Pressrelease - Tamrock 03/18/2005

AGILITY, PERFORMANCE AND QUIET OPERATION
MAKES THE COMMANDO 120H A TOP PICK

A Canadian company is forging headstrong into the residential land development market on Vancouver Island with a vehicle that the owners says, We can’t do without!

Derrick Hamilton and Neil Smith, owners of HHS Drilling and Blasting Ltd., are referring to the Commando 120H, a Tamrock hydraulic drill, which their company uses to drill rock for residential housing developments. It’s not an easy job; not only do they face the challenge of BC’s traditional hilly and rocky terrain, their crews are working in densely populated sub-divisions.

Hamilton explained that he needed a machine that could do the job and be very neighborhood friendly. The Tamrock Commando is very quiet, he says, And when you’re working around million dollar houses, it’s important to keep the levels of dust, noise, and vibration down. He added that when they use a machine like the Commando, People don’t get annoyed like they do when the traditional pneumatic rock drills or compressors are used.

When working with small lot sizes, as they frequently do, their crews drill holes of approximately 32 to 35 millimetres in diameter. For the most part, they use a standard square pattern of 75 by 75 centimetres, and have found that they can obtain greater productivity by using Sandvik 3.6 metre tapered steel with ballistic knock off bits.

The 2,800-kilogram Commando is a very flexible machine. It’s got four- wheel drive and can go almost anywhere, and is capable of drilling holes up to 45 millimetres in diameter, with a maximum practical hole depth up to nine metres. Speaking about the overall performance of the Commando in comparison with other machines, Mr. Hamilton added that, “It has the best coverage and helps us obtain high productivity. We like it for small drilling projects, such as house lots with shallow cuts.”

In evaluating the performance level of the Commandos on this type of project, Hamilton estimated that, “Daily production is close to about 300 metres of drilling. It gets significantly more done.” In comparison, he explained that two laborers using traditional techniques on the same day may achieve about 180 metres of production. He also noted that the Commando is a lot easier on his operators too, and he gets far fewer complaints about sore backs and hands.

Hamilton admits the self-propelled, go-anywhere Tamrock Commando 120H costs more than a traditional drill setup, but he says the big payback is that his company can operate more efficiently. He adds, “We really feel they are the best drills on the market.”

In referring to the booming economy and housing market in Canada’s Victoria, Hamilton talked about the pressure that construction companies are under to get projects completed quickly. As he explained, the best way for companies to be competitive is to handle a lot of work and stay within tight deadlines. That means equipment has to be reliable, and he adds that for HHS to stay competitive, “We have to have the best drills here so that we can handle the work load.”

When HHS began operations about ten years ago, they started out with the usual range of equipment, including two air tracks and two pull-behind compressors with jackhammers. After being in business for two years they began to build their collection of Tamrock drills. Today, they operate three Commando 120H units and seven Rangers, and as Hamilton adds, “We buy new; we’ve always bought new.”

Their main supplier, Traxxon Rock Drills Ltd., has been helpful in providing assistance to HHS, and Hamilton gives them a high rating of about 9 on a scale of one to ten. After pausing for a moment, Hamilton admits that he is a somewhat impatient customer when it comes to waiting for any parts that may be required. “After all,” as he adds, “Downtime means lost revenue.”

Dave Reynolds, Manager of Traxxon, understands how important production is to his clients in the construction industry. He says he does his best to accommodate HHS and keep them in production, even if it means ‘borrowing’ items off another machine in his inventory to make up for parts he might not have in stock at that moment.

Meeting project deadlines is part of the reputation that HHS Drilling and Blasting has built, and Hamilton says they pride themselves on completing all projects on time. He credits two things that have helped build that reputation and made them a successful company: a team of 25 very efficient and hard-working employees, and a warehouse of reliable Sandvik Tamrock drilling equipment and consumables. The choice of equipment supplier doesn’t go unnoticed, he adds, and his customers appear to be impressed by Sandvik Tamrock’s reputation on the job.

Hamilton summarizes what Tamrock machines mean to HHS by referring to the steady growth of the company, the reliable performance they have achieved, and a cost per square metre that has steadily decreased each year. Since the bottom line is ultimately dependent on downtime versus production, Hamilton recommends the Commando 120H because it really delivers. In his words, “That’s why we buy ‘em.”

For further information, please contact:
Nina Lehtonen, Sandvik Tamrock Corp.
Tel. +358 205 44 4059 E-mail: nina.lehtonen@sandvik.com

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Sandvik is a high-technology engineering group with advanced products and world-leading positions in selected areas – tools for metalworking, machinery and tools for rock excavation, stainless steel, special alloys and resistance heating materials and process systems. The Group has 38,000 employees in 130 countries, with annual sales of approximately SEK 55,000 M.

Sandvik Mining and Construction is a business area within the Sandvik Group and a world-leading manufacturer of drilling and excavation machinery, tools and service for the mining and construction industries. Annual sales amount to SEK 16,600 M, with about 9,600 employees.

Sandvik Tamrock produces drilling rigs, underground loaders and trucks, hydraulic hammers and spare parts. Sandvik Tamrock has many well- known brands: Brøyt face loaders, EJC loading and hauling machines, Rammer breakers, Tamrock surface and underground drilling rigs, and TORO loading and hauling equipment. It is the largest business sector of Sandvik Mining and Construction.

To learn more about HHS Drilling and Blasting see their new web page www.hhsdrillingandblasting.com

Captions:

1. Commando 120 in ice arena preparations with HHS Drilling and
   Blasting co-owner Neil Smith (on the operator’s left) and Traxxon
   Rock Drills representative Barry Davis.

2. Commando 120 in ice arena preparations in Canada ?

© Legal terms Sandvik Mining and Construction
Latest update: 03/21/2005 11:30:19 AM
Reprinted with permission.