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Complete package rig exceeds expectations

Fri, 02 Aug 2019 00:22:01 GMT

From Quarry Magazine August 2, 2019

Donnelly Blasting Services (DBS) is headquartered in Jimboomba, in southeast Queensland. The Australianowned, family-run business conducts work in numerous quarries and construction and dam projects in southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales, with about 80 per cent of its clients being quarries.

The company offers the full rock on ground service. To quote Dan Donnelly, “we do everything in-house – the surveying, markout, boretrack design, shotfiring, monitoring, and drilling”.

His father and company founder Jason added: “We float our rigs, mark our own holes, survey, drill our own holes, load the fire, do all the reporting, all the surveying and all the blast monitoring ourselves. For our explosives, we use Orica as a contractor but we also have our own explosives trucks.”

Jason started the business 20 years ago after he spent 10 years as a shotfirer for Orica Mining Services. He wanted to pursue a career as a part-time contract shotfirer but ultimately formed a business that today employs 30 staff, including around 20 drill operators, and keeps him busy full-time.

DBS has a modern fleet of Epiroc smart rigs and specialised rigs that can be configured for special project requirements. Added to that are mobile manufacturing units (or ANFO trucks) with augering and blowloading capabilities, a 25-tonne excavator with rock breaker and a 30-tonne widening tri-axle low loader.

Jason said the company has built its reputation on flexibility, which is “we’re able to do what the customer wants”.

“We have GPS guidance on our rig – a lot of the larger rock on ground services don’t have that,” he said. “We can control the whole outcome because we do the whole job. We put the extra holes in, we control the drilling [with machine guidance] – we understand what’s going on with the drilling. We have the latest technologies in the drills, so we’re saving our customers money. Some other companies can use up to 400 or 500 litres of fuel a day – we’re down to below 200. We work with our customers for a better outcome.”

DBS’s association with drill rig manufacturer and supplier Epiroc covers nearly the whole lifetime of the business.

“We started with Ingersoll-Rand, which was bought by Atlas Copco,” Jason recalled. “It’s been a long association but we’ve probably used Atlas Copco [now Epiroc] for 15 years. We ended up changing to them from another brand for the technology, fuel burn, operator comfort, reliability and product support.”

Sound of silence

DBS’s 20-strong Epiroc/Atlas Copco drill rig fleet comprises manual-operated PowerROC T35s, as well as numerous smart rigs that operate via machine guidance including ROC D7Cs, ROC D9Cs, and up to six SmartROC T40 rigs. The contractor has also recently taken delivery of some SmartROC C50 COPROD rigs. Some of the DBS rigs are also equipped with sound suppression for environmental drilling restraints (eg noise pollution), reducing the noise factor by about 10 decibels.

“I can be 20 metres away from it and I can pick up my phone and ring you and you’d hear background noise, and that’s all,” Jason said. “The silenced kit takes the ringing, the high frequency out of it – it reduces that steel on steel sound.”

“It doesn’t echo down the valley like a traditional drill rig would,” Dan added.

One of these sound-suppressed (or silenced kit rigs) – a ROC D9C – has been working at Fulton Hogan’s Stonemaster Quarry, on the Gold Coast, on an integrated program devised by Cement and Aggregate Consulting Services (CemAgg) to raise the quarry’s productivity by as much as 20 per cent.

DBS has successfully collaborated with CemAgg and Fulton Hogan on a program comprising drone surveillance, quarry design, machine control and site-based GPS surveying to extract Stonemaster Quarry’s remaining reserves. An in-depth explanation of this service has been explained in a previous issue of Quarry.

The second silenced kit rig – a SmartROC T40 – has been recently working on a greenstone deposit at Fulton Hogan’s Blue Rock Quarry, at Cedar Creek, also in southeast Queensland. According to CemAgg, Blue Rock has a more challenging geology than Stonemaster Quarry, coupled with new development works that require careful planning so that future production is not constrained by limited supply of higher raw grade feed.

The SmartROC T40 is equipped for hole diameters in the 76-127mm range, with maximum hydraulic pressure of 220 bar and a maximum impact rate of 44 to 53 Hz. It features a folding boom system, aluminium profile feed beam, hydraulic cylinder feed beam and a carousel-type rod handling system, with 1 + 7 rods.

