1 000 m before they have to be replace­d.
Fresnillo is said to produce more silver at a higher grade than any other mine
and the end of its productive life is noM &C 3•09
where in sight.
A Mexican leader
Raiseboring, as a method of driving various
types of shafts, is well established in Mexico
and Atlas Copco is a market leader with some
40 units in operation in the country’s mines.
These raiseborers, called Atlas Copco
Robbins, incorporate the very latest technology for quick-set up and push-button
operatio­n as well as high performance reamers and cutters from Atlas Copco Secoroc.
Fresnillo PLC, which operates three mines,
is a forerunner with six units of various types
on site: a Robbins 73RAC and a 73RH C, two
73RDC and two 34RH C QRS (Quick Raisebore
Set-up).
Since the mid-60s, Atlas Copco has produced some 420 raiseborers for driving shafts
in a wide variety of mines around the world.
7
CO
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CUS ON M
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Palmarejo maxi
The Palmarejo Mine has been developed into a productive gold, silver, coppe­r
and lead operation in just 18 months. M&C finds out how grade control using
reverse circulation drilling is helping to maximize ore recovery.
W
hen Coeur d’Alene Mines started developing the Palmarejo
Mine, it took six to eight hours
to drive to the site from the last community along the road, San Rafael. Today, it
takes just three hours.
Since the mine opened, just 18 months
ago, the site has been transformed from a
steep mountainous ravine into two highly productive open pits plus an underground operation with three portals – and
looks to have a promising future.
Two separate excavation areas are
opening up the mountain from above,
while long-hole stoping is carried out below the mountain’s base.
Mine Manager Kerry Barker explains
the mine’s approach to selecting the
technology and mining methods used at
Palmarejo. “Take the best mining methods and apply them,” he says. “It’s great
Examining the quality of the cuttings
samples, taken every two metres. Atlas
Copco’s Melchor Ramirez (left) and
Palmarejo geologist Arturo Soto.
8
to bring in fresh ideas from other places
and we have great people here who have
no problem with accepting new ideas.”
Atlas Copco equipment is involved in
every aspect of mine development and
exploration. Barker says: “We like having Atlas Copco around here and that
includes the great service.” The open pit
production drilling is done by the Atlas
Copco DM45 high pressure DTH drill
rigs which are highly mobile on the
benches, while Atlas Copco Boomer and
Simba rigs are used for the underground
long-hole stope mining with cement
backfill.
Reverse circulation
Palmarejo uses two Atlas Copco ROC
L8 RC drill rigs to perform reverse circulation drilling (RC) ahead of the open pit
operation. RC drilling involves forcing
air down the centre of a double-wall drill
pipe with the cuttings returning up the
inside of the double pipe. These cuttings
are then sent through a separator that allows samples to be taken at specific drilling depths. The samples are bagged and
sent to a laboratory for analysis.
The Secoroc RC50 reverse circulation hammer used on the ROC L8 rigs
is available in two versions, one for
deep hole exploration and one optimized for in-pit grade control with corresponding bit options. The hammer
features a unique, easy to service collector tube that can be replaced without
disassembling the hammer. The impact
frequency of the RC hammer is up to
34 percent higher than competitor models and gives more rapid drilling.
The open pit operation recovers 3 000
tonnes of ore per day and moves a total
of 1.5 million tonnes of waste per month.
The underground mining operation includes 5.5 km of drift at a 5 x 5 m head-
ing, advancing 30 m or 2 000 tonnes per
day, for a total of 100 000 tonnes per
month. And there are two places for all
this rock to go – the mill or waste pile.
As General Manager Stewart Mathews
points out: “It only takes 20 trucks going
to the wrong place to know that reverse
circulation drilling is worth it.”
Working ahead of the operation by
about three months, the two ROC L8 RC
rigs drill 140 mm holes (5 ½ inches) to
depths of 7, 10 and 18 m. Each rig averages 12 holes per day and the plan is to
complete a total of 600 holes per bench.
RC the way to go
“We use the ROC L8 for horizontal drain
holes too, but the rig is made for RC
drilling,” says Mathews. “In-pit grade
control is the way of the future, I can’t
understand why it isn’t done everywhere.
It’s the only way to go.”
When RC drilling, the Secoroc RC50
hammer drills 18 m penetrating and sampling three bench depths at once. The
holes are drilled on a 10 x 10 m pattern
mizes
quality
as reverse circulation drilling pays off
In the bag: Samples of cuttings from the ROC L 8 and its Secoroc
RC50 reverse circulation hammer, are collected for analysis. The
results help the Palmarejo Mine to optimize its ore recovery.
with the ore zone over-drilled by 30 percent. The holes are drilled at 56 degree
angles and the veins run at a 57 degree
dip. “We are actually drilling two veins,”
says geologist Arturo Soto.
“We have great
people who
have no trouble
accepting new
ideas.”
Kerry Barker,
Mine Manager,
Palmarejo Mine.
The separate veins, named La Blanca
and La Prieta, are a short distance apart,
joining towards the west before separating again. “The hanging wall between
the veins can present economic grade
ore,” adds Soto. Taking samples allows
the mine to assess the quality of the ore
as they drill through it.
For the most part, the RC drilling
presents few problems. The only challenges encountered being some shale
above the ore body and occasional water.
Shale creates some difficulty in drilling,
but hitting water is more problematic for
the drillers.
When water is encountered, the
driller must clean the air holes in the bit
and hammer between holes to ensure
the integrity of the samples. “We have
3D modelling of the mine but sometimes you just can’t be sure, and RC
drilling makes you sure,” says Soto.
The RC drilling is used to measure the
ore body and test the gold, silver, lead and
copper in the ore, but it also has another
important use. “Just yesterday we ran into
two voids when drilling,” points out Soto.
Locating voids as well as soft and unconsolidated rock is an important use of the
ROC rigs in this formation. The voids are
mapped to ensure safe drilling for the
DM45 rigs that will follow.
It takes operator Oswaldo Gaxiola and
assistant Victor Hernandez about 30 minutes to drill and bag each hole. “When I
hit soft rock I have to back off and clean
the hole, then go back in slowly,” said
Gaxiola, who learned to drill just two
months ago and finds the ROC L8 RC
easy to operate. Gaxiola says he likes the
auto-drill functionality on the ROC L8
because it does most of the work and prevents jamming in the hole.
In an average shift, about twelve, 18 m
holes are drilled per rig. Soto points out
that he is more concerned with producing
quality samples than simply fast drilling.
Palmarejo was targeted for a 10-year
life with a yearly production of 110 000
ounces of gold and nine million ounces
of silver. Stewart Mathews is convinced
RC drilling is the best solution for managing the mine development and concludes: “It ends all arguments about
reconciliation. Quality samples are
needed to make quality decisions. RC
drilling for grade control is the only
M &C 3•09
way to go.” The Secoroc
RC50 reverse
circulati­on hammer:
the star performer ensuring quality samples in grade
control operations at Palmajero.
