CED SFM7300: The 6×6 Land Cruiser That Brings RC, Air Core & Auger Drilling Together
ONE LAND CRUISER. THREE DRILLING METHODS. A WHOLE LOT OF EXPLORATION POTENTIAL.
A Toyota Land Cruiser is normally what gets you to the drill site. At CED, we've decided it should do a little more than that.
Picture an exploration programme covering a large mineral concession.
The geological targets are scattered across difficult terrain. Some areas need shallow geochemical sampling. Others require drilling through overburden.
Selected targets may warrant Reverse Circulation drilling.
The exploration team needs answers.
What they don't necessarily need is a collection of oversized drilling machines, each requiring its own mobilisation exercise.
Enter the CED SFM7300.
Built around a Toyota Land Cruiser 79 6×6 platform, the SFM7300 brings three drilling capabilities together in one modular exploration system.
Reverse Circulation. Air Core. Auger.
Three methods. One mobile platform. A drilling package designed around getting exploration teams to their targets and into the ground.
And this week Inside CED, we're looking at the engineering and operational thinking behind it.
1. The Toyota Land Cruiser 79: From Exploration Transport to Drilling Platform
There's a reason the Toyota Land Cruiser 79 is a familiar sight across remote mining and exploration operations.
It's a platform used in environments where road conditions, access and distance from established infrastructure all matter.
CED has taken that familiar vehicle concept and developed it into something rather different.
The SFM7300 combines a purpose-built exploration drilling system with a heavy-duty 6×6 Land Cruiser platform, developed for projects where mobility is an important part of the drilling equation.
The additional axle and six-wheel-drive configuration form part of the vehicle's off-road mobility and load-carrying design.
But fitting drilling equipment to a vehicle isn't simply a matter of finding somewhere to bolt a mast.
The drilling system, vehicle chassis, equipment mounting, hydraulic power, stability, weight distribution and operating layout must all be considered together.
The SFM7300 has been developed around a military-spec-inspired 6×6 mobility concept, combining a rugged vehicle platform with modular drilling equipment for demanding exploration environments.
The objective is to create a compact mobile drilling system capable of accessing suitable remote exploration targets without automatically requiring a much larger drilling vehicle.
A Land Cruiser that doesn't just take the crew to work. It brings the drilling equipment with them.
This is the thinking behind the CED SFM Series: a mobile drilling platform supported by the equipment needed to keep an exploration programme moving.
From the 6×6 vehicle and modular RC, Air Core and Auger drilling system to the drill rods, tooling and consumables carried in the support trailer, CED can supply the complete package.
2. RC, Air Core and Auger: Why Three Drilling Methods Matter
Here's where the SFM7300 gets interesting.
An exploration programme doesn't necessarily need the same drilling method from start to finish.
The geological objectives may change as the programme develops.
Near-surface sampling may be required across a large target area. Selected locations may need deeper drilling. Other sites may require investigation of shallow unconsolidated material.
Having multiple drilling configurations available on a common platform gives exploration teams the flexibility to plan their equipment around those different requirements.
Reverse Circulation Drilling: When the Programme Needs to Go Further
Reverse Circulation drilling uses compressed air to return drill cuttings through the inner tube of a dual-wall drill string.
It is commonly used in mineral exploration and grade-control programmes where geological samples are required from below the surface.
For the SFM7300, RC capability provides an option for suitable shallow exploration targets where the selected drilling configuration, air supply and ground conditions permit.
The compressor, drill string, hammer, bit and sampling equipment must be matched to the intended drilling programme.
This is where CED's wider equipment range becomes important.
We can configure the SFM7300 alongside the air compressor, tooling and supporting equipment required for the proposed RC application.
Air Core Drilling: Shallow Exploration Across Multiple Targets
Air Core drilling is commonly used in shallow mineral exploration, particularly where geochemical samples are needed from weathered or relatively soft geological formations.
For exploration teams investigating large areas, Air Core can be an important part of early-stage target definition.
