Field tests of the Top Hammer XL drilling system show significant reductions in fuel consumption and total drilling costs.
Sandvik has used a digital live show to showcase its latest development in surface top hammer drilling, the Top Hammer XL.
With the Top Hammer XL, Sandvik boasts a 50 per cent reduction in fuel consumption, 25 per cent reduction in total drilling costs, and 15 per cent increase in productivity compared with down-the-hole drilling methods. This, all by expanding the hole size from 140mm to 178mm in diameter.
President of Sandvik’s mining and rock solutions division, Henrik Ager, said it’s exactly how the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) wished to represent itself, as he opened the live launch.
“It’s right in the sweet spot of our strategy. It’s a more sustainable product, it’s half the fuel consumption, it has the power to reshape the ecosystem,” Ager said.
The system is comprised of three main components – the Pantera DP1600i drill rig, the RD1840C rock drill and LT90 rock tools.
On the Pantera range, product manager Jarno Viitaniemi said Sandvik had delivered around 2400 units over the years, so it’s a globally trusted brand.
“Based on a proven platform but we have upgraded the rig for higher power, with a better cooling system, improved hydraulics, and mechanical boom and feed,” Viitaniemi said.
“It’s a really small footprint so customers get multiple benefits. It’s really easy to transport around the mine site and it can operate on narrow benches.”
The launch involved a pre-recorded demonstration of the drill in action at a mine in Finland well below freezing temperatures. In comparison, Sandvik states the drill has also been tested to excel in temperatures of up to 55° Celsius, such is the global reach of the OEM.
Sandvik business development manager for the surface drilling division, Michael Forrest, said the market had been asking for something like the Top Hammer XL for some time.
“We saw a clear need in the market for a drilling system that could complement large hole drilling above 140mm to give our clients more flexibility,” Forrest said.
“We know our clients are constantly looking for ways to reduce costs of operations and streamlining their process without compromising on productivity, this system is obviously the answer to their needs.”
On sustainability and fuel burn, Forrest had some amazing figures to share with the live crowd of just a few dozen attendees.
“We’ve calculated drilling with this for one year is equivalent to 170 family cars driving for one year,” Forrest said.
Sandvik president of the surface drilling division Petri Virrankoski closed with his anticipation of the market’s uptake of the Top Hammer XL.
“We hope to have quick adaptations from leading customers in the market and once they realise the value that the product generates for them and their business, I think the market adaptation will be really quick,” Virrankoski said.