Top Hammer Drilling

The availability of top hammer drilling, the diversity of drill bit design and low operating costs make top hammer drilling a favorable method for many different industries, but with the widespread application, it will inevitably bring the same wide range of needs and challenges.

Top hammer drilling is widely used and flexible, and is used in various industries around the world.It can be said that the biggest advantages of top hammer drilling are the size, availability and low cost of the drilling rig.

These drilling rigs can be taken to challenging work sites, drilling contractors usually provide machines in a short time, and they are often cheaper than down-the-hole drilling rigs or rotary drilling rigs.

In terms of drilling consumables, the top hammer drill string is also cost-effective, the installation speed is fast, and due to the wide range of drill bit designs available, the top hammer drill bit can always be optimized for ground conditions.

However, the advantages and possibilities of top hammer drilling not only mean a wide range of possible applications, but also an equally wide range of customers and needs.The requirements that developers need to meet include increased automation, extended drill bit durability, and increased efficiency.

Top Hammer drilling rigs are very suitable for drilling narrow and short holes (as small as 1 inch in width and up to 40 m in length) in hard rock. They are mainly used for mining, construction and rock material quarrying.

For all widths in 1-1/2 – 4 For holes between inches and a depth of about 30 m, top hammer drilling should be the default choice.Ground conditions have little influence on the choice of drilling methods, but obviously have a great influence on the choice of tools.An exception is special applications such as tunnel front piles, where weak ground conditions mean that front piles are required-which in turn automatically requires a top hammer method.

Specifically, the top hammer method is widely preferred and used in underground mining operations because water can be used to flush drill cutters.Unlike other air flushing technologies, this technology improves the underground working environment by minimizing the impact of drilling dust in the air.

In addition, top hammer drilling can drill more small holes to achieve more accurate and controlled blasting, which is usually very critical in underground operations.

Finally, bolt support operations also require top hammer drilling to ensure tunnel safety. Although the drilling machines used for bolt support and production drilling may be slightly different, they share the same drilling methods and require operators to have the same skills.

The main difference between the top hammer method and the down-the-hole (DTH) method is the position of the impact force in the equipment.In top hammer drilling, the activity is concentrated on the top of the drill string above the hole. The hammer transmits periodic shock waves to the drill bit by applying an impact force on the drill pipe or drill pipe (for down-the-hole drilling rigs, the hammer is placed underground in the drill bit).The impact system strikes the drill rod 2,000-5,000 times per minute, and the rotation speed can reach 60-200 revolutions per minute.Use compressed air or water to wash the drill cutters away from the bottom of the hole.