Overall economy with grinding and sound damping
The port of Rauma is undergoing an extension project: a field is being built in the port area by excavating and filling water areas. The excavations are being implemented by Vilppulan Kivijaloste. Thanks to Epiroc’s sound-suppressed SmartROC T40 drill rig, the daily excavation period is longer, and savings in excavation costs are being obtained by using the Grind Matic grinding machine.
The complete expansion of the Port of Rauma will total approximately 6.2 hectares of overall excavation area. The contract started in May, and is due to be completed by the end of September next year. This is by no means the first port extension project for Vilppulan Kivijaloste: in the Port of Hanko, the final piping work is still going on. Before that, the company carried out the expansion of the Port of Kotka.
The excavation work is being done with Epiroc’s sound-suppressed SmartROC T40 drill rig, which was introduced at the beginning of last year. "It's a great package", driller Ari Parkkonen enthuses. Total fuel consumption is at a very low level – 0.38 litres/metre of drilling. With a GPS-based hole navigation unit, the holes come precisely to the desired point and direction. Due to noise suppression, the drill rig is very quiet, and for this reason the Finnish Environmental Institute has allowed Vilppulan Kivijaloste two extra hours per working day for the excavation work at the Port of Rauma. According to Kari Mäkipää, General Manager, sound suppression only provides benefits: both the port and inhabitants are satisfied and the driller is as well, since any disturbances – such as drill rod breakage – will be heard clearly.
At the turn of August, an Epiroc Grind Matic RH3 grinding machine was installed on a Vilppulan Kivijaloste drill rig. After three weeks of use, Ari Parkkonen's first experiences of the machine are positive. In its main aspects, the work is progressing with 50 metres being drilled with one drill bit, after which it is ground. An average of 450 drill meters accumulate each day. Epiroc T45 drill string with 70 mm Powerbit is in use. Grinding goes smoothly while drilling, and the time required to sharpen the gaug buttons is only a couple of minutes. Thanks to the grinding machine, the worn bit is restored to its original profile, and penetration is maintained until the end of the bit's service life. At the same time, the bit's service life increases 50–100 metres. "From a total economic standpoint, this results in savings for us," Kari Mäkipää sums up with regard to his experience with the grinding machine.
Thanks to the good experiences of Vilppulan Kivijaloste, another SmartROC T40 drill rig has now been ordered, to be delivered in November. The new drill rig is equipped with the same accessories: a grinding machine, silence kit and GPS navigation.
