Ergonomic rock drill highlights operator comfort

A range of surface rock drills have been specifically designed to ensure operator comfort and safety.

Combining an ergonomic design with smart technology, Atlas Copco’s Surface Rock Drill (SRD) range is said to deliver reliability, efficiency, safety, low maintenance and serviceability. The company notes that the solid or single body design and lightweight 20 kg and 25 kg SRDs boast a world-class power-to-weight ratio and perfect balance, enhancing handle-ability, comfort and safety.

The solid housing is designed to eliminate leakages and increase cylinder lifecycle, while fewer moving parts aim to reduce wear. The one-piece machines are said to be easy to assemble and disassemble, aimed at facilitating services and maximising uptime.

“Atlas Copco places operators at the core of its tool design, incorporating standard features such as a Solid Body (SB) concept, a SOFTSTART trigger, Hand and Arm Protection Systems (HAPS) and a pneumatic Dust Collector into our comprehensive product portfolio,” says Atlas Copco Power Technique business line manager for portable products David Stanford.

The two-step SOFTSTART trigger is designed to enable operators to start a cut with surgical precision, allowing for seamless operation even in difficult working conditions.

“High vibration and noise levels are leading causes of operator fatigue which, in turn, increases the risk of injury and curbs productivity,” notes Stanford. “We have introduced HAPS to substantially reduce vibration levels on our SRD pneumatic handheld tool range. Furthermore, the tool’s piston switches on aircushions on both ends of the cylinder, thereby almost fully eliminating metal-to-metal contact when working off-load and subsequently further shrinking vibration as well as reducing wear. This substantial reduction in vibration makes it possible to extend working hours up to six-fold.” According to Stanford, the vibration levels of the new generation SRD 25 rock drill are 50% lower compared to its predecessor.

Atlas Copco has also diminished the noise levels of the SRD tools by up to 75% with the development of the wear-resistant polyurethane silencer. Stanford says that this equates to a 2 dB reduction in noise, which can make a substantial difference especially when several drills are operating simultaneously.

The company has also developed a pneumatic Dust Collector for the efficient removal, at source, of silica dust that is produced during the drilling and breaking process. Powered by compressed air and utilising vacuum technology, the Dust Collector maintains dust levels below the permissible exposure limit, consuming no more than 12 l of air a second. Suitable for indoor and outdoor use, the unit’s recyclable collection bags last for eight hours and the semi-automatic filter cleaning mechanism is designed to minimise maintenance.

The pneumatic SRDs also feature Assisted Flushing Technology, which enables the operator to open the flashing valve to activate an additional flow of compressed air through a pathway in the cylinder to flush the drill hole while the tool is in operation. Allowing for simultaneous drilling and flushing can increase productivity by up to 17%. 

The SRDs are said to be ideal for drilling and breaking applications in the construction and quarry sectors. Fitted with eco-friendly power packs, several drills can also be cost-effectively operated with a single compressor. 

Atlas Copco offers after-sales service that includes Air Line accessories such as air hoses, hose nipples, couplings, water separators and Air Oil lubricants to support its SRD pneumatic tool range.