Combining an ergonomic design with smart technology, Atlas Copco’s Surface Rock Drill (SRD) range delivers everything that is required from this pneumatic tool to keep productivity high and operating costs low – reliability, efficiency, safety, low maintenance and serviceability.
Atlas Copco Power Technique’s Business Line Manager for Portable Products, David Stanford, underlines Atlas Copco’s zero-compromise approach when it comes to operator comfort and safety. “Atlas Copco places operators at the core of its tool design, incorporating standard features such as a Solid Body (SB) concept, a SOFTSTART™ trigger, HAPS™ (Hand and Arm Protection Systems) and a pneumatic Dust Collector into our comprehensive product portfolio.”
Owing to the ergonomic Solid or Single Body design, Atlas Copco’s light-weight 20kg and 25kg Surface Rock Drills boast a world-class power-to-weight ratio and perfect balance, enhancing handle-ability, comfort and safety. Furthermore, the solid housing eliminates leakages and increases cylinder lifecycle while fewer moving parts mean less wear. As these one-piece machines are also easy to assemble and disassemble, service is expedited, thus maximizing uptime.
Operators have full control thanks to the two-step SOFTSTART™ trigger which enables them to start a cut with surgical precision, allowing for seamless operation even in difficult working conditions.
“High vibration and noise levels are leading causes of operator fatigue which in turn, increases the risk of injury and curbs productivity,” notes Stanford. “We have introduced HAPS™ to substantially reduce vibration levels on our SRD pneumatic handheld tool range. Furthermore, the tool’s piston switches on air-cushions on both ends of the cylinder, thereby almost fully eliminating metal-to-metal contact when working off-load and subsequently further shrinking vibration as well as reducing wear. This substantial reduction in vibration makes it possible to extend working hours up to six-fold.” According to Stanford, the vibration levels of the new generation SRD 25 rock drill is an impressive 50% lower compared to its predecessor.
Atlas Copco has also diminished the noise levels of the SRD tools by up to 75% with the development of the wear-resistant polyurethane silencer. Putting this into perspective, Stanford says that this equates to a 2dB reduction in noise which can make a substantial difference, especially when several drills are operating simultaneously.
Taking further cognisance of operators’ health, Atlas Copco has developed a pneumatic Dust Collector for the efficient removal, directly at the source, of silica dust that is produced during the drilling and breaking process. Powered by compressed air and utilising vacuum technology, the Dust Collector maintains dust levels below the permissible exposure limit, consuming no more than 12 litres of air per second. Suitable for indoor and outdoor use, this unit’s recyclable collection bags lasts for an 8-hour shift and the semi-automatic filter cleaning mechanism requires very little maintenance.
The pneumatic Surface Rock Drills also feature Assisted Flushing Technology. This enables the operator to simply open the flashing valve to activate an additional flow of compressed air through a pathway in the cylinder to flush the drill hole while the tool is in operation. The fact that drilling and flushing happens simultaneously can increase productivity by up to 17%.
Engineered to perform optimally even under the toughest of working environments, these powerful and robust Atlas Copco pneumatic rock drills are ideal for drilling and breaking applications in the construction and quarry sectors. Fitted with eco-friendly power packs, several drills can also be conveniently and cost-effectively operated with a single compressor. Atlas Copco offers a professional after-sales service portfolio that includes high-quality Air Line accessories such as air hoses, hose nipples, couplings, water separators and Air Oil lubricants, to support its SRD pneumatic tool range.
