Marking an historic milestone for underground mining in South Africa, the successful commissioning of the FLP1410 drill rig at a chrome mine on the eastern limb of South Africa’s Bushveld Complex is the country’s first deployment of an automated low-profile single-boom drill rig, according to Poland-based equipment co-developer Mine Master.

The operational experience from this environment, according to Mine Master, validated the machine’s performance in demanding geological conditions and demonstrated the practical value of automated drilling for mines facing the dual challenge of ultralow excavations and the need for consistent, high-quality output.

The FLP1410 drill rig was developed by drilling and bolting rig manufacturer Mine Master in cooperation with heavy equipment manufacturer Komatsu South Africa’s underground hard rock mining division and the end-user.

Low-profile mining environments impose strict constraints on equipment, including the limited excavation heights which demand machines that are compact enough to manoeuvre safely, while being capable of delivering consistent drilling performance under pressure, says Mine Master in a statement.

“For operations working in excavations barely taller than a person, this is not a minor upgrade. It is a fundamental shift in what low-profile drill rig automation can deliver,” the company adds.

In line with this requirement, the FLP1410 was engineered specifically for low-profile operation. With a minimum machine height of 1.4 m, it operates in excavations starting from 1.6 m, making it suitable for the demanding chrome, platinum and narrow-reef gold mine environments across Southern Africa, including ultradeep operations where working conditions are particularly challenging.

The FLP1410 machine builds on the earlier FLP1400-1B model, with targeted improvements driven directly by operator and maintenance feedback.

These improvements include the operator’s cabin being redesigned for more space and improved ergonomics, with the cooling system being upgraded from a fan to a full air-conditioning unit.

Decreased noise and vibration levels have also been built in to reduce operator fatigue throughout long shifts; while improved access to service components make daily maintenance faster and more straightforward, states Mine Master.

The FLP1410’s key differentiator is its automation architecture – a layered system that enables mines to adopt technology progressively and at their own pace, according to Mine Master.

As such, the FLP1410 includes three levels of automation, starting with the basic monitoring system, which comes as a standard feature on every FLP1410.

This system continuously collects and records drilling parameters including the penetration rate, pressure and deviations for each individual hole. This provides the operational data needed for blast planning, rock mass analysis and predictive maintenance.

This is followed by an optional upgrade of a feeder guiding system, which 

projects the planned drill pattern directly onto the rock face, thereby enabling the rig operator to position each hole precisely according to the drilling plan, without the need for geological face markings. This, according to Mine Master, improves accuracy while also keeping the operator in control.

An automatic drilling system (ADS) takes the process further, whereby, once the machine is correctly positioned, executes the full drilling cycle autonomously.

“This is what makes the FLP1410 the only super-low profile machine on the market with fully automated drilling capability,” according to Mine Master.

The FLP1410’s ADS addresses underground drillers in low-profile environments facing concentrated exposure to rock falls, dust, noise and ergonomic strain as the driver is able to move away from the immediate drilling zone, monitoring the process from a safer distance rather than standing at the face.

This “near-eliminates” several of the more serious risk categories in low-profile drilling and aligns with the broader mining industry’s shift toward process supervision over hazardous manual tasks.

In terms of precision, the ADS delivers drilling accuracy within about 5 mm, representing a “level of repeatability that has measurable consequences far beyond the drill hole itself”, says Mine Master.

Further, more precise hole placement will produce better excavation geometry across the face, floor and sidewalls.

The downstream benefits include improved blasting performance and rock fragmentation, reduced or eliminated need for scaling, easier roof bolting operations and lower material loss and dilution.

“Precision at the drilling stage creates a compounding improvement across the full mining cycle,” notes Mine Master.

Moreover, by controlling the drilling parameters and preventing overloads, the ADS also reduces wear on consumable components.