The SFM7300's modular configuration allows Air Core drilling equipment to be incorporated into the mobile platform.
That gives exploration companies another drilling option without necessarily requiring a completely separate vehicle-based drilling system.
Auger Drilling: Sometimes the Answer Is Much Closer to the Surface
Not every exploration target requires compressed-air drilling.
Auger drilling can be used for suitable shallow investigations in unconsolidated or relatively soft ground.
Applications may include shallow geological sampling, overburden investigation and certain near-surface exploration programmes.
The SFM7300's Auger configuration provides another option for projects where ground conditions and sampling objectives make this method appropriate.
The point isn't to use three drilling methods on every project. It's to have the right drilling configuration available for the work you're actually planning.
3. Modular Engineering: Build the Package Around the Programme
The word modular gets thrown around a lot in equipment manufacturing.
For CED, the idea behind the SFM7300 is straightforward.
Start with a common mobile platform, then configure the drilling system and supporting equipment around the intended application.
That may involve RC drilling, Air Core drilling or Auger drilling.
But the configuration also needs to account for the practical details that make a drilling programme work.
The required drilling depth. The expected ground conditions. Compressor capacity. Drill string specifications. Consumable requirements. Equipment weight. Vehicle stability. Access restrictions.
And, of course, the people who will actually operate the equipment.
A modular system doesn't eliminate the need for engineering.
It makes proper engineering even more important.
The SFM7300 is designed around a rugged 6×6 mobility concept, with drilling equipment and supporting systems developed for demanding exploration environments.
The objective is to combine the vehicle, drilling system and support equipment into a practical exploration package rather than treating them as unrelated purchases.
For equipment buyers, this also means the specification should begin with the drilling programme, not simply the vehicle.
Tell us what you need to drill. Then we can discuss how the SFM7300 should be configured.
A mobile exploration drilling rig needs a support package capable of reaching the drilling target alongside it.
This configuration combines the SFM7300's modular drilling capability with a mobile compressed-air system, demonstrating CED's approach to supplying integrated equipment packages for remote exploration programmes.
4. The Support Trailer: Because a Drilling Rig Doesn't Run on Good Intentions
A compact mobile drill rig solves one problem.
Getting the drilling equipment to the target.
But what about everything that needs to follow it?
The compressor. The drilling consumables. The drill rods. The fuel. The water. The tools. The spares.
A mobile drilling platform is only as useful as the support system behind it.
That's why CED has developed the SFMTS modular support trailer concept as part of the wider SFM Series.
Depending on the project requirements, the trailer can be configured to accommodate supporting equipment such as:
Air compressors and associated equipment.
Drilling consumables, tooling and spare parts.
Water and diesel storage.
Drill rods and additional operational supplies.
The aim is to create a coordinated drilling and support package, with equipment selected around the intended application, payload, towing requirements and access conditions.
For RC drilling, compressor selection is particularly important.
Air volume and pressure need to be considered alongside the drilling diameter, expected depth, hammer requirements and ground conditions.
A compressor that is suitable for one drilling application may not be appropriate for another.
CED can help configure the drilling and air package together.
One drilling platform. One supporting equipment system. One coordinated mobilisation plan.
5. Shallow-Hole Exploration: Up to 100 Metres of Opportunity
The SFM7300 is intended for shallow-hole exploration applications, with drilling capability of up to approximately 100 metres, depending on the selected drilling configuration and ground conditions.
That doesn't mean every drilling method will achieve the same depth or that every geological formation can be drilled with the same equipment setup.
The actual operating envelope needs to be established for the proposed application.
But for suitable early-stage exploration programmes, shallow drilling can provide geological information needed to evaluate targets and plan subsequent work.
Consider a gold exploration programme where the geology team needs to investigate several near-surface targets.
Or a copper exploration project where shallow sampling is required before committing to deeper drilling.
Or a lithium exploration campaign where access restrictions and the distribution of targets make equipment mobility an important consideration.
In each case, the drilling programme should be designed around the geology and the information the exploration team needs.
