Computerized drill for quarrying automates the drilling process

The paper outlines recent design developments in the computerization of surface crawler drills for the quarry industry. It references the technology firstly developed for the underground mining and construction industry, where automation and computerization has been in demand for a number of years. Today's semi-automated quarry drills are manufactured using PLC based system. The PLC system is a radial network connecting sensors and processors to a central computer, which is an excellent solution for a limited number of functions. However as the demand for greater automation increases, and systems become more complex, it is difficult to optimize the PLC system, and the radial system requires a large number of cables. The availability of the CAN-bus system (Controller Area Network) has enabled manufacturers to adopt a completely new way of thinking. The system comprised of a number of small on board computers, each responsible for a portion of the drilling process, are linked together over a single cable network. The CAN-bus system not only reduces the complexity of the automation process, it reduces the number of hoses and electrical components, and provides the capability to design more intelligent machinery.