Surface Construction and Quarrying according to Epiroc

Good infrastructure is crucial and the demand for equipment to do the job is even higher. To make a profit out of your quarrying business is getting tougher and more efficient tools are always needed. With a more productive and efficient quarrying process, the end result will benefit.

Source: Epiroc

The importance of accuracy

Productivity, and the need to control ground vibrations, mean that drillers need effective instrumentation for guidance. Hole orientation, deviation and depth errors must be minimized if production is to be optimized, together with the quality of the end result. Instrumentation for angle setting and hole-depth control increases the accuracy of drilling and reduces the potential for human error. Improved accuracy in setting out the drill pattern saves time, drill meters and explosives.

The hole must be collared at the right location and maintain the correct alignment, as well as end at the predetermined depth – which may or may not make an allowance for sub-drilling below the required final level.

Modern hole alignment instruments offer greater drilling precision, with automatic depth control and drill feed stop. This leads to less overdrilling, better fragmentation, and the formation of flat benches after blasting, all of which add up to lower drilling and blasting costs. In addition, ground vibration will be minimized, which is particularly important in urban areas.

Source: Epiroc

Dimension stone production

Dimension stone is quarried by cutting or separating by some other means, large blocks of stone from the natural rock mass. The size of individual blocks produced depends on a number of factors, including the homogeneity of the rock itself, the ability of the quarry operator to handle the rough stone, and the required end-use for the stone once it has been shaped. A typical block size might be in the order of 6 m3 (200 ft3), which would relate to a block weight of 10–18 t, depending on the density.

 

Dimension stone quarry process. Source: Epiroc

The way an individual quarry is operated can vary enormously. The physical characteristics of the rock mass (how homogeneous it is, and whether there are defined lines of weakness such as regular fracturing or lamination), the size of both the resource and the market for its products, and the financial resources of the operator, all play a role in deciding the quarry design and capacity. In a large-scale operation, the first stage in production is to loosen individual blocks that may contain thousands of cubic meters of material, from quarry benches 10 m or more in height.

Conversely, a small-scale quarry may have very limited output, produce raw blocks weighing 5–10 t, and have a lower bench height that is suited to available production technology.

Hole Navigation System (HNS)

Planning ahead results in fewer surprises. The hole angles and the blasting direction are set in the drill plan which is transferred to the rig. When you have drilled according to the drill plan, you can run the information that the rig has gathered to plan the blast.

The Hole Navigation System uses the information and helps you to drill parallel holes to the correct depth. This gives you uniform benches. A well-controlled blast results in better fragmentation, which reduces the number of boulders. Fewer boulders mean less secondary breakings.

With good fragmentation, it is easier to fill the loader buckets. Full buckets mean fewer trips to fill the transportation unit. Effectively loaded transportation units, thanks to good fragmentation, meaning fewer trips to the crusher.

Source: Epiroc
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