Survey of Chinese drilling jumbos 01 Dec 2016

The market for drilling jumbos is traditionally dominated by the two major Scandinavian manufacturers, but increased spending on domestic infrastructure projects, the potential of the global market, and the continued use of drill+blast as a principal excavation technique, has seen China rising as an equipment manufacturing source. Chinese manufacturers are now supplying a range of drilling jumbos of increasing variety and improving quality.

XMCG stand at the bauma China 2016 trade show

The development of many Chinese tunnelling drilling jumbos was driven initially by China’s need for effective machinery for its own infrastructure projects. As a result transportability and flexibility on site have been essential in the development of jumbos, with most current Chinese models being fitted with either crawler tracks or rubber tyres.

Chinese jumbos, which to a certain extent have lagged behind European manufacturers, are in the main diesel powered, but the use of electric power has become more common as environmental issues become more of a concern. This perhaps can be seen as a rebalance, as historically drilling jumbos were powered by compressed air. As electricity, and compressed air, produces no exhaust gases, electricity is proving to be the preferred power source for equipment working in environments where ventilation is critical.

To coincide with bauma China, TunnelTalk takes a look at the drilling jumbos of four Chinese manufacturers who may, with time, becoming important global suppliers. The product ranges of the four companies draw on links with Chinese universities and arise from a base of extensive R&D.

Nanchang Kama

Founded in March 2003, Nanchang Kama Co Ltd produces a large range of equipment including twin and single boom drilling jumbos, roadheaders, LHD loaders and components. Drawing on a history of more than 50 years the company possesses a strong technical background with major investment being provided by the Chinese Government. The development of its products has also been helped by close cooperation with local universities using some of the latest technological developments.

Nanchang Kama HT81 single drill jumbo

The CMJ2-17 and CMJ2-30 models of the Nanchang double boom jumbos have been developed specifically for tunnel face charge holes. According to the company, the rigs possess an ‘anti-explosion design’, enabling them to operate safely in areas where there is a danger of explosions. The rigs are in the 13 tonne and 9 tonne weight category respectively, and are diesel powered with electrical power available as an option.

The Nanchang SC3014 scaler drill jumbo is a 6 tonne wheel mounted multifunctional drilling rig designed to operate in narrow tunnels. Powered by a low emission diesel engine, it is able to operate at heights up to 5m and can scale a 30% slope. The CMJ14 hydraulic single boom jumbo is an 8 tonne diesel powered rig (again with an electric option) and is designed for working a tunnel face of of 4.2m2-14m².

The 11.5 tonne HT71 hydraulic scaling jumbo is equipped with a high power HC109RP drifter, and adopted electro-hydraulic control technology with a high degree of mechanized operation. The jumbo drills parallel medium long holes to a high degree of stabilization to improve blast output per unit. The HT72 hydraulic jumbo is used for production drilling in non-coal underground applications of 3.5m × 3.5m to 4.5m × 4.5m in cross section and provides versatile positioning, extensive mechanization and a high rate of efficiency for small cross section work.

The HT81, HT8 and HT83 four wheeled-drive single boom hydraulic jumbos range in weight from 8.5 tonne to 12 tonne and use an advanced hydraulically controlled drilling system which is claimed to be safe and simple to operate. As well as being designed for blast hole drilling, they also have proved adept at bolt-hole drilling. Power is supplied by a diesel engine with electric power an available option.

The product range includes the HT93 hydraulic bolting jumbo, the EBZ160 roadheader and an extensive list of other excavation tools and equipment.

Jinan Fucheng Hydraulic Equipment

The background of the Jinan Fucheng Hydraulic Equipment Co Ltd, established in 2002 as the successor of the Shangdong Fucheng Hydraulics Institution, has enabled Fucheng to benefit from a long history of technical development by a highly experienced technical team. The company now focuses on the manufacture and servicing of underground mining and tunnelling equipment both home and abroad. In recent years the company has achieved ISO9001 quality management and CE certificates, thereby enabling it to export its products to Southeast Asia, Europe, Russia, South and increasingly North America. Fucheng currently manufactures a range of drilling jumbos both double and single boom, wheeled and on crawlers, and designed to work faces of between 4m² and 50m².

