External Drill Bit Storage for Flexible Rock Rig Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for handling drill bits in rock drilling rigs are inefficient, requiring onboard magazines or separate handling mechanisms, which add weight and complexity, and lack flexibility in storage location and management.
Innovation Solution
Implementing drilled drill bit storages formed in the rock surface, managed by a control unit to facilitate automated or semi-automated drill bit pickup, eliminating the need for onboard storage and enabling flexible, efficient drill bit changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If onboard magazines or separate handling mechanisms are used for drill bit storage, then drill bit storage capacity is improved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The drill bit storage function is extracted from the rock drilling rig itself and relocated to external positions on the rock surface. The rig only retains minimal onboard storage, while the majority of drill bit storage capacity is provided by externally drilled storages that the rig can access by repositioning. This separates the storage function from the moving rig, reducing rig complexity and weight while maintaining high storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage system transitions from a single onboard location to multiple external locations distributed in three-dimensional space around the drilling site. By drilling storages at different positions and orientations on the rock surface, the system effectively adds spatial dimensions to storage capacity, allowing the rig to access multiple storage points by moving to different positions.
2Quantity of substance
If onboard magazines are used for drill bit storage, then drill bit availability is improved, but rig weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heavy drill bit storage capacity is extracted from the moving rig and placed in fixed external storages on the rock surface. The rig carries only minimal onboard storage, dramatically reducing its weight. Drill bit availability is maintained through the control unit's ability to quickly reposition the rig to access external storages when drill bits need to be changed.
3Ease of operation
If fixed onboard storage locations are used, then drill bit management is simplified, but storage location flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system becomes dynamic rather than fixed. The rig can move to different positions to access multiple external drill bit storages located at various coordinates on the rock surface. The control unit manages this dynamically by calculating optimal positions and coordinating movements, providing both flexibility in storage location selection and systematic management through automated control.
4Quantity of substance
If multiple drill bit storages are implemented, then storage capacity is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit acts as an intermediary that manages the complexity of multiple drill bit storages. It stores position data for each storage, calculates optimal retrieval sequences, and coordinates rig movements automatically. This centralized intelligence handles the complexity of managing multiple storages, allowing the physical system to remain relatively simple while achieving high storage capacity through coordinated control.
Data Source
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AI summary
An arrangement and method for handling drill bits used for drilling drill holes to a rock surface. The arrangement implements at least one drilled drill bit storage (10) which is outside a rock drilling rig (1) and is formed by drilling one or more drill holes (11) to the rock surface. There is a control unit (CU) configured to manage position data (21) of the drilled drill bit storage whereby the control unit can assist pickup of the drill bit (9) from the drilled drill bit storage.