Over many eons, volcanoes 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 Technology 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 operations in 1987, becoming a subsidiary of Goodfellow Bros. Inc., which dates back to 1921. Over time, the business progressed from using small machines to employing cab drill units as it found work on “The Big Island” (Hawaii), 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 acquired by Sandvik in 1997) and Sandvik bits, has now switched exclusively to Sandvik products, with the backbone of the company’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 Technology 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 remarkable,” 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 polluted 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 features 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 energy to the bit and into the rock. That’s another reason why the machine 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.”
The drill rig is laid out to ensure ease of maintenance and troubleshooting. Hoses are conveniently routed, and the service doors provide easy access.
The new generation of button drill bits is a factor in increased production. However, it is the machine’s software that plays a crucial role in its enhanced function, with the “i” in the model number standing for “intelligence.” The system can communicate to the operator information such as the condition of a hole being reamed from the rock, the parts and systems that need servicing, and the number of hours the drifter has been operating. When something fails on the computer-controlled rig, a self-diagnostics system is able to determine what part or circuit is experiencing the problem.
“Trouble-shooting is much easier,” says Haynes, whose job is to keep rigs out of trouble and to fix them when trouble arises. “You get all the error messages on the screen in the cabin and they tell you where to look. The drill rig is laid out better than the older model to do trouble-shooting — the way the hoses are routed, the gullwing service doors, the way the components are installed. If the computer finds an error, it tells you exactly where to look.” The unit also has a new air control circuit, which increases the efficiency of the compressor, a significant upgrade. “The DP1500i has plenty of air and power,” Fritzen notes.
A machine’s efficiency is not divorced from an operator’s efficiency, and the DPi series provides a safe and comfortable workspace for the operator. The operator’s pressurized and insulated cabin has an air filtration system, as well as an air conditioning unit, so the person at the controls isn’t distracted by discomfort. Bright and clear monitoring screens, armrest-integrated joy sticks, and a nimble drilling control system provide the operator firm control of their work, with the cab’s glass front providing high visibility with a high-tensile steel grille to protect it against flying rock.
“The visibility is better; the windows are bigger, and there are more of them,” Haynes says. He notes that the company’s drill operator, Pete Peterson, appreciates the improvements made on the machines. With the fuel tank and water tank inside the carrier, the tip factor is reduced, making operation easier, which Peterson also enjoys.
As Blasting Technology plans to expand its operations, the greater efficiency of the new models means that it can keep its current work crew of less than a dozen people and still take on more projects because of the 20-percent increase in drilling productivity — just one more boon for a drilling and blasting contractor based in paradise. AM
Article courtesy of Sandvik Construction.