Sandvik DC125R tackles challenging sites

"The rig has evolved a lot; even though the old Sandvik DC120 was good, this is clearly better," says a pleased Markku Kääntä, owner of the company. "Larger ground clearance and more powerful traction make it easier to move around on the terrain; suction power is much higher and maintainability is also better.

"The feed control is realised by means of a potentiometer, which makes it possible to start drilling at a suitable speed and at any grade. The anti-jamming system works like a dream, so drill steels won't get stuck and we avoid any troubles that come with it."

Louhinta Kääntä Oy has used the new Sandvik DC125R for two months with great results. The company already has a year of experience with a similar Sandvik DC drill rig, without a remote control system, though. "There has been no defects with that one either," says Kääntä. The new rig was acquired to increase the company's capacity. "We can now keep the machines longer at a single site instead of constantly transferring them, even if transfers are not a major problem for us as such."

Rock blasting for municipal utilities
The site selected for the new rig is an expansion of a residential area of single-family homes. "This is a very typical job for us. We do a lot of similar type of drilling and blasting jobs, for which we typically use these two Sandvik DC series rigs, but also a third, tractor-mounted rig. We also carry out various blasting jobs for other municipalities, businesses and private customers, sometimes quite far away from our base."

One of Louhinta Kääntä's assets is the ability to rapidly start up a new site. "We can fit all the necessary gear, including blasting mats, in our lorry," says Kääntä. "That way we're able to quickly bring all we need to a site, so even long distances don't cause any major problems. We have made especially mast and wind turbine foundations throughout Finland, this year we even went to Ivalo and Sodankylä, in Lapland."

The blasting service encompasses everything from drilling to shielding and blasting; if they drill it, they blast it. The personnel currently includes one qualified shot-firer and two senior shot-firers, and more will be coming. An excavator, which lends itself well for laying blasting mats, is used for shielding work. The removal of topsoil and transportation of blast rock are typically carried out by the customer.
Built-up areas are an environment where blasting requires special care. "Safety is a must, and a lot of blasting mats are required," says Kääntä.

Quarrying for aggregate, too
Louhinta-Kääntä Oy's scope of business also encompasses quarrying for construction aggregate production, for which they have two medium-sized Sandvik drill rigs. The company annually blasts 700,000 tonnes of rock for crushing plants. "Sometimes we use those rigs, in particular the remote controlled Sandvik Scout 700, for municipal jobs, especially for high benches," says Kääntä.

The company uses Sandvik drilling tools. "We drill 41- and 45-mm holes with the small rigs and 89-mm or sometimes 64-mm drills with the larger ones. Sandvik tools show a consistent quality and we have stuck with them due to bad experiences with other brands – you cannot waste days salvaging your tools."Louhinta Kääntä Oy was established in 2008, but owner Markku Kääntä has experience of the industry since 1969. "We have had plenty of work," Kääntä says. "Large construction sites are planned for this area and we're going to tender for them as well."

According to Markku Saikkonen, Sales Manager with Sandvik, the new DC125R rig has been received well and several units have already been sold in Finland. The rig's traction power, its maintainability as well as efficient dust recovery have particularly pleased the customers.

See it in action at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBSJCNxkLf4

For further information, please contact:

Satu Rämö
Global Marketing Communication Manager
Sandvik Construction
Office Phone: +358 205 44 151
Mobile Phone: +358 40 537 4020
E-mail: satu.ramo@sandvik.com