Independent Rod Feeder and Swing Device for Rock Drilling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current rod handling apparatuses in rock drilling, especially in core drilling, are inefficient due to the need for frequent disassembly and assembly of drill strings, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive, as they require manual handling and lack independent operation of components.
Innovation Solution
A rock drilling unit equipped with a separate rod feeder and swing device that can operate independently, allowing for simultaneous handling tasks, with dedicated frames and actuators for independent movement, enabling quicker assembly and disassembly of drill strings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual handling of drilling rods is used, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity decreases due to time-consuming assembly and disassembly operations
Solution Approach 1:
The rod handling apparatus is divided into two independent units: a rod feeder that moves rods between pick-up position and intermediate position, and a swing device that moves rods between intermediate position and drilling center. This segmentation allows each unit to operate independently and simultaneously, eliminating the bottleneck of sequential operations in traditional integrated systems.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediate position is introduced between the pick-up position and the drilling center. The rod feeder delivers rods to this intermediate position, and the swing device picks them up from there to deliver to the drilling center. This intermediary location enables parallel operations where the rod feeder can prepare the next rod while the swing device is still transporting the current rod.
2Loss of time
If integrated rod handling apparatus is used, then device complexity is reduced, but loss of time increases due to sequential operation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The rod handling apparatus is divided into two independent units: a rod feeder that moves rods between pick-up position and intermediate position, and a swing device that moves rods between intermediate position and drilling center. This segmentation allows each unit to operate independently and simultaneously, eliminating the bottleneck of sequential operations in traditional integrated systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The separate units enable continuous operation where the rod feeder and swing device can work simultaneously without waiting for each other. While the swing device is transporting a rod to the drilling center, the rod feeder is already positioning the next rod at the intermediate position, ensuring no idle time between operations.
3Productivity
If separate rod feeder and swing device are used, then productivity increases through simultaneous operations, but device complexity increases due to independent frames and actuators
Solution Approach 1:
The rod handling apparatus is divided into two independent units: a rod feeder that moves rods between pick-up position and intermediate position, and a swing device that moves rods between intermediate position and drilling center. This segmentation allows each unit to operate independently and simultaneously, eliminating the bottleneck of sequential operations in traditional integrated systems.
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus for handling drilling rods, a rock drilling unit and a method of handling drilling rods. The apparatus (36) comprises a rod feeder (13) and a swing device (11) which co-operate and move drilling rods (2) between a pick-up position (14) and a drilling center (10) defined by a rock drilling machine (7) of the drilling unit (1). The rod feeder and the swing device are separate devices which are independently controllable.