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Sandvik drill rig inspires sustainability

Sandvik showed off its new electric concept drill rig which will pave the way for more sustainable and energy-efficient surface drilling.

Sandvik showed off its new electric concept drill rig at the Vei og Anlegg 2022 exhibition held in Norway on 11-14 May.

The drill is touted to be a versatile research and development (R&D) platform for demonstrating existing or up-and-coming science-backed sustainability technologies on underground drill rigs and loaders.

The innovation for this drill rig can be attributed to transferring previously seen technological advantages into the surface drilling world for the first time. The result is a drill rig that can meet the needs and demands of the quarrying industry.

The drill rig will be the predecessor for future series drill rigs to support more sustainable and energy-efficient surface drilling. Sandvik hopes that the rig will provide a starting point for discussions on customer needs and technological possibilities.

Sandvik understands that builders and contractors are often faced with specific sustainability targets, including electrification of power supply or exhaust and noise restrictions. Due to this, suppliers can sometimes be excluded from projects.

The goal of the new rig is to alleviate these challenges by demonstrating effective solutions designed specifically to overcome problems.

The platform for the rig is the Commando DC300Ri top hammer drill rig and was selected due to its popularity in urban surface drilling applications.

However, it is possible that product development projects may lead to different, larger drill rigs.

Depending on the customer’s needs, the drill rig can be operated on direct electric power or battery power. Hybrid power supply using a small diesel generator is also possible.

Sandvik surface drilling division vice president, R&D and product management Lauri Laihanen said that having input from customers about their needs was an important development factor.

“We want to have a dialogue, to ensure we really understand the customer’s actual needs and are tackling the right problems together. It’s about customer orientation, rather than technology orientation,” she said.

The new drill rig will help Sandvik achieve its sustainability goals, including its aim to halve their carbon footprint by 2030.

This goal will be the driving force behind the company’s desire to create more circular business models, better energy efficiency and the decarbonisation of the entire industry.

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