Finnish company Robit exhibited its S Sense drill hole measuring technology at this month's
The patented system is designed to measure the straightness of surface production holes bored during the percussive drilling process. The deviation data is visible to the rig operator immediately after retracting the drill string from the hole, and automatically transmitted to the Sense cloud service for storing and wider visibility.
The S Sense measuring technology is paired with standard top hammer drill rods with an adapter and removes the need for manual measurement.
The current software and drill string configurations are suitable for top hammer drilling applications in quarrying and open pit mining.
The technology is currently available for 70mm to 102mm holes. It comprises a suspended measuring module with intertial sensors, a data transmitter, a wireless charger and a tablet computer with user interface. S Sense is a standalone retrofit system and can be installed on any top hammer drill rigs.
Kari Alenius, VP EMEA at Robit, said drill holes often deviate from the desired direction which can lead to potential safety issues.
"Quarries are often close to populated areas so it's very important that the explosives operator knows where the holes end up," said Alenius.
He added that the S Sense technology has two main benefits. Firstly, deviation data increases safety as accurate knowledge of spacing between holes and in relation to the face is available. Second, and in contrast to manual systems, S Sense integrates drilling and measuring into a single process step. This way deviation can be minimised throughout the drill pattern, as the driller can alter drilling parameters or change into deviation reducing drill string components. The process change also allows for minimising oversize boulders as their formation can already be addressed during the drilling.
