SUNWARD to showcase surface drill rig at Electra Mining

SUNWARD South Africa will use Electra Mining Africa 2022 to showcase its SUNWARD SWDR138S excavator drill rig, giving a hands-on experience to visitors to the show. The model – ideally suited for hard rock and coal mining applications – is said to be one of the most versatile and flexible excavator drilling rigs available in the market. The drill rig has proved its capabilities in blast hole drilling within the surface mining, construction, quarrying and infrastructure market segments.

“Owning the right equipment is the first step to operational sustainability and business profitability, underpinned by the fundamentally important aspect of operator safety,” notes Pascal Mbambo, director of AZIZE Equipment, the sole distributor of SUNWARD products in South Africa.

“The drilling and blasting business is centred on meters drilled and tonnes or cubic meters moved while keeping operational costs to a minimum. Operators are therefore looking for efficient, reliable machines in order to maximise availability and uptime; with a SUNWARD drill rig, they will meet these objectives hands down.”

SUNWARD machines feature all the best-in-class components yet are significantly less complex compared to many other options in the market. This straight-forward, no-frills package signifies ruggedness, reliability, simplicity, and ease-of-operation and -serviceability for improved uptime and enhanced profitability at the lowest total cost of ownership.

Mounted on a 24-t excavator crawler chassis, the SWDR138S excavator drill rig is equipped with 102 mm drill rods for drilling holes of up to 165 mm diameter holes down to 36 m. Minimal hole set-up times are achieved owing to high mobility, a fast-tramming speed and flexibility while high flushing capacity is delivered by a 650 cfm, 24 bar Atlas Copco air compressor.

Drilling is a notoriously challenging environment and next to efficiency and productivity, creating a safe working environment to avoid injury to operators is just as important. In this space the SUNWARD drill rig also excels. The machine is equipped with a fully automatic carousel for hands-free operation and subsequent safe drilling.

A comprehensive CCTV and obstacle detection system assist the operator with situational awareness. The rig is also fitted with an automatic fire suppression system. The spacious, fully air-conditioned cab provides a safe, comfortable working environment for operators and the rig is fully ROPS and TOPS compliant.

SUNWARD Equipment Group is listed on the Shenzen stock exchange and is a top 50 global construction equipment manufacturer producing over 11 000 excavators and drilling rigs per annum. The African continent is familiar with this well-tested and globally respected brand with numerous machines operating in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and the DRC. Owing to these perfect fit-for-Africa machines, the SUNWARD footprint is expanding across the continent.

“In addition to our showcased excavator drill rig, SUNWARD South Africa also offers a full range of DTH (down the hole) and top hammer surface drill rigs catering for all geologies and applications.  “The company’s hands-on experience with a variety of drilling rigs has given us a unique insight into the key success elements enabling us to equip customers with the right tools to manage their drilling operation,” concludes Mbambo.