No.

9852 1944 01

Atlas Copco
Instructions
Settings and how to use the
COP 1840HE 10 Rock drill

Atlas Copco Rock Drills AB

ÖREBRO, Sweden
© Atlas Copco Rock Drills AB, 2007. All rights reserved
Introduction
The COP 1840HE 10 control system is different to (and
more advanced than) conventional control systems for
hydraulic rock drills. For this reason, it is very important
to follow these instructions carefully. It may also be
necessary to revise some of the preconceptions you
might have had about the relationships that exist
between rotation, feed and percussion in a drilling
system.
General instructions
The COP 1840HE 10 hydraulic rock drill and its control
system can be adjusted to give optimum drilling
performance and economy at any worksite.
Adjustments should be made before the drill rig is put to
work, according to the worksite-specific conditions.
Once the optimum settings have been established,
further adjustment is not necessary unless there is a
major change in rock conditions, or the dimensions of
the drill steel equipment are changed.
Detailed instructions for adjusting the settings are given
in the drill rig manual. Adjustment should be carried out
only by personnel who have been trained to work on the
system. In addition to normal hand tools, the following
instruments will be needed in order to make the
adjustments:
-Stop watch
-Tachometer
-Contact thermometer
N.B. Base settings should be made only after the
hydraulic oil temperature in the tank has stabilized
at normal operating temperature.
Setting the damper pressures
The damping accumulator should be charged with
nitrogen (N2) to a pressure of 20-25 bar. Flow to the
damper (approx. 8 l/min) can be adjusted by means of a
constant-flow valve in the delivery line to the damping
cylinder. If the damper pressure reading is taken at the
damper nipple on the rock drill, it should be 30-35 bar. If
it is read off the damper pressure gauge on the control
panel, it should be 40-45 bar. When adjusting the
damping pressure, it is important that the damping
piston reaches its front-end position in the damping
cylinder. For this reason, the drill rod must be removed
from the shank adapter before the damper pressure
setting is made.
Setting the collaring pressures
Adjust the percussion and feed pressures for collaring
to the respective base values shown at points 4 and 5
in the table.
Setting the maximum feed pressure
Adjust the maximum feed pressure (pf,max) to the base
value shown at point 5 in the table.
Setting the preliminary rotation speed
Adjust the rotation speed to suit the drill bit diameter,
according to the base settings given for the respective
drill bit diameters at point 6 in the table. The system will
now maintain this speed, regardless of the conditions in
the drill hole. The "free-spin" rotation pressure (pr,i) can
be read off the pressure gauge for rotation when the
drill bit is not in contact with the rock.
At a certain percussion pressure, the penetration rate
has a rather flat maximum as a function of the rotation
speed. The values given at point 6 in the table
Settings and how to use the
COP 1840HE 10 Rock Drill
No. 9852 1944 01
correspond to the bit-dependent rotation speeds
needed to achieve this maximum in Swedish
"Stockholm gneiss". In other rock types, the
corresponding rotation speeds could be somewhat
lower or higher.
Setting the preliminary percussion press-ure
and RPCF-controlled feed pressure
Adjust the percussion pressure to the base setting for
drilling, shown at point 4 in the table.
Adjust the RPCF valve to the end position which always
gives the maximum feed pressure (pf,max).
Perform a test drilling, using all base settings described
above. Observe the different functions of the drilling
cycle, and check that they work correctly.
Now set the rotation pressure for drilling on the RPCF-
valve. The pressure must be set according to the
rotation speed for the drill-bit diameter and the type/size
of drill rod being used, so that pr = pr,i + pr,r. (See
diagram and instructions at point 7 in the table.) The
RPCF will now reduce the feed pressure (pf), so that pf
is less than pf,max, unless the rock is extremely hard or
the drill bit is blunt. The RPCF function will also reduce
the feed pressure as the number of extension rods in
the drill string rises. In this way, the system
compensates for the increasing weight of the rods
behind the drill bit.
When the drill bit is new or freshly reground, the
resistance to rotation is greater, because the sharper
drill bit "bites" more deeply into the rock. Under such
circumstances, the feed pressure is reduced
(automatically). As bit wear increases, however, the
RPCF function raises the feed pressure automat-ically
toward the maximum (pf,max), so that the
recommended rotation pressure (pr = pr,i + pr,r) is
maintained. When the feed pressure reaches pf,max,
the drill bit should be reground, unless the drill rig is
equipped with the RPCI function, which is described
below. When drilling in abrasive rock, the increasing
weight of the drill string together with increasing drill-bit
wear can sometimes result in an almost constant feed
pressure.
Compared with spherical-button bits, ballistic-button bits
bite deeper into certain rock types, which means that
they give greater resistance to rotation. This means that
ballistic-button bits usually require a lower feed
pressure. For this reason, they can sometimes give
straighter drill holes, compared with spherical-button
bits. However, if drill bits with ballistic buttons are used
in abrasive rock, bit life will be lower and grinding more
difficult.
Setting of RPCI-controlled percussion
pressure (if fitted)
Adjust the RPCI valve so that the percussion pressure
is reduced when the rotation pressure falls below the
recommended level (pr = pr,i + pr,r). The RPCI
function will then reduce the impact power automatically
when the rotation pressure becomes too low. This
prevents the joints in the drill string from loosening, e.g.
when drilling has been con-tinued with a blunt drill bit in
hard rock. Without the RPCI function, drilling under
such circumstances would lead to increased thread
wear, with a great risk of pitting (heat damage and
chipping). Pitting always causes premature thread
breakage.
2
Further adjustment -reasons and procedure
The following signs indicate that the drill settings need
further adjustment:
1. Hot coupling sleeves
2. "Low" penetration rate
3. Frequent drill steel jamming
4. Other problems of a more complex nature, like
excessive bit wear (noticable only over longer periods
of time), excessive hole deviation, or other difficulties in
obtaining a smooth drilling sequence.
1. Hot coupling sleeve
