DRILLING & BLASTING EQUIPMENTS

Sr.
Presentation Notes Comments
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Percussion drilling is a drilling technique in which a drill bit
attached to rope or cable is repeatedly raised and lowered,
impacting soil and rock, and making a hole deeper. Frequently
used to drill wells or during mineral prospecting activities, this
type of drilling has been used for thousands of years and is
adaptable to whatever technology is available. Drills can be
simple apparatuses consisting of a heavy bit and a rope, and
• DRILLS operated by hand. Modern versions may also be called cable
PERCUSSION DRILLS drilling and use an engine and cable to drill holes that may be
ABRASION DRILLS hundreds of feet (meters) deep.
FUSION PIERCING
• DRILL BITS Abrasion Drilling
DETACHABLE BITS An oil-drilling method in which abrasive material under pressure
FORGED BITS replaces the conventional drill string and bit.

Fusion Piercing
A machine designed to use the fusion-piercing mode of
producing holes in rock. Also known as det drill; jet-piercing
drill; Linde drill.

Drill Bits:
Detachable drill button bits are used for limestone drilling at
Tobar Quarry.

DRILLING:
DEFINITION- The process of making a
hole in hard materials such as rocks and
earth.
COMPONENTS –
Drill- Type of tool which holds the drill
bit and rotates it to provide axial force
to create a hole.
Drill bits- Cutting tools used to create
cylindrical holes.

Types of drills
 Percussion drills
1.jackhammer or sinkers
2.tripod drills
3.stop hammer
4.drifters
5.churns or well drills 6.piston Types of drill machines, at Tobar quarry crawl machine is
drills used which have top hammer and method is used rotary-
7.wagon drills hammering.

 Abrasion drills
1.blast-hole drills 2.shot drills
3.diamond drills

 Fusion piercing
PERCUSSION DRILLS
Types of drill machines, at Tobar quarry crawl machine is
 Jackhammer or Sinkers- Air
used which have top hammer and method is used rotary-
operated drill, mainly used for hammering.
drilling vertical holes.
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 Tripod drills- Mounted on tripod
to provide sufficient stability,
used for very hard rocks.

 Stop hammers- Thrust end to hold Drifter is suitable for Rock Salt Drilling
the drill against the work and
usually used for “up” holes.
 Drifters- Similar to jackhammer,
but so large that it requires
mechanical mounting.
 Churns or Well drills-
Reciprocating Drill consisting of a More mechanized system for rock salt drilling.
long steel bit mechanically lifted
and dropped to disintegrate the
rock.
 Piston drills- Drill rod is securely
fastened to the piston and travels
the full length of the piston stroke.
 Wagon drills- Drifter mounted on
a mast supported by two or more
wheels used to drill holes at any
angle from down to slightly
above horizontal.
ABRASION DRILLS
 DEFINITION- Grind rock into
small particles through abrasive
effect of bit that rotates in hole.
 TYPES-
1.Blast-hole drills
2.Shot drills
3.Diamond drills
 Blast hole drills- Rotary drill
consisting of steel pipe drill stem Down the hole drill is modern type of drilling machine
on bottom of which is roller bit used for vertical holes of dia above 4 inches and more
that disintegrates the rock as it successful in fractured strata.
rotates over it.
 Shot drills- Rotary drill whose bit
consists of a steel pipe with a
roughened surface at bottom.
 Diamond drills- Rotary drill
whose bit consists of metal matrix
consisting a large number of
diamonds disintegrating the rock
while rotating.
FUSION PIERCING
 Recent development in
drilling holes for blasting
purpose.
Modern technique.
Produced by burning a mixture of
oxygen and flux bearing fuel, such as
kerosene at the end of a blow pipe

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 DRILL BITS
 TYPES OF DRILL BITS-
 Detachable bits- Removable
from the drill when required.
Detachable drill bits are economical.
 Forged bits- Made up of single
length of drill steel and are
available at several shapes.

DRILLING PATTERNS
 Selection of drilling pattern varies
with the type and size of the drill’s
used, depth of hole, kind of rock,
quantity, rapidity of the explosive & Adjustment of burden and spacing is called drilling
amount of steaming. pattern.

Drilling Pattern is given below:

BLASTING
 DEFINITION- The process
of breaking rocks into
smaller pieces by use of
explosives.
 TYPES OF EXPLOSIVES-

 Explosives based on
chemical nature
 Explosives based on
availability

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EXPLOSIVES BASED ON
CHEMICAL NATURE
 High or detonating
explosives- Process is
extremely rapid, almost
High Explosives is used for Limestone blasting,
instantaneous.
while low explosive is used for rock salt or gypsum
 Low or deflagrating
blasting.
Explosives- Low velocity of
burning and produce
pressure by progressive
burning.

