Next-gen manufacturing at Tampere Rock Drill Factory

Sandvik recently opened the doors to its expanded rock drill production facility in Tampere, Finland. The extension adds roughly 30% more production space, kitted out with the latest automated manufacturing technologies that will deliver improved quality control and higher production capacity.

Quality in production means reliability at the rock face

“We’re driven by quality in our products. That’s where we put a lot of focus throughout the process,” Tuomo Pirinen, Research and Future Technologies Manager at Sandvik Rock Drills, said. “Quality in our manufacturing is what enables the reliability, performance and ultimately, the productivity of our customer’s operations.”

That focus runs from the beginning of the production line, where parts are received, washed, deburred, marked and measured automatically, to the end. At each point along that journey from raw materials and components to assembled rock drills, Sandvik has invested in instruments to measure and verify that each step meets engineering specifications and company standards. This includes an expanded measurement lab that checks each component against the tight tolerances required.

“Quality is as much about people as about processes,” Pirinen said. “Final assembly includes a visual inspection to check all the components—of which there can be up to 80 in a single rock drill—are exactly where they should be. After assembly, every rock drill also goes through a standard testing process, before being mounted to a drill rig, either surface or underground, and test drilled at the factory.”

Integrating R&D, product engineering and production

Long known for its rock drills, Tampere continues to set global standards when it comes to innovation. A critical part of that is having production in the same location as the research and engineering teams. “We have testing facilities at the test mine, as well as a test pit for real operating conditions and research, engineering and manufacturing all in Tampere,” Pirinen said.

“New technologies go through several iteration rounds with manufacturing input long before launch. Engineers and machinists work side by side to optimize materials and manufacturing processes,” he continued.

A good example of this is the new RD1700 series, which is engineered and manufactured at the Tampere site. Available for both underground and surface use, it was designed with a holistic approach to customer’s productivity in mind. This meant asking what it would be like for customers to use the rock drill in real operations, and considering factors beyond net penetration rate, such as quick service operations.

A vital part of customer processes

The expansion is part of a SEK 260 million program launched in 2023 to lift rock drill production capacity at the Tampere site by 25%, with the potential for a further 20%.

Eerikki Virtanen, Director, Rock Drills Technology Unit at Sandvik, explained: “Besides complete rock drills, a fair part of our production in Tampere is used to produce spare parts. These are components that customers rely on to keep their operations moving.”

For 50 plus years, rock drills have been manufactured in Tampere. The industry has evolved a lot in that time, with rock drills always at the sharp end of those changes. Now, as mines face a world of falling ore grades, more complex ground conditions and rising mineral demand, reliability is more essential than ever.

That’s what this investment is really about: quality and parts availability that ensure performance and productivity for Sandvik mining customers. With production set to climb through 2027, Tampere is set to lead rock drill innovation for decades to come.