The 15-tonne unit is powered by a 168kW, turbo-charged Tier 3 or Tier 4 Caterpillar C7.1 ACERT engine at 2200 revolutions per minute and features an Atlas Copco OIS K-36-C111 GD screw compressor, with a maximum working pressure of 10.5 bar and free air delivery of 153 litres per second. The engine and compressor speed is self-adjusting, according to demand. Three variable hydraulic pumps lower engine speed during non-drilling periods and tramming. Automatic cooler and dust fan controls are standard.

Best results

Epiroc’s optional machine guidance systems on the T40 comprise the Measure While Drilling (MWD), Hole Navigation System (HNS) and ROC Manager software. The HNS in particular manages hole position, inclination, correct aiming and the required hole length (as defined in the prepared drill plan) via the global navigation satellite system (GNSS). As a result, it can decrease the drill and blast cost per every cubic metre produced.

“We utilise site navigation, so the driller can walk in and utilise the boom as much as possible,” Dan said. “The machine’s not moving the carrier, it’s moving the boom to the next hole. And with the navigation, we can use the automatic set-up, which means we can get great accuracy.”

It was at Blue Rock Quarry that the silenced kit T40 recorded some of the best results in relation to penetration and fuel usage. Daniel Kirwan, Epiroc’s regional manager for the Brisbane and Mackay regions of Queensland, remotely monitored the performance of the rig and according to that data, the T40 drilled 487m in one shift (of around 11 to 12 hours’ duration) at total drill power and capacity, burning through just 187 litres of fuel – exceeding regular performance expectations.

“It’s a pretty good record – to do that many metres in day,” Kirwan explained. “When you start looking at the fuel usage, it pretty much works out as 0.4 litres per metre drilled, which is really good. Normally, the T40s will burn through 0.5 or 0.6 litres per metre. That equates to around 15 litres per hour.”

“It far exceeded our expectations,” Jason said. “Years ago, if we got 200 metres a day, that was a good day on the previous drill and you would burn 400 litres of diesel. This is how far technology has taken us in such a short period of time.”

“It was amazing,” Dan added, “since the industry average is a litre per metre – the rule of thumb – and there are a lot of machines that are well over a litre per metre.”

Kirwan attributed Epiroc’s 64-127mm T51 speed rods at a 3.6m length as a major factor in the metres per litre drilled.

“By having our rod, [DBS was] able to up the impact pressure on the rock drill,” he explained. “Essentially, they’ve been able to increase the impact rate on the drifter to get more metres. And to do that you need to have drill strength capable of standing up to the increased pressure.

“With our shanks and rods there wasn’t breakage and because of the rod quality they could run the drill harder, whereas lesser quality rods would break when you put that much pressure up. So that was definitely a big part of it – being able to increase the performance of the rock drill and have the driller consumables to match it.”

Kirwan said it was a testament of Epiroc’s history and expertise. “Epiroc’s been making rods for the best part of 100 years. It manufactures premium rods at a premium price. What we have is probably the longest lasting, highest quality rod.”

All the parties agree that for these results to be replicated by another rig in another quarry setting, there needs to be a combination of factors.

“As the operator was getting more comfortable with the rig and winding more power into it,” Jason said, “we could see the metres going up and up. That was the thing that was really great about his performance on that shot, it was a good designed shot, good bench preparation, all the stars aligned on it.”

“It’s an example of a customer that’s using all the features of the Epiroc machine,” Kirwan said. “Some customers may just buy the rig for the fuel savings or may just take a silencer kit. But DBS has purchased the whole lot: the silencer kit, the HNS and the fuel burn all working together with the rod package. They’re using the whole Epiroc package to get the best results.”

At the leading edge

DBS and Epiroc have reported positive feedback about the performance of the smart rigs. Jason Donnelly said that quarry operators were genuinely surprised by the drilling results.

“When we take the T40 into a quarry, the quarry manager comes around and asks, ‘How many metres did you do today?’ And the operator will say, ‘150, 170’. The manager will go ‘Really?’ and then they’ll go back and check the fuel book and they come back and confirm the next day that it wasn’t a one-off. And they’re like, ‘Wow! I’m glad we’ve got this now!’ They realise that, compared to other drill rigs, 160 metres drilled in a day represents a lot of savings!”

