Aggregates Manager

October 2014

Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine

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APPLICATIONS 23 AGGREGATES MANAGER October 2014 O ver many eons, vol- canoes have erupted from the floor of the Pacific Ocean and formed the Hawaiian Islands, which slowly rise from the bottom. Today, those mountains of volcanic rock are a boon for Blasting Technol- ogy Inc., a drilling and blasting company that is hard at work on each of the major islands in the archipelago, operating a fleet of seven surface top hammer drill rigs tapping into this exotic land's solidified lava. Blasting Technology began op- erations in 1987, becoming a sub- sidiary of Goodfellow Bros. Inc., which dates back to 1921. Over time, the business progressed from using small machines to em- ploying cab drill units as it found work on "The Big Island" (Ha- waii), Maui, Oahu, and Kauai, as well as in rocky soils of a Pacific neighbor, Guam, and in the U.S. mainland coastal states of Oregon and Alaska. The company, which began working on the islands with Tamrock drills (Tamrock was ac- quired by Sandvik in 1997) and Sandvik bits, has now switched exclusively to Sandvik products, with the backbone of the compa- ny's equipment fleet being the Sandvik DX800 drill, four of which are being operated on construction sites and in quarries. This drill rig has a record of reliably and productively puncturing the island rock, leaving behind smooth, vertical holes for the blasters. Now, however, Blasting Technology is quarrying rock with a new generation of drill rigs, the Sandvik DP1500i. "Accountants must love this machine," says Chris Haynes, Blasting Technol- ogy foreman. "I can't imagine how anyone would not want to use these machines, just for the fuel savings." General Manager Ted Fritzen runs the numbers. He notes that, with the five-gallon-an-hour savings and 40 hours of operation a week, annual fuel savings are nearly $50,000. "That's remark- able," he says. The savings are not theoretical either, as Fritzen reached that conclusion after fueling and monitoring DP1500 and DP1500i drills that were working side by side. Lower fuel usage has the corollary effect of creating less pol- luted air. Sandvik engineers say the DP1500i's fuel efficiency results in 35 tons less carbon dioxide emissions at 2,500 engine hours than what is produced by its predecessor. The drill rig also has a patented dust-binding system that contains the worst of the airborne refuse thrown up by a penetrating drill bit, which means that the machine is friendly to the environment. This is an important consideration anywhere, but a necessity on projects in Hawaii. The DP1500i is a 24-ton, tracked, self-propelled top hammer rock drill rig standing 10 1/2 feet high at the cab, with a lower center of gravity than earlier models, meaning that this center of gravity provides greater stability while operating. The rig carries a pivoting, telescopic boom, which allows the working end to drill holes 3.5 to 6 inches in diameter, and is fitted with a high- frequency drifter, which boosts the rate of penetration. The unit is powered by a Tier 4 interim Caterpillar engine, with the engine's fuel efficiency stemming from smart electronic control of engine speed and air compressor and oil cooler fan operations. The heritage of the Sandvik DPi series can be traced to the Tamrock Pantera family of drills, but includes a package of fea- tures developed over the last decade by engineers who refined the parameters for efficient top hammer drilling of 3 1/2- to 6-inch holes. Sandvik engineers say the result is a machine with exemplary performance, day in and day out, paired with practical improvements such as a larger fuel tank, which holds 180 gallons so refueling need not occur every shift. Additional benefits are derived from the new features found on the Sandvik tools used on the unit. "I really like the new Sandvik GT60 tube steels. It helps to keep the holes straight," Fritzen says, comparing the GT60 87-millimeter tube to the 60-millimeter rod on the 1500. "I like the GT60 shoulder drive component and the way the shank lines up. You get a better transfer of the drill's ener- gy to the bit and into the rock. That's another reason why the ma- chine is drilling faster and more efficiently. It's a great performer." Fritzen estimates the new rig was 20 percent more productive "right off the bat" compared to the older model. "With the move up in bit diameter to 4.5 and 5 inches, we were able to maintain the footage and spread the pattern of drilled holes, which also reduces the drilling costs per produced ton," he adds. "We're very pleased with that."

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