Practical measures are sorted into seven dimensions: stratum‑matched model selection, procurement, drill bit assembly, rig operation, daily maintenance, construction‑site administration and data‑driven cost control. The guidelines suit both overseas‑buyer procurement guidance and on‑site construction management.
1. Pick selection tailored to geological strata to cut loss fundamentally
Wrong stratum matching ranks top among triggers for carbide‑tip chipping, abnormal wear‑out and breakage, which greatly raises consumable‑material cost per drilling meter.
1. For soft soil, silt and silty clay formations: adopt type‑3050 standard picks with smooth cutting performance and moderate wear resistance.
2. For cobble‑stone layers, strongly weathered rock and highly abrasive soil: equip picks tipped with YG8C high‑wear‑resistant hard alloy.
3. For granite, moderately‑weathered and slightly‑weathered hard rock: deploy heavy‑duty 3060 picks with thickened carbide tips and 42CrMo alloy‑steel shanks.
4. Strictly match the shank size with the inner diameter of pick holders. Dimension deviations cause loose picks, unilateral abrasion and shank fracture.
2. Raw‑material quality control and optimized purchasing strategies
1. Prioritize 42CrMo alloy steel for pick shanks. The material delivers strong shock resistance and resists bending and fracture under drilling vibration.
2. Stay away from low‑cost picks made of recycled alloy. Their carbide heads are prone to falling‑off and frequent replacement drives up costs.
3. Source goods directly from manufacturers and place long‑term bulk orders to eliminate middle‑mark‑ups and lower unit purchase prices.
4. Classify stocked picks by specification: store standard picks for common strata and heavy‑duty hard‑rock picks separately. Avoid wasting heavy‑duty expensive picks on soft‑layer drilling.
3. Optimize drill‑bit assembly and pick‑replacement rules
1. Arrange picks evenly on the drilling bucket to spread drilling load and prevent overloaded fast wear on single picks.
2. Replace blunt and heavily worn picks in good time. Worn‑down picks increase drilling resistance, slow penetration speed and generate high heat that damages nearby picks and holders.
3. Keep proper pick exposure length. Over‑exposed carbide tips suffer impact breakage; overly‑sunken picks slip and wear fast with poor cutting capacity.
4. Fasten loose picks every shift. Shaking loose picks abrade shanks and holders rapidly.
4. Standardize drilling‑rig operation parameters to reduce man‑made pick damage
1. Hard‑rock layers: low rotating speed, proper down‑pressure and slow feed rate.
2. Soil and weathered rock layers: raise rotation speed appropriately and drill fast under moderate pressure.
3. Forbid violent impact, forced compression and idle bit slipping. Frictional high temperature will burn out carbide tips.
4. Maintain circulating mud or flushing water for cooling and rock‑chip removal, so as to reduce high‑temperature abrasion and dry friction loss.
5. Lift the drill bucket promptly upon hole collapse or jamming. Never force down‑pressure which shatters drill picks.
5. Daily inspection, maintenance and reusable pick recycling
1. Inspect pick tightness and clear gravel inside holders before and after every work shift to prevent pick jamming.
2. Collect slightly‑worn intact picks after disassembly and reuse them for soft‑soil boreholes.
3. Store spare picks under dry conditions to avoid shank rust.
4. Maintain pick holders in good condition. Replace deformed worn holders timely, since premium picks will still get damaged inside defective holders.
6. Optimize construction workflow to lower hidden consumable costs
1. Group boreholes with identical geology for concentrated construction to avoid frequent pick‑model switching.
2. Minimize rig idling time. Empty‑run drilling wastes pick service life.
3. Construct holes by geological zones. Assign one set of drill bits for one stratum type to avoid unnecessary abrasion.
7. Fine‑grained cost control with operational data
Calculation formula: Cost per drilled meter = Total purchase expense of picks ÷ Total completed drilling meters
1. Record daily drilling depth and pick consumption quantity.
2. Compare pick loss among different batches, operators and geological conditions.
3. Phase out low‑cost picks with poor cost‑performance and lock‑in reliable manufacturers whose picks feature long service life and lower comprehensive cost.
