The basic DD530 is powered by a standard 110-kW (148 hp) diesel matched with a Clark Hydrodynamic transmission. If more carrier power is required, Sandvik offers a 170-kW diesel option. With three drilling booms that provide wide drilling coverage and a high frequency HFX5T rock drill, Sandvik says the DD530’s machine’s capabilities can help accelerate any mine’s development drilling program.

The 33,000-kg (72,750-lb) DD530 features a four-wheel-drive, center articulated carrier that provides horizontal tramming speeds up to 16.4 km/h (10 mph) and gradeability up to 20%. The three TB 60 booms offer parallel coverage of 60 m2, boom extension of 1,200 mm; feed extension of 650 mm; and rotation angle of 358°. A long list of carrier, drill, electrical and other system options is available.

New Colors, New Nomenclature
Sandvik has dressed the DD530 model in new colors and the rig also bears the company’s new approach to product identification. In this instance, the model name DD530 (formerly the Tamrock Axera 8) stands for: drilling and drifting (DD); 5 for the drift size it can operate in (5 x 5 m); number of drilling booms, in this case 3; and, in this example 0 refers to the first version, whereas 1 would be the second version and so on.

LKAB, a leading international hightech minerals group producing both upgraded iron ore products and other industrial mineral goods, is a major customer for Sandvik’s jumbo rigs. LKAB’s Kiruna mine is awaiting their second Sandvik DD530–the first jumbo was delivered in January this year.

LKAB has had a long tradition in using three-boom Sandvik mining jumbos especially used for the building of mine infrastructures and the drilling of production tunnels. Recently, a group of operators and maintenance personnel from LKAB visited Sandvik’s Tampere plant to follow up on the progress of the second rig.

During the visit, Sandvik’s Jari Koivisto, area manager for Underground Drills, said: “Maintaining a close relationship with the customer is really valuable when it comes to the development of Sandvik drills. LKAB is a group that really thrives on innovation and their feedback is very important to us. LKAB is also a customer that utilizes extremely high-level technology in mining, like computer aided drilling.”