JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) − Following the virtual grand opening of its Rock Drill Innovation Centre, in Finland, Swedish mining gear and metal-cutting tools maker Sandvik launched its RDX5 rock drill on September 30.

The rock drill builds on the success of “the most dependable rock drill in the market”, the HLX5, and continues to provide improved reliability, reduce operating costs and offer “exceptional” productivity, says Sandvik.

The RDX5 comes with a substantially increased service interval and keeps a minimal amount of moving parts as the basic design principle, but also has new features like pressurised seams to increase durability.

The new RDX5 is completely interchangeable with the current HLX5 rock drills, meaning that there is no requirement for additional installation kits for any equipment that houses the HLX5 rock drill.

The RDX5 is compatible with all equipment and applications currently working with the HLX5 and enhances the HLX5’s qualities through improvements in design and materials.

Major functional groups are upgraded and redesigned to improve the reliability and service life, Sandvik business unit (BU) rock drills product line manager Jukka Siltanen and BU rock drills research and technology development manager Jukka Ahola said during the virtual Sandvik-hosted Innovation in Mining conference.

The company will also soon introduce a new XL rock drill for large-top hammer drilling, which will allow operators to expand the hole size. Mining contractors will also have the option to choose a version of the rock drill equipped for high-altitude operations.

This, Siltanen and Ahola said, would mean “excellent efficiency, less fuel consumption, reducing costs and providing increased penetration in large drilling operations”.

The new XL rock drill forms parts of an existing range of rock drill development, where Sandvik continues to implement continuous development, new re-models of drills, equipment and features, while simultaneously assisting with service and training.

This is made possible through Sandvik’s Rock Drill Innovation Centre, which hosts a field tester laboratory that can “confirm the quality of the rock drill service provided by Sandvik”.

The laboratory provides automated test reports, general condition data, as well as data on internal components.

The test laboratory is built into a purpose-built container, making it moveable and applicable for locations either indoor or outdoor.