SIMBA Automation and

Remote Control
Why automation?
- Increase safety and efficiency
- Reduce mining production costs
Why remote control?
- To take the most out of the advantages
of automation

SIMBA Automation
1984

SIMBA H222S - LKAB

1985

SIMBA H259S - Austria

1990

SIMBA ECS Control System

1995

SIMBA W469 - LKAB

Prototype SIMBA with one hole automatic

First SIMBA with one hole automatic

Rig still in operation!

Automation available for all SIMBA rigs

First W469 with full fan automatic

SIMBA Remote Control

1996

SIMBA W469 - LKAB

1998

COM 2000 - LKAB

2001

SIMBA RC - WMC

2 rigs (W469) controlled by wire (Kiruna)

2 rigs (W469) controlled by wire (Malmb.)

5 rigs (W469) controlled wireless (Kiruna)

4 rigs (W469) controlled by wire (Malmb.)

4 rigs (SH4356) controlled wireless (ODO)

SIMBA Remote Control

SIMBA W469 - Project Targets
- Improved precision drilling
- Reduced capital and drill costs
- Increased time of availability

SIMBA Remote Control

SIMBA W469 - Rig
- Precision drilling
- Water pow. ITH
- Remote supervised
- Automated drilling
- Holes 55m/115mm

SIMBA Remote Control

SIMBA W469 - Project Results
- Precision drilling

<1,5% at 30m

- Penetration rate

0,6 - 0,8 m/min

- Automaic

92,5% holes in auto.

- Time of availability

MTTF > 100 hours

- Down time

< 7%

SIMBA Remote Control

SIMBA W469 - Project Experience
- Sturdy and reliable equipment
- Close cooperation between
customer/supplier
- Preventive maintainance,
service contract

SIMBA Remote Control

COM 2000 - Project Targets
- Wireless communication
- New control room for up to 11 rigs
- Drill pattern handling and result analysis

SIMBA Remote Control

COM 2000 - Communication
One control room

Fiber optics

Wireless

up to 11 rigs

Wireless

SIMBA Remote Control

COM 2000 - Control room
- 2 work stations
- Ctrl of up to 11 rigs
- Con. with LKAB DB

SIMBA Remote Control

COM 2000 - Project Experience
- A well defined modularity is nessesary
- Prevent from fixed size limitations
- Standardise communication
- Operator workplace
- Make it simple !!

SIMBA Remote Control

SIMBA RC - Project Targets
- Reduced capital and drill costs
- Introduce remote control on Std SIMBAs
with ECS control system

Automatic
Production Drilling at
LKAB Mines

Nichlas Radegrd
Atlas Copco RDE rebro

Robotised
production drilling
at LKAB
History
Hole deviation
Robotised drilling with SIMBA W469

LKAB Kiruna

Sublevel caving

Sublevel caving- normal to super

Production at Kiruna 60,000 ton/day
Blasts/day

Simba W469

New generation longhole drill rig

Simba W469
60.0 m

Targets:
30.0 m

- Improved precision drilling

- Reduced capital and drill costs
- Increased time of availibility

30.0 m

New generation longhole drill rig

Simba W469
Cooperative developement agreement,
october -93 LKAB - Atlas Copco
Delivery of up to 10 - 12 rigs before 1999
Drill rig 1 - delivered 1995
Drill rig 2 - delivered 1996
Drill rig 3, 4, 5 and 6 delivered during 1997
Drill rig 7-9 delivered 1998 and 1999
Drill rig no 10 to be ordered 2000

Simba W469

Length 12.9 m - Width 3.0 m - Height 3.0 m

Weight 37 ton - Power 170 kW
Hole depth 55 m - Hole dia. 115 mm
Parallell holes 4.4 m

Precision drilling
Target: hole deviation < 1,5% at
30 m hole depth

Total length rock drill + guide tube= 2,3m

Drill tubes dia. 102 mm, length 2,3m

Simba W469 control room at Kiruna

Controlroom at 740 m mainlevel

Simba W469 - Robot Simba

Demand

Result

Precision: Deviation. < 1.5% at 30m Confirmed

Collaring:

Max. fault < 0.5o

Automatic: Min. 6 hole

of one fan from 10

Confirmed
Average
9.25 hole

Simba W469 - Robot Simba

Demand
Available time:

Result
MTTF > 100 hours 103.9 hours

Not available time: < 12 hours of 100 6.7 hours

Penetration rate:

> 0.60 m/min

0.6-0.8 m/min
(300 m/day,
best > 630 m)

Simba W469 - Robot Simba

Automatic facilities
- precision positioning of the feed
- accuracy and smooth collaring
- drilling and tube handling to
preprogrammed hole depths
- uncoupling, positioning of drill tubes to
tube magazine
- repositioning of feed to next collaring
point

Simba W469 - Robot Simba

Experience of successful automatics
sturdy and reliable equipment
close cooperation between
customer/supplier
predictive maintenance,
service contract

Simba W469 - Robot Simba

Close Cooperation between
customer/supplier

define customer needs

- application
- drill capacity need
- softvare parameters
- logging functions
- drill pattern transmittion
operators - service technicians

The concept for remote control

1000

1950
1960

Power media:
Compressed air, 7.0 bar
Compressed air, 18.5 bar

1970

Pneumatic drilling
Crawler ITH, high pressure
large holes

Crawler carrier
ITH-hammer, large holes

Twin drill rig unit

remote control

Light mobile rig

with air traction

Rail rig carrier

hydraulic positioning

m3/man,
shift

Heavy rock drill

column mount

Handheld rock drill

flexible drill steel

Long Hole Production Drilling

500

1980

m3/man,
shift
3000

Long Hole Production Drilling

Hydraulic drilling
Power media:
Hydraulics, 200 - 220 bar
Water hydraulics, 180 - 200 bar

2000

Diesel
traction,
cabin,
highpower
drill
automatic
controls,
tube drill
string

1000

Hydraulic
rock drill
light
mobile rig,
air traction
1970

1980

Diesel
traction,
operators
cabin
remote
control,
rod
handling
1990

Robot drilling,
two units,
precision drill
string water
powered ITH
hammer

2000