Check the coupling sleeve temperature at a point about
40 mm from the end that faces the machine. The
temperature should not normally exceed 100 °C.
However, it can be allowed to rise to 140 °C if the rock
is very hard and causing a large part of the impact
power to be reflected back from the bit. It is not the
temperature of the coupling sleeve that is critical Å what
is important is that drilling does not cause pitting on the
drill-rod threads. A low coupling-sleeve temperature is
normally a sure sign that pitting is not occurring.
However, a relatively high coupling-sleeve temperature,
together with well tightened joints, i.e. where pr = pr,i +
pr,r, should not cause pitting when drilling in very hard
rock.
If the coupling-sleeve temperature is too high, you
should first consider changing from a regular spherical-
button bit to a ballistic-button bit. If the rock is too hard
for ballistic bits, the next step should be to reduce the
rotation speed as far as possible, but without causing
too great a drop in the penetration rate. The last
alternative is to reduce the percussion pressure, in
steps of 5 bar, until the coupling-sleeve temperature
falls to an acceptable level.
N.B. Another reason behind hot coupling-sleeve
syndrome could be that the rock-drill feed rate is
too low. If this is the case, a considerable part of
the feed pressure is lost between the pressure
gauge and the feed gear. The rock-drill feed rate
should be 12-15 m/min.
2. "Low" penetration rate
If the penetration rate is lower than expected, even
though the rotation pressure is sufficient (pr = pr,i +
pr,r) in relation to the feed pressure (pf is lower than
pf,max), then the percussion pressure may be
increased in steps of 5 bar. The maximum permissible
percussion pressure (pmax) in respect of drill-steel
strength and fatigue charac-acteristics is 240 bar. On
some drill rigs, however, it is not possible to exploit the
full pmax of 240 bar, owing to drill-rig power limitations.
1250 0067 10
Settings and how to use the
COP 1840HE 10 Rock Drill
No. 9852 1944 01
3. Frequent drill steel jamming
If the drill steel tends to jam frequently during drilling,
the anti-jamming device must be adjusted. The rotation
pressure at which the anti-jamming device is activated
(whereupon it switches the direction of feed) should be
set 15 bar higher than the recommended rotation
pressure (pr = pr,i + pr,r) for normal drilling. Do NOT
reduce the maximum feed pressure (pf,max)!
New or freshly reground drill bits are slightly tapered
from the front to the back of the bit head. When drilling
in very abrasive rock (with a high quartz content), heavy
peripheral wear can eventually turn this taper into an
anti-taper, which causes jamming in the hole. Frequent
signs of jamming in non-fissured rock are therefore a
signal to regrind the drill bit, with emphasis on gauge
grinding to restore the taper. On the other hand,
decreasing rotation pressure at maximum feed pressure
is a sign that the drill bit needs to be reground, with
regard to the button shape and protrusion from the bit
face.
The COP 1840HE 10 can be fitted with a hydraulic
extractor unit, in which case the rock drill designation
becomes COP 1838HEX 10. When fitted with the
extractor unit, the length of the rock drill is extended by
200 mm. The extractor unit is very effective in freeing
drill rods that have become jammed in the hole in
difficult rock conditions.
4. Other problems
Rig instability
In bench drilling, i.e. the drilling of long holes, there is
always a risk of the rig moving while drilling is in
progress. If the movement is so great that the drill rod
begins to rotate against the edge of the hole mouth,
then the "free-spin" rotation pressure (pr,i) will rise
suddenly. If the increase in pr,i is greater than the pre-
set rotation pressure increase (pr,r), then the RPCF
function will reduce the percussion pressure to the
collaring value. When this happens, the rig set-up must
be corrected to enable drilling to be continued at full
power.
If drilling were to be continued with the RPCF function
disengaged, the shank adapter would be subjected to
uncontrollably high flexural stresses, which would result
in seriously reduced drill-steel life. It would also be very
difficult to uncouple the coupling sleeves. It should be
noted, however, that when hole deviation occurs
without the rig moving, there is usually only a small rise
in rotation pressure.
Excessive drill-bit wear
The rate of drill-bit wear can be reduced by reducing the
rotation speed and/or the percussion pressure. If drill-bit
wear is excessive, the rotation speed should be
reduced as much as possible, as long as this does not
result in an unacceptable reduction in the penetration
rate. However, if the rotation speed is reduced, then the
rotation pressure increase (pr,r) must also be reduced.
To obtain the correct value for pr,r, study the diagram at
point 7 in the table, and find the point at which the new
rpm-coordi-nate intersects the curve for the drill steel
being used.
When regrinding a drill bit, it is important to restore not
only the original shape of the buttons (or inserts), but
also the protrusion of the buttons from the bit face. This
means that the bit-face steel must be ground down over
the entire bit face, and not just around the buttons. If
3
this is not done, the space for cuttings-flow at the front Both T45 and T51 extension rods can also be used in
of the drill bit will be reduced, causing an increase in combination with one drill tube, TAC 64 or TAC 76,
cuttings-flow velocity, with increased bit wear as a which is located immediately behind the drill bit to serve
result. If necessary, the flushing holes and flushing as a guide tube. The use of a single "guide tube" (L =
grooves in the drill bit must also be ground back to the 3.6 m) usually gives a considerable improvement in
correct dimensions. hole straightness. What is more, the guide tube often
makes it easier to drill and clean holes through the rock
Excessive hole deviation debris commonly found on the surface of the bench.
Hole deviation can be reduced by ensuring that the
front end of the feed is pressed firmly against the rock
face throughout the collaring and drilling cycle. Collaring
should be carried out with the feed pressure as low as
possible to a depth of at least three times the diameter
of the hole. Hole deviation can be reduced further by
regular and accurate regrinding of the drill bit. It is
important to remember that a lower bit-regrinding
interval yields not only an increased average
penetration rate, but also less work when regrinding the
drill bit. What is more, a well-ground drill bit gives a
greater resistance to rotation, which means that the

