Heavy Construction Equipment: Repair, Troubleshooting and Maintenance

Choosing the Ultimate Drill Rods for Your Diamond Drilling Rig

16 April 2015 by Clifton Barnes

During a diamond drill operation, your drill rods provide the crucial infrastructure that lets you reach your desired depths in the ground. They also form the crucial transportation system that lets you collection your sample core(s) for testing. Diamond drill rods are therefore just as equally important as the rig motor or the drill bits in a drill operation. In dire situations, poor quality rods can break or get stuck, putting your entire operation in a dilemma. To avoid this, take a little bit more time selecting your diamond drill rods next time. Here's what to look for.

Drill Rod Material

The most important aspect of a drill rod is the material it's made off. By far, the best drill rods are made of carbon and alloy steels. Steel offers sheer strength that helps prevent structural damage, providing high durability. Carbon, on the other hand, provides heat properties that protect your drill rods from heat damage. This heat damage can emanate from the friction created due to contact with the ground or due to contact between rods and the joints.  With heat and structural strength in check, you can be sure that your carbon alloy steel rods are of good quality before starting a drill.

Torsion Strength (Cross Sectional Strength)

Torsion strength refers to the ability of your diamond drill rods not to twist and break during a drill. Torsion strength can be affected by the depth of the drill and the thickness of the drill rods. The larger the diameter of your drill rods, the better they can counter torsion strength without fracturing. On the other hand, the deeper the drill, the more susceptible your rods are to torsion damage. This is because deeper drills use more rods and that creates multiple weak points in terms of joints. Apart from getting thicker walls on your rods, therefore, having longer rods in a deep drill can help prevent damage from occurring.

Traction Strength (Vertical Strength)

Lastly, you also have to think about how much force your rods will be under when inside the rig. Traction strength is dependent on the nature of the ground being drilled. The harder the underground surface, the more resistance your rods will encounter between the drill bit and the rig. Just like torsion strength, weak traction strength can break your rods. Longer rods tend to bear less traction strength so it helps to find a common balance no matter what depth you're planning to drill. You should also check the force rating on your rods, usually in Newtons (N). The higher the rating, the stronger your rods are.

For added measure, check the heat treatment your diamond drill rods have been put under. Higher temperatures strengthen the carbon in your rods, further reducing the chances of your rods breaking during an operation.

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