Fucheng drilling jumbo FC20-2BD

The Fucheng range of 8.50 tonne crawler or wheel mounted FC20-2BCD, DF20-2BD, and FCMJ2-18 hydraulic drilling jumbos use an all hydraulic drive, with their two booms aiming to deliver high efficiency and high drilling speed. The advanced hydraulically controlled drilling system, which the company says is safe and easy to operate, incorporates an auto-stop and anti-jamming function, auto-stop at end-point, and auto-wash. Possessing a small body, the jumbos are able to climb a 14° slope and have been designed to operate with an electric motor in order to facilitate an improved working environment, with reduced noise and dust emissions as well as reduced energy consumption. The flexible hydraulic rock drill is able to work on all sides of a heading – crown, sidewalls and invert.

Single boom jumbos are provided by the FC10 and FC30 series, which range in weight from 6 tonne to 12 tonne. This series of eight models is available either wheel- or crawler-mounted, and in the case of the FC10-1DBG, track mounted. As with the double boom rigs, they possess a flexible hydraulic rock drill with the rig also able to drill bolt holes with the company’s patent impeller. All models are electrically powered.

As well as an impressive selection of drilling jumbos, the company also manufactures the 11 tonne wheel mounted FC62 scaling jumbo, which has possesses a folding boom, rotary cylinder powered hydraulic hammer, and mechanical parallel structure which enables the jumbo to scale in any direction of the face, crown, sidewalls or invert sections. The jumbo also features a compact structure, a high degree of mobility, small turning radii and strong grade ability, all enabling scaling efficiency and a high degree of safe operation.

Geotec Wuxi

Wuxi Geotec Geotechnical Equipment Co Ltd was established in 1989, and is now - according to the company - considered to be the leading Chinese manufacturer of diamond core drilling equipment and tools. Located close to Shanghai, the company has acquired many quality accreditations in recent years, including ISO 9001:2008 in 2011. This has seen its products now exported to more than 60 countries world-wide with a new 40,000m² factory being completed in 2013 in order to cater for the increased demand for its products.

As part of its portfolio, Geotec manufactures a range of single and twin boom jumbos in the ZDK series. Details concerning the specific features of the range are lacking, but in common with other Chinese manufacturers, it would seem likely that the rigs are able to operate on wheels or crawlers, electrically or diesel powered.

Geotec also manufactures its own range of tools and drill bits which have been developed to deal with a variety of materials. According to the company these have proved themselves on a whole range of excavation projects across the globe.

XMCG

Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co Ltd or XMCG is well-known amongst construction equipment manufacturers. It is now China’s largest construction equipment manufacturer and the fifth largest in the world.

XCMG TZ3 three-boom hydraulic rock drill jumbo

Recently the company launched a series of three jumbos for use on a variety of applications. Ranging in weight from 12 tonne to 45 tonne, they include a single, double and triple boom version. All models are wheel mounted, and diesel-powered and draw upon the manufacturing expertise of an acknowledged world leader. The jumbos possess a hydraulic rock drill which has been purpose designed for a high deflection resistance capacity, high drilling speed and low drilling tool exhaustion making it capable of improving drill hole performance.

Other leading features claimed by the company include a high-efficiency-low emission engine, articulated frame, full-driven adaptive walk system and superior manoeuvrability. The drill arm is designed with the interlocked telescopic structure to effectively enlarge the rock drilling range, and a drilling system designed with automatic anti-rod jamming, idle drilling prevention and automatic rod retrieval functions.

Enter the dragon?

Chinese construction and mining equipment has traditionally been seen as not possessing the same standards of manufacturing as Western equipment. However, the development of Chinese tunnelling jumbos has gone hand in hand with extensive R&D that has used Chinese universities to develop strong technical teams in order to produce equipment that proved itself initially on domestic civil engineering and mining projects. The way these companies have achieved quality certification and have developed extensive export markets, forecasts that their equipment will be seen on more projects throughout the world in the years to come.