Advantages over Eccentric System
Straighter Holes: Because this ring bit system doesn't use any eccentric parts, it will drill in any overburden with almost no deviation. The driver bit also has a pilot portion that drills 3" to 5" before the crown bit, allowing it to keep the casing very straight. If you try to drill on the side of a boulder with an eccentric system, the reamer will kick you out of your trajectory.
Better Rate of Penetration: There are two (2) distinct advantages when drilling with the Xs drill system:
- Concentric: On the crown bit there are carbide buttons all around the periphery of the hole, as opposed to approximately one third (1/3) on an eccentric system. That means for each turn you do with a ring bit you have in fact drilled a deeper portion of that hole.
- Hammer: If you have a lot of bounders or if you need to drill in fractured rock, the Xs is the only system offering the advantage of using a larger hammer to drill with the crown. The penetration rate in rocks will be almost the same as if you are drilling with a conventional oversized bit.
Smooth Drilling: Compared to an eccentric method, drilling with the full face Xs drill system will be an unbelievable experience. Working with an eccentric system is very hard on every piece of equipment due to excessive torque applied by the reamer on the driver device, hammer, drill rods, rotation head, and mast.
Wear on Gage Carbide Button: The wear on the carbide buttons on an eccentric system (on the pilot and especially on the reamer part) will occur very fast, especially in abrasive rock or harder ground. On the Xs drill system there are double the quantity of carbides on the gage row that are actually needed to give extended life.
Components: Eccentric systems consist of a lot of different components, all necessary for its operation. Usually there is a pilot bit, a reamer bit, a driver, steel balls, set screws, pins, spring pins, etc. If you are using a wing-type system, a driver device, two, three, or four wings, pins, screws, spring pins, etc., all of those parts are very costly, and this can cause you a lot of time on the job site. With the Xs drill system there is a driver with a crown already assembled and ready to drill. That's it!
Toughness of Parts: In those eccentric and/or wing bit systems every component is very fragile, and as soon as you have a little bit of wear in the overall system those parts are inclined to break without notice and leave you again with down time.
Direct Energy Transfer: With the Xs drill system, the energy given by the hammer is transferred directly and entirely to the drilling part of the crown bit and not to the driving shoe.
Easier to Weld: The crown bit is composed of two (2) assembled swivel parts. The lower rotating part, which has carbide buttons to drill, receives the impact and rotation from the hammer. The upper part is welded to the casing, doesn't receive any percussion directly from the hammer, and is pulled down with the casing through a swivel joint. The impact of the joint is minimized because the drilling action of the rotating crown portion has absorbed most of it, leaving however enough energy to pull down the casing.
Less Maintenance: In almost any other system there is a lot of maintenance to do on the most expensive part, which is the driver device. The driving shoe is fixed to the casing and the driver rotates and impacts on the upper shoe, causing rapid wear to appear on the driver, which needs to be repaired or replaced. On the Xs drill system that grinding effect is transferred to the swivel joint between the upper and lower part of the crown, which is left in the hole 90% of the time.
Advantages Over Other Ring Bit Systems
Straighter Holes: The Xs drill system will drill in most overburden with almost no deviation. The driver bit has a pilot portion that drills 3" to 5" before the crown bit, allowing it to keep the pipe very straight.
Better Rate of Penetration: One advantage of drilling with the Xs drill system is the size of the DTH hammer used. If you have a lot of boulders or if you need to drill in fractured rock, the Xs is the only system offering the possibility to use a larger hammer to drill with the crown. The penetration rate in rocks will be almost the same as if you are drilling with a conventional oversized bit.
Easier to Weld: The crown bit is composed of two (2) assembled swivel parts. The lower rotating part, which has carbide buttons to drill, receives the impact and rotation from the hammer. The upper part is welded to the casing, doesn't receive any percussion directly from the hammer, and is pulled down with the casing through a swivel joint. The impact of the joint is minimized because the drilling action of the rotating crown portion has absorbed most of it, leaving however enough energy to pull down the casing.
Less Maintenance: In almost any other system there is a lot of maintenance to do on the most expensive part, which is the driver device. The driving shoe is fixed to the casing and the driver rotates and impacts on the upper shoe, causing rapid wear to appear on the driver, which needs to be repaired or replaced. On the Xs drill system that grinding effect is transferred to the swivel joint between the upper and lower part of the crown, which is left in the hole 90% of the time.
Advantages Over Wing Bit System
Straighter Holes: Because this ring bit system has a contiguous surface (full face) compared to the large empty portion between wings, it will drill in any overburden with almost no deviation. The driver bit also has a pilot portion that drills 3" to 5" before the crown bit, allowing it to keep the casing very straight. If you try to drill on the side of the boulder with an eccentric system, the reamer will kick you out of your trajectory.
Better Rate of Penetration: There are two (2) distinct advantages when drilling with the Xs drill system:
- Concentric: On the crown bit there are carbide buttons all around the periphery of the hole, as opposed to approximately one third (1/3) on an eccentric system. That means for each turn you do with a ring bit you have in fact drilled a deeper portion of that hole.
- Hammer: If you have a lot of bounders or if you need to drill in fractured rock, the Xs is the only system offering the advantage of using a larger hammer to drill with the crown. The penetration rate in rocks will be almost the same as if you are drilling with a conventional oversized bit.
Smooth Drilling: Compared to the wing bit method, drilling with the full face Xs drill system will be an unbelievable experience. Working with a wing bit system is very hard on every piece of equipment due to excessive torque applied by the wings, on the driver device, hammer, drill rods, rotation head, and mast.
Wear on Gage Carbide Buttons: The wear on the carbide buttons on a wing bit system (on the pilot and especially on the wing part) will occur very fast, especially in abrasive rock or harder ground. On the Xs drill system, there are double the quantity of carbides on the gage row that are actually needed to give an extended life.
Components: Wing bit systems consist of a lot of different components, all necessary for its operation. Usually there is a driver device, two, three, or four wings, pins, screws, spring pins, etc. All of those parts are very costly, and this can cause you a lot of time on the job site. With the Xs drill system there is a driver with a crown, already assembled and ready to drill. That's it!
Toughness of Parts: In those wing bit systems every component is very fragile, and as soon as you have a little bit of wear in the overall system those parts are inclined to break without notice and leave you again with down time.
Direct Energy Transfer: With the Xs drill system, the energy given by the hammer is transferred directly and entirely to the drilling part of the crown bit and not to the driving shoe.
Easier to Weld: The crown bit is composed of two (2) assembled swivel parts. The lower rotating part, which has carbide buttons to drill, receives the impact and rotation from the hammer. The upper part is welded to the casing, doesn't receive any percussion directly from the hammer, and is pulled down with the casing through a swivel joint. The impact of the joint is minimized because the drilling action of the rotating crown portion has absorbed most of it, leaving however enough energy to pull down the casing.
Less Maintenance: In almost any other system there is a lot of maintenance to do on the most expensive part, which is the driver device. The driving shoe is fixed to the casing and the driver rotates and impacts on the upper shoe, causing rapid wear to appear on the driver, which needs to be repaired or replaced. On the Xs drill system that grinding effect is transferred to the swivel joint between the upper and lower part of the crown, which is left in the hole 90% of the time.