MINING

BLAST HOLE DRILL AUTOMATION

Drilling. No matter what kind of mining you are involved with, the entire process starts here. The Flanders Electric ARDVARC™ drill automation system can help you improve productivity and machine life cycle management.

The ARDVARC™ drill automation system does more than just automate your machine. With 4 levels to choose from for drill automation the end user can choose the options that are right for your application. Level 1 drill automation converts your manually operated machine into a "one touch" drilling machine. The machine operator needs only to put the machine over the desired target and press a button on the 15" daylight readable touch screen to initiate the drilling process. The drill automation system will then level the machine, collar the hole and drill to the desired depth then retract the bit and reset the jacks in preparation of the next propel cycle.

For ARDVARC™ users who desire a more comprehensive data collection system, in addition to the drill automation; they may choose the Level 2 option which includes the ARDVARC™ data collection scheme. Data is collected in a Microsoft SQL database and is stored perpetually on the machine ensuring that no data is lost. The data from the drill automation system is stored in 3 production tables and 3 event log tables and is easily accessed using any standard data reporting tool. Production data is broken down into shift totals, single hole production records, and a foot by foot record of the entire drilled hole. Even data is stored in a fault and alarm table, a machine status table and a detailed machine status table so you not only know what is happening with your drill fleet but why.

ARDVARC™ Level 3 drill automation control incorporates the high precision GPS system of your choice. ARDVARC™ is not limited to one manufacturer of high precision geo locating device giving you the flexibility to locate your holes using whatever hardware you desire. Target drill hole locations are uploaded to the drill using the mine wireless network infrastructure and displayed on a 2D map for the operator of the machine to use to line up on the target holes. The web based interface for uploading maps is simple and expedient and can be used on multiple office PC’s at the same time.

For the truly dedicated mine operator, ARDVARC™ Level 4 drill automation provides the ultimate in drill automation. By loading the map and then telling the machine what holes to drill in what order, the machine operator needs only sit back and enjoy the ride; ARDVARC™ will take care of the rest by locating the machine within 6" of the target hole and then performing the one touch drill cycle all on its own.

ARDVARC™ drill automation is available for nearly every model of rotary drill on the market today. This feature enables the mine operator with a mixed fleet of drills to standardize the control system making operator training as well as maintenance training much easier to manage.