9
FINANCING
FOR THE FUTURE
Barminco of Australia has
the key to funding its equipment needs
Despite the global economic crisis, many mining and construction
compani­es around the world are still able to invest in the future – thanks
to tailor-made financing solutions from Atlas Copco. Mining contractor
Barminco is a typical example.
­
B
arminco is one of Australia’s leading mining contractors with operations at 18 sites across the continent as well as two others overseas. The
company is well known for its productivity performance both above and below
ground – and for its insistence on using
the best technology available.
However, when it was time for the
company to renew its equipment fleet
this year, the tough economic conditions
caused by the global financial crisis
require­d a more creative approach to
satisf­y its financing needs.
With major undertakings in Australia
and a new project about to get under way
in Africa, Barminco needed to increase
its fleet of Atlas Copco equipment. But
instead of seeking funding from tradi10
tional sources – mining financiers, banks
and the like – the company asked Atlas
Copco, a preferred Barminco supplier, to
come up with an attractive solution.
The result is a multi-million dollar credit and commercial hire purchase
facilit­y arranged through Atlas Copco
Customer Finance (ACF), the Atlas
Copc­o Group’s in-house finance com­
pan­y (see box).
Close co-operation
The agreement was completed in February 2009 and immediately paved the way
for the delivery of new MT6020 trucks
and Diamec MCR rigs for deployment in
Australian mines.
Theresa Mlikota, Chief Financial Officer at Barminco, says these special ar-
rangements with Atlas Copco have been
instrumental in enabling the company to
maintain its high quality services to its
customers.
Mlikota, who has more than 20 years’
experience in structured financing, explains the background leading up to Barminco’s decision.
“This funding is
very flexible and
tailor-made to
our needs.”
Theresa Mlikota,
Chief Financial Officer,
Barminco.
“The recent uncertainty in capital
markets has resulted in many financiers
exiting the Australian market,” she says.
“As a result we knew that financing
would be critical to Barminco being able
to continue delivering quality services to
our own customer base.
“Atlas Copco understands the contract mining business and is always keen
to understand Barminco’s requirements.
This sets them apart from traditional
financin­g, which is often reactive. In
additio­n, Atlas Copco’s focus on customer service means we often work together to deliver viable solutions to operate and fund our business.
“In this case, the Atlas Copco custome­r
service team has worked closely with
Barminco to deliver our operational requirements and with our financing team
to effect a sale. The financing offered by
Atlas Copco is not a definitive driver in
our business but it is certainly a key driver
and we are very happy with how it works.”
Flexible and tailor-made
Barminco has been using hire purchase
and lease-styled financing for a long time
as these methods suit its clients and its
own cash flow. So why is the Atlas Copc­o
agreement especially attractive?
“Firstly,” Mlikota says, “this funding
is very flexible, and secondly the terms
are tailor-made to our practical needs
and working realities.”
She continues: “Atlas Copco has
analyzed what we need and when we
need it and has linked the funding to
the life cycle of the equipment and a
performance guarantee. This is very
favourable for both Barminco and
Atlas Copco.
“In supporting us this way, Atlas
Copc­o has shown that it is willing to play
a much stronger role in supporting our
business than a conventional financier
which has been especially useful for us
Barminco – a leader down under
Barminco was established in 1989 and is one of
Australia’s leading hard rock, underground mining contractors. With more than 1 500 employees
and one of the largest fleets of underground mining equipment in Australia, the company aims to
deliver high productivity while minimizing the cost
of production in the mining of nickel, gold, copper,
lead and zinc.
Barminco prides itself on its leading market
position and long-term relationships with many of
the world’s largest mining companies, including
at this time when financing is difficult.”
Atlas Copco has been supporting
Barminco since 2006 and the new agreement clearly further cements the relationship between the two companies.
Rod Herman, Sales Manager, Customer Finance, Pacific and South East Asia,
“This has
definitely added
to the ease of
business.”
Rod Hermann,
Atlas Copco Customer
Finance, Australia.
points out: “This shows that despite the
tough times that have been experienc­ed
over the last 12 months or so, Atlas Copco
is there and is willing to support customers by helping to fund their equipment
acquisitions.
“I believe this has definitely added to
the ‘ease of business’ that Barminco
Barrick Gold, AngloGold Ashanti, MMG, Xstrata
Copper, Vedanta Resources and Rio Tinto.
Using proven methods and modern equipment,
Barminco provides long hole production drilling,
shotcreting, ground support, concrete and crushing, hand held mining, shaft sinking and diamond
drilling.
Barminco’s Australian operations are mainly
located in Western Australia, Queensland and
Tasmania and are managed from its head office
in Perth.
experience­s when they do business with
us. They know that when they talk to us
about their equipment solutions that, in
general, we can support the funding of
M &C 3•09
that equipment.” Atlas Copco
Customer Finance
Atlas Copco Customer Finance (ACF) has
been providing equipment financing to Atlas
Copco customers since 1998 and has concluded numerous transactions in more than
60 countries. Its mission is to help customers
find the most suitable financing solutions to
meet their specific needs in terms of equipment, business requirements and local market conditions. Working through Atlas Copco
sales channels, the company offers a wide
range of tailor-made financing solutions.
Using the market knowledge of the Atlas
Copco Group and by focusing on the Group’s
products and consumables, ACF enables customers to benefit from leasing, supplier credits and various types of project financing.
Power and flexibility: The Minetruck
MT6020 being put though its paces during a demonstration in Sweden for international mining companies.
New kid on the block: This wheel-based
Diamec MCR (Mobile Carrier Rig) has been developed together with Barminco to meet demands for
greater flexibility in underground core drilling.
Previously available only on skids, the rig can move
around in less than a quarter of the time needed
for a skid-based rig. With no need for disassembly
or transport assistance, it helps lead times for mining operations to be further reduced.
11
The big picture: Once complete,
the 195 m high Boyabat dam
will span the Kizilirmak valley
and generate 1.5 billion kWh of
electricity per year.
Proven performance: Dogus selected Atlas Copco ROC D7 drill rigs for the
Boyabat hydropow­er project after the rigs’ impressive performance on an
earlier project.
DRILLING FOR P
The town of Boyabat, northern Turkey is located on the ancient
and famous Silk Road. But it is a more modern construction that is
putting the town on the map today – the Boyabat dam.
T
he town of Boyabat (pop. 25 000)
in northern Turkey, was once an important trading post on the ancient
Silk Road that once brought exotic goods
such as silks, spices and gemstones from
the East to Europe and beyond. These
days, it is still a centre of trade, serving
as a bustling commercial hub for more
than 100 surrounding villages.
