Since the discovery of resources buried deep under the earth, human beings have tried their hand at improving underground mining techniques. In the quest to improve the functioning of mining industries, many overlook aspects like energy consumption and equipment maintenance.
However, with the safety and energy concerns that arise with activities like coal mining, it is imperative to achieve sustainable development while increasing the productivity of mining activities.
While aiming for productive industrial drilling, it is no secret that picking the right tools can boost the output from mining activities. Here are some variables to consider before picking the industrial drilling tools to increase the efficiency and productivity while underground mining.
1. Diameter-Length Ratio
Just like you change the drill bits according to the materials you drill into, you also need to consider the size of the hole you are drilling before choosing the equipment. It is always easier to have a smaller ratio between the diameter of the hole and the length of the drill. This way, poor finishing of holes while surface mining and damage to equipment like drill runout and chatter can be avoided.
Good chip evacuation is another benefit of picking the drill bits suited for the size of the holes. The user is not required to apply much coolant pressure when the ratio is shorter as well. Moreover, shorter industrial drilling equipment is consistent when it comes to RPM and feed rate.
2. Location
Preparing the site where the drill enters is another factor that contributes to the activity's output. This is especially important when it comes to industrial drilling at construction sites. When a drill tip is made to enter a flat surface, the drill is directed by balanced cutting forces and the holes produced are precise.
On the other hand, convex and concave surfaces, or even uneven surfaces require extra effort to flatten the surface and skills from the user's part to achieve good results. Besides, these scenarios call for the RPM of the drill to be reduced, more coolant pressure to be applied, and even external flood coolants to be utilized.
3. Holding the drill
It may come across as surprising, but holding the mining equipment in the right way is a contributing factor to productivity. For instance, using a screw-down end mill holder instead of a mill chuck to hold a high precision drill can result in a significant amount of tool runout. Such setups can also lead to the drill being out of spec for the entire process.
One solution for this issue is to ensure that the drill point comes at the center of the part. At the same time, ensure that the centreline of the machine and the drill remain parallel or the same. Therefore, accurate adapters are must-haves at any construction site to execute productive drilling.
Summing It Up
The productivity of industrial drilling is affected by numerous variables. Picking the right tools after taking these factors into account can make working with mining equipment exponentially better. Expending resources without proper knowledge about factors that contribute to the optimal performance of underground mining tools is both hazardous and wasteful.
