February 2014
MODERN MINING
55
PRODUCT News
Atlas Copco is to launch a new mobile
rig for boring so-called opening holes
in mines. The new rig, called Easer, can
perform both boxhole boring and down-
reaming with a hole diameter of 750 mm,
as well as conventional raiseboring with a
hole diameter of up to 1 200 mm.
Since its introduction in the mid-1960s,
the raiseboring technique has been con-
sidered as the safest and most productive
way of excavating raises in most mining
applications. In block caving, and in most
types of sublevel mining, short raises act as
openings for the rock to expand into when
blasting.
Traditional raiseboring machines typi-
cally require a concrete platform and
tie-down bolts to keep the machine stable
during operation. In the total turnover
time for such short raises the actual boring
time is often below 50 %.
The increased demand for a highly
mobile and versatile rig specifically
designed to create these opening holes
safely and efficiently has led to the devel-
opment of the Easer. The rig can produce
Atlas Copco set to launch ‘Easer’ rig
The Easer rig from Atlas Copco can perform both boxhole boring and down-
reaming with a hole diameter of 750 mm, as well as conventional raiseboring
with a hole diameter of up to 1 200 mm.
opening holes with a maximum diameter
of 750 mm and a hole depth of up to 60 m.
It uses standard 200 mm boring rods with
a 228 mm pilot drill bit.
All the necessary operating equipment
is part of the carrier, with the exception of
the rods, and the setup procedure does
not require any site
preparation.
“Our mission in devel-
oping the Easer has
been to speed up the
operation,” says Johnny
Lyly, Product Manager at
Atlas Copco. “The time-
frame for drilling a 40 m
opening hole, from setup
to take down, is less than
30 hours, and set up/take
down is done in less than
one hour.”
The Easer offers the
same drilling modes
as traditional raise -
boring rigs: boxhole
boring, down-reaming
and conventional raiseboring. To switch
from boxhole boring to down-reaming,
the gearbox is rotated 180 degrees – a
simple operation that can be carried out in
an underground workshop. In raiseboring
mode, the Easer can drill up to 1 200 mm.
Atlas Copco says the Easer is scheduled
for launch during 2014.
Kathryn Coetzer, Atlas Copco, tel (+27 11) 821-9019
