Underground

Drilling Common
RCS
Application and operating
Application and operating
Course agenda

Questions you should be able to answer after this chapter:

1. Introduction 10. Navigation
 What are the applications  Where to find rock drill
2. Safety 11. Air and water system for the rig? setting document?

 What are the limits for each  What is the principle of

3. Maintenance 12. Hydraulic system rig family? percussion drilling?

4. Application and operating  What are the safe operating  Understanding the purpose
13. Electric system practices? of the four functions?
5. RCS Trainer  Where are the controls?
14. Functions Carrier
6. RCS Drilling - Common  What does each control do?
15. Carrier  What are good practices?
7. RCS Drilling - Boomer/Boltec
16. Functions Emergency stop COP:
8. Analytical troubleshooting  What is the available COP
product range?
9. RCS Drilling – Simba
 What is the working
10. Control system (Sensor and principles of shock wave?

calibration/speeds)  How does the

impact/damper mechanism
work?

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Application
Application and operating
The objective

• For the tunneller - Make the tunnel face advance as fast as possible
– Fulfill the requirements for the design (minimize over break)
– Time and cost are strongly related
– Meet the safety and environmental regulations
– Utilization of the equipment is low
• For the miner - Fulfill production or development goals in tonnes/m3 or meters
advanced
– Mine the production tonnes or development tunnel as cheap as possible
– Minimize the dilution of the ore and reduce over break
– Ensure a high utilization of the equipment
– Meet the safety and environmental regulations

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Application and operating
The objective

• Face drilling rigs

• Coverage area from 23m2 to 205 m2
(m) approx.

4.9 – 13
4.5 – 18

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Application and operating
The objective

• Rock reinforcement rigs

• Capable of installing from 1.5 to 6 m bolts
• Roof heights up to 13 m

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Application and operating
Simba

• Production drilling
• Hole range 51 – 178 mm
• Maximum hole length 63 m

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Application and operating
Cabletec

• Cable bolting rig

• Maximum hole length 25 m

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Operating
Application and operating
Park brake test

1. Make sure that the parking brake is applied

2. Start the diesel engine and engage 2nd gear
3. Gradually increase engine rpm to maximum
4. Check the rig for movement. If the rig moves the
brakes must be repaired or replaced without delay

Note
Do not continue this test for more than 4 seconds

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Application and operating
Service brake test

1. Start the diesel engine

2. Depress the brake pedal and hold it down
3. Release the parking brake
4. Engage 2nd gear
5. Gradually increase engine rpm to maximum
6. Check the rig for movement. If the rig moves the brakes
must be repaired or replaced without delay

Note
Do not continue this test for more than 4 seconds

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Application and operating
Rig stability – Transport/Operating/Parked

Boom and feed straight forward

and fully retracted

At normal transport speed

Boom and/or feed swung out

At inching speed during tramming

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Application and operating
Good practice, setting up the rig

• Start by performing the daily checks.

• Perform the brake tests for service and 1
parking brake.
• Secure and pull out cable and water hose
instead of feeding.
• When setting up the rig, always start by 2
putting the front jacks out fully and then down
until the rig is horizontal sideways. Then the
rear jacks.
• Remember to pull the cable and water hose to
the side in the drift to prevent damages from 3
being driven over by other vehicles.

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Controls
Application and operating
Control panels for driving

General descriptions,
may differ from
different rig models

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Application and operating
A71 Driving Panel

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Application and operating
A71 Hydraulic panel

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Application and operating
A76 Panel

A B C D E F G H H I J K

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Application and operating
Drilling controls

• These are the different Rig Control System panels

Rig Control System 5 (RCS5) Rig Control System 4 (RCS4) Rig Control System 3 (RCS3)

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Drilling/Rock drills
Application and operating
Drilling methods

Raise boring
Top hammer

In-The-Hole
COPROD

Rotary
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Application and operating
Basic rock drill settings

• In the documentation delivered with the rig there is a document

with recommended settings for the rock drill.
• Settings varies depending on rig model.
• Include accumulators charge pressure

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Application and operating
Rock drills: Boomer

• COP 1238
• COP 1638
• COP 1838
• COP MD20
• COP 2238
• COP 3038
• COP 4038

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Application and operating
Rock drills: Simba - Tophammer

• COP 1638
• COP 1838
• COP 2550
• COP 3060
• COP 4050

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Application and operating
Rock drills: Boltec

• COP 1132 / RR11

• COP 1435 / RR14

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Application and operating
Rock drills: Simba – In The Hole

• COP 34
• COP 44
• COP 54
• COP 64

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Application and operating
Settings: Where to find a rock drill settings?