“The bulk of the customers using the T40 are drilling a 89mm hole size and it seems to be the drill of choice, particularly when it comes to penetration rate, fuel burn and then having the technology options on it,” Daniel Kirwan said. “It’s also sort of future-proofed for changes if quarries want to go down the hole navigation path.

“There’s a bigger emphasis in the industry on technology, reducing your fuel burn and having all capabilities built into the machine, so if you go to a site where they want to invest in using hole navigation, you have that capability.

“It comes down to your hole size and capacity, and what you actually want to drill,” Kirwan continued. “The Donnelly guys have set up the T40 and now they’re almost going beyond that to the C50 COPROD to do bigger hole sizes, the 102-115mm holes. If you’re doing the 89-102mm hole size and want to reduce your fuel bill, and potentially look at ways of getting technology into your business, the T40 is definitely a machine to consider.

“We’ve had a lot of success with the T40 on that smaller hole size (89-102mm). We have some newer products like the T45 and the C50, which are the ‘big brothers’ of the T40. Donnelly’s are starting to use some of those machines at the Hanson quarry at Wolffdene to great effect. They are at the leading edge of picking up new technology, trialling new things, which is really good for the market – to challenge the status quo.”

The T40’s positive results at Blue Rock Quarry have prompted DBS to replace the D9C rig with another sound-suppressed T40 at Stonemaster Quarry. The company is gradually replacing the ageing parts of its drill fleet with the smart rigs for its quarry assignments, and its older, more manually operated rigs (such as the PowerROC T35) are being assigned to construction jobs where the need for survey control and estimates has already been determined.

Working with CemAgg and Fulton Hogan on the integrated program at Stonemaster Quarry has also resulted in better machine utilisation for DBS across the board. “The way we conduct our rock on ground is the same but our design is completely different,” Jason said. “We have a path that we take that’s aligned more to pit design. We have a roadmap, we know where we’re headed.”

“We can plan all our maintenance better, we plan our blasting dates further in advance, and we’re not reacting to things in the quarry,” Dan Donnelly added.

The Digital Quarry: An integrated technical approach

Fri, 08 Jun 2018 00:08:56 GMT

The Digital Quarry: An integrated technical approach

June 8, 2018

At the Fulton Hogan Stonemaster Quarry, south of Brisbane, history has been made. The combined vision of Michael Hazell, the quarry’s divisional manager, Robert Hemming, the quarry operations manager of Fulton Hogan, Dan Donnelly, the operations manager for Donnelly Blasting Services, and Steve Franklin, the principal consultant for Cement & Aggregate Consulting, has resulted in exactly that level of improvement.

How? Through implementation of an integrated service consisting of drone survey, quarry design, scheduling and development planning, machine control and site-based GPS survey – an Australian quarry first.

“Fulton Hogan operates two quarries in the Brisbane/Gold Coast corridor and both quarries have geological and geotechnical challenges,” Hazell said. “Blue Rock Quarry has a very complicated geology, coupled with new development works that need to be carefully managed, so that future production is not constrained by limited supply of higher grade raw feed.

“Stonemaster Quarry, on the other hand, is in the twilight of its life and requires careful management to ensure remaining reserves can be predicted and safely extracted, while providing an engineered design that benefits the user after extraction.”

New way forward

A decision was made to focus on the challenges at Stonemaster Quarry first. With the site a prime opportunity for land re-use as a waste facility, it was important to know how much rock remained and what could be done to create a void that would meet the needs of a potential landfill operator. The key requirements identified from initial discussions with Cement & Aggregate Consulting were as follows:

A cost-effective, accurate survey of the site.
A well thought through quarry plan that considered all the factors for safe and effective operation, including geological, geotechnical, environmental and operational considerations.
A schedule showing what material will be available at what time and in what quantity, and accurately identified quarry development requirements.
A quarterly, rolling plan to ensure there was a clear indication of who needs to do what and when.

Based on Hazell’s requirements, it was decided to create a service that quarries traditionally have not had access to. This would not be an internal quarry resource team producing life of quarry concept plans, or a traditional consulting company carrying out approval, permit and design project work. It would be an “outsourced technical services department” that complemented existing internal and external providers and helped extend their work operationally on an ongoing basis.

