New life for Canadian mine - Atlas Copco

his recommendation that the latest AtlasCopco rigs be used.In February when simultaneous excavationof the tunnels was in full process,there were more than 600 workers at thesite. Today there are 480. Drilling crewswork 14-day shifts with seven days offwhile ground engineering and civil constructionteams work 11 day-shifts andthree days off.JCCC has a turnkey contract to deliver anew 24 km stretch of road complete with sixtunnels and five bridges and is responsiblefor all civil works.Atlas Copco rigs bring to our fleet and tothe Ruta 150 project were clear.“The cost is substantial but in my opinionit is worth it. And the same goes for ourdrillers, and they also trained our serviceand maintenance technicians within thecontext of a three-month support contract.“This meant that the crews were able toPioneering spiritFounded 90 years ago by José Cartellone,JCCC was the first company in the Argentinemining industry. Today, it has extensiveactivities in heavy engineering, tunnels,hydroelectric plants and road constructionwith operations in almost all Latin Americancountries as well as in Saudi Arabia.Mario Laudani, of Atlas Copco Argentina,comments: “Cartellone is a company witha prestigious past and a very interestingfuture. Its commitment to quality, safety,and the environment has put them in an outstandingposition and the fact that it is nowthe first company to use this Boomer XE3 Cin Argentina is no coincidence.”Daniel Castro says he is impressed withthe performance of the rigs. “We are veryproud to be the first to get this three-boomjumbo. It is the new generation Boomerwith the RCS control system and a laserguidedfunction that allows the drillerto select the coordinates x, y and z and aprogam that defines the exact position foreach hole.“We use the rig in the ABC Regular modeand I think it is excellent. The performanceis high, even for our high safety and qualitystandards. The driller works in a comfortableand protected environment – theway everybody should work in a moderncompany.”He continues: “We tested the new rigsagainst older rigs of a different brand insimilar conditions, and the benefits that theThe performance ofthis three-boom rigis very good, even for our highstandards.Daniel Castro, Manager Road Construc tion and Mining, JCCC.Boomer E2 C, which has the same technologybut with only two booms and which isbeing used in the shorter tunnels.”The rigs are equipped with raiseable,high-reach cabins, heavy-duty hydraulicbooms BUT 45 and COP 1838 rock drills.Working round the clock, the rigs drillblastholes 45 mm in diameter and 4 m long.The average penetration rate in hard rock is1–1.5 m/min. Eighty holes are drilled foreach round and the tunnel is advanced atthe rate of 6 m per day. Bolt holes 51 mmin diameter are also drilled.Training and serviceAtlas Copco delivered the Boomer E2 C tothe site in 2010 and the three-boom rig inFebruary this year and also provided training.Castro continues: “The best thing withthese rigs is that they are not complicated.When the rigs arrived, two Atlas Copcotechnicians from Sweden came and trainedour drillers, who were then able to train otheroperate the rigs very quickly and since thenthey have been operating continuously. Thevalue of this training is that we have nothad a single breakdown caused by misuseor incorrect operation.”Castro adds that if tunnelling is to beefficient, it must operate “like an industry”.“I believe that drilling, blasting and muckingshould be one continuous process. Continuityis the key factor and the service schedulehas to be followed very closely. If somethingstops working, advance is impossible.”Comfort and safetyFor the drillers the Boomer XE3 C representsa big improvement and has helpedthem to overcome the difficult geology andand harsh conditions. “One of the best aspectsis the extra comfort,” says operatorDiego Molina, “that and the rig’s drillingpower.”Diego and his brother Luís, both fromEcuador, operate the rig in different shiftsand both have previous experience ofcomputerized rigs which Diego Molinasays made it easier for them to adapt to theBoomer XE3 C.“It’s a very modern and advancedmachine,” he adds, “and I particulary like thehigh-reach cab and the 360-degree visibility.It gives you complete control. You canbe sure that there is no-one near the rigwhen it is in operation and that there are noproblems with any hoses. This makes it areally safe rig to handle.”6 Mining & Construction – 3 / 2011