Modern Quarrying Q4 2018

SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS – DRILLING AND BLASTING

Caterpillar launches its smallest rotary blasthole drill

configurations, parts outside the ship- ping envelope can be removed without the use of lifting tools, allowing two peo- ple to prepare it by hand for shipping. The drill also offers greater manoeu- vrability. Its compact working envelope and powerful undercarriage get it into position faster, reducing the time spent accessing drill patterns and moving between holes. The Cat 336 excava- tor-style undercarriage provides greater durability, tractive effort and drawbar pull. A Cat C18 engine powers the drill and is rated to meet the needs of any mine site. It is available in US EPA Tier 4 Final configuration and in US EPA Tier 2 equivalent configuration to suit regional needs. The Cat powertrain delivers high efficiency and reliability. With Product Link Elite, drill health metrics are easy to download, and man- agers can track drill performance in real time. The MD6200 electronics also pro- vide a platform for automated controls. Cat technology options make the MD6200 even more productive and efficient. Drill Assist offers a number of as they will deliver energy reliably and consistently. This allows operations to form a departure point or baseline to measure improvements and concentrate on other areas of their quarries that can be improved. In explosives, this could relate to con- sistency of viscosity, chemical stability of emulsions and predictable VOD’s. If these parameters are all in ‘check’ and the final sensitising of the product done correctly, the explosives will perform work down the borehole predictably. Of course, the real measurement of a good or brilliant blast can be com- plicated to assess, given all variables. Typically, the blame game of poor explo- sives quality, poor drilling control and or poor blasting timing designs to name a few are often used when the outcome is not as planned. Is this not the dilemma that often leads to doubt and friction between internal and external parties on where the problem can be in an opera- tion? Unless there is obvious evidence,

Impact of quality on profitability The new Cat MD6200 rotary blast- hole drill is designed as a production drill with the flexibility to do pre-split drilling – all in a package that is said to be Caterpillar’s most transportable rotary drill yet. The versatile MD6200 is designed to perform rotary or DTH drilling in single-pass or multi-pass modes and can drill holes of 127 to 200 mm in diameter. The MD6200 offers the ability to drill at a negative angle up to 15 degrees, which enables matching the slope of the highwall for pre-split drilling. The result is cleaner highwalls with less waste material going to downstream opera- tions. For traditional production drilling, the mast can tilt from vertical out to 30 degrees. The operator can adjust the mast angle in increments of 5 degrees from the touch screen in the cab – with no special setup required. The MD6200 can be transported on the road with the mast on, so it can simply roll onto a truck when it’s time to move to another site. The new drill is also said to have the smallest shipping envelope of any drill in its class. In some The quarrying industry relies on vari- ous inputs and efficiencies based on an accurate budgeted cost per ton for aggregate and acceptable margin from a typically fixed sales price. Costs need to be managed stringently and throughput increased to achieve higher returns. As explosives form a large cost of quarrying operations, one needs to understand what defines quality, and the impact of that quality, on quarry profitability. According to Charles Hurly, marketing lead for Solar Mining Services, using known values of new and qualified raw materials in the manufacturing process of explosives, gives theoretical blasting equations real value for powder factors. This equates to measurable results (all other factors being equal). There is consistent quality in the final product, because of the procure- ment of vetted raw materials in the manufacturing process for emulsions. This means that consumers can have confidence in the explosives products

The MD6200 offers the ability to drill at a negative angle up to 15 degrees.

automated functions, including auto level, auto retract jacks, auto raise and lower mast, and auto drill. The drill depth monitoring system helps to reduce over- and under-drilling – to optimise productivity and fragmentation. The MD6200 is also ready for Cat Terrain for drilling, which uses state-of- the-art guidance technologies to help operators drill holes in the exact location and specified by the plan, resulting in smoother, safer and more efficient blasting. l

there is always the question as to which party should bear the responsibility? Part of the solution lies in ensuring the quality and reliability of the explosive used, as this can rule out a potential issue attributed to explosives performance. Manufacturedquality is of paramount importance as this can affect energy values, reliability, consistency and fragmentation results of the product used. One could apply a similar logic todrilling operations too, for example, was thedrilling done according toplannedspacing anddepth? l Solar Mining Services can offer a tailor- made approach to assist customers in understanding the price curve.

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MODERN QUARRYING QUARTER 4 - 2018