But it is not just the sound of traders,
market-goers and troubadours that can
be heard in the Kizilirmak valley today
– the sound of construction work at the
USD 1.2 billion Boyabat dam is also
now a regular feature of daily life.
Construction of the 510 MW Boyabat
dam and hydropower station on the near12
ON THE
by Kizilirmak River, started in 2008 and
is due for completion in 2012. The dam
will be the third on the river and lies
approximate­ly 30 km from Boyabat and
123 km from the Black Sea.
Once finished, it will stand at a height
of 195 m from its foundation and will
have a crest of 262 m spanning the
Kizilirm­ak valley. The dam is ex­pected
to produce 1.5 billion kWh per year for
distribution to cities across the country.
The dam is being constructed by the
Turkish company, Dogus Insaat, and
involv­es drilling a total of 600 000 m
over three years. Of this, 400 000 m will
be drilled in a nearby quarry for concrete
production and 200 000 m will be drilled
in pre-splitting holes. Some 13 million
tonnes of excavated limestone will be
produced from the quarry. A total of
1 000 people are working on the project,
including sub-contractors.
The environmental impact of the
operatio­n is being monitored by the
Ministr­y of the Environment, a safety
team from Dogus Insaat (working to ISO
14001 and 18000 procedures) and the
owner of the project, Boyabat Elektrik
Uretim ve Tic.Ltd.Sti.
Proven performance
The drilling fleet at Boyabat consists of
four Atlas Copco ROC D7 and four ROC
203 rigs. Dogus Insaat had previously
An artist’s impression of the finished dam.
OWER
TURKISH SILK ROAD
used Atlas Copco surface drill rigs on
anothe­r project, a highway construction
job in Morocco, where two ROC D7 rigs
were used. This experience convinced the
company that the same rigs would have
the capacity and performance to cope
with the Boyabat dam project.
Another factor in choosing these rigs
was Atlas Copco’s parts, service and
maintenance capacity which would be
essential given that the Boyabat dam site
is remote – 700 km from Istanbul and
400 km from Ankara.
The rigs drill 89 mm holes for production drilling and 70–76 mm holes for
presplit drilling. Additionally, a sub-contractor is operating two ROC D7-11 rigs
fitted with COP 1840 rock drills and
drilling is carried out 22 hours per day.
The teams work 14 x 11-hour shifts per
week. The blasted rock is removed with
back-hoe excavators, loaded onto trucks
and transferred to the dump site.
For production drilling, a 2.5 x 3 m
drilling pattern is used with an inclination of 4:1, and an inclination of 1.36:1
for presplitting. Bench heights for production drilling vary from 6 –12 m.
Durin­g an average shift, the ROC D7
rigs achieve 300 m per rig per shift for
production drilling and 250 m per rig per
shift for presplitting.
Quarry Operation Manager, Can
Celiksırt says: “We are very satisfied
with the hole quality in such tough terrai­n
– especially in presplitting holes where
we faced big problems because of the inclination of the bench.” Celiksırt designe­d
the software, DelPat v6.0, used to design
the drilling pattern at the site.
Presplit drilling solution
The initial challenge, faced by the drill
rigs and operators was encountered on
the pre-split holes, spaced every 70 cm.
The rock shelf was specified at 40 cm
wide or less, with the 7 m holes drilled at
an inclination of 40 degrees from the
horizontal and it was difficult to place
the rig close enough to the slope (the
shelf was specified at 40 cm so that the
13
All in a day’s work for the Dogus team: From left, Can Celiksirt, Quarry Operations Manager, with his colleagues Dursun Bozdogan, Erdal Can, Yasin Kuru and Tufan Kirik.
steps created on the hillside would be
minimal). The position of the rigs’ rod
handling carousels and hydraulic valve
groups meant the rig could only drill the
required inclination and hole depth on 70
cm benches.
A sales and service team from Atlas
Copco decided to change the feeds on
two of the ROC D7 rigs used for presplitting with the company’s underground
rock drilling version, the BMH 6821.
This allowed the operators to position the
feed closer to the slope. As the feed was
longer than the previous version, the rodhandl­ing carousel could also be removed.
After this modification, the required
inclina­tion and hole depth was achieved
on a shelf width of just 30 cm.
Full-service
Celiksirt is very satisfied with the solution: “The Atlas Copco sales and service
team helped us greatly by solving this
problem,” he says. “We are grateful to
them, especially Atlas Copco’s technical
development and training manager,
Yavu­z Akkaya for his great efforts.”
Atlas Copco is planning to provide
regular on-site training for the drill rig
operators and maintenance teams to
maximize drilling performance, ensure
productivity and increase the drill steel
life.
As an additional measure to maintain
14
the high availability of the drilling fleet,
Dogus Insaat’s Selahattin Kolasinli,
Mechanica­l Machinery Supply &
Purchasin­g co-ordinator, recently signed
up for the COP Care maintenance programme that covers all of the site’s COP
1840 rock drills. COP Care is a full-service agreement for COP rock drills and
comprises five key elements; scheduled
service, optimized rig performance,
overhaul protocols; extended warranty
M &C 3•09 and remote monitoring.
Bench test: The modified ROC D7 managed to exceed the drill plan specifications
that required a maximum 40 cm wide shelf.
Symmetrix the solution
as IKEA goes geothermal
Sixty wells, each 200 m deep were drilled into bedrock
in just ten days – part of a geothermal energy system
for the new IKEA store in the city of Tampere, Finland.
Challenging ground conditions were overcome by
Symmetrix drilling technology.
W
hen IKEA’s new store opens in
Tampere, Finland, the 37 500 m2
building will be heated and cooled using
only geothermal energy. The project is
the largest of its kind in the country and
part of IKEA’s long-term programme to
have all IKEA buildings powered by 100
percent renewable energy.
Geothermal energy is solar energy,
stored in the bedrock. Using heat pumps,
this energy is collected from the ground
via holes and used for heating buildings
and water. And the popularity of this environmentally-friendly energy source is
increasing rapidly; in Finland, 7 500
ground source heat pumps were sold in
2008 – a 42 percent increase on the previous year.
Loose ground
After the groundwork was completed at
the site of the new IKEA store, the surface consisted of a three-metre layer of
unconsolidated rock. Drilling the 60 energy wells would require a system that
could both drill and advance a casing
pipe at the same time.
The contract to drill the 60 energy
wells was awarded to drilling contractor
Suomen Porauspalvelu. With each hole
200 m deep, a total of 12 km of drilling
was required. The wells were designed in
“We are
pleased we
could meet this
challenging
deadline.”
Tor Enqvist,
Joint Owner, Suomen
Porauspalvelu.
