Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions has announced its introduction of the first Pantera DP1600i drill rig in Southern Africa. Said to be the largest top hammer drill on the market, it is capable of drilling hole diameters from 102 mm to 178 mm, resulting in a significant reduction in fuel consumption and total drilling costs compared to down-the-hole (DTH) drilling.

“By considerably expanding the hole size range of previous top hammer drills, the Pantera DP1600i challenges traditional DTH drilling on large quarries and surface mines,” says Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions BLM: surface mining Vanessa Hardy.

“In extensive field tests, the machine has proven to be a faster, and more fuel efficient and cost effective alternative to DTH drilling in hard, competent rock formations. Where DTH drills typically use substantial amounts of energy to fracture the rock, the top hammer system uses less energy to get the job done,” adds Hardy.

Three key components of the system – the Pantera DP1600i drill rig, the RD1840C rock drill and the new LT90 rock tools – are designed to work seamlessly for optimal drilling results.

“The new Pantera DP1600i drill rig is based on the proven Pantera DPi series platform. Together with the powerful RD1840C rock drill and robust LT90 rock tools, the end result is extreme capacity for a large hole size, without increasing the actual physical rig footprint,” says Hardy.

The company notes that results from field tests have shown a 50% reduction in fuel consumption, 25% reduction in total drilling costs and a 15% increase in productivity, compared with the DTH drilling method under specific controlled conditions.

The machine’s ability to support high-level automation solutions also promotes safety on site.

“With ease of operation in mind, Sandvik chose to base the machine on its already proven DPi series platform. Consequently, operating the machine is just as easy and efficient as the existing DP1100i and DP1500i models,” says Hardy. “Servicing and maintenance requirements are also similar to the previous models. Thus, service technicians who are well versed with the previous DPi models can easily work on the DP1600i with minimal to no training required.”