Sandvik Launches AutoMine Surface Drilling AutoCycle for Fully Autonomous Surface Drilling

Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions is enabling fully autonomous fleet operation of multiple Leopard DI650i drill rigs from a remote control room with the launch of AutoMine Surface Drilling AutoCycle.

The AutoCycle capabilities expand the iDrill automated drilling cycle with autonomous hole-to-hole tramming, path planning, obstacle detection and geofencing.

“With the growing demand for surface drilling automation, we have developed together with key customers our new AutoCycle capabilities to enable fully autonomous fleet operation through the drilling cycle,” said David Hallett, Vice President of Automation at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions. “These capabilities include hole-to-hole tramming without operator involvement for continuous autonomous drilling through the entire pattern. From a control room, an operator can oversee the autonomous operation of multiple surface drill rigs remotely, improving operational safety and increasing productivity and fleet utilization.”

Leopard DI650i iDrill automated drilling cycle covers all steps from boom positioning, drilling and pipe handling to finishing the hole, and ensures consistent high-quality drilled holes.

AutoMine Surface Drilling with geofencing functionality sets the drilling area where remote operation is allowed. The system prevents moving the rig outside of the defined area. Autonomous hole-to-hole tramming enables automatic drill rig relocation according to the drill plan. An operator assigns the hole sequence using a big touchscreen. The AutoMine obstacle detection system can automatically stop the rig and interlock tramming in case of detected obstacles in the stop-zone to avoid collision. The AutoMine Surface Drilling safety system is made according to international safety standards, providing functionality to operate the autonomous drilling system with peace of mind.

AutoMine Surface Drilling AutoCycle together with iDrill intelligent sequences increase efficiency and productivity through consistent and accurate performance as well as the operator’s safety and comfort.

AutoMine Surface Drilling offers scalable automation with three remote operation packages:

• “Line-of-Sight” package is optimized for quick setup when an operator remains close to the drilling area
• “Control Room” package includes enhanced features for locating an operator away from the drilling area into a control room
• “Autonomous” package includes all capabilities to enable AutoCycle with a fully autonomous operation for a fleet of Leopard DI650i drill rigs.