A copper mine expansion project is underway in the mountainous region of eastern Kazakhstan (Altai region) in Central Asia. The local strata are dominated by granite, diorite, and metamorphic rocks with high quartz content, exhibiting a rock hardness of f=12–16, typical of medium-to-high hardness rock formations.
Previously, the mine used drill bits from a Russian supplier, but these wore out extremely quickly in hard rock sections, with an average lifespan of only 110–130 meters, resulting in high costs and impacting mine productivity.
The mining contractor began searching for a new drilling tool supplier—and that’s when we entered the bidding list.
II. Customer Pain Points
During the consultation process, the customer clearly identified three major challenges:
The rock was too hard, causing rapid drill bit wear and high costs.
Severe borehole deviation and uneven hole diameter led to unstable explosive loading.
Tight on-site production schedules made frequent drill bit changes unacceptable.
III. Our Solution
Our engineers provided a customized solution based on the local hard rock characteristics:
🔧 1. Selection: Heavy-Duty Down-the-Hole Button Bit
Specifications: QL60 152mm Ball Tooth Bit
Tooth Profile: Spherical + Reinforced Gauge Buttons
Drill Bit Face: Double Gauge Face
Spline: QL Series Heavy-Duty Spline
Material: YG20C Carbide Teeth + High-Toughness Alloy Steel Drill Bit Body
🔧 2. Compatibility: COP64 & QL60 Down-the-Hole Hammer
High impact energy, suitable for hard granite
🔧 3. Optimization of On-Site Parameters
Air pressure from 15 bar → 18 bar
Drilling speed from 27 cm/min → 39 cm/min
Corrected drill rod guide angle to reduce borehole deviation
IV. Actual Construction Results (Comparative Data)
Project (Ross Brand) (Our Solution)
Single Drill Bit Life: 110–130 m 220–260 m (110% improvement)
Single Hole Deviation: ≤ 5% Unacceptable Virtually No Deviation
Drilling Speed: 27 cm/min 39 cm/min
Average Cost/meter: Decreased by 32% Customer Direct Savings: 3.8 USD/Quarter
V. Customer Feedback
After the second batch of goods arrived, the Kazakhstan project manager sent formal feedback:
“Your drill bit performs very stably in hard rock, especially the outer ball teeth, which have better wear resistance than a certain Russian drill bit. We are preparing to switch another blasting line in our open-pit mine to your drill bits.”
Subsequently, the customer’s subcontractor also approached us, requesting to purchase the same drill bit.
