Skip to main content

Atlas Copco launches new Chinese drill rig

Atlas Copco launched its new PowerROC T50 drill rig at bauma China 2014, in Shanghai. It was designed and is now built at Atlas Copco's Nanjing China facility but aimed very much at global market needs. York Yang, product manager in Nanjing joked, “We should design a product to drill holes in the customer's ground not the customer's pocket.” And with cost effectiveness in mind the T50 was developed.
January 6, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
The new PowerROC T50 rig from Atlas Copco offers high performance, while being cost effective

161 Atlas Copco launched its new PowerROC T50 drill rig at bauma China 2014, in Shanghai. It was designed and is now built at Atlas Copco's Nanjing China facility but aimed very much at global market needs. York Yang, product manager in Nanjing joked, “We should design a product to drill holes in the customer's ground not the customer's pocket.” And with cost effectiveness in mind the T50 was developed.

There are three key components: a rock drill delivering 30kW for fast penetration, robust boom, and engine choices for different emissions requirements. The rig comes equipped with the COP 3060 hydraulic rock drill. A high feed force can be applied while ensuring holes are straight due to the newly designed extension boom. It provides easy positioning and has a robust aluminium chain-feed. There is choice of engine between a 9litre Tier 3 unit or a 9.3litre Tier 4 unit, both of which deliver 261kW.

The T50 drills holes in the 102-152mm range. Feed extension is 1.9m with a total length of 9.37m and travel length of 5.4m. Both feed rate and feed force are 50kN. It is equipped with a 20m2 filter area with a maximum cleaning air pressure of 8 bar.

“The market is looking for machines with real power, robust, easy to operate, environmentally friendly and that can deliver fuel savings,” said Goran Popski, marketing manager. It seems Atlas Copco has managed this. The rig was tested in mines in China, the USA and South Africa. Eire Contractors, the test client in South Africa, has already placed an order for five machines.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Geosynthetic solution for ground preparation
    April 16, 2012
    Naue Geosynthetics says its Secugrid offers a solution for a host of ground preparation problems, and for use in reinforced retaining walls. Secugrid is a geogrid made from extruded monolithic flat bars with welded junctions, for soil reinforcement in earth, landfill and road construction as well as in hydraulic engineering applications. Among its benefits are said to be its high strength and low elongation thanks to the extruded elements. "The monolithic flat bars give it a robust construction, an
  • Liebherr's strong performance
    March 17, 2023


    According to Liebherr, 2023 will be a challenging year with shortages of manpower and supply chain problems continuing to complicate its operations around the world. 

  • Special purpose add-ons for demolition excavators
    February 16, 2012
    Long reach demolition excavators are now special purpose machines, Dan Gilkes reports. The majority of construction equipment manufacturers offer a range of demolition specific machines, built to meet the needs of a sector of the industry that works its plant harder than most.
  • Georgia’s on Sandvik’s mind
    February 18, 2013
    Three Sandvik DX800 top-hammer hydraulic drills are said to be playing a key role in developing the new US$92 million Norfolk Southern Intermodal Site within Charlotte Douglas International Airport in the US state of Georgia. The site, in the Georgia town of Austell, encompasses nearly 200 acres of ground, with a granite rock formation lying less than 100m away from a very active runway of the very busy airport. The ground will be turned into an ‘intermodal yard’, meaning that cargo carried there on Norfolk