Published in the August 2009 Coal USA Magazine

 

According to product manager Ward Morrison, the smaller drill, designed specifically for roof bolting, is intended for use in areas where it is economically unsound to use a conventional rotary drill due to the rock’s hardness.

 

He noted that outside of coal, the unit could also be used for roof bolting at rock mines, and that flexibility in application was the impetus for design.

 

Once in the hard strata, the drill can drill holes from 1-3/8 to 1-3/4 inches in diameter. At just about 20-1/4in high – more than 6in shorter than traditional rotary percussion drills – it also allows the use of longer drill steels in more confined areas.

 

Morrison said this also made the drill ideal for low-seam operations.

 

Fletcher officials noted the HV-32 was available on new bolters, and could in some cases be retrofitted to existing Fletcher bolting machines.

 

“The drill can be fitted in most application requiring a rotary-percussion rock drill for roof bolting as long as the hydraulic system is suitable,” Morrison elaborated.

 

“Fletcher sales can assist the customer and make that determination.”