Comparison of drilling performance of chisel and button bits on the electro hydraulic driller

Electro hydraulic drillers have been widely used in mining for drilling and roof-bolting. In the drilling process, the performance of the machine is predicted by selecting an appropriate bit type prior to drilling operations. In this paper, a series of field drilling studies were conducted in order to examine and compare the performance of chisel and button bits including wear on the bits. The effects of taper angle on chisel bits, which are at angles of 105, 110 and 120, were investigated in terms of rate of penetration, instantaneous drilling rate and specific energy. The results of drilling and abrasivity tests performed in the laboratory supported the outcome of the field studies. Based on laboratory studies and field observations, it was proven that the conglomerate encountered, though it is very abrasive, is easy to drill. The cutter life in the encountered series is also longer in sandstone formation compared to the conglomerate. Additionally, button bits resulted in lower specific energy and higher penetration rates relative to chisel bits, regardless of their taper angles. The results were also supported with statistical analyses. © 2012 Springer-Verlag Wien