By ashleykaren
A hundred meters under the ground, right in the heart of the Swedish capital, Stockholm, the Epiroc Powerbit X is breaking ground in civil construction with its diamond-protected technology by drilling a spectacular 3 250 meters without changing the bit.
The transformative civil construction project for the new metro station, Sofia, is part of a more considerable project to develop the subway system in Stockholm. Epiroc’s customer, Implenia, is carrying out the construction contract on behalf of Region Stockholm. The Epiroc machines, Boltec E10 S, Boomer XE3, and Boomer E2, are playing a vital role in their operations.
Kalle Ville Pellinen, Implenia operator, said: “The Boltec E10 S is a reliable machine that performs well, and the installation quality is higher and more consistent compared to manual bolting. One machine/operator can do what four people and four machines did before. But despite an efficient machine, we still have to stop production to change the drill bit every so often.”
Daniel Zetterman, Implenia Machine Manager, added: “Frequent bit changes were slowing us down. We needed a complete bolting solution that could keep up with the project’s ambitious goals.”
As each drill bit changes every 60-70 meters, Epiroc presented Implenia to the Epiroc Powerbit X, with diamond-protected technology, as a key for decreasing drill bit changes and helping them improve productivity and overall safety for their operators.
Mattias L Andersson, Epiroc Rock Drilling Tools Contract and Sales Representative stated: “We identified the drill bit changes as an area where we could help Implenia increase their productivity and brought two bits to trial. This was the first time we used the Epiroc Powerbit X in a bolting or ground support application, and these two bits have surpassed our all of expectations, and the results are remarkable.”
Massive impact on productivity, logistics and safety
The Epiroc Powerbit X did not only deliver on its targets – the first drill bit managed to reach a staggering 3 250 meters, making this one of the best results the new diamond technology has seen.
Compared to conventional drill bits, not only did this drill bit offer a longer drilling interval, but it also achieved higher penetration rates of up to 0.5 meters per minute.
Pellinen expressed: “With the first bit, we were able to drill for up to 11 days without changing the bit. This is a game-changer.”
Zetterman also claimed: “Safety is very important for us, and by being able to drill without interruptions, our operator can stay in the cabin and avoid going outside under the rock. Together with the efficiency of the Epiroc Boltec E10 S, we haven’t had a single incident or accident during these trials.”
A paradigm shift in bolting operations
The comprehensive lifespan and higher penetration rate of Epiroc Powerbit X have enabled Implenia to increase its productivity. Similarly, the environmental result is what really stands out as the two Epiroc Powerbit X drill bits have saved up to 58-bit changes during the trial alone.
Zetterman added: “The longer lifespan of Epiroc Powerbit X has simplified our logistics. Normally, we would have to re-grind a standard bit 4-5 times to reach 400 – 500 meters. As we don’t do regrinding on site – this means substantial savings in transportation (in city traffic) and handling from staff. A huge advantage for us.”
The Journey Continues
As we are entering the autumn season, both organizations are eager to continue the tests, and the next stage is to equip both the Boomer XE3 with Epiroc SR38 (48mm bits) and the Boltec E10 S with Epiroc SR35 (45mm bits).
Those interested can contact Sandra Almqvist, Epiroc Rock Drilling Tools Project Manager – Brand Communication: sandra.almqvist@epiroc.com.
Further information is available here.