15
five rows, each consisting of 12 wells.
The wells in the central row were
drilled vertically. The two rows either
side of this row were drilled with an
inclination of five degrees. The wells
in the outermost two rows had an
inclinati­on of ten degrees away from
the centre row. The holes were drilled
in this way to ensure sufficient space
between each hole at the 200 m depth,
regardless of deviation.
A case for Symmetrix
A range of Atlas Copco products were
selected for the project which included
the compressors, drill rods, Symmetri­x
P140/5-115 casing advancement system, Secoroc 115 mm bits, Secoroc
COP44 and TD40 DTH hammers.
Jukka Ahonen, General Manager,
Atlas Copco Rotex explains that the
Symmetrix system was ideally suited
to the ground conditions. “At this site,
there was an unconsolidated layer of
rock created by blasting and excavation works,” he explains. “Passing
this layer quickly and efficiently was
the key to achieving high produc­
tivity.”
The Symmetrix system consists of
drill bits and a casing shoe that is welded to a casing tube. Using percussive
drilling, the drill bit drills a hole large
enough for the casing tube to advance
down the hole. With this system, it is
possible to install casing tubes through
hard and rocky unconsolidated material
and into the bedrock. The contact area
of the casing tube and bedrock is sealed
in order to prevent surface water entering the well.
Rapid drilling
Drilling began with the Symmetrix
system in August installing permanent
casings with an outer diameter
140 mm. After this, drilling was carried out through the cased hole using
Secoroc 115 mm bits until the final
depth was reached.
The time schedule for the assignment was tight and Suomen Porauspalvelu put its entire fleet of three
drilling rigs onto the project. The
work, including 12 km of drilling was
completed in just ten working days.
Tor Enqvist, Joint Owner, Suomen
Porauspalvelu, says: “A condition of
this contract was that it could be completed within a tight timeframe. We
are pleased to have managed with this
challenging schedule. Since 2007,
when we started our company, we
have chosen to invest in modern, high
quality tools and machines. By doing
so we can meet our customer expectations, both in terms of reliability and
M &C 3•09
productivity.”
Of the thousands of drilling contractors around the world, M&C sometimes comes across a company whose
achievements are worthy of special
mention. Such a company is Jaime
Navarret­e Servicios Mineros, of Chile.
J
Helping Ikea to cut energy consumption: Kari Pyttynen of Atlas Copco, discusses
the progress with Joint Owners of Suomen Porauspalvelu, Svante Snellman and
Tor Enqvist.
16
aime Navarrete, General Manager of
Servicios Mineros, started his drilling
contracting company in 2001. The business has grown steadily and is today a medium
size company, specializing in pre-splitting and
reverse circulation drilling at Chilean mines.
Servicios Mineros provides drilling services for some of the country’s largest mining
groups such as Anglo American and Barrick.
A market leader in pre-sp
lit drilling: Jaime Navar
rete of Servicios Mineros
rigs to work at Codelco’
, puts ROC L8
s Chuquicamata mine in
2001 (left). Above, today’
ROC L8-30 at Anglo Am
s
new generation
erica’s Los Bronces mine
.
Trust is a must
for Chile’s pre-split specialist
Hand-in-hand: Jaime Navarrete, General
Manager of Servicios Mineros, receives recognition from Andreas Malmberg, President,
Atlas Copco Surface Drilling Equipmen­t,
Sweden). They are joined by Ricardo
Ornela­s (left) and José Manuel Sánchez of
Atlas Copco Chilena.
Navarrete started out with two Atlas
Copco ROC L8 drill rigs and quickly
earned a reputation as a specialist in presplit drilling. Today, Servicios Mineros
has a major share of the pre-splitting
market in Chile.
The company now has a fleet of 20
Atlas Copco ROC L8 rigs which in 2008
achieved a record average performance
of 100 000 drilled metres per month.
Jaime Navarrete says: “Our success is
the result of a combination of a strong
customer focus and the latest drilling
technology for reliable production, supported by a large fleet of drill rigs. This is
in line with our policy to always offer best
practice in the services we provide.”
The skill of the company’s rig opera-
tors also plays a major role. “They are
well trained and bring a lot of experience
and expertise to every site they work on
– they are critical to our success. In addition we offer the latest technology and
our drilling capability is supported by a
spare parts contract with Atlas Copco and
a ‘pay-as-you-go’ drilling consumables
con­tract with Secoroc.
“Reliable support from key suppliers
has always been important to us,” he
continues. “Right from the start, we had
that support from Atlas Copco and we
still have it today. I think that in every
commercial relationship, trust is a must,
and every time I have contact with Atlas
Copco, at all levels, I get the best service
M &C 3•09
and co-operation.” 17
NEW PLATFORM DRIVES
AUTOMATED
DRILLING
By Dustin Penn
Combining the latest computer and IT technology, Atlas Copco’s latest RCS-equipped
blasthol­e drill rigs feature modularized software and hardware that can easily be upgrade­d
to offer increased functionality as well as a wealth of automation options.
A
tlas Copco’s current Pit Viper drill
rigs showcase the leading-edge
computer-aided automation technology that has been deployed across the
company’s range of drill rigs.
The common platform makes it easier
for customers to familiarize themselves
with Atlas Copco technology across a
range of products. In turn, this simplifies
operation, maintenance, servicing and
training. It also helps to facilitate continuous product development and the
rapid application of new technology
across the entire product range.
The Rig Control System (RCS) and
CAN-bus technology provides the backbone of the new system, bringing flexibility and expandability to the RCS and
means that new modules can be added
anywhere along the data bus, without
adding extra cables.
Easily upgraded
Customers can start with a low level of
automation and as their requirements
change, they can upgrade. The RCS allows new functionality to be added,
without major rebuilding of the rigs.
Every Pit Viper rig can be equipped
with RCS Basic. The system also offer­s
Auto interlock button. Press
and hold this first and then
choose one of the following
auto functions.
Using multilever rocker switch.
Autolevels up for
switch up. Autolevels for
down in drill mode.
Autodrill. Drills to predefined
depth and returns head to propel
safe position. Anti-jam, void detection and so on in drill mode.
Future option. Auto tramming or
autonomous operation.
Fingertip control: RCS automated function buttons on the operator’s panel.
18
a range of optional technologies includ­
ing auto-levelling, auto-drilling, GPS
hole navigation, Remote Rig Access
and communication, wireless remote
tramming and Measure While Drilling
data log files, all supplied in IREDES
format (International Rock Excavation
Data Exchange Standard).
In addition to the interlock features
that ensure safe operation and tramming
of the Pit Viper, the Rig Control System
is also packed with capabilities to optimize drilling performance.
