However, if you are involved in the mining industry, tunnelling, and quarrying, you have certainly heard that a drifter is a critical part of any drilling machine designed for working with rock. A drifter creates percussive blows necessary for breaking the rock. Depending on the type of the drifter used, there can be a significant impact on your productivity, costs of operation and maintenance, and the life time of the machine. Today, there are two main technologies dominating the market, namely hydraulic drifters and pneumatic drifters, but each of them uses a fundamentally different approach to achieve the same result.
In this article, we will analyse how each technology works, when it is the most appropriate to use one or another technology, and how to choose the best solution for your needs.
How Each Technology Works
The principle of operation of a pneumatic drifter includes compressed air driven a piston, which gives blows to a shank adapter that delivers the energy to the bit via the drill string. Pneumatic drifters are widely used because of their reliability, simple design consisting of few precision elements and relatively easy-to-service mechanism.
On the other hand,
hydraulic drifters operate by means of hydraulic pressure acting on the piston. As hydraulic systems can produce and control higher pressures, they will be able to provide higher impact energy and higher cycling rate of the piston. Hence, penetration rates of such equipment will be considerably higher in comparison with pneumatic ones, especially in medium to hard rock formations.
Important Performance Differences
1. Penetration Rate
The higher percussion pressure that can be sustained by hydraulic systems without losses due to air compressibility makes hydraulic drifters considerably faster than pneumatic ones when the drill holes have similar diameters. In some cases, this performance difference defines the whole profitability of the project.
2. Energy Efficiency
Compressed air is less effective means of energy transportation than the hydraulic fluid. Much energy is lost due to air compression, its expansion and cooling. Higher energy efficiency of hydraulic systems results in lower energy consumption per one meter of drilling in spite of higher costs of such equipment.
On the other hand, hydraulic drifters operate by means of hydraulic pressure acting on the piston. As hydraulic systems can produce and control higher pressures, they will be able to provide higher impact energy and higher cycling rate of the piston. Hence, penetration rates of such equipment will be considerably higher in comparison with pneumatic ones, especially in medium to hard rock formations.
3. Noise and Vibration
Compared to their hydraulic counterparts, pneumatic drillers are relatively louder because of the noise from drilling and the discharge of compressed air. On the other hand, hydraulic drillers generate comparatively less noise and have minimal vibrations compared to pneumatic drillers, especially for projects that are required to have low noise pollution.
4. Cost of Equipment and Maintenance
Clearly, this is an area where pneumatic drillers take precedence over their competitors. Pneumatic drillers have a simpler mechanical structure, which implies that the initial cost of procurement will be relatively cheaper and field maintenance will be easier, considering that most repair works do not necessarily need hydraulic expertise. For hydraulic drillers, one needs to work in clean environments and use high-quality hydraulic oil.
5. Portability and Application Suitability
Pneumatic drillers are still preferable for small rigs, remote sites, projects in the absence of proper power structures, and for drilling quarries and construction sites, where air compressors are already available. In cases where production rate and per meter cost efficiency matter more than high costs of the drillers, hydraulic drillers will always be the right choice.
Which One to Pick?
No easy answer exists - it depends on your rocks, drilling production goals, budget, and facility specifics.
- Opt for a pneumatic drifter if you require a tough and easy-to-maintain unit for small-scale drilling, you already have an air facility, and drill in distant sites where hydraulic servicing is difficult to obtain.
- Opt for a hydraulic drifter if the focus is on high efficiency and reduced energy expenses over a period of time during medium and large-scale production drilling, and you have skilled staff to perform the servicing.
In practice, many facilities use both types: pneumatic drifters for small-scale operations and hydraulic drifters for major production drilling.
Made For Your Needs
At Mindrill, we produce both hydraulic and
pneumatic drifters specifically designed for the needs of surface mining, underground mining, tunnelling, and construction. Our line of hydraulic drifters - the MHD100X, MHD100, MHD106, and MHD5 series - is designed as the perfect equivalent of major international manufacturers with high drilling rate performance and excellent durability. Our line of pneumatic drifters – the MPD90, MPD100, MPD120, and MPD36 – is designed to provide reliable performance with low maintenance cost in difficult-to-reach conditions.
Being over 55 years in manufacturing, being ISO 9001:2015 certified, and having a successful experience with over 25+ countries of customers behind us, we make every drifter in such way that it will meet your requirements in real working conditions.
Having doubts about which drifter will suit your project? Contact our experts by sending an email to salessupport@mindrill.com.
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Call us at +91 98305 94274
Visit our website: www.mindrill.com to explore our range of trenchless solutions.
