Soilmec rigs made history in the world of small-sized drilling rigs, by inaugurating a new era with the R-312 back in 1995, when it made its debut with a winning formula that offered a generous Diesel engine combined with a powerful rotary head. The rotary featured a fast spin-off speed and an immediately recognizable design, both compact and agile, making the rig suitable for use in a wide range of small applications. After the first performance on site of the SR-35 EVO last year, the Soilmec offer of hydraulic drilling rigs has grown with the launch of the new “entry-level” model: the SR-30 Eagle.
With an operating weight of 31,3 tons (69004 lb) with a 4×9 kelly bar, the SR-30 Eagle can be easily transported to other jobsites without having to disassemble the excavation equipment, thus allowing a very fast setup in the next location. A heavy-duty undercarriage and a counterweight of 3250 kg (7165 lb) allow the SR-30 Eagle to feature an agile turret with a tail swing radius of 3335 mm (131.3 in) and to use at the same time the latest generation Soilmec Segmental Mast, designed to easily switch to the LHR and CFA configurations, hence offering great construction compactness and excellent torsional strength.
This solution enables an outstanding technological performance. In its LDP configuration, it is possible to install up to 5×9 self-mounting Kelly bar or not self-mounting 10.5-m-long bars (34.5 ft) with five elements at an excavation depth of 47.5m (155.8 ft). The LHR configuration has a minimum height of 7.4 m (24.3 ft) and can move 5×4 kelly bars, while the CFA configuration offers a mast extension for a maximum drilling depth of 22 m (72.2 ft).
The strength of the mast has made it possible to install a rotary with a maximum torque of 131 kNm (96619 lbft), capable of optimizing torque and rotation speed during excavation thanks to the automatic control of motor displacement. The rotary is provided with a new hydraulic block that has been redesigned for more efficient hydraulic performance to reduce consumption. To better support the rotary performance, the turret has been equipped with the latest generation StageV/Tier4f Diesel engine equipped with low-idle to improve fuel efficiency and decrease noise pollution. The 4.5-liter four-cylinders Cummins engine can deliver a maximum power of 149 kW (200 HP). The hydraulic system, rationalized and pre-assembled on skid, together with the electrical circuit allow taking full advantage of the space available and facilitating both maintenance and troubleshooting operations.
The SR-30 Eagle is a truly modern, safe and technological rig thanks to a lot of standard equipment, such as the camera system with monitor in the cabin, the radio control for loading/unloading operations and the new DMS ON BOARD. The renovation of the latter includes customizations and many excavation automatisms to simplify and optimize the management of the excavation phase by the operator. Among these, it is worth mentioning the automatic return to the centre hole, the anti-slack rope system and the load cell on the main winch for the kelly bar version as well as the automatic auger lifting and the auto-rotary and auto-drilling functions for the CFA configuration, which are all available upon request. The rig also comes with small but useful solutions, such as the high-pressure washer kit, the compressor kit and the tool shelf, aimed at making daily work on site easier.
The new SR-30 Eagle embodies performance, technology and attention to details, making it a benchmark rig for the market of small-diameter drilling works. It is perfect to carry out works in residential areas and confined spaces and it is always ready to be moved to the next job site in a very short time.