Development of the automatic GO-60 drill

CIM Bulletin, Vol. 80, No. 903, 1987

J. KELLY and R. ENGLAND, Inco Ltd. Copper Cliff, Ontario

This paper describes the objectives and design parameters for the operation of a computerized In-The-Hole (I.T.H.) Drill. The principal objective is to add computer control to an Inco GO-60 I.T.H. (CMS-CD-90) drill in order to drill holes with greater accuracy. The computer provides control of the angle of the hole by maintaining the orientation of the drill head, and optimizes the straightness of the hole by maintaining a constant force on the drill bit. The second objective is to provide the greatest degree of operational automation, so the objective outlined above can be accomplished with a minimum of operator intervention. In order to provide full operational automation it was necessary to also provide the capability for the computer to add and remove drill rods. To accomplish this, a rod-handling mechanism consisting of a rod storage rack and rod manipulator arms was used.

Keywords: Drill design, Computer controlled drilling, Rod handling, I.T.H. drill rig, GO-60 drill.