A Western Australian gold mine will be the first in the world to utilise the latest top hammer drill from Sandvik.
The Pantera DP1510i rig will be commissioned on-site at a mine in the northern Goldfields region, about 350km north of Kalgoorlie. It has been ordered and supplied by SRG Global, which delivers specialist drill, blast, and geotechnical services to some of Australia’s largest miners.
SRG Global executive general manager for mining services Nathan Steiner said the first-of-its-kind drill rig would join 19 other Sandvik Panteras in the SRG Global fleet.
“We’ve long understood that to get best results with drill-and-blast operations you need to be working with the best equipment,” he said. “That explains our long association with Sandvik, and why we are excited to be putting the new DP1510i into service. When we’re looking for advanced surface rigs, Sandvik is very much our first port of call.”
The newest model was first revealed at MINExpo 2024 in Las Vegas. It represents an upgrade to the Pantera DP1500i and is described as an intelligent, hydraulic, diesel-powered self propelled top hammer drill rig. It is designed for large hole drilling and is particularly well suited to production drilling in large quarries or open pit mines.
Compared to the DP1500i, the Pantera DP1510i boasts a more powerful rock drill with 15 per cent more efficient conversion of hydraulic power to percussion energy. That translates directly either to lower fuel consumption or higher penetration rates.
The flushing head has also been redesigned to ensure easier maintenance and 50 per cent faster shank changes.
Sandvik sales manager for surface drills Michael Forrest said the company appreciated its long-standing partnership with SRG Global.
“(They are) one of those customers who is always eager to embrace new technologies and explore how to do things even better,” he said.
“We’re confident the advanced features of the Pantera DP1510i will help it to fit right into SRG Global’s drill and blast operations.”
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