The new Cat MD6250 blasthole drill has been built for efficient drilling of 10- and 12-m benches, including angle drilling for cast blasting, making it the ideal drill for mining, quarrying and heavy construction applications.

A truly global machine, it is EU compliant, GOST certifiable, AUS compliant, CSA certified, MDG15 and MDG41 aligned, meets emissions standards for any region, and meets over 30 ISO standards, claims a spokesman for Caterpillar.

The MD6250 delivers optimum drilling efficiency in single- and multi-pass applications for both rotary and down-the-hole (DTH) modes. Featuring automated operation, the drill runs within ideal operating parameters for maximum bit life, hole accuracy, and reduced total cost of ownership.

“A sculpted frame design boasts heavy cross-bracing in high-load areas for maximum machine longevity, while the box section provides optimum structural rigidity. The machine’s four levelling jacks, mast pivot and deck are all welded integrally to the main frame for maximum durability and long life,” he says.

The MD6250 offers superior performance in both DTH hard rock and rotary soft rock applications. The flexible machine drills hole diameters reaching 150 to 250 mm with bit loads of 22,321 kg and 32,655 kg respectively for the 11.2-m and 13.7-m masts. It delivers single-pass hole depths of 11.2 m and 13.7 m; while for multi-pass hole, the 11.2-m mast can reach depths of 53.6 m, and 13.7-m mast up to 37.9 m. It also features angle drilling from 0 to 30 degrees in five-degree increments.

Featuring track counter rotation for increased manoeuvrability, the versatile drill can be equipped with either 600-mm triple grousers for hard rock applications or 750-mm triple grousers for working in soft rock.

The MD6250’s high-powered power train features the Cat C27 Acert engine with a 655 kW (879 hp) power rating at 1,800 rpm. Variable air volume provides up to 50 per cent less engine load to significantly increase fuel efficiency. Engine and air intake filters boast 500-hour service intervals helping lower long-term operating costs.

Built for drilling in a variety of extremes, the MD6250 delivers reliable operation at elevations as high as 4,750 m. Standard ambient temperature operation ranges from -1 deg C to 52 deg C.

To meet site needs, the new drill can be equipped with a variety of compressors, all boasting variable volume control. For DTH drilling, operations have compressor choices of 38.2 cu m per minute at 34.4 bar or 42.2 cu m minute at 24.1 bar. A 52.6 cu m per minute at 8.6 bar compressor is standard for rotary drilling.

The MD6250 comes with a variety of standard and optional auto drilling features to ensure drill pattern and depth accuracy, so operations can lower explosives costs, improve blast performance and optimise muckpile uniformity to reduce downstream processing costs.

Standard Cat Product Link technology enables operations to improve fleet management through customisable reports and mapping. To further boost drilling efficiency, sites can choose from an available Autonomy Group that includes Cat Command, offering options for semi-autonomous drilling of single row missions; and Terrain that provides precision machine guidance.

The MD6250 boasts a spacious FOPS (falling object protection system) cab with 3 sq m of floor space and integrated operator’s station. Joystick controls with full instrumentation and dual 254-mm colour touch-screen displays improve operator productivity. Cameras mounted on the mast, front and left offer a 360-degree view from the operator’s seat for improved operating safety.