An open-pit iron mining operation in the Marcona district of southern Peru was averaging 35 blast holes per day across two shifts, using a split-mounted DTH drilling rig that required separate air compressor hoses, a separate water truck for dust suppression, and a dedicated crew of four to relocate between drill benches. In 2025, the mine replaced the split rig with an integrated crawler-mounted DTH surface drill that combined the compressor, dust collector, and drill mast on a single tracked chassis.
The previous split-rig configuration required the drill carrier, a tow-behind 1,100 cfm compressor, and a water spray truck to move as a convoy between benches. On the mine's steep 25-degree bench roads, repositioning the three-vehicle convoy took 45-60 minutes each move, and the flexible air hoses frequently suffered damage on the rough rock surface. Each drill crew required four workers: a driller, a compressor operator, a water truck driver, and a spotter.
Productivity was further limited by the rig's manual rod handling. Adding a 3-meter drill rod required the driller to pause, climb out, and manually thread the rod with a chain wrench — a process that took 3-4 minutes per rod and introduced repetitive strain injury risk.
The new integrated DTH rig mounted a 1,100 cfm screw air compressor directly on the tracked chassis, along with a dry dust collector, a 300-liter water tank for wet dust suppression, and a rod changer that handles 3-meter rods automatically. The result: a single driller operating from an enclosed, FOPS-certified cabin can complete the entire drilling cycle — position, drill, add rod, clean hole, and move — without leaving the seat.
In the hard granodiorite formation (UCS 150-180 MPa), the integrated rig averaged penetration rates of 4.5 meters per minute with a 152mm button bit and a 4-inch DTH hammer. A typical 28-meter blast hole was completed in approximately 12 minutes including rod additions, compared to the previous 22-25 minutes per hole with the split rig.
Within the first three months of operation, the mine's daily blast hole output rose from 35 to 72 holes per day — more than doubling productivity with the same two-shift schedule. The crew size per rig dropped from four to two (driller plus a mechanic/utility worker), and the mine eliminated two support vehicles (compressor truck and water truck) from the drilling fleet. Fuel consumption per meter drilled fell by approximately 15%, because the integrated rig's Cummins diesel engine delivers power on demand rather than idling at full RPM like the tow-behind compressor.
In open-pit mining, drilling productivity is not just about penetration rate — it is about cycle time. The integrated rig did not drill significantly faster per meter than the split rig in the same rock, but it cut the non-drilling time (relocation, rod handling, support coordination) by more than 60%. For mine managers evaluating DTH rig purchases, the productivity gains from automation and integration often matter more than raw top-end air pressure.
We supply integrated DTH surface drill rigs (90-250mm hole diameter, 20-40m depth) with onboard compressors, FOPS cabins, and automatic rod changers, built for open-pit mining and quarrying.
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