Komatsu's Newest Blasthole Drill Works in Diverse Conditions

The ZR77 at Komatsu's Arizona Proving Grounds in Tucson, Ariz.

Tue September 21, 2021
Komatsu

To support customers that want to boost productivity with an advanced drill, Komatsu premiered its newest blasthole drill, the ZR122, at MINExpo 2021.

Engineered for high productivity drilling in tough rock conditions, this drill is built to help reduce maintenance costs, support fully autonomous operation, and can be configured for rotary and hammer drilling, diesel or electric power, and single- or multipass drilling, according to the manufacturer.

As part of the ongoing process to integrate its legacy brands into One Komatsu, the newest drill model and technology was showcased on the Komatsu ZR122 with the new look and branding. This new look will transition legacy brands to the Komatsu brand this year, which includes the P&H 77XR.

Designed to increase drilling time, the rack-and-pinion pulldown system reduces the maintenance time required to support the old cable or chain pulldown and the boxer style mast reduces downtime for structural inspections.

To help reduce bit change downtime and worker risk associated with a manual changeout process, an advanced auto-bit changer carousel helps to flex into a new hole diameter rapidly so operators can seamlessly adapt the drill pattern to reach peak fragmentation quickly. The one-touch, auto-bit operation keeps productivity going with a five-minute change.

Customers can elevate their mine's productivity by improving drilling accuracy with high-precision GPS through auto-navigation capabilities, allowing line-of-sight teleremote operations from up to one mile away.

For more information, visit www.komatsu.com/en/products/blasthole-drills/.