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Our Innovative Drilling Rig Solutions for Sydney’s up and coming major transport projects.

Chess Engineering were involved in the manufacture of a unique drilling rig in conjunction with local business Hydra-Wash and a multinational construction and infrastructure company.

The drilling rig will be employed in some of Sydney’s up and coming major transport projects, assisting with the fitting of the wall cladding inside the tunnel. By predrilling the installation holes, a second team will follow closely behind and mount the cladding.

The main purpose of this machine was to avoid human error by implementing innovative, automated technology, allowing the machine to operate itself with advanced efficiency and accuracy. Throughout its life, the drilling rig is expected to drill 48,000 holes in 240 km of tunnel while saving over 1000 hours of manual labour.

The assembly is hydraulic-drive-wheel operated, utilising vertical and horizontal hydraulic cylinders to position the supporting frame which consists of three working platforms. The supporting frame comprises of pneumatic, double acting cylinders which slide nine, electrically powered hammer drills into position.

Chess Engineering have been responsible for the fabrication of the main and supporting frames, drill mounting arrangements and other steel sections including the grating, lugs and brackets. Additionally, Chess were able to provide innovative design solutions when required, particularly with the fabrication of custom fittings and mounting brackets. The installation of the generator, hydraulic and pneumatic systems were also conducted at Chess, with the aid of our skilled staff working in cohesion with Hydra-Wash. Communication and management skills were essential in the prototypes progression and hence, a weekly routine involving communication between the engineering/management team, designers, drafters and labourers was formed to provide an effective pipeline of information.

Throughout this project, Chess was able to form a productive, valuable client relationship, as well as being given multiple opportunities to learn and improve. Particularly, the ability to strictly follow a client’s design whilst also solving arising technical issues on the go. This provided the best results for both the client and the fabrication team at Chess. Furthermore, the opportunity to work effectively towards a common goal in unification with multi-disciplined professionals provided a special experience.

The high-level of problem solving required to form this prototype was met by an enthusiastic Chess team, providing satisfaction to all involved. The resounding lesson appreciated from this project is that teamwork, communication and design progression are the founding principles of successful innovation.