The world’s first automated one-boom jumbo for the small segment has arrived, according to OEM Epiroc: its new release, the Boomer S10 S face drilling rig.
The Boomer S10 S provides near surgical precision in drilling and major cost savings throughout the cycle – all thanks to being the world’s first one-boom jumbo featuring Epiroc’s Rig Control System. The consistent, repeatable, and quality-assured results are made possible by advanced automation, operator-assisting features, and digital drill plans.
“With Boomer S10 S as our latest addition, we are proud to offer a sustainable automated operation for the small segment, with a complete range of automated rigs for face drilling, production drilling and rock reinforcement underground,” said Epiroc Underground Vice President of Sales and Marketing Sarah Hoffman.
Quality equals cost savings in terms of wear and tear of rock drilling tools, spare parts and other consumables. Compared to traditional, non-automated one-boom jumbos, the Boomer S10 S decreases the consumption of consumable parts by 30% while lowering maintenance costs by 12%.
Also, thanks to the digital drill plans and Epiroc’s Rig Control System, the drill rig is perfectly aligned in the drift to optimize accuracy, providing less overbreak and underbreak, and longer pull rounds.
“The Rig Control System provides drilling accuracy way beyond what human eye measure could ever accomplish. It is high-quality production from start to finish, and a great milestone reached for mine development,” said Face Drilling Equipment Global Product Manager Niklas Berggren.
In fact, when applying the High Performance Development method, a way of working during the entire drill cycle, the Boomer S10 S offers up to 25% more development meters versus traditional one-boom jumbos. The total cycle time is reduced thanks to better pull-length, fragmentation, and less need for scaling.
“It’s a snowball effect on productivity: accurate drilling holes means less explosives, less scaling and better tunnel profiles. In turn, a better tunnel profile means less rock reinforcement and less tear on all the machines in the drift. All this leads to significant cost reductions while increasing productivity and safety for everyone involved,” said Berggren.
The new release was designed for great ergonomics with lower vibration and sound levels (less than 75 dbA). In addition to better visibility and a multi-functional joystick, Boomer S10 S grants higher comfort and a significant reduction of live work.
Epiroc’s Rig Control System, RCS, was first implemented in 1998. The system is used for controlling several vital functions in Epiroc’s machines. It is also an enabler for several productivity-increasing, efficiency-boosting and cost-saving automation features.
Source: Epiroc