Duraquest Smoothdrill Products-SmoothDrill-Part II

SMOOTHDRILL delivers higher total footage, longer bit life. And here are the numbers to prove it.
SMOOTHDRILL, a patented shock absorber coupling, protects blasthole drills against vertical and rotary vibrations by measurably reducing their severity—a fact proven repeatedly during independent testing performed on the bench during actual blasthole drilling by SMOOTHDRILL customers.
The independent field tests demonstrated SMOOTHDRILL'S outstanding ability to help blasthole bits drill farther and last longer. The test reports concluded that SMOOTHDRILL reduces damage to drills and reduces drill maintenance downtime as well.
Up to 67% decrease in damaging vibrations.
In order to keep up with production, a mine operator in the upper Midwest was confronted with the need to reduce blasthole drill maintenance costs and increase the availability of his drills. Before investing in a large number of SMOOTHDRILLs, he wanted hard proof that the payback would be worth the investment; an independent engineering laboratory was brought in to conduct stringent field tests.
Drilling on the bench was monitored with a triaxial accelerometer, pressure transducer and other test gear; measurements were taken with and without SMOOTHDRILL.
Result: With SMOOTHDRILL, vertical vibrations usually the strongest and most damaging decreased 67%. Rotary vibrations decreased by nearly a third.
"3" month payback."
Another mine operator conducted his own tests of SMOOTHDRILL and another brand of shock absorber coupling. Both brands increased bit footage, he reported, but SMOOTHDRILL increased footage more than 26% versus 17.4% for the other brand.
At that rate of footage, he concluded, "we would save 154,000 feet per year, or the equivalent of 23 drill bits per year, a savings of $110,000 per year or $9,167 per month. Payback on the purchase of two SMOOTHDRILL shock subs would be 3 months based on savings in bit cost alone."
In addition, he observed "We found an improvement in mechanical availability in the area of broken pulldown chains and damage to pull down sprockets and bearings."
New, improved strap design.
Field tests aren't the only good news. The new serpentine configuration of SMOOTHDRILL's safety straps reduces strap replacement costs and make strap installation easier as well.
Fits most any blasthole drill.
SMOOTHDRILL now comes in four sizes (15", 18", 22" and 28") and accepts weight-on-bit loads ranging from 15,000 to 130,000 Ibs. Also, an expanded selection of drive connections enables SMOOTHDRILL to fit nearly every blasthole drill made.
Tough conditions easier to handle.
By minimizing vertical and rotary vibrations, SMOOTHDRILL helps keep the bit more uniformly in contact with the formation. And by dampening vibrations, SMOOTHDRILL allows operators to handle bad ground conditions more easily.
Without SMOOTHDRILL there's always a trade-off between drill punishment and penetration rate, especially on bad ground. But SMOOTHDRILL reduces the punishment without sacrificing a high penetration rate.
Adjusts to the formation automatically.
When running on rough, fractured or layered formations, SMOOTHDRILL delivers more value than ever. It reacts to harder drilling loads immediately, providing greater shock absorbing action when it's needed most . No adjustment's required; the drill operator keeps right on drilling despite bad ground conditions, with reduced risk of damage to drill or bit.