After working for two years on upgrades, Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology introduced the latest version of its Dino DC410Ri - a drill rig with full radio remote control.

The surface top hammer drill rig has been designed for use in areas where excellent mobility is required. The upgraded rig, renamed Dino DC410Ri, offers significant improvements in electrical and mechanical reliability, 15 per cent higher tramming power and a large number of smaller but nonetheless important updates for improved reliability and productivity.

Dino DC410Ri is a major all-around upgrade from its predecessor Dino DC400Ri, originally launched in 2014. A compact machine for 51 to 76mm (2 to 3in) hole sizes, the Dino DC410Ri continues to offer mobility and stability for demanding quarry and infrastructure applications, as well as for contractors tackling cramped urban construction sites. The remote radio control, 14kW RD414 rock drill, advanced i-series torque control system and up to 18m² (193sqft) coverage area add up to a cost-effective and productive solution for demanding jobs.

Upgrades

While retaining the basic design of the original machine, Sandvik's Dino DC410Ri features a number of significant upgrades for improved reliability. These include an entirely new electrical system which responds to challenges with components such as I/O boards. Several mechanical details have been reinforced too, including a steel-framed tramming support for the feed beam and ruggedized rod-handler arms.

The upgraded Dino DC410Ri offers enhanced mobility thanks to 15 per cent higher tramming power compared with the previous model. Other features contributing to excellent mobility include low tramming height, low centre of gravity and high ground clearance.

A range of new options available for Dino DC410Ri creates even more possibilities to customise the rig for various applications. NoiseShield-DC is a simple and compact noise-reduction solution for Dino DC410Ri, offering up to a −7.5dB reduction in A-weighted sound pressure within a 16m radius of the drill rig. The isolation panels of this patent-pending system are easy and quick to install simply by replacing the standard mesh panels of the safety cage.

Contractors aiming for minimum set-up times can select the feed auto-aligning option, which maintains the alignment of the feed beam at the pre-set angle even if the position of the boom changes from one hole to the next. Water flushing can be a useful option for applications requiring optimal dust suppression, such as tunnelling jobs.

Remote operation

A tangible improvement likely to be appreciated by many operators is the new remote-control unit. It has redesigned joysticks for easier handling with work gloves on, the plastic wiring connectors have been replaced with metallic military-grade components and the control unit is better protected against moisture leaks in tough, cold environments.

Another practical feature is the possibility to duplicate the drilling control display on an Android phone or tablet. The remote screen, attached to the remote-control unit, gives a perfect view of the drill rig alignment and displays the drilling and tramming parameters for easy and accurate control, even if the rig itself is on the bottom of a deep trench or close to the edge of a hazardous bench.

SanRemo Mobile

To further the benefits of remote operation of its drill rigs, Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology is rolled out a new mobile-device-based connectivity solution for its surface drill rigs at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020. The free app, SanRemo Mobile, makes it easier than ever to connect to a drill rig and transfer drill plans, reports and other fleet management and drilling data timely and cost-effectively using a smartphone or tablet.

 

SanRemo Mobile improves the connectivity of surface drill rigs by allowing mobile devices to be used for data transfer. This eliminates the dependence on USB drives or network coverage at worksites.

The system converts a standard mobile device, such as a phone or tablet, into a data carrier that can easily move drill plans from email, cloud, instant messaging or other supported source to the drill rig. Conversely, as-drilled data and production reports from the drill rig can be sent onward for further use. Utilising wireless or cellular networks, the system has no additional connectivity fees and also works off-line by storing data until a network connection is available.

Data transfer

SanRemo Mobile is compatible with common mobile applications, such as email, WhatsApp, Dropbox and OneDrive, for transferring data. A drill plan can be emailed to the drill rig operator - from office, home or on the road - and the operator can simply use the SanRemo Mobile app to transfer the plan to the rig through an automatic connection based on Bluetooth technology. This flexible, fast and transparent exchange of data allows the operator to confirm that the required information is available for the drilling process.

Quality reports and MWD (measurement-while-drilling) data from the Sandvik TIM3D drill navigation system can be uploaded via the SanRemo Mobile app for sharing or storing. The data can be examined using, for example, Sandvik Driller's Office or other compatible design software.

Additionally, production reports from the drill rig are automatically uploaded into the My Sandvik fleet management portal. The My Sandvik portal offers a powerful digital solution for collecting equipment and process data from Sandvik surface drill rigs for cost-effective fleet management routines and actionable improvement insights.

Noise reduction

As previously mentioned, many contractors and quarries face increasingly restrictive noise limits, particularly in urban areas. Requirements to limit noise from drilling machinery stem from several international and national sources, such as EU directives, various safety standards, occupational health and safety legislation and environmental regulations. In order to deal with these issues, Sandvik has new options for Ranger DXi series and Dino DC410Ri surface drill rigs help to mitigate harmful noise.

The new solutions introduced by Sandvik are not only beneficial to the surrounding areas, but they also reduce operators' and worksite personnel's exposure to harmful noise levels, thereby offering a more comfortable working environment.

The main source of noise from a top hammer drill rig is the rock drill itself, which accounts for up to 75 per cent of the total sound power level from a drill rig. Both new Sandvik solutions reduce the sound level around the drill rig by isolating the rock drill and rod handling system inside a noise-suppressing structure. These solutions are especially effective at suppressing the most disturbing drilling noise frequencies, between 2,500 and 10,000Hz.

NoiseGuard-DXi

NoiseGuard-DXi reduces noise emissions from Ranger DXi series drill rigs (maximum 27kW rock drill, recommended hole diameter 51-127mm / 2-5in) designed for construction applications and quarries.

 

NoiseGuard-DXi is a fully enclosed structure that provides up to −12.9dB noise reduction in A-weighted sound pressure within a 16m radius of the rig. In this measuring distance, the noise reduction compared to unmitigated sound pressure is up to 95 per cent. The NoiseGuard-DXi option comes with a camera system that provides visually aided drilling when the structure doors are closed. Additionally, it has an innovative single-bolt dismantling design for fast and easy maintenance on the feed system.

NoiseShield-DC

Another Sandvik innovation, NoiseShield-DC, is a simple, compact solution for the smaller, cabinless Dino DC410Ri drill rigs (14kW rock drill, recommended hole diameter 51-76mm / 2-3in) that excel in urban worksites. While not fully enclosed, NoiseShield-DC offers up to a −7.5dB reduction in A-weighted sound pressure by directing the drilling noise upwards through an open top, away from the operator and surrounding areas. This reduction translates to an 82 per cent mitigation in noise pressure within a 16m radius of the drill rig.

For noise reduction for the classic Ranger DX series drill rigs, a solution called NoiseGuard-DX has been successful in the market for several years.