The SFM7300 provides a mobile platform that can be considered for suitable shallow RC, Air Core and Auger applications.
And if the exploration programme eventually requires deeper diamond drilling or larger RC equipment?
That's where the rest of CED comes in.
6. Beyond the SFM7300: The Wider CED Exploration System
The SFM7300 is one part of a wider equipment strategy.
CED is developing the SFM Series to provide different drilling and support configurations around a common mobile platform concept.
The wider range includes:
SFM7200: 6×6 surface diamond core drilling.
SFM7300: 6×6 RC, Air Core and Auger drilling.
SFM7400: 6×6 water well drilling.
SFM7500: 6×6 underground drilling platform.
SFM7600: 6×6 mobile support vehicle.
SFMTS: Modular support trailer systems.
For exploration companies operating across multiple locations, this creates an opportunity to discuss different equipment packages within the same wider product family.
Shallow RC and Air Core drilling may be appropriate for one stage of exploration.
Diamond core drilling may be required for another.
Additional compressors, consumables, personnel or support equipment may be needed as the programme expands.
CED can supply equipment and services across these different requirements, including larger surface diamond rigs, RC drilling equipment, drilling consumables, technical personnel and contract drilling support.
The SFM7300 may be where your exploration programme starts. It doesn't have to be where CED's involvement ends.
7. Built for Exploration Companies That Want More Than Another Machine
Let's talk about what actually matters when buying exploration drilling equipment.
It's not simply the number of axles, the size of the mast or how impressive the machine looks parked outside the workshop.
It's whether the equipment is appropriate for the intended drilling programme.
Can it access the target?
Is the drilling method suitable for the geology?
Is the compressor correctly matched?
Are the required drill rods, tooling and consumables included?
What happens when the machine needs maintenance?
Who is going to operate it?
And what additional equipment will be required to keep the programme running?
These are the questions CED wants to address before the equipment leaves the workshop.
We can supply the SFM7300 as part of a wider drilling package incorporating the vehicle-mounted rig, compressor, support trailer, tooling, consumables, spares, commissioning and training.
Where required, we can also discuss experienced drilling personnel and wider exploration drilling services.
Because the objective isn't simply to deliver another piece of equipment.
It's to deliver a drilling solution that is appropriate for the project.
The CED SFM7300 Toyota Land Cruiser 79 6×6 drilling rig operating alongside the SFM7600 support vehicle carrying water, with a trailer transporting RC drilling consumables.
Three interconnected elements of the CED SFM Series working together: the drilling rig, the mobile water supply and the consumables needed to keep the exploration programme moving.
From RC, Air Core and Auger drilling to water transport, tooling and logistical support, CED develops integrated mobile drilling systems for demanding mineral exploration projects.
One drilling platform. One mobile support system. Everything working towards metres in the ground.
One Land Cruiser. Three Drilling Methods. A Whole Lot of Exploration Potential.
The SFM7300 takes a familiar 6×6 Land Cruiser platform and gives it a very different job.
RC drilling. Air Core drilling. Auger drilling.
A modular shallow-hole exploration system supported by CED's wider range of compressors, drilling consumables, support equipment and technical services.
For exploration companies and drilling contractors working in remote environments, it offers a different way to approach suitable shallow drilling programmes.
SMALL HOLES. BIG EXPLORATION AMBITIONS.
And one Land Cruiser that does a lot more than get you to the drill site.
Planning Your Next Shallow-Hole Exploration Programme?
Looking for a 6×6 Land Cruiser-mounted RC, Air Core or Auger drilling rig?
Talk to CED about the SFM7300, its modular drilling configurations and the supporting equipment required for your project.
We can discuss complete equipment packages, compressors, drilling consumables, support trailers, personnel, commissioning and training.
One manufacturer. One integrated drilling package. One point of contact.
Visit www.cylinder-ed.com to discuss your next exploration project.
Over to you: If you could build one modular exploration drilling platform around your next project, which drilling methods would you want on board — RC, Air Core, Auger, or a combination of all three?
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