Sandvik Mining and Construction has released its NoiseGuard muffler system for surface-top hammer drilling, designed to significantly decrease drill noise levels to those required by ever increasing noise restrictions in urban areas.
The NoiseGuard has been specifically designed for civil engineering sites and quarries in built-up areas.
The system has a suppression capacity of 10 decibels (dBA), resulting in a considerable reduction in the noise levels of a drilling site and in its surroundings.
In addition, it lowers in-cabin noise levels by 8 dBA, resulting in a working environment that is safer, more comfortable and significantly reduces the risk of long term operator hearing damage.
The NoiseGuard muffler system basically consists of a hood and insulation for the rock drill.
The hood is made of a highly durable plastic material, with thin perforated aluminium plates to provide insulation.
These plates, designed to stay in place even with heavy vibration, efficiently block echoes and do not absorb moisture, reducing noise levels while achieving proven long term mechanical durability.
Because the hood covers the feed only, it weighs just 450kg and does not affect the stability of the rig.
The operator?s view from the cabin is unobstructed, as the muffler opens hydraulically for rod changing. The hood can be quickly and easily removed if it is not needed at a particular site.
With very few additional components and minimal wear parts, the maintenance cost for the system is negligible, according to Sandvik.
The NoiseGuard muffler system is designed for its DX type (formerly Tamrock Ranger) self-propelled, self-contained hydraulic crawler drill rigs.
These rigs incorporate a revolving superstructure and articulated boom, with high levels of stability, allowing them to handle very rough terrain. Features include an ergonomic operator?s cab, a powerful hydraulic rock drill and a mechanised rod changer.
The DX rigs can drill holes from 51 to 127 mm in diameter, with depths to 25 m. All rigs sold into the Australian market feature 180? slewing capacity of the superstructure, providing 26.4 m2 drilling coverage and allowing them to drill more holes faster from a single set-up.
Source: Spitfire Communications/Sandvik Mining and Construction