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Looking
sharp at Troilus
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| Helping
the client to do a bit better: Secoroc's GrindMatic B-DTH grinding
unit, in the right hands, keeps the bits in first rate condition
for the Troilus mine. |
A Canadian mine's managers, frustrated by the lack of consistency in drilling
costs, discovered that their drill bits were being over-used and not correctly
sharpened. The answer wasn't far away.
Jacques
Morasse, Purchasing Director of Inmet Mining's Troilus operations in north-western
Quebec, decided to seek expert advice. He contacted Secoroc Canada and
offered to pay for its advice, training and recommendations on the best
bit sharpening equipment.
"We
decided to do it for free to show how performance improves when drill
bits are properly sharpened," says Bernie Rouleau, Secoroc's Regional
Manager.
"We
always try to help the customer to achieve maximum performance. In this
case, because of the technical support we provided, we helped the mine
to establish a new standard - and now it will not accept less."
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Jean-Claude
Simard, Mine Superintendent at the Troilus project (left) with Jacques
Morasse, Plant Manager at the Troilus mine. |
Cost per
metre
At most of its customers' mines, Secoroc owns the drilling consumables
and maintains them on a daily basis with the operator paying on a cost
per metre basis. At isolated Troilus, the mine bought its drill bits
from various suppliers and sharpened them itself.
Now Troilus
has purchased a new circuit of bits - there are some 72 in circulation
at any one time - and Secoroc helped to set up a properly ventilated
and laid out workshop for grinding. A method of measuring improved performance
with properly sharpened drill bits was established and each miner was
given a set of 15 bits to track progress.
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Shawn
Hynes, technical service representative for Secoroc, proudly displays
two of his well-sharpened drill bits. |
Shawn Hynes,
Secoroc technical service representative, was at the mine for a month,
sharpening with the mine's existing Secoroc GrindMatic B-DTH unit at
the same time as he trained the Troilus staff. "Shawn did a great
job," says Jacques Morasse.
The before-and-after
results were impressive. Bit life previously averaged around 520 metres,
but increased to more than 625 metres - a 20% improvement - after the
sharpening and bit shop re-organisation.
Concludes
Bernie Rouleau: "I think our technical support and recommendations
have been very useful and have delivered good results for the Troilus
operation."
The
GrindMatic machine's secret of success is that both the grinding
table and the diamond grinding wheel rotate. The result is perfectly
ground button surfaces, regardless of whether the buttons are
spherical or ballistic.
In addition,
the machine's unique diamond grinding wheel is designed to ensure
even wear on its grinding surface while still retaining its profile.
This, in turn, guarantees the button shape throughout the life
of the wheel.
According
to Secoroc, it is the only solution able to consistently deliver
perfectly shaped buttons.
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