Stoper Drill
A stoper drill is a pneumatic rock drill with an integral air-feed leg designed to drill vertically and steeply upward. It is used for raise driving, roof and rock bolting and overhead production drilling. Vikay supplies stoper drills from India in the VK 46 WR-8 and VK 46 WS-8.
On a stoper the feed leg sits in line with the drill rather than beside it, so the whole machine pushes straight up into the back. That geometry lets one operator drill overhead holes without staging or a platform, which is what makes raise driving practical by hand.
Typical duties are raise and winze driving, roof bolt and cable bolt hole drilling, overhead production holes in narrow stopes, and ground-support installation in tunnels. Water flushing clears cuttings downward away from the operator.
The VK 46 WR-8 and VK 46 WS-8 correspond to the Atlas Copco BBD 46 WS-8 duty class and take standard
shank adapters and rods, so drill steels and accessories already on site continue to fit. Spare parts are listed under
Jackleg Drill Parts, which covers the BBD 46WS and 46WR range.
FAQS
What is a stoper drill used for?
- Vertical and steeply inclined overhead drilling: raise and winze driving, roof and rock bolt holes, and production holes in narrow overhead stopes.
How does a stoper differ from a jackleg?
- The feed leg on a stoper is in line with the machine so it pushes straight upward, while a jackleg's leg is offset for horizontal and inclined work. A jackleg cannot comfortably drill overhead.
Which Atlas Copco model do these correspond to?
- The VK 46 WS-8 and VK 46 WR-8 are built to the BBD 46 WS-8 duty class and use the same standard shank and rod threads.
