Atlas Copco COP 1838+ Top-Hammer Rock Drill

The Atlas Copco COP 1838+ is a high-frequency hydraulic top-hammer rock drill designed as the percussion powerhouse for surface drill rigs in the FlexiROC and PowerROC product families. Delivering 18 kW of net percussion power at an operating frequency of 52 Hz, the COP 1838+ is the standard rock drill unit fitted on the Epiroc FlexiROC T35 and T40 surface rigs, as well as a retrofit upgrade option for older top-hammer rigs in the field. Its core engineering innovation is the patented optimised piston shape and shank geometry that maximises the energy transfer efficiency from piston strike to shank, achieving a transfer efficiency above 90% — meaning less than 10% of input energy is lost as heat and structural vibration in the drill body, compared with 20–30% losses in older designs. This directly translates to lower specific energy consumption per metre drilled, faster penetration in hard rock, and dramatically extended drill rod and bit life.

The COP 1838+ uses a sealed rotation unit with a low-friction composite bearing pack that maintains precise drill rod alignment throughout the full rotation speed range of 0–200 rpm, a feature critical for maintaining bit face parallelism in angle drilling applications such as pre-split hole patterns. The anti-jamming system — a proprietary hydraulic algorithm built into the drill's valve block — detects the sudden torque rise that precedes bit jamming in fractured formations and immediately reverses rotation to free the bit before the rod string locks up. In Saudi Arabia's geologically varied rock formations — which include heavily jointed basalt in Harrat volcanic fields, fractured limestone in the Hejaz, and coarsely metamorphic greenstone belts in the Arabian Shield — this feature prevents the time-consuming stuck-rod recoveries that can consume hours of productive shift time.

For surface mine operators and quarry contractors in Saudi Arabia, the COP 1838+ is a direct productivity and profitability lever: its superior energy efficiency means a drill rig fitted with a COP 1838+ drills more metres per litre of hydraulic fluid pumped, which reduces fuel consumption per metre compared to less efficient competitor drills. The extended consumables life — typically 20–40% longer bit life and 30–50% longer rod life versus older Atlas Copco rock drill generations — reduces the consumables cost per metre drilled, which is the single largest operating cost element on most surface drilling operations. Razz Middle East maintains a stockholding of COP 1838+ units for service exchange and new rig builds, with same-day availability in Riyadh and Dammam.

Razz Middle East is the authorised distributor for Atlas Copco and Epiroc drilling consumables and rock drills in Saudi Arabia. We supply COP 1838+ units for new rig builds, retrofit upgrades to existing drill fleets, and service exchange replacements on an exchange programme that minimises rig downtime during scheduled overhauls.