1. Rock Drills
Rock drills are compact rock drilling machines designed for medium‑to‑high‑strength formations. They typically bore holes of 20–100 mm diameter, with depths generally under 20 m, and are mainly used to prepare blast holes for controlled blasting.
By power source, rock drills include pneumatic, internal combustion, hydraulic, and electric types. Among these, hydraulic drilling rig configurations are increasingly adopted for higher penetration rates and better energy efficiency, while pneumatic units remain the most common in conventional operations.
In practice, small‑scale blasthole drill rig setups often rely on rock drills for development drives and secondary breaking.
2. Surface Blasthole Drill Rigs
Surface blasthole drill rigs are the principal equipment for rock fragmentation in open‑pit mines. Key variants include:
|
Type |
Working Principle |
Hole Diameter |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Down‑the‑Hole (DTH) rigs |
Impact from DTH hammer + rotation |
80–250 mm |
Widely used in medium mines; compatible with hydraulic drilling rig drivetrains |
|
Roller‑cone (tricone) rigs |
Crushing/rolling action |
150–440 mm |
Dominant in large metal mines; high productivity |
|
Rotary drills |
Continuous cutting |
- |
Suited to soft rock and coal seams |
|
Cable‑tool rigs |
Percussive impact via cable |
- |
Largely obsolete |
Modern surface rock drilling machines increasingly adopt hydraulic drilling rig architectures, integrating pressurized feed, rotary drive, and efficient cuttings removal systems. These rigs deliver consistent performance in demanding blast‑hole programs.
3. Underground Blasthole Drill Rigs
Underground blasthole drill rigs target holes below 150 mm diameter. For harder ground, small‑diameter DTH rock drilling machines are preferred; for coal or softer strata, electric or pneumatic rotary drills are standard. Drill rods carry spiral flutes to evacuate cuttings continuously during operation.
Compact hydraulic drilling rig designs are favored here for their precise feed control and reduced ventilation load compared with pneumatic systems.
