Drilling and Blasting in Style

Using the right drilling and blasting equipment can help increase production in aggregate operations.

By Kerry Clines, Senior Editor

Greenfield development begins with rigs designed for exploratory drilling.

Bowser-Morner

Bowser-Morner, Inc. says its Sonic rigs recover 4-inch continuous core samples of sand and gravel deposits to maximum depths and continue into consolidated formations. Its ‘N’ 2-inch or ‘H’ 2.5-inch wire line coring rigs are ideal for limestone or other mineral formations.

Boart Longyear

Boart Longyear says its new flyable SC11 surface drill rig delivers large-diameter and deep-hole drilling capacity with a 132 kN pullback rating and PQ handling capacity. The rig was designed to easily break down into flyable modules, with the heaviest lift being only 680 kilograms. Lifting points are positioned at the module’s center of gravity for balance, while quick-connect hydraulic couplings accelerate assembly/disassembly and prevent oil spills.

Drilling attachments do the trick when you don’t need the entire rig.

TEI Rock Drills

TEI Rock Drills says its hydraulic excavator mount (HEM) attaches to excavators 12 tons and larger and operates off the excavator’s hydraulic system with no modifications to the excavator. The drill mast is available with up to 20-foot drill travel. Torques are available up to 10,000 foot/pounds. The HEM is used for hard-to-reach drilling and drilling oversize boulders.

Boart Longyear

A new line of surface-set bits from Boart Longyear include 11 configurations designed to yield deeper penetration and reduced rod tripping. The Surface Set XP bits feature an impregnated crown with multiple layers of diamonds that the company claims last up to three times longer than conventional surface-set bits.

Blasthole drill rigs let you get down and dirty with the rock.

Reichdrill

Reichdrill, Inc. says its C-550-DII rig drills 5- to 6 ¾-inch holes to a maximum depth of 148 feet with 30-foot drill pipe. Maximum-rated pull down is 35,000 pounds with bit loading to 40,000 pounds. The rig is available as a low- or high-pressure drill with 900 to 1,070 cubic feet per minute for rotary and down the hole.

Sandvik