SOURCE: Northern Miner | September 17, 2024
In June, DMC Mining Services started trialing Sandvik’s DD422i two-boom dual controls jumbo bolter at KGHM’s Victoria nickel-copper project in Ontario, 35 km west of Sudbury.
The multi-purpose diesel-powered jumbo with split feeds allows a single operator to bolt and bore with one machine, which eliminates the traditional need for two machines—a boring-only jumbo and a platform or mechanized bolter.
“The way it really shines is the versatility of it—being able to bolt and drill and perform other ground support tasks,” Jory Dion, a drill trainer at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions said. “It can do a lot of jobs that typically in the past have required multiple machines.”
Bolters and drills need substantial spare parts inventory and an additional crew for maintenance, Dion says.
“When each machine requires its own parts and operators, focusing on just one primary machine makes a significant difference.”
Sandvik reports that rationalizing fleet size, parts inventory and maintenance has been a significant reason why many mining companies and contractors are adopting the DD422i-Dual Controls to run their bolting-boring cycle. Utilizing one boom for drilling and the other for bolt installation is also expected to decrease overall cycle times.
Doing more with less
Contractors using the DD422i dual control jumbos in Canada have been achieving advances of 10 metres per day or 300 metres each month—a new record in North America, Sandvik says.
Another advantage is that having a single machine streamlines training and troubleshooting by eliminating the need to switch between different contractors and equipment.
Some of the DD422i’s intelligent features include automated ‘recipes’ for the installation of rebar, split sets and mechanical dynamic and mechanical dynamic extra (MD/MDX) rock bolts.
Rebar is an epoxy chemical bolt, and the resin must be mixed and reach a certain temperature before it hardens, so having a ‘rebar recipe’ will control the process and spin the rebar in to mix the resin to set the bolt.
Split sets are friction bolts, and the jumbos can hammer the split set into a smaller diameter hole.
“Older style machines can do this as well but it’s a lot easier to damage the material in the installation process,” Dion says.
In addition, the DD422i can install MD bolts more consistently. The automated recipes will turn the water on, hammer the MD bolt in, and then spin it to its torque specifications in the recipe.
“With a manual machine it would be harder to control what torque the bolt would be tightened to,” Dion explains. “They might over-tighten it and damage it, or not tighten it enough.”
Sandvik designed the MD and MDX bolts, optimizing the design to suit their installation using jumbos.
“The intelligent features help new operators avoid damaging consumables,” Dion says. “They help preserve drill steel, rebar, and split sets. I’m receiving positive feedback from our operators. Mining companies and operators often don’t realize the full potential of these machines. We’re still just scratching the surface of their usefulness.”
Safety first
Most importantly, the jumbo bolters provide significant health and safety benefits. With the enclosed cabin design, operators are protected from high exposure to mining noise, diesel exhaust and rock dust, which improves the working environment for miners. In addition, Sandvik’s patented boom-feed system allows operators to work further away from unsupported ground.
“In the past, workers used large bars to remove loose rock, a practice that was quite dangerous,” Dion says. “Now, with the bolting jumbo, miners are removed from this hazardous task. Scaling with the bar was a major cause of worker injuries. Furthermore, by distancing operators from the dangerous practice of ground support, the machine protects them from the risk of rock bursts, which are common in deeper mines.”
Canada catching on
The jumbo bolting methodology has been in use for more than three decades in other parts of the world—particularly in Australia and South Africa. But its use in Canada has been slower to catch on. Now it is picking up speed. More than 30 of the diesel-powered jumbos (and the battery-powered version called DD422iE) are operating at Canadian mines and mining projects this year. KGHM, Vale (NYSE: VALE), B2Gold (TSX: BTO, NYSE-A: BTG), Glencore (LSE: GLEN), Foran Mining (TSX: FOM; US-OTC: FMCXF), Evolution Mining (ASX: EVN), Barrick Gold (TSX: ABX; NYSE: GOLD), Agnico Eagle Mines (TSX: AEM; NYSE: AEM) and Newmont (TSX: NGT; NYSE: NEM) are among the companies either operating the multi-purpose jumbos or using them through contractors, according to Sandvik.
Detailed customer feedback is essential in the development of new equipment and contractors like DMC Mining Services are heavily involved in the trialing of these new methodologies. Sandvik works closely with contractors to collect critical data that is analyzed by its technical team and is used to optimize performance and address any potential issues.
Data is key
This data is transmitted directly from the machine to the server (depending on underground Wi-Fi capabilities) allowing for real-time (constant) or periodic (when the transceiver passes the logger once a shift) data collection. This same data can be used to predict critical spares and consumables usage (drill bit wear), which ultimately ensures cost and schedule efficiencies for contractors.
DMC Mining Services has been developing a separate data collection system (developed by its own in-house engineering team), which further allows operational data insights, and when combined with Sandvik data, allows for full transparency on cycle timings and potential efficiency improvements.
By sharing insights on operational efficiency, user experience, and any technical challenges encountered, Sandvik can work with contractors to ensure their operations are efficient and that equipment technology is improved in future iterations.
Sandvik offers training support with all units to help with the transition to the new controls and methods and DMC workers have found the transition straightforward.
“Continuous improvement is at the core of our culture, driving us to test new technologies,” Michal Jezioro, DMC’s managing director and CEO said. “Embracing autonomy and adopting safer, more cost-effective work methods are crucial to maintaining our competitive edge. We eagerly look forward to seeing how this drill enhances our performance.”
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