In rock drilling operations, the 32mm drill bit (like our Panda 32mm Series) is a critical component for small-to-medium quarrying and construction projects. However, improper wear not only slows down your drilling speed but also increases fuel consumption and puts unnecessary stress on your drill rods.
At Panda Equipment, we have compiled the most common wear patterns to help you diagnose issues and optimize your drilling efficiency.
Symptoms: The carbide buttons are flattened, leading to a significant drop in penetration rate.
Diagnosis: Often caused by excessive feed pressure or excessively high rotation speeds, which create high heat and cause the carbide to grind against the rock rather than impact it.
Optimization: Reduce feed pressure slightly and ensure your rotation speed is matched to the rock hardness.
Symptoms: Chips or fractures appear on the carbide buttons.
Diagnosis: This usually happens when drilling through alternating rock strata or when hole cleaning is insufficient. If rock dust remains at the bottom of the hole, the drill bit performs "re-drilling," which causes high-impact damage to the buttons.
Optimization: Ensure optimal air flushing to keep the hole bottom clean. When encountering a transition between soft and hard layers, reduce drilling speed temporarily.
Symptoms: The bit diameter decreases, which may cause the hole to become under-gauge and lead to stuck rods.
Diagnosis: Usually caused by hole deviation or drilling in highly abrasive rock (e.g., high quartz content).
Optimization: Check the straightness of your drill string and ensure the alignment is correct. For extremely abrasive conditions, consider using our upgraded bits with extra wear-resistant coatings.
Grind Timely: Do not wait until the buttons are completely flat. Perform maintenance grinding when the wear flat reaches 3-4mm. If you're looking for a reliable solution, the Panda Button Bit Grinder is specifically designed for quick, precision sharpening of 32mm bits. It ensures your carbide buttons keep their optimal profile, maximizing both speed and service life. [Check out our Grinder series here] and stop discarding bits that still have plenty of life left.
Check Flushing Holes: Ensure the air holes are clear to prevent overheating.
Proper Storage: Apply anti-rust oil when stored and always use thread protectors.
Panda Equipment stands by the quality of our products. If you are facing specific challenges with your drilling site, please contact our technical support team via WhatsApp for a one-on-one consultation.
