Byrnecut helps fine tune Sandvik drill technology

Sandvik has released a new Dual Controls package to improve fleet optimisation, versatility and performance for its Sandvik DD422i and Sandvik DD422iE face drills. The company said the package was designed to address needs identified by mining contractors who were using development drills for a variety of tasks including boring, bolting and meshing. Development of the Dual Controls concept was carried out in close cooperation with Byrnecut,. “Sandvik approached us to give feedback on the development of the machine, which we were happy to do,” Byrnecut Australia managing dircetor Pat Boniwell said. “Our key operators, trainers and technical people were involved in that process.” Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions product manager Johannes Välivaara said many Sandvik customers, particularly mining contractors, had been using conventional Sandvik DD421 hydraulic-controlled jumbos side-by-side with intelligent Sandvik DD422i and Sandvik DD422iE drill rigs. “In this arrangement, the hydraulic drills are used for required ground support work, whereas intelligent drills are used for boring purposes, delivering long and accurate rounds with minimized overbreak,” he said. “Combined with Sandvik automation, the intelligent drills can maintain production even during shift changes. We wanted to challenge this paradigm with the new Sandvik DD422i Dual Controls package in order to make it a preferable option vis-à-vis traditional hydraulic controlled drills, allowing a single platform like Sandvik DD422i or Sandvik DD422iE to be used for multiple and different applications.” Operator safety and usability were the main focus of the design, Mr Välivaara said. This was particularly important within multi-task operations, where the operator needed be comfortable in using the machine for both ground support and standard face drilling purposes. “We took our newest cabin design as benchmark and analysed what changes were required to the drilling controls to make it a preferable option over Sandvik DD421.” These changes, combined with drastically reduced noise levels, improved drilling visibility and several other improvements, capitalise on the best features of Sandvik DD421, Sandvik DD422i and Sandvik DD422iE rigs. Single platform offers multiple benefits A single platform for different drilling applications offers several other benefits, such as increased commonalities in spare parts, service principles and general ease of use across the whole fleet. The new unit also comes with a battery-electric driveline as an option for improving sustainability. Mr Välivaara said the first Sandvik DD422i Dual Controls unit was field tested at the Jundee gold mine in Western Australia in close cooperation with Byrnecut. Dual Controls package tests were completed in four months with impressive results. “We’re seeing approximately 10 percent improvement in productivity and nearly 20 percent improvement on drill consumable costs,” Mr Boniwell said. “The operators really like the upgraded platform; everything from the improved cab ergonomics, sound reduction, and general comfort of the machine. They’ve got all the benefits they’ve had historically in terms of usability, with the additional benefits of improved drill control, and future potential automation sequences.”

Byrnecut helps fine tune Sandvik drill technology

Industry Queensland

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