Drillers at Bam Ritchies, a leading geotechnical contractor in the United Kingdom, now have first-hand experience of the cost-saving performance offered by Mincon’s next-generation DTH hammer, the MP40-MQ.
Serviced by our UK distributor, Stratum Drilling Solutions Ltd, a drill rig operator at a Bam Ritchies limestone quarry in the north of England has managed to achieve a total depth of more than 28,000 metres without incurring stoppages for maintenance or breakdowns – a record depth for a single hammer at this site.
On average, operators at the quarry in expect to achieve approximately a quarter of that service life from their drill string before stopping for rebuild maintenance or replacement. Although extraordinary, this record-setting performance by a single MP40-MQ speaks to the design and quality of the product.
The MP40-MQ hammer is part of Mincon’s next-generation MP family of DTH hammers, which Mincon engineers have fine-tuned using decades of expertise and feedback from drillers around the world. In addition to this, Mincon’s precision engineering processes and world-class heat treatment ensures DTH hammers like the MP40-MQ boast superior durability and greatly reduced maintenance requirements.
In this instance, the benefits of a more reliable DTH hammer allowed drillers at Bam Ritchies to increase drilling productivity by an extra 600 meters per week; finishing jobs faster, servicing more sites, and increasing revenue – which translates into reduced costs and lower CO2 emissions.
At final inspection, after more than 1,700 blast holes drilled, the MP40-MQ hammer was sent to Stratum Drilling Solutions Ltd for breakdown and analysis. Their technical team determined that the hammer’s internals remained well within acceptable tolerances and could continue operation. This also meant that the hammer remained efficient and did not increase fuel costs, despite its service cycle.
In addition to the benefits of near-zero maintenance, this long-term efficiency of the MP40-MQ provides additional upstream benefits: diesel fuel costs and associated CO2 emissions are reduced, while the hammer’s ongoing efficiency reduces strain on other components in the drill string, thus further increasing their longevity and lowering associated maintenance costs.
With this single hammer, Mincon has proven that investing in high-quality, premium drilling equipment is easily offset by longer-term savings through lower maintenance and running costs. This superior performance and cost-effectiveness is one of the many reasons why Mincon has earned its reputation as The Driller’s Choice.
