Comprehensive Product Guide

At a Glance                                                   

Sandvik TIM3D is an OEM 3D drill rig navigation and positioning system for Sandvik boom surface drill rigs. Based on RTK GNSS (Real Time Kinematics Global Navigation Satellite System), it achieves hole positioning accuracy better than 10 cm. TIM3D covers three essential operations - rig navigation, feed alignment, and drilling - and integrates with Sandvik’s SICA control system, i Drill platform, San Remo connectivity, and Driller’s Office planning software to form a complete digital drilling workflow.

1.  PRODUCT OVERVIEW

What is TIM3D?

TIM3D (Three-dimensional Intelligent Machine) is Sandvik’s OEM 3D positioning and navigation system for surface boom drill rigs. It is an operator aid - not a full autonomous system - that guides the drill operator through every stage of the drilling process: tramming to the correct hole position, aligning the feed to the planned angle and inclination, and drilling to the exact planned depth.

The system reads drilling plans in IREDES format (International Rock Excavation Data Exchange Standard - an open, international standard), meaning drill plans can be created in a wide range of office software and are not locked to Sandvik tools alone.

In Sandvik i-Series drill rigs (SICA platform), TIM3D is integrated into the standard screen. On classic or hybrid series rigs, an additional screen is mounted in the cabin.

Core Technology

• RTK GNSS - Real Time Kinematics satellite positioning for sub-10 cm accuracy

• Multi-satellite support: GPS and GLONASS compatible

• Local base station or VRS (Virtual Reference Station) correction

• IREDES-format drill plan import/export - open standard, not Sandvik-proprietary

• Three-operation workflow: Rig Navigation - Feed Alignment - Drilling

• Optional: Automatic feed alignment (‘one-click’ hole-to-run function)

• Optional: Driller’s Notes MWD (Measure While Drilling) data collection

• Integration with SanRemo connectivity (Gold, Premium, Mobile)

• Integration with My Sandvik fleet management portal

• Integrated in iDrill platform on i-Series rigs (Navigation iDrill tier

TIM3D Versions

2.    HOW IT WORKS - WORKFLOW

The Three Core Operations

TIM3D guides the operator through three (or four in V2) sequential operations on every hole:

1.     Operation 1: Rig Navigation

The system displays the full drill plan on screen with planned hole positions. The operator selects the hole to drill. TIM3D shows the distance and direction to the correct starting point (collaring position). The operator trams the rig to within proximity of the hole.

2.     Operation 2: Feed Alignment

Once on position, TIM3D guides the operator to adjust the feed (boom) to match the planned hole inclination and direction. With the optional Automatic Feed Alignment, a single click of the ‘hole-to-run’ button activates automation that takes the feed to the correct position and alignment without manual adjustment.

3.     Operation 3: Drilling

Drilling begins. The system monitors penetration rate and hole depth in real time. The operator can view current depth vs. target depth, distance to target, penetration rate, and feed alignment status. Drilling stops automatically at the planned target depth (end coordinate). The hole is marked as complete on the screen display with colour coding.

4.     Operation 4: Reporting (V2 and current)

After drilling, the system logs all actual hole data: start and end coordinates, inclination, depth, drilling time, and any operator deviations. Data can be exported in IREDES XML format for use in blasting simulation and analysis software. A quality report is generated comparing planned vs. actual for every hole.

Complete Site Workflow

1. PLAN CREATION - Drill plan created in Sandvik Driller’s Office software (or any IREDES-compatible program). Plan contains 3D target coordinates for every hole.

2. PLAN TRANSFER TO RIG - Plan file transferred to TIM3D via USB memory stick, or wirelessly via SanRemo Premium (3G modem) or SanRemo Mobile (Wi-Fi/4G).

3. RIG NAVIGATION - Operator selects hole; TIM3D displays guidance to collaring point.

4. FEED ALIGNMENT - Manual guidance or single-click automatic alignment to planned angle.

5. DRILLING - Real-time depth monitoring; auto-stop at target depth; MWD logging (if Driller’s Notes fitted).

6. DATA EXPORT - As-drilled data exported via USB or sent wirelessly to SanRemo server / My Sandvik cloud.

7. ANALYSIS - Driller’s Office or blasting software imports data for quality review and blast design.

On-Screen Interface Details

• Colour-coded hole status: Planned (grey/white) → In progress (yellow) → Drilled (green) → Deviation (red/flag)
• Real-time penetration rate, hole depth, and distance to target displayed during drilling
• Number of remaining holes shown continuously
• Operator can add notes / comments to individual holes (Driller’s Notes option)
• Feed alignment compass shows current vs. planned inclination and azimuth
• Ability to modify drill plan on-the-fly - changes are recorded in as-drilled report

3.    TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Performance

Compatible Sandvik Drill Rigs

TIM3D is available as an OEM upgrade for the following Sandvik boom surface drill rig models:

Note: For legacy ‘classic or hybrid’ series rigs, an additional display screen must be fitted in the cabin. For i-Series rigs, TIM3D is integrated into the standard SICA touchscreen. Confirm compatibility with a Sandvik representative using the rig’s serial number.

4.  INTEGRATION & ECOSYSTEM

The Sandvik TIM3D Digital Ecosystem

TIM3D is the positioning core of a broader Sandvik surface drilling digital platform. It connects planning, execution, and reporting into a single data flow:

iDrill Platform Tiers (i-Series Rigs)

On Sandvik i-Series rigs, TIM3D is delivered as part of the ‘Navigation iDrill’ tier of the scalable iDrill automation platform:

Data Flow Summary

1. Drill plan created in Driller’s Office (or any IREDES-compatible software)
2. Plan transferred to rig: USB stick, or wirelessly via SanRemo Premium/Mobile
3. TIM3D navigates rig to hole; aligns feed; executes drilling; logs actual data
4. As-drilled data (+ MWD if Driller’s Notes fitted) stored on rig
5. Data exported via USB, or sent wirelessly to SanRemo server / My Sandvik cloud
6. Driller’s Office imports quality report; blasting engineers review plan vs. actual

Note: For further assistance please call 1800 748 324 or email supportgateway@sitechcs.com