Bartow New LF350e
- By Brian Runkles, P.E.
- on
Ardaman & Associates, Inc. is proud to introduce the newest addition its Drill Rig Fleet – a Boart Longyear LF350e coring drill rig mounted on a HV Series A26 International truck.
The LF350e is a top drive, floating spindle, tilt-out head, deep hole exploration rig with vertical and angle drilling capabilities and is outfitted with state-of-the-art safety devices that meet the highest safety standards without compromising productivity.
The drill rig is completely electronically controlled utilizing Controller Area Network bus and Programable Logic Controller devices. The driller cab is heated and air-conditioned and the driller control panel features two joystick controllers and a 12-inch touch screen display for drilling information and mode selection.
The LF350e has 65,000 pounds of pull back force and 2,737 foot-pounds of torque at 260 revolutions per minute making it one of the most powerful diamond coring drill rigs in the world. The machine can produce a PQ core to a depth of 5,900 ft and NQ core to depth of 11,000 feet.
The forward tilting head design simplifies the rod handling process and reduces the need for operator intervention and maintenance. The tilting head function allows for all joints to be made low to the ground where the driller has a clear and comfortable view of the joint. Other benefits of the tilting top drive head include the elimination of the mainline hoist, hoisting plug and water swivel management.
The LF350e comes equipped with a rod breaking clamp device. The clamp is deployed with a hydraulic cylinder into the drill centerline. The foot clamp assembly rotates to break joints between the foot clamp and rod breaking clamp. Two clamping cylinders activate to securely grip the rod for breakout. When making joints, the clamp is also used to align joints for easy stabbing and threading. An adjustable guide plate mounted above the clamping jaws keeps the rod located in the drill centerline.
