Sandvik has announced the acquisition of a new testing facility in Finland to boost its development of surface drilling technology.
The test facility was previously a quarry but will be transformed into Sandvik’s first-ever test site for surface drilling. It joins the company’s test mine which is 40 kilometres northwest of the new acquisition.
Surface Drilling at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions president Petri Virrankoski said the acquisition would be a boost for Sandvik’s customers.
“The development of comprehensive solutions that not only harness the latest technologies but also deliver productivity and reliability in our customers’ real-life applications and conditions requires a real-life test environment,” he said.
“The surface test mine will facilitate the exchange of our deep know-how in equipment manufacturing, rock tools, automation and digitalization, supporting the design and development of even more new products and solutions in the future.”
The site will be subject yo construction works over the next two years as Sandvik permanent office buildings and designated customer facilities.
Sandvik will use the test mine for research and development as well as hosting customers for technology demonstrations, particularly those related to automation, digitalization and electrification of surface drills.
The site will enable technology development and training for both surface boom and rotary drill rigs, as well as rock tools, parts and services and related digital technologies such as automation and fleet telematics and monitoring solutions.
The test mine will also allow Sandvik to explore and demonstrate power source alternatives in a real-world environment, in which infrastructure to support both boom and rotary drilling electrification can be provided.
“Decarbonization is accelerating across our industry, and the role of electrification in surface mining sustainability will help guide our development of new systems and solutions,” said Dave Shellhammer, Rotary Drilling president at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions.
“Testing is a major part of our R&D cycle. This new test mine will help us shorten time to market and verify even more swiftly that we’re delivering the safest, most reliable and productive drill rigs to our customers.”