Low Profile Mining Drill Bolter with Carousel Manipulator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automated drilling and bolting machines are not well-suited for low seam environments, where the height of mine passages is less than six feet, making them inefficient and time-consuming for supporting mine faces.
Innovation Solution
A low-profile drilling and bolting module with a manipulator, bolt magazine, carousel, and mast system that includes pivotally mounted arms and a drill guide, allowing for efficient delivery and installation of drilling elements and bolts in a compact space, along with a control system for automated operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If conventional automated drilling and bolting machines are used, then automation capability is achieved, but the machine profile height becomes too large for low seam environments
Solution Approach 1:
The drilling and bolting system is divided into separate functional modules: a drilling module with drill bit, a bolting module with bolt magazine and manipulator, and a carousel for drill steel storage. This segmentation allows each module to be optimized independently for low-profile operation while maintaining automated functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from conventional vertical mast configurations to a horizontal carousel-based architecture where drill steels are stored radially and delivered horizontally to the drill head. This dimensional change reduces the vertical profile height while preserving automated drilling capability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual drilling and bolting operations are performed, then adaptability to narrow passages is achieved, but labor intensity and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The manipulator serves multiple functions: it retrieves drill steels from the carousel, delivers them to the drill head, and subsequently handles bolt retrieval and installation. This multi-functionality maintains operational efficiency while adapting to the constrained space of narrow passages.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates self-contained magazine and carousel mechanisms that automatically supply drill steels and bolts without requiring manual intervention. The manipulator autonomously coordinates the delivery sequence, enabling automated operation in environments previously requiring manual work.
3Quantity of substance
If drill steels are stored in traditional configurations, then storage capacity is sufficient, but the delivery mechanism becomes too complex for low-profile operation
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple drill steels are stored radially around the carousel hub in a compact nested arrangement. The manipulator accesses the outermost steel first and sequentially retrieves them as they are delivered to the drill head, maximizing storage capacity within a compact radial footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The carousel rotates continuously or in sequence to deliver drill steels to the drill head without interruption. This continuous delivery mechanism eliminates the need for complex lifting and positioning systems, reducing overall mechanism complexity while maintaining adequate storage capacity.
Data Source
AI summary
A module is for use in drilling a borehole in a face of a mine passage using a drilling element and installing a bolt in the borehole once formed. The module may include a bolt holder for holding a plurality of bolts and a drilling element holder for holding a plurality of different drilling elements. A manipulator moves along an arcuate path between the bolt and drilling element holders to deliver the respective components to a drill head positioned along the arcuate path. The drill head may also slide relative to the mast in two different directions, and includes a drill guide for determining the location of the face to be worked. Related aspects of control of the module and methods are disclosed.