New top hammer thread concept Sandvik Alpha™ 340 boosts service life, productivity
Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions is launching Sandvik Alpha™ 340 asymmetric drilling tools, a new thread concept within its top hammer drilling offering for mining and tunneling. Replacing the proven Sandvik Alpha™ 330 thread system, the new concept delivers up to 30 percent longer service life and increased productivity.
The new Sandvik Alpha™ 340 thread is designed for use in face drilling and bolting in mine development and tunneling, with hole sizes ranging from 43-51 millimeters. It features an entirely new asymmetric thread profile and has a larger diameter on the bit end thread of the drifter rod, reducing stress levels in critical areas. Uncoupling is also easier than in previous designs, saving both time and effort. Perhaps the biggest potential lies in the increased service life of the drill rod: with Sandvik Alpha™ 340, customers can achieve up to 30 percent longer service life – significantly increasing productivity and reducing cost per meter advanced.
“The Sandvik Alpha™ 330 concept has served our customers extremely well over the past 20 years, ensuring highly reliable and productive drilling,” said Robert Grandin, Product Manager Top Hammer Underground Rock Tools at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions. “With the launch of its successor, we create a revolutionizing new way of working with top hammer rock tools, thanks to its asymmetric design. This new concept will deliver both immediate and long term value for our customers.”
The new thread concept also comes with improved drill bits. Sandvik’s successful PowerCarbide™ grades will be more widely available in the standard assortment, and many bits get design upgrades with more gauge angles or larger buttons for increased robustness.
“The new system is the driller’s choice,” Grandin said. “It is very user-friendly and provides easy uncoupling – which saves a lot of frustration for the driller – but also increases productivity, leading to better drilling results.
The new Sandvik Alpha™ 340 thread concept will replace its predecessor Sandvik Alpha™ 330 in a phase-out process over the coming quarters. The new products are available for order today.
Sandviken, Sweden, December 6, 2022
For more information, please contact:
Robert Grandin
Product Manager Top Hammer Underground
Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions
Email: robert.grandin@sandvik.com
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Sandvik Group
Sandvik is a global, high-tech engineering group providing solutions that enhance productivity, profitability and sustainability for the manufacturing, mining and infrastructure industries. We are at the forefront of digitalization and focus on optimizing our customers’ processes. Our world-leading offering includes equipment, tools, services and digital solutions for machining, mining, rock excavation and rock processing. In 2021 the Group had approximately 39,000 employees and revenues of about 86 billion SEK in about 150 countries within continuing operations.
Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions
Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions is a business area within the Sandvik Group and a global leading supplier of equipment and tools, parts, service, digital solutions and sustainability-driving technologies for the mining and construction industries. Application areas include rock drilling, rock cutting, loading and hauling, tunneling and quarrying. In 2021, sales were approximately 41.4 billion SEK with about 15,500 employees.