Epsilon² tri-cone drill bit. Picture: Anbatop.

Epiroc has launched two drill products, Omega S rotary drill and Epsilon² tricone, to improve drilling performance and service life in underground and open pit mining.

The peak performance of Epsilon² can extend the drilling distance by 100%, and the average return distance in tests in North America, South America and Asia is 60% longer than the previous generation Epsilon model.

"Epsilon's name'to the power of 2'is no coincidence," said Rotating Bahadir Ergener, Epiroc product line manager.

"This is not just an upgrade, but a new generation. Bearing degradation is a long-term cause of drill bit failure, forcing customers to accept a slower penetration rate (ROP) and shorter service life than necessary.

"Either the bearing will be corroded by spraying water to suppress dust or by overheating due to friction."

It combines Apato’s Tornado (directing the cooling air to the hotter load side of the bearing) and Torrent (removing moisture from the cooling air and reducing corrosion) to extend bit life.

Omega S uses single-sealed bearing drill bits, which can increase drill bit performance by 30%, and the seals will eventually wear out.

Once this happens, cooling air will flow through the bearing, turning the Omega S into an air-bearing drill bit, thereby significantly extending its service life.

This is a breakthrough in rotary drilling operations, allowing miners to drill faster at longer intervals, thereby maximizing revenue.

"With Omega S, our customers have greatly reduced the cost per meter of drilling," Ergener said.

"The conversion from a single sealed drill bit to an air-bearing drill bit is seamless, and the operator does not need to shut down."

Both Omega S and Epsilon² will achieve the goal of Abato, which is to reduce the consumption of raw materials, thereby reducing its ecological footprint, because the daily drill bit replacement is reduced to weekly, and the total number of long-term production drill bits is reduced.

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