Sandvik debuts innovative underground mining drill

Sandvik DD212i is a compact single-boom jumbo equipped with a new carrier and updated design, ideal for mining development in narrow vein operations.

Optimal in narrow vein and medium-sized drifts, Sandvik DD212i ensures more tonnes per blast, maximum profitability and operational efficiency thanks to its precise electronic positioning and instrumentation for hole measurements.

Built with an intelligent control system – the Sandvik intelligent control system architecture – and various scalable automated functions, Sandvik DD212i offers higher drilling accuracy and pull out for higher drilling productivity.

“Sandvik DD212i was developed for mines looking for compact equipment with better connectivity and data collection capabilities,” Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions low profile and narrow vein product manager for underground drilling Jean-Christophe Goiffon said.

Sandvik DD212i has a hole length of 2.83m to 4.05m and a hole diameter of 43mm to 64mm.

“Despite its small size, Sandvik DD212i offers increased productivity and drilling accuracy in challenging operations with deeper and narrower orebodies,” Goiffon said.

Other benefits and features of the Sandvik DD212i include having a SB20i instrumented boom with dual roll overs and one metre boom extension and compact telescopic drilling modules, a comprehensive drill plan design, various data reporting and analysing tools, Sandvik RDX5 rock drills, a safer ROPS (roll over protection system) and FOPS (falling object protective structure) cabin and canopy, and more versatility in its drilling applications data maximisation.

Sandvik said these combined features enable increased penetration rate and better advance and better pull-out results compared to predecessors in Sandvik’s narrow vein offering.

“Many regions are experiencing reduced availability of skilled labour, and our customers are interested in easy and fast training solutions with automated functions that enable higher performance for new and low-skilled operators,” Goiffon said.

Sandvik is implementing a new module in its digital driller training simulator for Sandvik DD212i so the machine can be smoothly integrated into operations.

The company is expected to introduce more optional extras for Sandvik DD212i in the next few months.