Digitizing the Drill Rig: A Step Towards a Smarter Mining Ecosystem-Paper

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The article describes the retrofit of a Sandvik DE110 exploration drill rig at TU Bergakademie Freiberg’s research mine as part of the EU-funded Mine.io project. The goal is to connect conventional mining equipment to a digital mine ecosystem and improve drilling efficiency, rock assessment and maintenance.<br /><br />A non-invasive sensor system measures borehole depth and penetration rate, vibration, hydraulic pressures and temperature, drill rotation speed, and flushing-water flow and pressure. A local computer synchronizes and processes these measurements, displays them to the operator in real time, and transmits them to Mine.io’s cloud platform. Data are also backed up locally. Geological observations and drill-bit wear measurements are recorded manually to help develop and validate AI models.<br /><br />Initial underground trials showed that the system functions as intended and that its dashboard helps operators maintain steadier drilling progress without interrupting work to estimate borehole depth. The authors observed improved core continuity and quality, as well as reduced strain on the rig and drill bit. Measurement patterns also corresponded to changes in rock type—for example, drilling proceeded faster through a soft clay-like zone.<br /><br />The recorded data are being prepared for two AI applications: identifying rock types and geological boundaries from measurement-while-drilling data, and predicting drill-bit wear and equipment failures. These algorithms remain under development, and further drilling with bits in different wear conditions will provide training data. Overall, the work demonstrates a practical way to digitize legacy drilling equipment and support more informed, efficient mining operations.

Keywords

Sandvik DE110

Mine.io project

retrofit

digital mine ecosystem

exploration drilling

sensor system

measurement-while-drilling

rock assessment

drill-bit wear

AI models