Automated operations
In scenarios that involve drilling through
several rock types, the RCS’s Autodrilling function reacts to feedback from the
rig’s sensors. Auto-drilling imitates the
reactions of an experienced operator by
adjusting the drilling parameters according to the drilling conditions.
The system detects the bit’s contact
with the rock and controls the air, water,
rotation and feed to collar the hole. Next,
these variables are adjusted as drilling
commences and the optimum pulldown
pressure and rotation are applie­d.
The system will drill as fast as possible without stalling the rotation or getting stuck. When the specified depth has
been achieved, the hole is automatically
flushed and the bit is retracted to the
tram-safe position.
To increase the quality of the drill
rig’s set-up at the hole, the RCS platform
Major advantages: Thanks to the new
Rig Control System, every Pit Viper can
now be equipped with auto-levelling,
auto-drilling, GPS hole navigation, Rig
Remote Access and communication,
wireless remote tramming, Measure
While Drilling data log files and IREDES format.
can offer an auto-levelling option. This
feature automatically levels the drill rig,
reducing wear and tear of the rig’s structure by limiting torsion of the frame and
tower during the levelling and de-levelling process.
The accuracy of the system depends on
the ground conditions but a typical levelling sequence on normal ground is achieved
in less than 35 seconds and to an accuracy
(in pitch and roll) of 0.2 degrees.
The Rig Control System’s GPS hole
navigation feature allows holes to be positioned with an accuracy of +/– 10 cm.
The system ensures that the blastholes
are accurately located according to the
blast pattern in terms of both location
and drilled depth.
A drill plan, containing the mine’s
coordinate­s, is imported and the position
of the bit, relative to the plan, is displayed in real time. The integration of
the GPS to the rig’s RCS control system
is via a standard RS serial link.
Advanced communication
Atlas Copco’s Rig Remote Access
(RRA) technology allows the drill rig to
be connected to a worksite’s computer
network, again operating via the RCS.
The system consists of a communication server and a network adapter and
provides the user with three functions; a
web server that can be accessed by any
standard web browser, an FTP server
for file transfer and a server process that
enables data to be integrated into the
user’s administrative systems and databases. The system uses standard communication protocols such as TCP/IP
and PPP.
Using the wireless network, working
procedures are simplified and new capabilities are available to the mine’s planning organization. Work orders that were
previously distributed before the shift
bega­n can now be distributed instantly
and directly to the rig, creating more flexibility and adaptability in production.
Computer-designed drill plans that
were previously loaded manually into
the rig’s RCS can now be transmitted
wirelessly, saving time and allowing last
minute changes to the drill plan.
The system also allows drill logs to be
transferred as soon as the round or individual blasthole is completed. This
means that geological and geomechanical data can be instantly shared within
the organization and that the drilling and
blasting plans can be adapted, immediately and as required.
Another key benefit of RRA is the
ability to remotely monitor the status of
the rig in real time. It also means that
troubleshooting can be performed re­
mote­ly by specialized technicians at the
mine or Atlas Copco.
Remote control capability
The Rig Control System’s teleremote feature uses the mine’s wireless network, either 2.4 or 5.2 GHz frequency and allows
an operator to operate the drill remotely,
including the drilling, levelling, tramming
and GPS hole navigation functions.
A dedicated communication channel,
guaranteeing the bandwidth and response
required for real time operation of the rig,
is required. The Teleremote module includes a dedicated safety system, independent of the RCS. If communication is
lost between the remote operator and the
rig, it will shut down. Additional safety
systems, such as those that detect people
moving into the rigs’ working area, should
also be used and combined with the
M &C 3•09
mine’s own safety regime. Dustin Penn is Product
Line Manager, Blasthole
Drills at Atlas Copco
Drilling
Solutions. He is
responsible for product
marketing and provides
master specifications
for product development
projects.e-mail:dustin.
[email protected]
19
NEW SOLUTION
for rapid micropiling
Atlas Copco has launched a new
self-drilling micropile – the T111 –
that drills and reinforces the hole in
a single drilling operation.
P
rimarily aimed at supporting unconsolidated soil formations such
as sand and gravel, Atlas Copco’s
new MAI SDA T111 self drilling technology is ideal for a wide range of challenging micropiling applications.
The system consists of a 111 mm
(4.3") diameter hollow threaded rod with
a sacrificial drill bit. Thanks to the full
length rod thread and extension couplings, the flexible system allows the rod
length to be easily adjusted to the site’s
requirements.
A selection of drill bits means the T111
micropile system is able to drill through a
wide range of material from sand and clay
20
to rock. The piles work well as both tension and compression piles and can be
installed on a vertical or inclined angle to
provide grouped pile solutions.
Faster installation
Installation of conventional micropiles,
for example drilled casings, require up to
three separate operations. The T111
minimizes the total installation time and
increases productivity. Experience of installing Atlas Copco’s existing 76 mm
self-drilling system has demonstrated
“The T111 system is ideal for
a wide range of
applications.”
Mark Bernthaler,
Geotechnical Sales and
Applications Manager,
Atlas Copco.
that it is not unusual for an operator to
install 25 to 30, 15 m-long piles per day.
During installation, cement grout is
simultaneously injected into the rod,
out through the bit and distributed evenly into the surrounding ground. The rod
and bit are then left in place to act as the
pile’s reinforcement element. Once the
cement sets, the ground consolidates and
forms a friction pile.
With only light equipment needed
for installation of the T111 and with no
need to use large concrete mixing
trucks, less impact is made on the surrounding area in terms of exhaust fumes,
noise pollution and vibration. With the
use of easily manoeuvrable rigs and
only a few steps of installation, the operator is exposed to as few potentially
harmful operations as possible.
Flexible
Mark Bernthaler, Geotechnical Sales and
Applications Manager at Atlas Copco,
says the T111 micropile complements
PR DUCTS
PROGRESS
New Simba offers more
for production drilling
A
New solution for micropiling: The system created
great interest among the
650 engineers who attended this years’ Deep
Foundations Institute exhibition and seminar, held
in Kansas.
Atlas Copco’s range of Self Drilling
Ancho­rs and meets a growing need for
ground engineering micropiling solutions.
“The T111 is the ideal micropiling solution for a wide range of applications,”
says Bernthaler. “They can be used as
bearing piles for domestic and light industrial applications, as soil retaining and
reinforcement piles and tension piles below towers and buoyant structures.”
Atlas Copco MAI SDA products are
all manufactured according to strict ISO
rules. There are two important quality parameters for a self drilling system: firstly,
that the rods can withstand the stipulated
working pressure and, secondly, that couplings and bits can be easily threaded.
Ultimat­e load tests are carried out on one
in 200 of the manufactured systems.
