SURFACE

Caterpillar introduces MD6250 drill

Caterpillar has announced the new Cat MD6250 blasthole drill at CONEXPO

Staff reporter

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The Cat MD6250 blasthole drill is designed to deliver high drilling efficiency in single- and multi-pass applications for both rotary and down-the-hole (DTH) drilling. 

According to Caterpillar, a sculpted design features heavy cross-bracing in high-load areas for maximum machine longevity, while the tubular box section provides good structural rigidity. The machine’s four levelling jacks, mast pivot and deck are all welded integrally to the main frame.

The new MD6250 drill is application-built for drilling of 10m and 12m benches, including angle drilling for cast blasting, making it a suitable drill for mining, quarrying and heavy construction applications. It is EU compliant, GOST certifiable, AUS compliant, CSA certified, MDG15 and MDG41 aligned, meets emissions standards for all regions, and meets over 30 ISO standards, Caterpillar stated.

Suitable for both DTH hard rock and rotary soft rock applications, the flexible machine drills hole diameters reaching 150mm to 250mm with bit loads of 22,321kg and 32,655 kg respectively for the 11.2m and 13.7m masts. 

The drill can deliver single-pass hole depths of 11.2m and 13.7m, and the 11.2m mast is capable of drilling multi-pass hole depths reaching 53.6m, while the 13.7m mast drills multi-pass depths of up to 37.9m. 

The MD6250 features angle drilling from 0 ° to 30° in 5° increments. It has an approach angle of 15° for easy ramp access and loading, while the machine is capable of climbing up to 26° grades to get to the bench. 

Three-point oscillating suspension allows the machine to negotiate rugged terrain without transferring excessive torsional forces to the main frame.

The drill’s power train features the Cat C27 ACERT engine with a 655kW power rating at 1800rpm that can be configured to meet emissions regulations for any region throughout the world. 

It can also operate at elevations as high as 4,750m. Standard ambient temperature operation ranges from -1°C to 52°C, while available arctic temperature packages enable working in sub-zero temperatures reaching -40°C. 

The MC6250 drill comes with a variety of standard and optional auto-drilling features to ensure drill pattern and depth accuracy, so operations can lower explosives costs, improve blast performance and optimise muckpile uniformity to reduce downstream processing costs, the manufacturer explained. The standard package includes auto-drill assist to control every step of the drill cycle. Standard Cat Product Link technology can improve fleet management through customisable reports and mapping. 

In addition, sites can choose from an available autonomy group that includes Cat Command, which offers options for semi-autonomous drilling of single row missions. Also available, Cat Terrain provides precision machine guidance.

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