Installation and testing has just been completed at the Atlas Copco factory in Örebro, Sweden, on the first system integration of Carlson Machine Control’s CBx5 control box console running Carlson DrillGrade software on a FlexiROC HEC3 C65 drilling system.
This marks the first successful factory installation of a 3D drilling system integrating Atlas Copco’s new third party protocol available on FlexiROC drills with the HEC3 system.
“Atlas Copco and Carlson Machine Control have worked together to create a very clean and simple upgrade,” states Randy Noland, Vice President and Director of Machine Control for Carlson. “With just a single cable, sensor data and other information are communicated bi-directionally bringing both systems together offering unprecedented integration. This integration brings new and robust 3D features enhancing any drilling operation using FlexiROC with HEC3 drills.”
In addition to providing support for most GPS/GNSS receivers, this system allows users to:
- Navigate and position from within the drill cab without any marks on the surface;
- Easily create a drill pattern in the machine to a terrain model, depth and height;
- Load/change terrain models and localizations easily;
- Import dwg, dxf, csv and IREDES hole data;
- Visualize 3D surfaces in the field on a large, bright 8.4 in. screen; and
- Monitor FlexiROC with HEC3 drill actions such as body pitch and roll, heading, length of current hole, current position of drill bit, drilling stopped, drilling started, drilling aborted, reset hole length and more.
Upgrades and availability
An upgrade kit, which consists of the CBx5 Control Box Console, Carlson DrillGrade software, MC Pro Vx5 RTK Heading Unit, brackets and required cables, will be available soon for qualified, existing FlexiROC with HEC3 system drills. Atlas Copco must qualify the FlexiROC with HEC3 version and provide the protocol. A similar retrofit kit is also available for existing qualifying SmartROC RSP system drills. The CBx5 and MC Pro Vx5 components carry an industry exclusive three-year warranty.
“The fact that the upgrade can be made to a qualified FlexiROC HEC3 system drill in less than a day with just a screw driver, two wrenches and two ratchets is testimony to how well Atlas and Carlson have implemented the ‘plug and play’ integration,” adds Noland. “Installation is much simpler with no axial sensors or encoders to install as is typical with retrofitting a positioning system on a drill. And, a variation of this same system is also compatible with Atlas Copco SmartROC RSP system drills.”
Note that there is a GPS+GLONASS L1/L2 RTK receiver integrated into the Carlson CBx5 control box console that can be activated as an option, but Carlson also offers the world’s largest GPS/GNSS driver library to maximize clients’ existing investments and site compatibility. Customers have the freedom to choose a supported GNSS receiver manufactured by other companies such as Leica, Trimble, Topcon, Septentrio, JAVAD GNSS and others or activate the CBx5’s internal RTK GPS+GLONASS receiver.
Retrofit kits will soon be sourced by authorized Carlson Machine Control dealers around the globe with plans to expand availability by drill equipment providers.
The first of several systems is being delivered to a mine in Finland next week. Additional systems are slated for delivery in March and April 2013.