The T111 micropile is available in
two dimensions: T111L with an ultimate
tensile load of 2 640 kN (593 k lbf), and
the T111N, with a larger wall thickness,
is rated at 3 650 kN (821 k lbf). M &C 3•09
tlas Copco has introduced a
new production drill rig for
small and medium sized drifts. The
Simba S7 D replaces the well-proven Simb­a 1257 and benefits from a
range of new features.
The new Simba S7 D has an efficient hydraulic direct control system
for manual control of the drilling
functions, with all controls placed
ergonomically within reach of the
operator’s seat.
The standard version of the rig
includes a canopy with a FOPS approved cabin available as an option.
The cabin features air conditioning
and a hi-fi sound system as standard
equipment.
Compared to its predecessor, the
Simba S7 D offers higher ground
clearance, a Tier 3/Stage IIIA engine,
increased tramming speed and the
possibility to carry a water hose reel.
Rod handling on the Simba S7 D
is fully mechanized and the rod carousel can carry up to 10 rods with
one in the rock drill shank adaptor,
allowing mechanized drilling up to
20 metres.
The modular design of the rig
means that it shares many key
components and design elements
with other rigs in the Atlas Copco
range. This simplifies operator familiarization and makes servicing
simpler while reducing spare parts
inventories.
The Simba S7 D is designed for
a wide range of applications including long hole drilling, production drilling and drilling for cable
M &C 3•09
bolt holes.
Easy access: Routine maintenance and servicing tasks are quickly performed on the Simba
S7 D thanks to the large chassis panels and
grouping of key components.
Compact and versatile: The Simba S7 D can be used for long hole drilling,
production drilling and drilling for cable bolt holes, while its compact dimensions make it ideal for smaller drifts.
21
MASTERS
of the art
Unique training programme will
turn rig operators into Drill Masters
Superior productivity in mining and construction operations depends on many
different parameters. Now the most important parameter of all – the skill of
the drill rig operator – is about to be developed into a global standard.
T
he skill of the drill rig operator is
a key factor in the battle to maximize productivity and reduce cost.
Now a new training programme has been
launched that will enable the world’s operators to perform as ‘masters’.
Called Drill Master and recently introduced by Atlas Copco, the programme
offers three levels of proficiency –
bronze, silver and gold – with the aim to
enable drillers to achieve optimum performance and maximum productivity
when using Atlas Copco equipment.
“This is something our customers
have been waiting for, for some time,”
22
says Patrik Rylander, leader of the team
behind the programme. “We are proud to
be able to offer such a comprehensive
and modern training programme that
covers all of the skills required to master
our equipment.
“But that’s not all. The skills that the
trainees acquire through this programme
will be recognized around the world,
which means it will be easier for them
to relocate to any country where Atlas
Copco equipment is being used.”
Rylander emphasizes that by enabling
operators to perform at the best of their
ability, employers will find it easier to
achieve their goal of “maximum productivity at lower cost.”
The programme currently consists of
training in three levels for face drilling
and for surface drilling with SmartRig.
Production drilling will be added to the
programme at a later date.
Influence on productivity
Atlas Copco is convinced that, irrespective of whether an operator is “a rookie”
or an experienced driller, the Drill Master
programme will increase their possibility
to have a direct influence on productivity
and cost levels for their companies.
Says Rylander: “It’s all about giving
our customers the possibility to gain,
maintain and increase the skills they need
to succeed under today’s tough conditions
where high productivity is vital and every
second counts.”
Going for Gold: A drill rig simulator is used at the Silver level and
trainees going for Gold are required to repeat what they have learned in
the simulator under real-life conditions at a work site.
Different companies have
different requirements and
the Drill Master programme
is easily adapted to individual
needs. For example, a drilling
contractor may require all of
its operators to achieve the
Bronze level but only its high
potential operators to achieve
the Silver and Gold. Others
may want their operators to
achieve all three levels, which
is particularly interesting for
companies that may be hesitant about switching to fully
computerized rigs.
Some companies may
even wish to make the programme mandatory in order
to reduce the risk of damage
caused to equipment through
misuse. Less damage results
in higher productivity, increased safety and lower
parts consumption.
Drill Master provides a
full set of skills from basic
theory of geology and rock
mechanics at the Bronze
level using e-learning techniques. The Silver level consists of a step-by step presentation
followed by hands-on simulator training
consisting of scenarios from real-life
drilling conditions and tasks operators
have to face every day. At the Gold level,
trainees are required to repeat the skills
they have acquired at the Silver level under real-life conditions at a work site.
The Silver and Gold levels are led by
an Atlas Copco specialist, ensuring that
the same high quality is maintained irrespective of where in the world the courses are held. When the Gold level has
been successfully completed, the operator qualifies as a Drill Master.
Experience in Spain
One country which has considerable experience of training drill rig operators is
Spain. Alfonso Gonzalez, Service Super-
visor and Training Co-ordinator at Atlas
Copco in Madrid says: “There has always been interaction between us and
our customers in the training of their
operator­s, but in 2005 we took a big step
forward when we introduced a Boomer
simulator.
“Since then, our customers definitely
realized the benefits of improving the
skill of their operators, both to improve
safety and to keep up their productivity
performance.
“Almost 300 operators have been
trained here over the last four years,
sharing experiences, performing navigation and drilling exercises in the simulator in combination with theoretical classes including safety, daily checks and
drilling protocols.
“Our latest generation of Boomer and
SmartRig drill rigs have a high level of
computerization and automation and for
that reason I think the Drill Master programme will be very welcome here. It
will provide all the competence our
Drill Master at a glance
•
three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold
training period: 2 days to 2 weeks
• number of trainees: Bronze level, no limit;
Silver level, up to eight per class; Gold
level, one-on-one training, on-site
• method: e-learning, simulated scenarios
with tasks from real drilling conditions
followe­d by on-site training in an actual rig
•
The goals
Bronze: To understand drilling and excavation
and achieve basic familiarity with the Atlas
Copco rig and rockdrill.
Silver: To convert theoretical understanding
into practical and correct equipment use.
Gold: To reinforce best-practice capability,
and provide the operator with a complete understanding of their equipment’s capabilities.
For more information, visit www.atlascopco.
com/drillmaster
custome­rs need to get the maximum
benefi­t from this equipment. It’s the perfect solution for them and it will be availM &C 3•09
able very soon.”
Developing tomorrow’s masters: The Silver and Gold courses are always led by an
Atlas Copco specialist to obtain uniform training quality, irrespective of where in the
world the courses are held. Here, Sebastian Lee instructs trainees in Sweden.
23
Powerful drilling combination sets
The GOLD
Turkey’s largest gold mine is securing reliable production using the latest
Secoroc hammers and bits combined with Atlas Copco surface drilling rigs.
