Sweden-based mining equipment manufacturer Epiroc has unveiled the Pit Viper 270 XC blasthole drilling rig (PV-270 XC), which can improve mining operational efficiencies and be integrated into existing automated systems.

The company said the PV-270 XC has been designed specifically to provide flexibility and that it can increase load capacity by as much as 42.5 tonnes, explaining that the technology "builds on the high industry standard of performance and innovation of the Pit Viper 270 series."

The PV-270 XC can be integrated with the Epiroc Rig Control System and be run with an operator on-board using options such as AutoDrill and AutoLevel, Epiroc said.

Additionally, it can enable one operator to run one or multiple units, allowing companies to implement autonomous drilling and contribute to the "lowest total cost of ownership in the blasthole drilling industry in its class."

"It [PV-270 XC) provides a foundation to add new functionality and options later without a major rebuild of the machine," Epiroc said. "Autonomous drilling can be implemented with almost no human interaction with the drill.

Heino Hammann, product line manager - Blasthole at Epiroc Drilling Solutions, said the company had successfully deployed more than 500 Pit Viper 270 rigs to mining environments.