The team also realised the site couldn’t wear a large upfront cost to build up the design and schedules. Its approach was to provide an end to end service for a monthly retainer that was within the cost constraints of the operation, provided the ongoing support and advice was affordable and there was a single point of contact.

Survey, design, scheduling

Flying the site with drones and using the resultant photogrammetry to provide inputs for quarry planning resolved the requirement for a cost-effective, accurate survey.

Despite significant advances in this area, there was a lot to learn about safe, CASA-compliant flight planning and ground control point layout for a good result. It wasn’t quite as simple as it initially appeared!

The cloud-based platform proved to be a valuable visualisation and short-term planning tool. It was being used for stockpile management, as well as providing an up to date aerial photograph and point cloud information that fed into the planning process.

After an extensive literature review and geological and geotechnical study, a life of quarry design was created with Deswik. CAD, the latest generation of quarry design software.

It provides a range of innovative functions and its support services were the best the outsourced technical department had ever experienced. It was a key success factor in the final outcome.

The stakeholders reviewed the design to ensure all parties could provide their insights into what was required. An immediate benefit from this was the identification by site supervisor Darren Crawford of an opportunity to refine the design, resulting in a further 13 per cent of high quality aggregate material.

With a robust quarry design in place, Deswik scheduling tools were applied to create a quarterly and life of quarry schedule.

Deswik OPSTS was chosen as a short-term scheduling package. This is an integrated module within Deswik.CAD and creates fast, simple schedules that consider not only load and haul, but also all preparatory steps such as clean-up, drill and blast.

Deswik.Sched was used to create the life of quarry schedule. After setting up the mining rules, resources, materials and product yields, “what if” scenarios were run to determine the feasibility of different production scenarios.

As an example of the scheduling model’s use, Hazell asked the team how much material could be supplied under a potential long-term supply contract and what the likely stripping requirements would be.

Within a few hours, the team created five scenarios to test and determine the best way forward.

“As the manager responsible for overall sustainability of the quarry business I am able to predict what stripping campaigns are required and give prediction to corporate office of any upcoming requirements to stripping or changes to stripping amortisation,” Hazell said.

“We can minimise the expense of pit development by understanding upcoming problems and work with customers to find alternative solutions before my hand is forced to paddock dump material, something I can ill afford with limited room available.”

Quarterly planning

With the design and schedule in place, concentration turned to getting a rolling quarterly plan enacted.

The purpose of this plan is to ensure all key stakeholders know what has to be done and at what time. This plan incorporates safety, environmental, geotechnical, geological and quarry planning aspects to provide a whole of quarry quarterly development plan (QDP).

One of the challenges in creating the QDP was to ensure sufficient direction and options were available to provide enough flexibility to deal with the many variables that can occur in operations, eg changing customer requirements, weather, breakdowns, etc.

This process more than any other served to bring the stakeholders together each quarter, to work through all the issues necessary to devise a plan that was not only accurate but practical and adaptable to change.

Driving this process on the ground was Hemming, the site’s SSE and operations manager, who worked to bring it to life.

“This process allows me to have a clear view of the direction we are heading and the route to take to get there,” Hemming said. “It allows us to think and act long term, not short term, and provides traceability of blasts and improved quality outcomes.”

Donnelly said: “There is a uniform approach to the operation of the quarry. All personnel understand the requirements of the quarry from supplying high quality rock to the plant, when stripping is required, and the end of the quarry life uses and requirements.”

Hazell added: “Quarterly quarry design and reviews have resulted in effective collaboration between team members, from the pit excavator operator through to the quarry operations manager and with the drill and blast contractor. Our people are on board and know where they are headed.”

Another part of the QDP was reconciliation of planned movement to actual movement. Using the Deswik.CAD reconciliation tool, a visual representation of how the site had performed during the period was created, highlighting which areas were taken that should have been and which areas were taken that shouldn’t have been, and an overall picture of production.

A further challenge was to develop an integrated system that met the needs of all stakeholders and their respective systems. This led to significant research and trials into how best to turn designs into the specific files needed for survey, machine control and blast design.

Ground survey

Once the QDP system was implemented, the team realised it had missed a key requirement – a ground-based survey was needed to ensure blasts were placed in accordance with design. Failure to do so could result in wall damage and loss of areas deeper in the pit needed for future ramps and berms.