EXPLOSIVES BASED ON
AVAILABILITY Gun-powder used for rock salt or gypsum blasting.
 Powder explosives- Slow burning
, slow acting and low strength
explosives made either from Wabox made by wah nobel used for medium to hard
potash nitrate or sodium nitrate. rock blasting.

 Disruptive explosives or
Dynamites- Available in various
sizes and strength. Approximate
strength is specified as a
percentage of ratios of weight of
nitro-glycerine to the total weight
of a cartridge.

DETONATORS
 DEFINITION- Cylindrical metal
shells close at one end having 6.8
mm dia & 50 mm height.
 The ignition of detonator is done
by blasting fuse or electric
ignitors.
 Following is required for electric
ignition:
1. Detonator. At Tobar Quarry Plain Detonator # 8 is used which is
2. Power source-dynamo. detonated with safety fuse.
3. Circuit line-iron or copper wires.
4. Electric ignitor-comprising 2
supply wires detonator shell and
priming charge.
5. Line testing apparatus-
galvanoscope or measuring bridge.

FIRING CHARGE
 common practice to fire several
holes using parallel circuit,series
Electrical blasting initiation system, not applicable.
circuit or combined parallel and
series circuit

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FUSES
 Fuses are required to ignite
explosives.
 They are in the form of a
small rope of cotton with
core of continuous thread of
gun powder.
 The rate of burning is about Required for electrical blasting system.
1 cm/sec.
 They enable the person firing
the charge to move to a safe
distance before the explosion
takes place.

BLASTING CAPS
 DEFINITION- Small
explosive device used to Applicable for electrical blasting method.
detonate a larger, more
powerful explosive such as
dynamite.

TOOLS FOR BLASTING

1.Dipper 2.Jumper
3.Priming needle 4.Scraping spoon
5.Tamping bar Accessories for drilling and blasting holes.
 Dipper- Used to drill hole to the
required depth. Bamboo is being used for tamping purpose at Tobar
 Jumper- Used to make blast hole Quarry.
& more effective in boring a
nearly vertical hole.
 Priming needle- Used to maintain
the hole while tamping is done &
is in the form of a thin copper rod
with a loop at one end.
 Scraping spoon- Used to remove
dust of crushed stone from blast
hole.
Tamping bar- Used to tamp the
material while refilling a blast hole

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PROCESS OF BLASTING
1. The blast holes are made and Same procedure is adopted at Tobar Quarry.
cleaned by using the tools.
2. The charge of explosive placed at
the bottom.
3. Remaining portion is filled with
clay and tamped.
4. Fuse is inserted, kept projecting
15-20 cm above the rock surface.
5. Thereafter free end of fuse is fired
by detonator.

 Transporting and handling of

explosives Dynamite and Precautions during explosives transportation and
detonators should be kept handling:
separately when storing and
transporting. SOPs have been made and followed at Tobar Quarry as
well as for Salt Mine.
 Vehicle carrying explosives
should carry a warning sign and
operated with care.

 The smoking or the carrying of

matches and lighteners etc., should
not be permitted on or around a
vehicle transporting explosives.

 Wiring on motor-truck used for

moving explosives should be
heavily insulated.

 Explosives should be stored in dry

ventilated bullet proof and fire
resistant magazines, away from
buildings and roads.

QUESTIONS Two types of Drills

1) List various types of drills &
explain any two.
A rotary-percussion drill is a type of rock drill that uses both
rotary and percussive action in order to chip away rock and
produce a hole. Useful in mining and construction applications,
it can be used for constructing tunnels and wells, and for
excavation and road construction. The rotary-percussion drill has
been around for centuries. Modern-day rotary-percussion drills
are also popular for the construction of oil wells.

The combination of rotation and percussion helps the drill

achieve a cutting and grinding (rotary) action at the same time as
a chipping (percussive) action. Usually these motions are
hydraulically or pneumatically driven. Types of rotary-
percussion drills include the blast-hole drill and the down-the-
hole (DTH) hammer drill.

The down-the-hole drill is a machine used to produce large-

diameter holes in rocks, usually in the initial stage prior to
blasting, but it is also used in non-blasting applications. DTH
drills, as they are commonly referred to, are used mostly in

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mining quarries but can be used in a variety of other construction
applications. The DTH drill first appeared in the 1950s and is
produced by major manufacturers such as Ingersoll Rand and
Atlas Copco.

Rotary-percussion drills use one of three types of drill bits:

 Drag bits, usually used for soft rock, can have two,
three, or four wings and are sometimes tipped with
tungsten carbide.
 Roller bits have wedge-shaped teeth and are used for
harder rock.
 Diamond bits are used for grinding hard rock and
producing an annular hole.

