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Mining A Miracle: Mobile drilling rig
equipped with Rexroth hydraulics frees
Mining A Miracle: Mobile drilling rig equipped
Chilean miners
with Rexroth hydraulics frees Chilean miners
Challenge:
Rescue 33 miners trapped in a gold
mine collapse, using Schramm Inc.’s
advanced T130XD mobile deep
drilling rig to drill a 28-inch wide
hole through solid granite
Rexroth Solution:
When the Chilean government sent out the call for assistance, it was determined that
the Schramm T130XD rig, equipped with Rexroth hydraulics, offered several potential
advantages for the rescue.
The whole world watched as Schramm’s T130XD mobile drilling rig,
equipped with durable Rexroth AA11VLO130 variable displacement
pumps, drilled deep into a Chilean gold mine and dramatically
rescued 33 trapped miners in record time .
36
Gold mines are some of the deepest trapping 33 miners about 2,300 feet
mines in the world. When disasters below the surface.
such as a mine collapse occur, the
challenge of rescuing anyone trapped They waited for 17 days until a
below can be monumental. On Aug. small bore hole drilled from above
5, 2010, a cave-in occurred at the reached their location, and the
San Jose gold and copper mine near miners attached a message informing
the northern city of Copiapó, Chile, the world above that they were
• Four Rexroth AA11VLO130
variable displacement axial piston
hydraulic pumps
− Open circuit pump with
charge pump
− Nominal pressure 5100 psi
(350 bar)
− Peak pressure 5800 psi
(400 bar)
− Displacement of 130 cc/rev. or
7.93 in 3 /rev.
Results:
• High displacement capacity and
proven reliability support the
T130XD’s performance
• Rexroth pumps power the top
head and master cylinders of
the drilling system—to manage
thousands of feet of drill pipe
• Schramm rig originally designated
as “Plan B” quickly turns into the
primary rescue solution
• 80 to 90 day estimate of original
drilling rescue timeframe was
reduced to 33 days
• All 33 miners rescued safely
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