Simba SM60 S: a breakthrough in small drift production drilling - Equipment Journal

With a new carousel design and automation features, Epiroc’s new Simba SM60 S long-hole production drill rig for small to medium-sized drifts is built to deliver optimal performance without compromising on safety.

As part of Epiroc’s Smart series, the new production drill rig is equipped with a wide range of automation options, designed to increase operator safety, drilling quality and productivity.

Epiroc has equipped the machine with automation software such as Feed Speed Control Impact (FSCI), used to control the rock drill and automate positioning to hole toe, which ensures correct utilization of the machine and improves drilling performance.

The updated electrical control system and the automation software features can significantly contribute to safe productivity by removing the operator from hazardous areas.

“Epiroc’s advanced technology enhances our customers’ operations by boosting productivity, and more importantly, by improving safety standards. We are proud to be at the forefront of accelerating the transformation to safer mining practices,” said Rickard Johansson, Vice President of Marketing at Epiroc’s Underground division.

The newly developed RHS 17 single-layer carousel ensures seamless rod handling. With the gripper arms placed inside the carousel, it can easily and quickly move the rods between the carousel and the drill centre, significantly improving operation productivity and drilling performance.

“With the gripper arms placed inside the carousel, each rod handling can save more than 20 seconds, compared to the previous carousel model,” said Mikael Larslin, Global Product Manager for Production Drilling at Epiroc’s Underground Division.

The Simba SM60 S drill rig has one of the lowest transport heights in Epiroc’s fleet of Simba production drills. The new horseshoe-mounted drill unit frame and low-built drill unit are designed to be positioned at the very lowest point, placing the drill unit below the cab roof at a height of 2.8 metres.

“The new horseshoe drill unit frame provides great stability and robustness during drilling, and minimizes the transport height during transportation,” Larslin said. “This makes the Simba SM60 S an ideal rig in smaller drift mines.”