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Application and operating
Where documentation

• DocMine
– Rock drill
Documentation
o Rock drill setting
– Rig documentation
– Spare part list

https://documoto.digabit.com/html/

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3. Application and operating - COP
Basic functions

• The rock drill has four different functions - Feed,

Impact, Rotation and Flushing. All four are vital for
drilling in rock.
• Feed: keeps the drill bit placed against the rock
during drilling and to keep the drill steel joints tightly
together.
• Impact: sends a shockwave through the drill string
in order to crush the rock.
• Rotation: turns the drill bit to a suitable new
position for the next stroke and to keep the drill steel
joints tightly together.
• Flushing: cleans rock face for the drill before the
impact comes. Drill cuttings are removed from the
hole bottom to the surface by water flushing or air
blowing, or a combination (water mist).
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3. Application and operating - COP
Key components

• The COP consists of five major parts:

1. Front head
2. Gears and motors
3. Intermediate part
4. Cylinder housing
5. Back head

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3. Application and operating - COP
Key components: 1. Front head

• Shank adapter transmits impact energy,

rotation, feed force and flushing media to
the drill string.
• Drill collar is used for drilling upward and
prevents dirt from entering the front bushing.
• Front bushing guides the shank adapter.
• Flushing head it contains cup seals which
seal the flushing media between the front
head and shank adapter.
• Stop ring serves as an end stop for axial
movements of the shank adapter. When
withdrawing the rock drill, the shank adapter
is held by the stop ring.
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3. Application and operating - COP
Key components: 1. Front head (with extractor device)

• Extractor device is optional on some

drilling machines. It is used for extracting
stuck drill strings.

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3. Application and operating - COP
Key components: 2. Gears and motors

• Gear is mounted on a shaft with involute splines.

• Rotation motor is an orbit type hydraulic motor.
The motor drive shaft drives the gears inside the
gear housing.
• Rotation chuck are supported by two tapered
roller bearings.
• Driver is housed inside the rotation chuck, and
transfers rotation motion to the shank adapter by
means of splines.
• Gear housing A linear gear with a gear ratio of
2.19:1 is housed inside the gear housing.
• Gear cover preloads the two sets of roller
bearings.

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3. Application and operating - COP
Key components: 3. Intermediate part

• Damper piston is positioned against the rotation

chuck bushing, which in turn is in contact with the
shank adapter.
• Liner is used to guide the damper piston. The liner
contains seal rings and an O-ring.
• Rotation chuck bushing links the shank adapter to
the damper piston
• Piston seal housing contains two seals and is
press fitted into the intermediate parts.
• Damper accumulator is charged with nitrogen and
is mounted externally on the left side of the
intermediate part.
• Intake accumulator is charged with nitrogen and is
mounted externally on the right side of the
intermediate part.
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3. Application and operating - COP
Key components: 4. Cylinder housing

• Impact piston is housed in two piston guides,

one at each end of the cylinder.
• Piston guides prevent the impact piston lands
from touching the cylinder walls, and ensure that
the piston always strikes the shank adapter
squarely.
• Piston valve plunger it directs the main
hydraulic pressure to the impact piston.
• Stroke regulating plug when turned, the plug
opens or closes different stroke regulation
channels, which directs the hydraulic oil to the
opposite side.
• Return accumulator this accumulator prevents
vibrations of the return hydraulic hose.

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3. Application and operating - COP
Key components: 5. Back head

• Rear piston seal housing contains two

seals and is press-fitted into the back head.
It is held in place between the cylinder and
the back head. The seals prevent oil from
leaking out of the impact mechanism
section.

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3. Application and operating - COP
Impact mechanisms

The COP percussion system can either be:

1. Alternating pressure type (high pressure alternates piston movement back and forward)
2. Constant pressure type (always constant pressure in front of piston and one side of valve
piston).

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3. Application and operating - COP
Percussion system: 1. Alternating pressure type

This is a model which shows the principle of the alternating

pressure impact mechanism. When the piston hits the shank
adapter, the speed of the piston is approximately 10m/s.

