Sandvik has unveiled its Top Hammer XL surface drill system to bolster the company’s commitment to safer and more sustainable mining operations.
The Top Hammer’s field testing has shown that it is capable of a 50 per cent reduction in fuel consumption, 25 per cent decrease in drilling costs and 15 per cent boost to productivity compared with down-the-hole drilling.
Drill hole sizes have also been expanded from 140 millimetres to 178 millimetres in diameter.
“Our aim is to serve our customers with the best solutions for every application and in all conditions in order to maximise their productivity with a strong focus on safety and sustainability,” Sandvik mining and rock solutions surface drilling president, Petri Virrankoski, said.
“We are extremely excited to lead the way in the industry as Top Hammer XL opens up completely new possibilities for our customers to improve their operations.”
The drill system’s drill rig, rock drill and rock tools have been redesigned and optimised.
The Top Hammer XL system features Sandvik’s new Pantera DP100i top hammer drill rig, which is designed to work in conjunction with the Top Hammer XL system, resulting in larger hole sizes without a larger physical drill rig footprint.
Sandvik has also released the new RD1840C rock drill which is optimised for the Top Hammer XL system. It is capable of performing large hole drilling.
The company is planning to equip the RD1840C with the Sandvik Rockpulse tool for real-time data on drill bit response, tools load and feed level.
Sandvik’s patented LT90 rock tools, including a shank adapter, tube rods and drill bits, are also designed to match the Top Hammer XL system.
At the live launch of the Top Hammer XL, Sandvik mining and rock solutions president Henrik Ager said the drill system demonstrated the company’s focus on sustainability.
“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,” he said