The Chinese city of Jincheng, in the Jincheng Basin, southeast of Shanxi Province, is developing fast with the focus on high quality, efficient construction. Much of the work is carried out by local construction company, Jincheng Taihang Explosive Co–Ltd. – commonly referred to as Taihang.
This company recently took delivery of a PowerROC D45 drill rig from Epiroc. The rig is making a big contribution to the company's success, by helping to secure rapid, urban construction and stability and growth.
The PowerROC D45 at work on a warm and dusty day in China.
Taihang was established in 2009, having previously belonged to Jincheng Chemical Fiber Company. Today the company has some 50 employees and annual sales close to USD 3 million.
In addition, Taihang is a municipal blasting company focusing on road construction both inside and outside of Jincheng City. For several years, the company has been using semi-hydraulic rigs with great success, but in 2019 it decided to replace these with fully hydraulic versions. The aim was to increase productivity and safety, but also to comply with China’s national environmental protection policy.
It’s first choice was the PowerROC D45. This rig has since been the main workhorse at a high-speed railway station project in Jincheng city. The job involve the removal of one million cubic meters of rock. Work was completed at the end of 2019.
Jiao Zhiqiang, Equipment Manager at Taihang and Li Xinyao, Sales Engineer at Epiroc CC China
The PowerROC D45 is a hydraulic Down-The-Hole (DTH) surface drill rig which was launched in China in 2015. It's primarily designed for quarrying and mining applications.
The PowerROC D45 is recognized for its ease of operation and maintenance, high reliability and robust performance. Among the many benefits of the PowerROC D45, the drillers particularly appreciate the Rod Handling System (RHS), new cabin and low fuel consumption.
The RHS greatly reduces the frequency of threading and unthreading the 4 m rods. A hole depths of 12 m can be completed by adding only two rods. The RHS drastically reduces the physical effort placed on the operator when compared to manual rod handling.
The new air-conditioned cabin is both FOPS and ROPS certified and provides more safety and protection for the operator as well as an improved view of the drilling site. A well-designed cabin increase job satisfaction and boost productivity.
During the transition from semi-hydraulic to hydraulic rigs, the PowerROC D45 proved it could meet Taihang’s demands for safety, performance and high availability.
The company’s Equipment Manager, Jiao Zhiqiang believes that safety and quality are two key factors that contribute to reliable and consistent operations.
"As we are now paying more attention to product quality and productivity, we chose Epiroc when we decided to start using hydraulic drill rigs. The PowerROC D45 gives us improved performance as well as a safer working environment for the operator. Another important benefit is that we previously needed two operators for rod handling and now we only need one. "