A
t 157 km2, the Kisladag gold mine
in the Usak province of western
Turkey, is the largest gold mine in
the country. It is owned by Tuprag Metal
Madencilik San. Tic. A. (Tuprag), a wholly
owned subsidiary of Eldorado Gold Corp.
Tuprag uses two Atlas Copco DM45
rigs equipped with Secoroc COP 64 Gold
DTH hammers for bits with a QL60
shank. In addition, there is an Atlas
Copc­o ROC L6 equipped with a Secoroc
COP 34 DTH hammer for bits with COP
34 shanks for presplitting, or a COP 54
Gold DTH hammer for bits with a QL 50
shank for production.
The result is reliable performance on
the site that has continuously increased
production from 70 895 ounces in 2006
to 109 177 ounces in just the first six
months of 2009.
Kisladag started commercial production in 2006 with a local mine contractor
and has been developed as a low grade,
bulk tonnage open pit operation using
heap leaching for gold recovery.
In May 2008, the mine began the
transition to a being fully owner-operated pit. The transition, which included
technical and practical training of operators and maintenance crew, was completed in four months and the mine began using its own fleet exclusively in
October, 2008.
Maintaining productivity
Kisladag has been using Atlas Copco
rigs with Secoroc hammers and bits since
the transition began. Penetration rates
are good through the volcanic rock and
Mine Manager, Ahmet Raci Uslu, says
Kisladag Mine Manager Ahmet Raci
Uslu in front of one of two DM45 rigs
that enables his team to surpass
productivity expectations.
24
STANDARD
the rigs and rock drilling tools were
select­ed to maintain the high productivity rates required at the mine.
“The amount of metres we drill is really important for us to keep up mine
production,” says Uslu. “In June 2009
we drilled nearly 48 000 metres and we
aim to maintain this level of production.
High productivity is one of the reasons
we chose Atlas Copco.”
Heavy schedule
The anticipated production capacity at
Kisladag is 1.73 million tonnes a month,
but the current rate of mining is more than
two million tonnes per month. To achieve
this, drilling operations are run for 20 hours
a day; mining operations are 10 hours per
shift and there are 14 shifts per week.
A ROC L6 equipped with its Secoroc
COP 34 DTH hammer averages 45 m per
hour drilling pre-split holes. Hole diameters are 95 mm and the spacing between
the holes is 1 m. The holes are 22 m deep
The drilling pattern at the Tuprag open
pit with 152–165 mm production holes,
152 mm buffer holes and 95 mm pre-split
holes. The purpose of the pre-split holes
and the row of buffer holes is to ensure
the stability of the final walls of the pit.
A
and have an inclination of 65–77 degrees.
For production drilling, the ROC L6
with the Secoroc COP 54 Gold hammer
averages 400 m per shift. Each DM45,
equipped with a Secoroc COP 64 Gold
hammer, averages 31–35 m per hour.
The hole diameters are 152–165 mm and
the drilling pattern is 5.5 m x 5.5 m with
vertica­l holes. The production drilling
benches are 10 m high with 0.5– 0.8 m of
sub-drilling.
The total drilling capacity for all rigs
is 1 500 –1 700 m per day. Total drill metres from May to December 2008 were
163 973 m and from January to June in
2009 Kisladag drilled 233 516 m.
Hole quality is checked by measuring tape before each blast. Kisladag
uses cord, downhole delays and surface
delays for detonators and ANFO and
emulsion ANFO explosives.
While high speed drilling increases the
number of holes completed per day, air
consumption, fuel costs, penetration rates
B
C
C
C
Bit grinding essential
Kisladag uses Secoroc drill bits to
achieve high production rates for extended intervals. To utilize the full power of
the drill rigs, regular bit grinding is
essenti­al. The bit on the COP 34 averages 1 540 m, the bit on the COP 54 hammer, 2 257 m, and the bit on the COP 64
Gold, 3 099 m. However, the economics
of drilling often comes down to balancing penetration against bit life. A rule of
thumb is that a 10 per cent increase in
penetration rate results in a reduction of
20 per cent in bit life.
To extend the life of its bits and maximize the number of drilled metres per
bit, Kisladag uses a Secoroc Grind
Mati­c grinder, and each bit is reground
……
10 m
65–77º
A = 22 m Pre-split holes
B = 11 m Buffer holes
C = 11 m Production holes
Pre-split
holes
Buffer
holes
10 m
Production
holes
1m
4.2 m
Be
rm
and bit and hammer life have a major impact on profitability. The operating life for
the Secoroc DTH hammers with e-kits
is; COP 34 – 9 900 m, COP 54 Gold –
12 853 m, and COP 64 Gold – 27 332 m.
2.5 m
5.5 m
4.2 m
5.5 m
4.75 m
10 m
On the bench at Kisladag: Atlas Copco drill rigs and Secoroc
hammers provide high productivity drilling of pre-split, buffer and
production holes (pictured: the ROC L6).
25
pR DUCTS
pROGReSS
two or three times. The efficient
grinders extend the service life of
the bits, which also results in less
wear and tear on each rig’s drillstring.
The availability of consumables,
parts and the durability of the equipment also played a role in Ahmet
Raci’s Uslu’s decision to use Atlas
Copco at Kisladag. “We have our
own maintenance shop and crew. We
get good maintenance support from
Atlas Copco Turkey and a good supply of parts and consumables – that
makes life easy for us,” he says.
Since the first year of commercial production (July 2006), Kislada­g
has surpassed productivity expectations. Initially, plans were to in-
New ROC D3 with remote control
A
tlas Copco has introduced two new
drill rigs with built-in remote radio
control systems, the ROC D3 01 RRC and
the ROC D3 03 RRC. The ROC D3 01
RRC features a rod handling system with a
capacity of up to five 3.66 m rods and can
be equipped with R32, T38 and T45 rods.
The onboard Atlas Copco compressor has
a free air delivery capacity of 95 l/s.
The ROC D3 03 RRC features a long
folding boom with optional rod rack for
manual rod adding and an optional rod
adding system to enable the addition of an
extension rod. The rig can be equipped
with R32 and T38 rods. The onboard Atlas
Copco compressor has a free air delivery
capacity of 80 l/s.
Both rigs are powered by Cummins engines and offer two rock drills, the 12kW
COP 1240 or 16 kW COP 1640.
“The new ROC D3 RCC rigs not only
enhance drilling performance and productivity, but also create a safer working environment in harsher, less stable terrain,” says
Hakan Aytekin, Product Manager at Atlas
Copco.” That’s where you most often rely
M &C 3•09
on these rigs to perform.”
ROC T35M a ‘contractor’s dream’
Good performer: Inspecting the wear
on the Secoroc QL60 drill bit.
crease production in year four, but
Tuprag was able to move forward
with expansion in year two.
