June 2016
|
World Coal
|
39
Old mine;
Gregory Scott,
Caterpillar Inc.,
USA,
illustrates
how the Cat
blasthole drill
brings new
technology to
long-lived mine
sites.
Cat MD6420C rotary blasthole drill
makes best use of productivity enhancing
technology at a copper mine in Arizona.
T
he Globe-Miami district is one of the oldest and
most productive mining regions in the US. Since
1878, the region has produced over 6.8 billion kg
(15 billion lb) of copper and other precious
metals. During the past several years, a number of mines
in the district have invested in new equipment as a means
to increase production cost effectively, while actively
managing fleet lifecycle values. Having the latest
equipment has been key to driving down costs and
building profits in a tough commodities market.
Of course mine production starts with blasthole drilling.
One site’s new fleet includes two Cat
®
MD6420 rotary drills
for production drilling and one MD5150 top hammer drill
for pioneering and pre-strip operations. A third rotary drill
– a Cat MD6420C – was the first of a new generation of Cat
rotary drills to go into operation in the Americas.
new tricks