1250 0067 09
RPCF function sets a lower feed pressure. This in turn
results in less hole deviation.

Difficulty in uncoupling the coupling sleeves

In bench drilling, it is very important not to use a rotation
pressure higher than what is absolutely necessary, i.e.
the RPCF valve must be correctly adjusted. This will
keep the holes as straight as possible and avoid
difficulties when uncoupling the coupling sleeves. The
best way to loosen the shank-adapter joint is to "drill"
the last centimetre of each extension rod without
rotation.
The RPCF function maintains a constant rotation
pressure increase (pr,r), i.e. a constant joint-tightening
torque in the drill string, regardless of the direction of
drilling. This means that the feed pressure is reduced
automati-cally in downward-directed drilling, to
compensate for the increasing weight of the drill string
as the number of rods in the hole is increased.
However, the feed pressure must not fall below the
collaring level, since this is the minimum pressure
needed to keep the rock drill pressed against the shank
adapter. For this reason, the rotation pressure is always
permitted to rise after a certain hole depth is reached in
downward-directed drilling. A consequence of this is
that the joints are tightened with greater torque.
Choice of drill bit
The alternatives listed at point 6 in the table cover only
a few of the drill-bit/button-diameter combinations that
can be found in the current drill-bit range.
Drill bits with larger gauge buttons require a higher
rotation speed, in order to give efficient rock
destruction. This means that drill bits of the same
diameter, but with different gauge-button sizes, will
require different rotation speeds. The relationship
between the rotation speeds should be about the same
as that between the button diameters, e.g. if the rotation
speed is 60 rpm for a bit with a gauge-button diameter
of 11 mm, then the speed for a bit with 12.7 mm gauge
buttons should be 12.7/11 x 60 = 70 rpm.
For drill bits with different diameters, but with the
same diameter of gauge button, the rotation speed
should be reduced as the bit diameter increases. The
relationship between rotation speeds should be
inversely proportional to the drill-bit diameters, e.g. if
the rotation speed is 60 rpm when D = 102 mm, then
when D = 115 mm, it should be 102/115 x 60 = 55 rpm.

