Improving Blasthole Drilling Skills With Surface Drill Rig Simulators

To help India achieve a USD 5 trillion economy and self-reliance in energy,  the sector is driving large-scale investments in Mining. This is eventually helping India’s mining industry to contribute significantly to the nation’s economic and industrial advancement. The fast growing mining industry in India is constantly looking at deploying high-tech heavy earth-moving equipment (HEMM) and specialized machines to maximise production.  With an increase in energy demand and infrastructural growth, pressure is now mounting on mining companies to enhance their production and capacity with a focus on safety and enhanced efficiency. While the industry is slowly transitioning from manual to mechanised operations or Automated Mining,  The business model is still focused on bringing in operational cost-effectiveness in mining operations.

A Blasthole drilling machine is one such powerful equipment that is contributing to the growth of the mining and construction industry in India. The Blasthole drill machine is used to drill holes in rocks for setting explosives which has made the blasting process more efficient and safer than before. Designed for challenging operating environments, including high altitude operations and to operate in weak power grid mines Blasthole Drill Machine is predominantly employed in mining, quarrying, and civil engineering projects, including dam, tunnel, or road construction. It is a powerful, rugged machine that can stand up to the conditions of any site and deliver reliable performance with high availability. The outcome of such blasting operations is commonly referred to as a rock cut. Some of the largest Blasthole Drill manufacturers in India include:

1. BEML Limited
2. KLR Industries Ltd
3. Soilmec Foundation Equipment Pvt. Ltd.
4. Suretech Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd.
5. Hydra Mining Tools International Ltd.
6. EPIROC
7. Atlas Copco Ltd
8. REL
9. Komatsu
10. Sandvick

EPRIROC is one such leading manufacturer of  Blasthole Drill Rig Machines. The company specializes in developing and supplying innovative, safe equipment for surface and underground applications, including drill rigs, rock excavation, and construction tools. Epiroc’s legacy in designing and manufacturing main structures of rigs has positioned its surface drilling rigs, especially their SmartROC D65 and SmartROC T$5 at the forefront of its class

SmartROC D65: This machine is mainly used for mining and quarrying limestone and aggregate quarries, as well as for selective mining, construction, and open pit mining. It has a hole diameter ranging from 110mm to 229mm, and can accommodate DTH hammer sizes of 4”, 5”, 6”, and 7”. The maximum depth hole it can drill is 56m, and it is powered by a robust engine with a capacity of 403 KW.

SmartROC T45: This is a Surface Drill Rig machine mainly used for quarrying and construction. The drilling method is a Top Hammer with a hole diameter of 38mm- 64mm with a maximum hole depth of 15m.

Why is training important for Blasthole Drilling Operators ??

Blasthole drilling requires considerable skill and technical competence to ensure accurate holes that achieve an optimal distribution of explosive energy. An effective blast delivers finer ore fragmentation, higher waste mining productivity, and minimal downstream costs and provides a material financial benefit. Effective training in blasthole drilling is essential for ensuring optimal performance and safety in mining, quarrying, and civil engineering operations. Comprehensive training for Blasthole Drill rig operators is critical for various reasons including …

• Improving Safety: Proper training ensures the drill rig operator understands safety protocols, reducing the risk of accidents and injuries during drilling and blasting operations.
• Increasing Productivity: Well-trained drill rig operators can maximise productivity by efficiently executing drilling tasks, minimising downtime, and achieving project timelines.
• ROI Maximization: Training helps operators utilize equipment effectively, reducing equipment wear and maintenance costs, and ultimately maximising the ROI for drilling operations.
• Operating with Precision: Training enhances the operator’s ability to achieve precise drilling results, minimizing over-break and under-break, and optimising fragmentation for downstream processes.
• Improving Machine Uptime: Training operators help in reducing unscheduled maintenance. So fewer machines are taken out for service and repair and they are used more for production,

How are Blasthole Drill Simulators helping the Mining and Construction industry improve productivity and safety?

Training Simulators play a pivotal role in helping operators achieve perfection in mining and construction operations. Blasthole Drill Rig from Tecknotrove provides a safe environment for operators to improve their skills without the risks associated with real-world operations. These simulators offer realistic scenarios that mimic actual working conditions on-site allowing operators to practice and refine their techniques in a controlled setting thereby reducing the risk of manual errors and human mistakes. By practicing multiple challenging and real-life challenging scenarios on a simulator operators develop confidence, improve decision-making abilities, and optimize efficiency, ultimately leading to enhanced performance and precision on mine sites.

Tecknotrove’s Blasthole Drill Rig Simulator is a highly realistic designed for training for surface drill rigs that operate on surface mines and construction sites. This state-of-the-art training simulator is suitable for training and testing operators DTH Epiroc D65 and Top Hammer Epiroc T45 blast-hole drill rig.

The simulator mimics the functionalities of blast-hole drilling equipment with fully operational controls, delivering training on the operations of blast holes with accuracy and precision. The inbuilt training modules with a detailed scoring system help the operators to improve their skills, operate safely, and increase their productivity. Emergency conditions like engine fire are included in advanced SOP training among other features. In addition, the simulator software provides an all-new 3D walk-around view that allows operators to inspect the drill machine and learn the maintenance of the machine in the virtual environment.

Tecknotrove has been leading the Mining Simulation industry in India for over 2 decades and offers a wide range of Mining and Construction simulations for training. Tecknotrove has worked with over 26 countries and large mining companies and OEMs in India including TATA Steel, Coal India, NALCO, Western Coal Fields, Komatsu, BEML, Scania, Bharat Benz, L&T Engineering, and many more. For more details on their full range of Mining and Construction Simulators contact sales@tecknotrove.com