Total Control in Cordoba with Powercrusher and PowerROC

In the province of Cordoba in central Argentina, drilling company Minera San Pedro has upgraded its fleet with two key additions ? a PowerROC T35 surface drill rig and a Powercrusher jaw crusher PC1055, both from Atlas Copco.

Each of these products has a lot to offer as individual units. But at this worksite it is the combination of the two that makes them an especially wise choice.

As they are both designed and manufactured by Atlas Coppo, they are perfectly matched and fine-tuned to work well together so that the company can optimize its drilling and crushing operations and achieve maximum productivity.

PowerROC power

For more than 30 years Minera San Pedro has been providing drilling, demolition, tunneling and rock crushing services to other contractors as well as to mines and cement companies both in Argentina and in neighbouring countries.

When the firm decided to upgrade its drilling fleet, it knew what it wanted ? higher penetration rate, straighter holes and longer rod life. The PowerROC T35 was the answer to all three.

?In order to remain competitive we realized that we needed to upgrade,? says General Manager Federico Schroeder. ?At the same time, we wanted a good balance between performance, fuel consumption and availability of spare parts.?

Schroeder notes that he has ?always used? Atlas Copco equipment, but mainly pneumatic drill rigs. The hydraulic power of the PowerROC T35 is far superior to those earlier machines. It is extremely robust for hard rock surface applications such as construction and quarrying, offering good fuel consumption and an advanced new feed system that optimizes the performance of the well-proven COP 1840 hammer.

Gabriel Joaquin, Atlas Copco?s Product Manager for surface mining in Argentina, puts it in a nutshell: ?The PowerROC T35 combines productivity, drilling quality and cost efficiency. The 18 kW, double dampened rock drill allows high penetration and more drilling power but uses less energy which reduces fuel consumption.?

Joaquin adds that higher penetration rate, straight holes and long rod life is ?every driller?s dream? and that the PowerROC T35 with its hydraulic cylinder feed system, rigid aluminum feed beam and precise feed force, makes that dream a reality.

Minera San Pedro is a case in point. ?This dream is certainly true for our operations,? says Schroeder. ?The rig offers great versatility as we can use it in different applications, from mining, hydraulic and civil works to mountain road works. It is agile, ergonomically designed but also a simple machine to operate.?

The PowerROC T35 with, from left, Pedro Arsenio, Atlas Copco Product Specialist, Federico Schroeder, General Manager, Minero San Pedro, Gabriel Joaquin, Product Manager, Atlas Copco, Martin Schroeder and Nicolas Vinés, of Michelotti e Hijos, one of the quarry?s many customers.

Powercrusher partner

In order to offer a complete service from drilling to processed material, Minera San Pedro teamed the PowerROC up with the jaw crusher Powercrusher PC1055 ? creating the perfect combo. The company already had a PC1375 impact crusher and HCS3715 screener from Atlas Copco.

?The Powercrusher PC1055 was the most suitable equipment when we compared performance and fuel consumption,? says Schroeder. ?It can be transported without dismantling as it is very compact and the Quattro system, allows the rock to be reduced to an even smaller size inside
the machine which is very important.?

This unique Quattro system causes a figure­-8 motion in the moving jaw, increasing the feed capacity and generating a post-crush stage at the crusher?s outlet.

An important advantage of sourcing both drill rig and crusher from the same supplier is uniform and regular service. For this reason, Atlas Copco provides high quality after sales services, adapted to the customer?s specific needs.

Schroeder concludes: ?Atlas Copco was the obvious choice for crushing as well
as drilling due to their state-of-the-art technolog­y. Now we are achieving the level we wanted and we are very much in tune with safety and the environment and focusing on improving our service to our clients.?