The team also learned that a good design was nothing if the local quarry management and supervision couldn’t visualise it on the ground.

Initially it was thought that external surveyors were needed due to the cost and complexity of running survey equipment. However, based on advice from Position Partners, trials found good results could be obtained from relatively inexpensive Topcon RTK-type GPS survey equipment that relied on a regional correction signal rather than via an expensive base station.

Drill and blast

In late 2017 the drill and blast contract was put out for tender. One of the changes made to the contract was the addition of a sliding scale of pricing based on blast size.

An additional change was the requirement for the drill and blast contractor to provide RTK GPS survey equipment to ensure blasts were laid out in the correct geospatial location.

During the tender process, Donnelly Blasting Services (DBS) strongly embraced the concept of better blast scheduling, planning against design, and survey, ultimately retaining the contract. DBS immediately invested in its own RTK GPS rover, in this case an identical set-up to the one Cement & Aggregate personnel were using, ensuring commonality of equipment and sharing of design data.

“Utilisation of an RTK GPS rover on-site, loaded up with the current design files, enables us to mark out blast from design, mark out final crests and toes and carry out spot checks for quarry management to ensure that we are on the correct path,” Donnelly said. “It also gives us confidence that we are blasting in the correct location and reduces the number of site visits.”

3D Machine control

A benefit of the improved survey was the better level control. Smooth floors and correct grade roads reduce tyre damage, reduce truck cycle time and improve blasting results.

With this in mind, a decision was made to fit a 3D machine control system to the primary loading tool, to further enable the good work that was being done.

A Topcon machine control system was fitted to the Cat 390D excavator and has now been in use for some months. The operator is particularly enthusiastic about the system and is regularly achieving a tolerance of +/-0.1m, ensuring the design vision is realised quickly and accurately.

The system also allows for ad-hoc designs in the field. For example, creating a drop cut ramp at a constant 10 per cent is simple using the system, reducing quarry supervisory input and improving support equipment utilisation.

“Through adoption of mine planning we have successfully overcome pit planning issues and have removed the guesswork out of managing the resource,” Hazell said. “Drill and blast results are optimised through better pit preparation and blast design and the pit generally has a very organised appearance. We expect even better results to come, thanks to machine control allowing the operator to dig to a set floor level and not over-dig the shot, leaving a fractured cap rock zone.”

What's next?

A cost-effective site survey has been a critical factor in the success of the service and is an area that is being investigated further. Survey equipment that can be bought for a tenth of the cost of more traditional equipment is being trialled and will give local site personnel the ability to easily visualise and check what the quarry design looks like on the ground. They will also be able to pick up points (such as a blast boundary) and send them to the outsourced technical services department.

The genius of this system is that it is cloud-based, and as soon as a user logs in on the controller they can see any new designs created and download them or upload pick-ups they have carried out for the team.

A further benefit will be to ensure site users have instant access to critical design data without any concerns about version control.

Standardised workflows are also being devised, which will ensure any competent user can quickly use the Deswik software (if they choose) and work their way through the normal week to week, quarter to quarter activities, with things such as file naming and formatting, storage, etc all handled consistently and automatically.

The coming months will also see the trialling of Hole Navigation System on the new state of the art silenced Epiroc T40 drill rig that DBS is soon to commission.

Results

The convergence of a range of technologies is making a big impact. Drone surveys provide the inputs for accurate and timely planning. World class design and scheduling software allows for fast turnaround of accurate designs. High accuracy GPS survey equipment and machine control ensure that what is designed becomes reality.

Production in May 2018 was up 28 per cent over the monthly target and the highest on record, despite detailed work on ramps and benches – a tremendous credit to everyone on the site.

A recent reckoning was that, due to better scheduling, the average blast size had trebled since the service was started and the savings resulting from this factor alone had paid for it.

Figuring in the reduction in oversize, reduced maintenance costs and productivity improvements would suggest this approach has a substantial initial and continuing ROI.

A further benefit has been a significant reduction in the amount of management time required to control the operation, freeing them up for other activities.

Donnelly summed up his experience over the past 12 months.

“We are seeing better utilisation of our drill rigs and key staff, and planned maintenance occurs when it is planned because we know what production requirements are in advance,” he said.

“Utilisation of loading tool machine control ensures that the correct floor heights are dug to, ensuring that sub-drill is left behind, and we have flat floors to safely drill from.”

