Mining Magazine > Panorama > Bucyrus 49HR compressor commissioned

Panorama

Bucyrus has announced the commissioning of a Bucyrus 49HR rotary blast hole drill equipped with a 107CMM (cubic metres per minute) air compressor at Collahuasi Copper mine in Chile, South America. It is the first of two Bucyrus 49HR drills equipped with 107CMM air compressors that Collahuasi will receive in 2009.

Collahuasi copper mine is situated in Northern Chile, at an elevation of 4,500m. The combination of the 49HR drill and 107CMM air compressor are designed to maximise drill productivity at the mine by enabling operators to achieve target bailing velocity and optimum radial clearance.

Air compressors de-rate in high elevation and high temperature environments, causing bailing velocity to decrease. As bailing velocity deteriorates, so too will drill productivity. The use of a 107CMM compressor with an operating pressure of 448kPa, allows operators to maintain a target bailing velocity of 2,240-3,660m per minute, as well as an optimum radial clearance of 2.5-5.0cm. This feature also allows the drills to maintain high rates of productivity using a lower horsepower, offering energy savings for mine operators.

Drills equipped with 107CMM air compressors are also useful in mines with fractured rock strata, as air released from the compressor can escape into ground cracks, causing loss of air volume. The added power compressor helps to reduce the net loss of air volume in porous ground, ensuring target bailing velocity and optimum radial clearance.