Germany Chancellor plans lithium deal with Serbia after Rio ruling
Olaf Scholz plans to visit Serbia this week to secure supplies of lithium that are critical for the nation’s energy transition and auto industry.
Atlas Copco is simultaneously launching not one but four new Simba drill rigs for the mining industry. The collective result is outstanding accuracy, versatility and flexibility for long hole drilling applications.
Long hole production drilling in mines can now be substantially improved with the launch of new Simba drill rigs from Atlas Copco. The company has introduced four different versions of its Simba rig concept – Simba ME7 C, Simba E7 C (plus an ITH version) and Simba W7 C – thereby giving miners the widest possible choice of solutions for different mining environments.
The new rigs offer top-notch precision, versatility and flexibility but also provide mines with a much greater opportunity to adapt each unit to suit individual conditions and requirements. Thanks to their four stingers and the sturdiness and precision of their BUT 45 booms, the rigs also offer maximum safety during setup and positioning.
All four rigs are designed for long hole drilling (up to 51.2 m, theoretical depth) in medium to large drifts.
Simba ME7 C drills parallel holes spaced up to 6. 9 m apart with a hole diameter of
51–89 mm.
Simba E7 C drills parallel holes spaced up to 6. 1 m apart with a hole diameter of
89–127 mm.
Simba E7 C-ITH drills parallel holes up to 5.2 m apart with a hole diameter of
92 – 178 mm.
Simba W7 C is fitted with the “Wassara” water powered hammer for special applications; LKAB in Malmberget in Sweden was among the first companies to use this special rig and the Wassara concept is also being used in Norway.
The BUT 45 boom used on these rigs is extremely sturdy, enabling them to carry the most powerful rock drills and other types of equipment. At the same time, the boom increases accuracy and control and is highly adaptable for different needs.
Automatic rod handling is a standard feature on these rigs. They are based on Atlas Copco’s well proven control system which offers a unique platform for automation, built-in self-diagnostics and data logging. The rigs are also equipped with the latest low-emission diesel engines for reduced environmental impact.
The Simba quartet has been field tested with good results in Sweden and Australia and has been highly praised by operators.
At the Zinkgruvan mine in Sweden where the Simba ME7 has been drilling significantly faster and better than the older Simba M7, the new version got tops marks for stability, precision and flexibility.
Operator Lars Johansson says: “This new rig is a lot better than the previous one. I particularly like the four stingers which enables you to get a great setup. The rig also feels very stable when you’re tramming in the drifts.” Fellow operator Oskar Jonsson agrees. “All in all I think it’s a very useful rig as it can perform a lot of different types of drilling, not just production holes but service holes, drainage holes and so on, from the same setup.”
Atlas Copco expects to make the new Simba quartet available globally as of mid-March, 2012.
