The CMS reduces the amount of air consumed so that the compressor runs at full throttle only when needed and delivers fuel savings of up to 40% compared with conventional compressors while still delivering full productivity, Sandvik Mining and Construction product line manager automation Grant Field said.

“The mine is saving 48 litres an hour, reducing the average engine load factor from 78 per cent to 53 per cent,” he said.

“One recent shift even set a productivity record while using CMS; operators are thrilled with the system.

“When Geoff Bettens, Drayton’s maintenance planning superintendent, was asked to rate on a scale of one to 10 how good he thought the system was, his response was ‘10 out of 10’.”

Based around a programmable logic controller, the “intelligent” system ensures that at start-up, the compressor produces no air until the engine reaches idling speed.

When the drill is not drilling, the system creates a vacuum in the main compressor, allowing for a cool shutdown. When the drill is drilling, the system delivers the precise air volume required to meet flushing needs.

“While savings in fuel consumption – and emissions – depend on the drill, our initial installation has delivered total fuel savings of up to 40 per cent,” Field said.

“That in turn leads to other savings and efficiencies: reduced engine load also means lower service costs, higher rig utilisation, longer engine and compressor lives, and infrastructure savings.

“And it could reduce CO2 emissions by up to 40 per cent a year.”

Sandvik’s CMS is an option on new Sandvik drills and is also available in the field as a retrofit.