Embracing Epiroc’s “smart” surface drill rigs keeps Fraser Drill Blast Management on the cutting edge

Michael Playfair, Marketing Content Project Leader at Epiroc, recently sat down with Bruce Fraser, Founder & President of Fraser Drill Blast Management Inc., to discuss his long-term partnership with Epiroc and how his organization became their largest customer for surface drill rigs in Canada.

Fraser Drill Blast Management Inc., a drilling contractor operating in Sudbury, Ontario since 2003, has established a strong working relationship with Epiroc that has seen them pioneer new technology in the industry while collaborating with the Canadian team on a wide range of projects.

Michael Playfair: Thanks for taking the time to talk to me Bruce. As a key Epiroc customer, you were invited to visit Sweden in 2024 to get a better understanding of our operations from a global perspective – how was that experience for you?

Bruce Fraiser: On the trip to Sweden, I visited Örebro and Fagersta, and the purpose of that trip was really just to see where the drills are manufactured and check out the whole Epiroc set up. I was very impressed - we were amazed at how automated it was, and how clean & organized things were. It was a bit different than what I would expect to see in North America for example.

MP: I understand you had been purchasing Epiroc drill rigs for quite some time already at that point, what made you gravitate toward the “Smart” rigs?

BF: Well, I don’t think they were classified as “Smart” rigs at the time, but what pushed me toward the Epiroc drill rigs was the remote capabilities. They were also the first manufacturer I came across in North America that were really set up for the type of work we do in Northern Ontario, which is very rugged terrain. The drills are built in a way that makes them well-suited for that. The versatility and the safety components of the remote technology was what sold me.

MP: How many Epiroc drill rigs do you currently own?

BF: At this point we are up around 30. Hard to say off the top of my head (laughs), but I think the exact number would be either 29 or 30

MP: And how many sites do you have those machines working at right now?

BF: Currently, we have machines in operation at 8 sites.

MP: How has it been working with the Epiroc team for your needs on site?

BF: It has generally been quite good. I know there have been some changes here in Canada with where Epiroc has their parts located, which is in Mississauga. For us, being in Sudbury, of course we would like to see all parts centralized in Sudbury (laughs), but overall, the experience is good and I can’t complain. With the number of rigs we have, we’re pretty self-sufficient in terms of carrying our own inventory for consumables. We have 5 mechanics on site to service our 30 rigs, so we don’t rely on Epiroc too often unless it is a unique issue or warranty related.

MP: You have a fleet of FlexiROC T40 R drill rigs, how have those machines contributed to your business?

BF: The growth of the business started with those rigs. I really believe that those are the rigs that helped us make our footprint in the industry because we were the first ones in Northern Ontario to run those drills, as far as I’m aware. The versatility of those rigs for the type of work I wanted to do really opened up a lot of opportunities for us.

MP: You talked about the versatility, were there any other features in the FlexiROC T40 R drills that made them the right fit?

BF: They handle rugged terrain well – along with the rod changers and remote capabilities, so the safety aspect of it was important. My competitors at the time were using old technology, and I’d like to think we embraced the new technology and introduced it to the marketplace, so it was very well received by our clients.

Similarly, on the explosives side, we have been open to new explosive technology, whether it was bulk emulsion back in the day, or today its electronic detonators; we like to think we stay ahead of the curve as far as new technology goes.

MP: You purchased a SmartROC D60 in February 2024 and another unit in 2025 – tell me about your experience with that rig?

BF: Well, the rigs have been good – we haven’t found a contract yet where we are fully utilizing the complete Smart technology, but we’re bidding work right now, primarily to mine sites. We’ve used Smart technology for automation, drilling the holes, rod changes etc. and we still do the survey part of it. I think that’s where the market is moving, and I think in the future any of those big production drills that are heading to mine sites are going to require Smart technology because most mines seem to be going in that direction.

MP: How has the training experience been with Epiroc?

BF: We’ve had some training from the Epiroc team here in Sudbury on Smart technology. Moving forward, we have some well-qualified drillers that also conduct the training for us.

MP: As one of Epiroc’s largest surface drill customers in Canada, what attracted you to the machines in the first place?

BF: I had been in the industry for a long time, but when I finally decided to go out on my own, one of the contributing factors was that Epiroc, Atlas Copco back then, was the most receptive to working with a new client.  Some suppliers could be reluctant to get involved with a new business that didn’t have any rigs yet, but Epiroc was open to it, had equipment available, and I really liked the technology. It just fit - and I’ve been loyal ever since.

MP: Your business has grown considerably over the years, but how difficult was it to get things off the ground in the beginning?

BF: When I first started, I was very frugal and was saving to prepare what I needed to get going. In the beginning, I rented, which was another thing Epiroc was really good at. The rental purchase agreements were very accommodating to my business, to the point that we still employ that same system with every drill rig that I purchase today.

MP: What do you hope to see from Epiroc in the future?

BF: Epiroc keeps me informed on new technology that’s coming – one thing I wanted to see is remote capabilities on the larger drills, you know, the size up from the FlexiROC T40 R rigs, which it looks like they now have for the SmartROC D60.

MP: Finally, what do the operators think of the Epiroc machines?

BF: I think if you asked a pool of hydraulic top hammer drillers, they would much prefer to run the FlexiROC T40 R remote rigs to the other machines that are in the marketplace.