Lubrication system

Bench drilling - Tunnel driving - Roof bolting - Reaming - Production drilling

Gunnar Wijk Modified by Andreas Nordbrandt / 2003-08-13

2.7 The lubrication circuit

The surfaces between moving parts must be lubricated if the components are to have a good service life. The percussion mechanism and rotation motor in a hydraulic rock drill are obviously lubricated by hydraulic oil, but in the case of pneumatic rock drills, lubricating oil must be added to the compressed air that drives the machine. This applies to both the percussion mechanism and the rotation motor. There is always a certain overpressure in all the inner spaces in a pneumatic rock drill, relative to the atmosphere, which means that air continuously blows out through the various slots and holes. This movement of air effectively prevents dust and other impurities from entering the machine. Sometimes, however, the rotation motor is switched off while the drill hole is blown clean. During such operations, it is possible that drill cuttings can enter the rotation motor, with devastating effect. To prevent dirt and water from entering hydraulic rock drills, all spaces in the machine that are not filled with oil must be given a certain overpressure relative to the surrounding atmosphere. This is achieved by supplying the machine with a flow of compressed air, which is mixed with a suitable quantity of oil. In underground drilling applications, it is important that ALL external mating surfaces are supplied with pressurized lubricating air, since it is technically impossible to create effective sealing surfaces without the use of gaskets.

2.7 The lubrication circuit

Gaskets do have the desired effect, but suffer from short service life, which is why internal pressurization of the machine is a much better alternative. In surface drilling applications, the ingress of impurities is almost negligible, and "sweating" around mating surfaces that are internally pressurized by lubricating air can have negative consequences. On surface machines therefore, it must be made possible to easily switch off pressurization of the mating surfaces. Lubricating oil is needed primarily at two places in a hydraulic rock drill, namely between the splines of the driver and shank adapter, and between the nose bushing and neck of the shank adapter. Traditionally we have a generous amount of air blowing out around the nose bushing, in order to prevent the ingress of dirt in both surface and underground drilling applications. In surface drilling, the hole diameters are usually larger, which means that higher torque have to be transmitted via the shank adapter. For this reason, it is especially important that the dosage of lubricating oil is correct, in terms of both. quantity and quality. Lately, it has become an issue in surface drilling to reduce this amount to zero. Almost all our surface rock drills are prepared to collect the lubrication oil and lead it back to the rig if desired.

2.7 The lubrication circuit

Under no circumstances should the lubricating oil be too thin, otherwise the flow of lubricating air will simply blow it off the surfaces to which it is supposed to stick. The dirt is especially important to keep away in upward-directed drilling, when flushing water and drill cuttings from the hole shower down continuously over the machine. Different types of drill collars are available to lead the cuttings and water away from the rock drill front. In underground drilling applications using water flushing, the shank adapter splines are wellcooled by the flushing water streaming into the adapter, even though the heat has to travel forward somewhat through the adapter steel in order to reach the water-cooled surfaces. In surface drilling applications, the cooling properties of air flushing are much less efficient. We normally call the lubrication circuit the ECL-system Electrically Controlled Lubrication. In our system, a fixed displacement piston pump delivers an amount of oil in proportion to how many electrical pulses the coil of the pump is set to. In DTH or CR applications, the amount of oil that pump delivers is not sufficient. Therfore there is the HECL pump (Heavy ECL) which is electrically-hydraulically operated and delivers 6-9 times as much lubrication oil as the ECL pump

2.7 Pressurized mating surfaces

PRESSURIZED MATING SURFACES, SIDE RODS AND FRONT HEAD - Prevents contaminants and dirt from entering the rock drill - Simpler Maintenance Constant over pressure from mixed oil/air in the machine gives good lubrication and prevents the ingress of dirt, moisture and water. This ensures long service life for the shank adapter and components of the machine. A rock drill with this feature can safely be used in dirty, corrosive environments; the system contributes particularly high reliability and long life. If desired, the lubrication air to the contact (mating) surfaces can be cut-off by fitting a plug into the intermediate part from outside the rock drill (preferred on Surface drilling). All newer rock drill models from Atlas Copco has this feature