Hemming said: “We used to run things day to day. Now we can look out into the future, saving ourselves valuable time and improving the quality of the work and our products”.

Hazell concluded: “To cap it off, I am seeing better productivity through the plant. Better blast results, better haul road design, better planning and more engaged staff have literally given our Stonemaster Quarry a 20 per cent lift in productivity.”

Better productivity

Is 20 per cent better productivity possible? This case study proves it is. It could also be just the start of a range of digital initiatives that will see this site and other early adopters of this service make continued and significant strides towards getting the most out of their resources.

Some examples of this include advanced drone analytic services, quarry design optimisation and integration of the scheduling system with stockpile logistics management and sales optimisation software from Trimble and KillerBee.

The technological advances of the past 12 months brought into a unified whole really do bring about the goal of a “digital quarry”.

New drills for Queensland dam project

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:18:12 GMT

From Quarry Magazine January 8, 2009

Queensland blasting contractor Donnelly Blasting Services has recently switched to Sandvik drill rigs for the extraction of around five million tonnes of rock for the construction of Stage 3 of the Hinze Dam project, on Queensland' s Gold Coast.

Donnelly Blasting Services is responsible for drilling and blasting works in a quarry adjacent to the dam project, before it is excavated and trucked to the dam site.

After many years of operating another brand of blast hole drills, company owner Jason Donnelly has in the last six months purchased DP1100 drill rigs and a DX800 rig to work on the quarry site.

Mr Donnelly is a no-nonsense operator and does the job to the best of his and his team's abilities. He did not seriously consider a switch until late in 2007.

'Up until the start of this year, I'd been operating another brand of drill rigs and hadn't really given much thought to other makes on the market,' he said. 'I'd come to know the pros and cons of the equipment we were operating and the levels of service and support we were receiving.

'Then someone suggested I look at Sandvik's drill rigs. We bought our first DP1100 in January, a second mid-year and the DX800 recently. We evaluated each machine before we purchased them and the performance of the equipment and the price were the deciding factors,' said Mr Donnelly.

He said availability was also a factor in the sale, as Sandvik had the machines in stock, and he was impressed with Sandvik's back up and support mechanisms. 'We have to drill and blast two million cubic metres of rock on this project so the performance of the rigs is critical,' Mr Donnelly explained. 'There were some initial teething issues which Sandvik was quick to address, so I've been really pleased with the way things have gone.'

Mr Donnelly said the new drill rigs were also popular with his operators. 'The operators really enjoy the equipment and since we introduced the rigs to this job we've pretty much had zero sick days. They can be long days in the rigs – up to 11 hours a day, Monday to Friday – so operator comfort is a key issue,' he said.

DRILL RIG FEATURES
Donnelly Blasting Services operates three surface drill rigs on the Hinze Dam Stage 3 project.

The DX800, fitted with a HL800T hydraulic top hammer rock drill, can drill vertical, inclined or horizontal holes, with diameters of 64-127 mm.

Both the rock drill and articulated boom are mounted on a rotating superstructure, giving a drilling coverage of 17.6 m2 (which can be extended to 26.4 m2) – giving increased productivity and versatility in tight or poor underfoot conditions.

The larger DP1100 drills 89-140 mm vertical, inclined or horizontal holes using 51 mm and 60 mm extension rods, or 102-140 mm holes with 76 mm and 87 mm rods.

In difficult ground conditions, Rock Pilot tube drilling, where a 76 mm or 87 mm special tube replaces the first rod, gives significantly improved results.

This rig is equipped with Sandvik?s HL 1010 hydraulic top hammer rock drill, featuring high rotation torque, proper flushing and the Rock Pilot control system, allowing the rig to handle a wide range of rock conditions. A telescopic boom allows fast hole spotting and set up of the feed.

Both rigs have large, roomy, full-vision ergonomically designed cabins with low-effort joystick controls to increase operator comfort and efficiency – and which exceed all safety and environmental standards for an operator-working environment.

These cabs are fully ROPS and FOPS certified, with laminated safety glass and noise levels of less than 80 dBA.

Optimum visibility to the drilling spot is achieved by locating all controls on the seat armrests and side panels of the cabin.

Source: Spitfire Communications/Sandvik Mining and Construction