Adaptation of the feed pressure to suit the hole depth The rotation speed for a drill bit with ballistic buttons
gives a corresponding change in the damping pressure should be about 10% higher than that for a
automatically during drilling. corresponding drill bit with spherical buttons.

Choice of drill steel

For bench drilling using, e.g. a 89 mm drill bit, either
T45 or T51 extension rods may be chosen. The thicker
T51 drill rod requires a greater rod-dependent rotation
pressure increase (pr,r), i.e. a higher feed force, to
ensure that the joints in the drill string are well
tightened. This gives increased friction between the drill
bit and the rock, which in turn leads to shorter grinding
intervals for drill bits used with T51, compared with T45.
On the other hand, the thicker T51 drill rods give less
hole deviation, in spite of the higher feed force.

Settings and how to use the

COP 1840HE 10 Rock Drill 4
No. 9852 1944 01
Setting the drilling parameters for
the COP 1840HE 10 hydraulic rock drill Bench drilling

Worksite…………………………………………………….
Drill rig, type……………………………………………..
Serial number………………………………………………….

N.B. Base settings should be made only after the hydraulic oil temperature in the tank has stabilized at normal
operating temperature.
Base setting Current setting
1. Intake accumulator (percussion) charge to
the collaring pressure less 30-40 bar, max. 110 bar * 90 bar . . . . . . . . bar
2. Damper accumulator charge to * 20-25 bar . . . . . . . . bar
3. Damping pressure (measured at rock drill) adjust to 30-35 bar . . . . . . . . bar
(by adjusting the oil flow *)
Corresponding pressure at the control panel 40-45 bar . . . . . . . . bar
4. Percussion pressure, at the control panel:[Stroke length position 3 ]
Collaring 120-130 bar . . . . . . . . bar
Drilling 220 bar . . . . . . . . bar
5 Feed pressure (pf) with CFH 742, CFH 842 and CFH F7 feeds
Collaring 40 bar . . . . . . . . bar
Drilling -max. (pf,max) 90 bar . . . . . . . . bar
6. Rotation speed:
Button bit D = 76 mm, gauge button Ø11mm 80 r/min . . . . . . . . r/min
D = 89 mm, gauge button Ø11mm 70 r/min . . . . . . . . r/min
D = 102 mm, gauge button Ø11mm 60 r/min . . . . . . . . r/min
D = 115 mm, gauge button Ø12,5mm 60 r/min . . . . . . . . r/min
D = 127 mm, gauge button Ø14,5mm 60 r/min . . . . . . . . r/min

7. RPCF rotation pressure (pr)

- Read the "free-spin" rotation pressure (pr,i) bar (pr,r)
at normal operating temperature. 60
- Determine the rod-dependent rotation pressure increase (pr,r)
by finding the intersection point for 50

bit-dependent rpm (n)on the curve for the drill rod in use. 40 T51
-Correct RPCF pressure (pr) at the control panel
is obtained by adding the rod-dependent rotation 30 T45
pressure increase (pr,r) to the "free-spin" rotation pressure (pr,i) :
20

10

pr = pr,i + pr,r 0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 r/min (n)

Exemple (see diagram) Button bit

pr,i = 25 bar D = 76 mm, gauge button Ø11mm pr = . . . . . . + . . . . . . . = . . . . . bar
Button bit D=102 mm D = 89 mm, gauge button Ø11mm pr = . . . . . . + . . . . . . . = . . . . . bar
n = 60 r/min D = 102 mm, gauge button Ø11mm pr = . . . . . . + . . . . . . . = . . . . . bar
Drill rod = T51 D = 115 mm, gauge button Ø12,5mm pr = . . . . . . + . . . . . . . = . . . . . bar
Pr = 25 + 13 =38 D = 127 mm, gauge button Ø14,5mm pr = . . . . . . + . . . . . . . = . . . . . bar

8. Other settings on the drill rig:

- Automatic switching to percussion pressure for collaring
(5 bar above feed pressure for collaring) . . . . . . . . . bar
- Anti-jamming pressure (15 bar above RPCF pressure) . . . . . . . . . bar
- Lubricating air pressure at rock drill should be 2-3 bar *
Corresponding pressure on lubricating air pressure gauge . . . . . . . . . bar
- Lubrication dosage *, 40-50 pulser/min . . . . . . . . . pulses/min

*see printed matter No. 9852 1007 01 Settings performed by

…………………………… …………………..
Authorized service engineer Date

Settings and how to use the

COP 1840HE 10 Rock Drill 5
No. 9852 1944 01