ISO 18758-1:2018

Overview

ISO 18758-1:2018 provides a standardized vocabulary for rock drill rigs and rock reinforcement rigs, covering intended use, working methods, rig types and principal components. The document is intended primarily for inclusion in instruction handbooks and marketing material and helps ensure consistent communication across manufacturers, operators, mining companies and regulatory bodies. Safety-related terminology is addressed in ISO 18758-2. The standard excludes drill rigs for soil–rock mixtures.

Key Topics

• Scope and purpose: Defines terms related to rock drilling and rock reinforcement, and provides classifications (see Annex A) based on intended use, mobility and type of operation.
• Drilling intended use: Terms for blast hole drilling, long hole production drilling, bench drilling, drainage drilling, raise boring and other typical uses.
• Drilling methods: Definitions for percussive drilling, rotary-percussive, down-the-hole (DTH) drilling, rotary drilling, core drilling, tube drilling and related methods.
• Reinforcement methods: Standard terms for rock bolting, cable bolting, meshing (netting) and grouting.
• Rig types and units: Vocabulary for rock drill rigs, rock reinforcement rigs, raise bore machines, raise climbers and rock boring machines, plus units such as top hammer drills and down-the-hole hammers.
• Components and operator station: Terms for carriers, power packs, hose/cable reels, operator cabs and tramming stands.

Applications

This vocabulary standard supports practical use across the mining and earth-moving machinery lifecycle:

• Instruction manuals: Ensures consistent terminology in operating and maintenance documentation for drill rigs and bolting equipment.
• Marketing and procurement: Aligns product descriptions and specifications so buyers and suppliers understand rig capabilities and intended use.
• Training and operations: Clarifies method names (e.g., DTH, top hammer, rotary-percussive) for operator training and procedure development.
• Regulatory and safety context: Provides a common language for communication between manufacturers, mine operators and safety bodies (with safety terms referenced in ISO 18758-2).

Benefits include reduced miscommunication, clearer technical documentation and improved interoperability of information among stakeholders such as machine manufacturers, mining companies, service providers and regulators.

Related Standards

• ISO 18758-2 (safety terminology for rock drill rigs and reinforcement rigs)
• ISO 22475-1 (terminology related to core drilling and cuttings referenced within definitions)
• ISO/IEC directives and ISO online terminology resources (for normative editorial and terminological practice)

For implementation, users should consult Annex A of ISO 18758-1 for classification examples and refer to national standards bodies or the ISO Online Browsing Platform for supplementary bibliographic references and updates.