Rio Tinto has embarked on a journey to use automation to improve the performance of its surface mines. The driver for automation is to improve the accuracy and consistency of mining processes and less to do with cost savings through labour reduction._x000D_
A key task in most surface mines is blasthole drilling. The degree to how well this is done cascades through the downstream mining process._x000D_
It impacts scheduling, excavation, slope stability, material handling, beneficiation and final product blending. Improved blasthole drilling was identified as an objective that has a significant business case in most of Rio Tinto's surface mines._x000D_
This paper describes Rio Tinto's drill enhancement project that has developed a robust system for automating most of the functions on a Terex SKSS16 drill rig. Automated drilling is currently being used in production at the West Angelas iron ore mine in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. A description of the essential elements of the drill automation system is given together with an overview of how automated drilling is performed remotely from the mine office._x000D_
A review of some of the benefits of the enhanced drill system is given together with the future plans to extend the functionality of the automated drill and the expected benefits._x000D_
FORMAL CITATION:McHugh, C, Stokes, A, Oppolzer, F, Hennessy, R and Smith, S, 2010. Enhanced drilling in Rio Tinto, in Proceedings Seventh Large Open Pit Conference 2010, pp 7-14 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).