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 3. Application and operating - COP
Percussion system: 1. Alternating pressure type (full cycle)

Impact function, alternating

pressure models

 COP 1020 series

 COP 1238

 COP 1800 series

 COP series form 1638 to 2560

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3. Application and operating - COP
Percussion system: 2. Constant pressure type

Impact function, constant pressure type

This is a model which shows the principle of the constant

pressure impact mechanism. When the piston hits the shank
adapter, the speed of the piston is approximately 10m/s

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3. Application and operating - COP
Percussion system: 2. Constant pressure type (full cycle)

Impact function, constant pressure models

 COP 628

 COP 1132

 COP 1140

 COP 1435

 COP MD20

 COP 3038

 COP 3060

 COP 4038

 COP 4050

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3. Application and operating - COP
Damping system

Damping
The hydraulic dual-damping system absorbs and
dissipates the shockwaves from the rock, as well as
establishing the best possible contact between the drill bit
and the rock. This feature makes it possible to transmit
maximum power to crush the rock without risking
untightened threads in the drill string.
Absorbing reflexes: The rock reflexes causes the shank,
the rotation chuck bushing and the damping piston to
move backward inside the rock drill. The damper piston
moves backwards into the two damping chambers. The
absorption of the reflexes is executed in two steps. First in
the main chamber together with the damping accumulator.
Second in the extra chamber where the movement is
stopped and where the reflex energy will be absorbed.

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3. Application and operating - COP
Damping system (full cycle)

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3. Application and operating - COP
Functions

Rotation
• Rotation is transferred to the rotation chuck.
The rotation chuck transfers the rotation to
the driver.
• The driver is shaped like a pear to prevent it
from rotating inside the chuck.
• The splicing of the driver and the shank
adapter allows the shank adapter to move
back and forth while rotating.

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3. Application and operating - COP
Functions - Rotation

• Indexation: impact on new rock, not making powder

hard? soft?
ductile? brittle?
• Torque: creating torque on drill string, to keep couplings tightened

• Assist flushing: makes the flushing media spin, prevents rock debris to accumulate during horisontal
drilling (good to rotate even if percussion is off)
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 3. Application and operating - COP
Functions - Rotation

Good rotation speed Low rotation speed

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3. Application and operating - COP
Functions

Flushing
• It is essential for the bottom of the hole to be clean
and for the cuttings to be continuously removed
from the drill hole. This is done with a flushing
medium, air or water.
• The flushing medium is forced to the bottom of the
hole through a central flushing hole in the drill rod
and flushing passages in the bit. The rock cuttings
are forced out of the drill hole through the space
between the rod and the wall of the hole.
• Water flushing is used for drilling underground. Air
flushing is used for surface drilling.
• Three or four seals prevent the water/air from
entering the COP.

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3. Application and operating - COP
Functions

Rock drill lubrication

• Electronic controlled lubrication (ECL) is used
to lubricate and cool the rock drill. ECL consists
of an electric pump that pumps COP oil mixed
with compressed air to the rock drill.
• The system lubricates internal rock drill parts that
are NOT lubricated by hydraulic oil or grease. It
also provides efficient cooling for components
inside the rock drill, striking surface of the impact
piston, front part of the damping piston, rotation
shuck busing, driver, shank adapter, splines and
stop ring.

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3. Application and operating - COP
Functions: Extractor device

• When the piston strikes, the shank adapter

moves forward. The movement builds up
pressure in the extractor chamber.
• The high pressure in the extractor chamber
will push the extractor and the piston
backward
• When the piston and extractor moves
backward, there is release of pressure in the
extractor chamber.

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3. Application and operating - COP
Functions: Accumulator pressure

• When the charge pressure is correct, the

diaphragm operates in the correct working
position.

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3. Application and operating - COP
Explain possible problems shown in this movie 1

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3. Application and operating - COP
Explain possible problems shown in this movie 2

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3. Application and operating - COP
Explain possible problems shown in this movie 3

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Application and operating
5 critical steps of maintenance

• New machine • After 400-1000 impact hours

– Charge accumulators – Dismantle the rock drill from the drill rig.
– Set / adjust damper idling pressure Transport the rock drill to an appropriate
workshop for service.
• After the first shift Always check the instructions that comes with
– Tighten all threaded unions the machine for the right service intervals
• Before every shift
– ECL lubrication
– Grease front water seals. *Only MD20
• After every week
– Tighten all threaded unions
– Check the shank adapter
– Check accumulators/Bleeding the return
accumulator
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– Grease the gear
3. Application and operating - COP
Functions: Rock drill lubrication
Rock Drill Lubrication of the gear

COP 3038 Hydraulic Oil

COP 4038 Hydraulic Oil

COP MD20 Hydraulic Oil

COP 1435/RR14 COP Grease

COP 1132/RR11 COP Grease

COP 4050 COP Grease lubricated except for COP 4050MUX

which is oil lubricated

COP 3060 COP Grease

COP 1638 COP Grease

COP 1838 COP Grease

COP 2238 COP Grease

COP 1238 COP Grease

COP 2550 Hydraulic Oil

COP 628 ECL (Lubrication oil mixed with air) Confidential | © 2018 by Epiroc. All rights reserved. 55
Application and operating
Exercise

In the Student Binder the exercise

questions for this chapter is found

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United in performance.
Inspired by innovation.

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