And the trend continues. Tuprag’s
parent company, Eldorado Gold,
recentl­y completed a review of the
Kisladag mine. The study identified
opportunities to effectively increase
annual production by 30–40 percent,
while decreasing unit operating costs
by approximately 15 percent – all of
which is expected to be achieved using Tuprag’s existing fleet.
For Ahmet Raci Uslu, the relationship with Atlas Copco and the
reliability of the equipment will
continue to contribute to the production capability of Kisladag. And
with Secoroc equipment offering
the lowest cost per metre in the industry, taking all costs into consideration, his fleet will also make a
major contribution to the mine’s
M &C 3•09 profitability.
26
Living the dream: ROC T35M in action.
T
he new ROC T35M for quarrying and
construction drilling in the 64–102 mm
hole range, is another surface rig that is
expected to quickly become a favourite
choice for contractors. A highly robust rig,
ROC T35M uses the well-proven 18kW
COP 1840 rock drill, giving more drilling
power for less energy input, resulting in
lower fuel consumption.
As Bo-Göran Johansson, Vice President, Marketing at Atlas Copco, says:
“Every contractor dreams of higher penetration rates, straighter holes and better
accessor­y life. The ROC T35M employs a
cylinder-driven aluminum feed system
that fulfills this dream by providing optimal penetration rates and drill steel life.
“Its rod handling system using T38 and
T45 rods, has a streamlined number of
parts ensuring easy adjustment and maintenance, and the aluminum feed is sturdy
and highly resistant to bending.”
The hydraulic control system, COP
Logic, adjusts the feed speed, feed pressure and impact pressure in real time,
accord­ing to the rock conditions. And continuous feeding by use of cylinder and
rope, results in constant bit-to-rock contact and leads to optimum transfer of the
impact power.
In addition, the ROC T35M is built of
modules and parts that are common to
Atla­s Copco’s surface crawlers. This makes
training easy and reduces parts stocking
requirements for contractors with different Atlas Copco rig models.
Maintenance is simplified thanks to
all-around access to service points and
good hose management. Together with
ROC Care and COP Care service agreements, this means fewer breakdowns,
increased availability and lower service
M &C 3•09
costs. Grand
opening
It’s open! Nicolás Castenada, Secretary of Economic Development for Zacatecas, cuts
the ribbon. From left, Victor Tapia, Robert Fassl, Horacio Mejia and Oscar Duprix.
MEXICO. Atlas Copco has officially opened
its new Distribution and Service Centre in
Calera, Zacatec­as. More than 200 guests,
including officials from the Mexican government represented by Nicolas Castaneda, Secretary of Economic Development
for Zacatec­as and Horacio Mejia, President of the Municipality of Calera. They
were joined by Robert Fassl, President of
Atla­s Copco Drilling Solutions, Oscar
Duprix, Atla­s Copco’s Regional Chairman
for Latin America and other executives.
Many of the local mines were also represented including Gold Corp., Fresnillo
PLC, Peñoles, Grupo Mexico, Grupo
FRISC­O, Madisa, CAUSA, and Aispell.
For these companies, the new facility offers faster response times for parts and
service from the city of Zacatecas.
Victor Tapia, General Manager, Atlas
Copco CMT Mexico, said: “This facility
is a symbol of our continued commitment
to the region’s mining industry. Having
centrally located parts and service support
for Mexico and Central America will help
to make our customers’ businesses more
M &C 3•09
efficient and productive.”
DM45 exceeding expectations
MONGOLIA. Atlas Copco DM45 drill rigs
supplied to SGS (South Gobi Sands), a
Canadian-operated coal mine in Southern
Mongolia, are producing impressive results. Since commissioning, the rigs have
been operating 24 hours a day, seven days a
week with an average availability of 98%.
The first DM45 LP was delivered in April
2008 and the excellent performance of this
rig and the on-site service personnel led to
the order of the second rig, delivered in
June 2009. As a result of this performance,
Denis Lehoux, Operations Director and
Vice President of SGE, presented Atlas
Copco Mongolia with a 2008 Supplier
Appreciation Award.
High performance: The DM45 rigs work
round-the-clock at South Gobi Sands.
Taking good CARE of productivity
World. Scheduled service, detailed inspection
protocols and extended warranties are the key
elements of Atlas Copco’s new Care agreements
for the preventive maintenance of underground
equipment.
Scoop Care covers Scooptram loaders and Minetruck trucks while Rig Care covers the face drilling
rigs and COP Care takes care of the rock drills.
All three agreements feature:
• scheduled service and inspection at regular intervals
OUT NOW! Atlas Copco has published a new reference book, Blasthole Drilling in Open Pit Mining. The
204-page book presents 11 technical articles, nine
case studies and useful product specifications. The book will be
availabl­e through Atlas
Copco customer centres and dis­tributors.
INSIDE JOB: Customers who are interested in the new COP
3060MUX rock drill,
launched by Atlas
Copco earlier this
year, can now get a
good look at how it
works – from the inside. A new, interactive website
offers a 3D, cutaway animation which gives visitors
the possibility to see the mechanism in action.
The COP 3060MUX is designed to increase performance and efficiency in long-hole drilling applications. It addition to benefits such as increased power
efficiency, it enables service intervals to be extended
to up to 600 hours.
• inspection protocols ensuring that the equip- ment has been properly serviced
• fixed cost, spread over the duration of the con tract, with monthly invoicing
Scoop Care protects everything that is essential to
loading, tramming and hauling and also extends the
warranty up to two years or 5 000 hours of operation.
Rig Care & COP Care are backed by extended warranties of three years or 3 000 impact hours. With
COP Care, the rock drill is overhauled every 400
impact hours. A replacement is provided while the
mine’s rock drill is being overhauled. GOLDEN ROLL-OUT:
Atlas Copco Secoroc has
launched COP 44 Gold – a new down-the-hole hammer that completes the family of Secoroc hammers.
COP 44 Gold is designed for production drilling
and offers blast holes from 110 mm up to 130 mm
(4 5/6" – 5 1/8").
The hammer is maintenance free, has a 10 –15 percent longer service life than other equivalent hammers
and can be re-built up to three times using the Gold Ekit, consisting of a casing, chuck and backhead.
In addition, high pressure rigs can get the full benefit of drilling with Secoroc COP 44 Gold thanks to its
35 bar rating.
See the COP 3060MUX in action at:
www.atlascopco.com/cop3060mux
27
Visit M&C at www.miningandconstruction.com
We know that you can
No matter if you’re the world’s largest or smallest mining
company, a veteran or a newcomer; we have the tools to
help you develop your business. To make it easy for you
we’ve gathered it all in one place.
Start your development right away at atlascopco.com/rock
Committed to your superior productivity.
www.atlascopco.com/rock
9853 8002 01