Hole Navigation System (HNS)

Optional equipment



HNS sequence image

With drill navigation accuracy to within +/– 50 millimeters, our satellite-guided Hole Navigation System (HNS) ensures the highest quality of drilled holes. At the same time, it makes your operation a great deal safer and easier.

 

There is no need to spend time manually marking holes. By being guided to the correct hole position, including angles and collaring position, the task of delivering high-quality results will be simplified.

 

The precision of HNS not only optimizes drilling and blasting results but also improves fragmentation and reduces the amount of explosives you’ll need. And last but not least, it will lower your overall production costs.

HNS depth wrong

Same hole length

Drilling with the same hole length is not always the right way.

HNS depth correct

Correct hole depth

With HNS you will drill to the correct depth every time.

Hole Navigation System

A SmartROC option for safe, easy drilling and improved productivity.

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The importance of drilling to the correct depth

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HNS guides you to easy, precise and safe drilling.

A well-controlled process means less risk for flying rocks. It also eliminates the need for the operator/surveyor to mark the bench. This saves time as well as increases worksite safety.

 

HNS provides an exact placement of holes, hole angles, and depths. This delivers better blast results, better fragmentation, and improved load- ability with fewer explosives.

 

A more uniform drill pattern will result in a higher quality blast result that will deliver better fragmentation and minimizes the need for secondary breaking. Good fragmentation can increase crusher throughput by up to 30%.

Drilling to the correct depth is automatic since the system has the end coordinates of the hole bottom.
The system guides the operator easily to the correct position of the chosen hole.
Satellite navigation systems have an +/-5 m accuracy which is far from acceptable for the mining industry
With the support of the base station the position accuracy is improved down to +/-50 mm
Epiroc - SmartROC T45 3840x2160 pxl

Always in pole position

The operator selects the hole to be drilled and trams to the correct collaring point using the Hole Navigation System. It doesn’t get easier than this. Yellow and green bars on the screen show in real time how to move to get to the correct collaring point.

 

This reduces operator error at collaring, when it is especially important to get the correct bottom coordinates of the drilled hole. Even a slight error can have major consequences in the end.  

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Improved quarrying or mining process

Planning ill

1. Planning

Planning ahead results in fewer surprises. Hole angles, depth and blasting direction are set in the drill plan which is transferred to the rig.

Rig ill

2. Drilling

The Hole Navigation System uses the information and helps you to drill parallel holes to the correct depth. This gives you uniform benches.

Gathering ill

3. Analyzing

When you have drilled according to the drill plan, you can run the information that the rig has gathered to plan the blast.

Blast ill

4. Blasting

A well-controlled blast results in better fragmentation, which reduces the number of boulders. Fewer boulders mean less secondary breakings.

Loading ill

5. Loading

With good fragmentation, it is easier to fill the loader buckets. Full buckets mean fewer trips to fill the transportation unit.

Transport ill

6. Transporting

Effectively loaded transportation units, thanks to good fragmentation, mean fewer trips to the crusher.

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7. Crushing

When all steps have been done correctly, the good fragmentation will enable efficient crushing resulting in a good end product.