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

Prototype SIMBA with one hole automatic

1985 SIMBA H259S - Austria

First SIMBA with one hole automatic
Rig still in operation!

1990 SIMBA ECS Control System

Automation available for all SIMBA rigs

1995 SIMBA W469 - LKAB

First W469 with full fan automatic
SIMBA Remote Control

1996 SIMBA W469 - LKAB

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

1998 COM 2000 - LKAB

5 rigs (W469) controlled wireless (Kiruna)
4 rigs (W469) controlled by wire (Malmb.)

2001 SIMBA RC - WMC

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 Radegård
Atlas Copco RDE Örebro
 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 Confirmed
Automatic: Min. 6 hole Average
of one fan from 10 9.25 hole
Simba W469 - ”Robot Simba”

Demand Result
Available time: 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

500

1950
shift
m3/man,
Handheld rock drill
flexible drill steel

Heavy rock drill

1960
column mount
Power media:

Rail rig carrier

hydraulic positioning
Compressed air, 7.0 bar
Pneumatic drilling

Compressed air, 18.5 bar

Light mobile rig

with air traction

Twin drill rig unit

1970
remote control

Crawler carrier
ITH-hammer, large holes
Long Hole Production Drilling

Crawler ITH, high pressure

1980

large holes
m3/man,
shift
3000 Long Hole Production Drilling
Hydraulic drilling
Power media:
Hydraulics, 200 - 220 bar
Water hydraulics, 180 - 200 bar
2000

Robot drilling,
two units,
precision drill
Diesel string water
traction, powered ITH
cabin, hammer
1000 high-
power
Diesel drill
traction, automatic
operator’s controls,
Hydraulic cabin tube drill
rock drill remote string
light control,
mobile rig, rod
air traction handling
1970 1980 1990 2000