Reduced hole deviation with new Sandvik Guide Adapter

New adapter said to reduce hole deviation by up to 50 per cent in top-hammer bench drilling

SANDVIK Rock Tools are launching an entirely new product for their bench drilling top-hammer customers. Designed for use in challenging drilling conditions, the new Guide Adapter reduces hole deviation by up to 50% and allows customers to achieve considerable cost savings.

Significant hole deviation (>8%) can pose problems for many bench drilling companies that operate in challenging ground conditions, such as bad and soft rock, as well as deep overburden. This often results in reduced productivity, safety risks and increased tool wear.

According to Sandvik, the new Guide Adapter allows customers to achieve greater productivity, longer tool service life and improved safety, ultimately leading to lower total operational costs.

‘We are very happy to be able to offer the Guide Adapter to customers facing deviation problems in their day-to-day bench drilling operations,’ said Fredrik Björk, product manager for top-hammer surface tools with the Rock Tools Division at Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology. ‘The Guide Adapter helps them to increase the service life of their drill string and also reduce the number of drilled holes, as well as the amount of blasting needed.

‘We have conducted in-depth testing with our customers around the world and the results really do speak for themselves. By using the Sandvik Guide Adapter, our customers achieved a hole deviation between 3% and 5% – a reduction of up to 50% – and also increased the service life of their rock tools by up to 40%. This truly has an effect on both productivity and, in turn, profitability.’

The Guide Adapter is now available for T51 and GT60 top-hammer threads in different diameters.