Sandvik launches electric underground drill
Swedish mining equipment marker Sandvik has added a top hammer longhole drill that uses an electric driveline system, the DL422iE, to its battery-powered offerings.
Sandvik said the DL422iE, which is the company’s second battery-driven underground drill, aims to achieve enhanced drilling performance while eliminating diesel emissions during tramming.
The rig uses electric power to drive a 33 kW HF1560ST longhole rock drill, and is capable of drilling vertical and inclined fans and single or parallel Ø89-127 mm longholes up to 54 m in depth using ST58 and ST68 tube rods.
The DL422iE features the company’s ‘Platinum’ drilling automation package for continuous and automated production drilling, but there is also the option for an automatic bit changer.
The company noted that it aims to offer a full range of battery-tramming rigs, covering all underground drilling applications, by the end of 2021.
“[The] Sandvik DL422iE helps mines reduce overall emissions and ventilation and fuel costs … It has the potential to help mines increase drilled meters per shift by up to 10%,” said the company. “Productivity can increase by up to 20% via improved equipment utilisation.”
