Sandvik has been building advanced engineering solutions for the mining industry for the past 150 years, so they know all about making things last.

That’s why they choose Sigma in Australia as their preferred supplier of HVAC systems on their DR412i and DR416i blasthole drills. Sigma systems are designed for production-critical applications, offering reliable performance in the extreme operating environment of Sandvik blasthole mining drills.

As a long-term partner of Sigma, Unicla was able to deliver the right HVAC compressor solution that offered system compatibility, low maintenance requirements and guaranteed reliability, even in the toughest environments.

Handling Heat, Dust and Vibration with Ease

Blasthole drills work in remote and harsh environments, usually isolated, and some distance from immediate service assistance if something goes wrong. Vibration, dust, extreme heat, and long hours are normal operational conditions for blasthole drills and their operators. To handle this tough mining environment, every part of the drill must be reliable and capable of extended duty cycles.

For this project, Unicla partnered with Sigma to provide a rugged, reliable and easy-to-maintain cooling solution that was compatible with the drill rig’s existing componentry. The Sandvik DR412i and DR416i use a CAN bus controlled hydraulic system to monitor the machine, allowing for easy preventative maintenance and higher uptime.

This onboard hydraulic system was utilised by Sigma’s split HVAC system*, which uses hydraulic power to drive twin Unicla hydraulic drive UPH170 compressors connected in parallel. The result is class-leading cooling delivered to the dual HVAC units, keeping operators cool and comfortable.

The Unicla Hydraulic Compressor Package: Perfect for Tough Mining Applications

Unicla UPH170 units feature a 10-cylinder long life swashplate compressor connected to a heavy-duty housing and coupler with an 8-tooth drive. The mandarin orange housing meets the required mining site safety regulations and has an inspection plate for visual inspection of the drive coupling.

The overall HVAC system delivers on this same requirement, and Unicla Director Mark Mitchell says that delivering solutions for incredibly tough environments has long been a focus for both Sigma and Unicla.

“Both Sigma and Unicla have built their reputations on engineering solutions for these types of environments since the 1960s – it’s in our DNA. If you have a system that has a Sigma-Unicla coupling, you have a real-world solution for a real-world challenge. We pride ourselves on solving challenges for heavy equipment and mining asset owners.”

*Sigma’s split HVAC system comprises the TFC6BX2 Ceiling Hideaway Evaporator and TCF6BX2 Wall Mounting Condenser.