Auger Drill

Auger design is key to the functioning of all different kinds of

drills used in construction and mining. An auger type drill is
commonly used to dig or bore downwards in loose soil, earth, or
very soft rock. Auger drills can range in size, type, and function
and are affixed to a drill bit or different types of construction
equipment such as skid steer loaders, mini excavators,
knuckleboom cranes, and small backhoes as a larger attachment.
The advantage of an auger drill is that it minimizes operating
costs by mechanically clearing debris from the hole while
simultaneously drilling. As a result, the need for pumps or
compressors for clearing debris out of the hole is eliminated.
Types of Auger Drills

Auger rods are a type of drill used in mining to drill in hard rock
and unstable ground.

A pneumatic auger drill uses compressed air and is widely used

in mining, tunneling, and for drill shot holes to plant explosives
in road repairs to break apart existing pavement. The drill
contains an air-operated piston that delivers hammer blows to the
drill bit multiple times a second. The pneumatic drill was first
developed in 1861 by Germain Sommellier and used for
tunneling in the Alps.

A continuing flight auger drill is driven by a top-down rotary

machine and is supported by holes that are deep and small in
diameter. Cuttings or debris are lifted to the surface by the helical
flight motion of the blade. A continuing flight auger drill is used
for site investigation, geo-chemical sampling, environmental
drilling and sampling, alluvial mineral investigations, and
drilling electrode holes.

A hollow auger drill is a continuous flight auger drill, except

with a hollow center tube, and normally operated with a plug bit
held in place by a secondary internal rod string or simply by
friction.

The short flight and plate auger drill is also referred as a

bucket auger drill. As the drill rotates downwards into the earth
or ground, it is loaded with cuttings or debris and then pulled
back out of the hole. When the drill reaches the surface, the
cuttings are in effect "spun" off the drill. This type of drill is used
for penetrating and drilling holes of a large diameter.

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2) What are precautions should be
taken while transporting &
SOPs
handling of explosive?

3) Write short note on fuses.

4) Define and state the relationship
between drill and drill bits.
Fuses required for electrical blasting methods.
Drill is used to transmitting energy to the rock through
drill bits.
Bits are used to cutting the rock.
Bench Drilling
Important terms used in bench drilling operations are
shown in the figure

5) Explain procedure of drilling and

blasting
In addition to rock properties bench is influenced by:
 Hole diameter.
 Bench height
 Fragmentation
 Bench stability requirements
 Terrain conditions – Environmental restrictions
Design Basics
 Hole diameter
– Is closely related to bench height &
burden & should be between 0.5 - 1% face
height
– d = 5….10K where d = drill hole
diameter in mm
where K = bench height in m

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 – Rock fragmentation size tends to increase
when ratio H/d < 60
– Smaller hole diameters & therefore
smaller burdens give better
fragmentation & less ground vibration.
Hole design
– Length of bottom charge = 1.3 burden
– Length of stemming = burden
– Length of column charge depends on height of
bench
– Bench height > 2 * burden
– Burden = 0.045*d – drilling deviation (m)
d is hole dia. in mm
– Spacing is usually 1.25 * burden
Burden & spacing is still a matter of approximation
because of the difficulty of predicting properties of rock
when blasted

Bench Features
 Drilling pattern
– The burden & spacing together form the drilling
pattern, are dependent on how much explosive can
be placed at the bottom of the drill hole
 Bench
 Spacing
 Burden
 Stemming
 Column charge
 Bottom Charge
 Total charge

Blast Theory
 A larger dia. hole will hold more explosive, &
burden & spacing can be greater.
 The relative strength of the explosive is an
influencing factor
 Theory is :-
– Drill hole is charged with a bottom charge, density
as great as possible
– Above is placed a column charge with explosive
concentration ½ bottom charge
– Upper part of hole filled with stemming [sand]
Blast practice
 Blasting in Rows

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 – In practically all quarry blasting a number of surface
holes are fired in each blast, and in most production
blats the holes are arranged in rows.
– Each charge in a blast sets up stresses in the rock &
generates pressures with the gases produced
– Firing of adjoining charges puts extra stresses on
the rock between holes, & this coupled with rock
collisions makes for better fragmentation
– Single row firing is practised at many quarries, but
where circumstances permit, multi-row firing is
used
– As a general rule three rows would appear to give
best fragmentation and heave characteristics.

Fire order
Delay blasting also enables the total amount of charge to
be increased many times without increasing ground
vibration
Using non-electric detonators, an unlimited number of
delays can be incorporated in one blast.

Firing Delays
Examples of unlimited
Number of delays
Incorporated in one
blast

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HYDRAULIC FACE DRILLING RIG
Hydraulic face drilling rig handles positioning and drilling for high precision and
productivity, offering several levels of automation to suit the mining activity.
Tech-Specification:
Number of booms: 3
Boom extension: max2500 mm
Torque 907 Nm at 1500 rpm
Electronic control panel: Adjustable with display
Total installed power: 293 kW
Main motors: 3x95 kW
Voltage: 690-1000 V

Advantages:

 direct, fast and accurate positioning.

 Excellent reach and flexibility.

 high precision and productivity.

 Supports automation.

 Reduces cycle time.

 Safe

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