The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Crawler Mounted Pneumatic Tophammer Drill Rig

You could need a drilling rig for a multitude of applications, for example to drill a well to access a natural resource (water, oil, geothermal energy, etc.), to build foundations, to make blasting holes in a mine, to take samples from the ground, etc.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit JK Drilling.

It is necessary to determine what the drilling rig will be used for, as well as what kind of terrain it will mainly be operating on. Depending on the terrain, you can choose between different types of drilling rigs: rotary drilling rigs, percussion drilling rigs, down-the-hole drilling rigs, top hammer drilling rigs (with high hammer), etc.

In order to make the best choice, it is important to determine whether the drilling rig will be used for your core business or for occasional operations, and in particular whether you want to take advantage of the latest innovations or whether a machine that has proven its worth over several decades might be suitable for you.

Safety, reliability and ease of use are also important elements to consider and are directly linked to each other. A machine that's reliable and easy to operate, when used according to the manufacturer's recommendations, increases user safety.

It is also important to define the type of mobility you will need. There are autonomous crawler drilling rigs and truck-mounted or trailer-mounted drilling rigs that need to be powered by a generator or the truck that carries them.

Once you have determined the type of machine you need, you can calculate the size required according to the diameter and depth of the borehole.

Drilling type Soil type Comments Rotary drilling Soft rock Significant depths up to 5,000 meters
Possibility of inclined or horizontal drilling Down-the-hole drilling Hard and cracked rock (limestone, granite, etc.) Depth up to 4,000 meters Top hammer drilling Consolidated land Small diameter (150 mm maximum), shallow depth
Able to do inclined drilling Auger drilling Clay, clayey sand, gravel Depth of a few dozen meters Core drilling All soil types Drilling for soil analysis
Able to do inclined drilling Percussion drilling Hard rock: sandstone, limestone, shale Depth up to 100 meters Pipe Jacking Clay, clayey sand, gravel Installation of horizontal or vertical pipes

Rotary drilling: This type of drilling digs a hole by grinding the rock with a tool under the effect of weight and rotation. It is mainly used in oil production. The cuttings are brought to the surface under the pressure of a drilling fluid that is injected into the drill string. Drilling fluid also helps consolidate the walls of the borehole, so it is not necessary to case it as the operation progresses.

Down-the-hole drilling (rotary percussion drilling or rotary hammer drilling): this type of drilling uses drilling rigs that drill with a rotary cutter (drill head) and hammer the bottom of the hole with a pneumatic hammer. The excavated material rises to the surface under the pressure of the compressed air used for the hammer. These drilling rigs are powerful and have high drilling rates, especially in rock. For artesian wells (wells where water naturally rises to the surface under groundwater pressure) or geothermal drilling, an air injection at the end of the drill pipe pushes the water up the borehole, allowing the operator to immediately determine the water flow encountered. This type of drilling is used for hard and cracked ground up to 4,000 meters deep. When the drilling bit is eccentric, the drilling can be done with a casing advancement system (installation of tubes by gravity) which reinforces the hole as the drilling progresses.

Top hammer drilling: this type of drilling uses drilling rigs that also operate on a percussion system, but one that remains outside the borehole. They are mainly used for small diameter drilling, for example for mineral exploration or the installation of tie rods in rock. This system is used for shallow boreholes, as there can be significant deviation due to the structure of the ground drilled through. These drilling rigs can operate in any direction however.

Auger boring: This is a type of rotary drilling using a worm screw (the auger). This type of drilling is mainly used for unconsolidated clay or sand terrain. The excavated material is directly brought to the surface by the worm screw. For deep drilling, it may be necessary to regularly raise the auger to empty it of its excavated material.

Core drilling: Core drilling is similar to rotary drilling, but it uses a crown to extract a sample, called a core, inside the tool.

Percussion drilling: consists in breaking the rock by dropping a tool, the drill bit, by gravity. This type of drilling can only be used vertically. To prevent the borehole from collapsing, it is necessary to case it as it is drilled. The cuttings are reassembled as soon as they interfere with drilling by replacing the drill bit with a flap valve bailer. The flap valve bailer is a type of tube equipped with a tilting flap in the lower part. This tilting flap allows the tube to be filled with excavated material which is then transported to the surface.

Pipe jacking: is mainly used to install horizontal pipes. The tube is pushed progressively by percussion, the excavated material being removed at the end of the drilling operation either by water injection or with an auger. This technique is used in particular to avoid transmitting vibrations to the surrounding buildings or to avoid digging a trench.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Crawler Mounted Pneumatic Tophammer Drill Rig.

In the mineral exploration drilling business, drilling rigs and equipment are critical to winning bids, completing contracts and making money. Buying a new rig is a big decision and many variables and factors can influence that decision. The biggest question one must answer is, "Will this rig make money? Or will it cost more than other options that can achieve the same goals for less?"

Now that the market is growing slowly, many drilling contractors are deciding whether they should rebuild idle rigs or buy new ones.

Operations managers know which components (engines, valves, assemblies, etc.) need to be replaced, and they usually have a fairly accurate idea of the cost of rebuilding iconic rigs in their fleet. If the cost of rebuilding is close to the cost of buying a new rig, they may choose to conduct a full audit to examine each rig, assess the inventory of spare parts and check maintenance records to get more accurate information to compare the cost of getting the rig ready to work again.

 Drilling Rig

1. Availability

As the market improves, everyone can expect longer lead times - whether you are rebuilding or buying new. When the market is down or very low, stocks increase, factories are not busy building new rigs and lead times are reduced. As the market improves and contracts increase, inventories decrease, factories are busy building more rigs and lead times tend to increase. Ultimately, lead times vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

2. Resources

In addition to cost, other factors include whether the drilling company has the time, talent and capacity to overhaul a rig that is idle and needs work. Overhauls can take three to four months and require facilities, tools, a labour pool of mechanics (who may already be working on other rigs to keep them running), and a contract for the knowledge to get the rig ready for drilling.

3. Self-sustaining rod handling equipment

Rigs with rod handling equipment typically have fewer hand and back injuries to crews, as well as less overall stress and strain. Mechanised rod handling also saves on labour costs and staffing, as no additional staff are required to handle the rod manually. In addition, as drilling service providers with newer equipment with rod handling capabilities are well known in the market, you may be invited to participate in more tenders. When rod handling is first introduced, productivity suffers as machine rod handling is not as fast as manual rod handling. However, productivity can be maintained by using newer technology.

 Rock Blasting Drilling Rig 

4. Reliability

Used rigs are usually more prone to breakdowns than new rigs, and downtime can affect hard-won drilling contracts. Costs can add up quickly due to lost productivity, rig uptime contractual obligations and repairing rigs. A well-maintained drilling fleet in good operating condition not only contributes to productivity, but also prevents contractors from being dismissed from contracts or sites.

5. Price

When buying a new exploration or production rig it can be tempting to shop for price as there are many low cost options out there. However, as with any other major purchase, it is important to assess the total cost of ownership. A lower priced rig may actually have a higher total cost of ownership. Taking the time to price important replacement parts and spares can prove to save money in the long run.

Another thing to consider is the availability of these components. When buying a low-cost rig from a company that does not have a global presence, the availability of local spares and delivery times for replacement parts can affect your profits. Many smaller manufacturers only support their customers on a regional basis.

The reliability gained from buying high quality components means that components don't have to be replaced as often, which means that it costs less money to run that rig for longer uptime than if you were to buy something at a lower price.

The company is the world’s best DTH Drill Bits supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.