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TALKING TECHNICALLY
The Economic Case for Routine
Bit Grinding
Cutting Hole Costs
The button bit was originally
developed to do the job of an
insert bit, without the necessity
for frequent grinding. However, it
was soon found that the service
life of a button bit increased con-
siderably if the cemented carbide
buttons were ground.
Nowadays, it has become
extremely important to grind
button bits at proper intervals, in
order to extend the service life of
the rock drilling tool, maintain
penetration rates, and drill
straight holes.
In all rock excavation opera-
tions, the cost is usually expressed
in cost per drilled metre (cost/dm),
in cost per cubic metre (cost/cu m),
or in cost per tonne.
The cost to produce a hole
depends on how fast it can be
drilled, and how many tools will
be consumed. The cost to pro-
duce a cubic metre of rock is
dependent upon the cost of the
hole, and the cost of blasting. If
the blasthole is of poor quality,
then more explosives will be
consumed in blasting the rock.
Worn bits very often give a poor
quality hole with deviation.
Grinding constitutes around
2% of the costs of the entire
drilling operation. To run the
business without grinding could
multiply this cost, with up to
100% added when production
losses are taken into account.
Labour and material are the high-
est costs, while the machine
investment cost is low when
utilization is high, with a large
number of bits to be ground.
Grinding Methods
There are two different methods of bit
grinding to restore the buttons. The
preferred method uses a diamond
coated profiled wheel, and the other, a
grinding cup.
The profiled wheel provides a
smooth and efficient grinding operation,
FACE DRILLING
The Secoroc Grind Matic BQ2 grinding machine
can handle drillbits up to 127 mm in diameter.
which, throughout its life, maintains
the correct button shape and protru-
sion. It features correct centring on all
buttons, producing a high quality
cemented carbide surface, with no risk
of cemented carbide nipple. Long bit
life, and higher penetration rates, will
result from good grinding quality.
Disadvantages of using the grinding
cup are that it may produce an incorrect
button shape and protrusion. It is diffi-
cult to centre the grinding cup over the
gauge button, and there is also a risk of
producing a sharp cemented carbide
nipple on the button, and a possibility
of scratches due to the larger diamond
grain used. Reduced bit life will result
from poor grinding quality.
Several tests have been carried out
to find which method gives the best bit
performance. The grinding wheel
gives the correct shape to the button,
regardless of the amount of wear on
the wheel, ensuring that the bit will
achieve standard penetration rate
throughout its entire life. It has also
been shown that bit life is increased
considerably when grinding wheels
are used, rather than grinding cups.
Wheels also excavate steel around the
button, simplifying the grinding task,
and giving the bit a more exact profile.
Bit Life
With so many parameters involved, it
is difficult to estimate bit service life.
First, a proper grinding interval must
be established, preferably at the stage
when the button has a wear flat of one
third of the button diameter. When the
number of drilled metres to reach this
stage has been established, then a cal-
culation of bit life can be made, by
multiplying by the number of times it
can be reground. As a general rule, a
bit can be reground 10 times, but
smaller bits may achieve slightly less
than this figure, while larger bits may
achieve more. So, if the grinding inter-
val has been established as 60 drill
metres, then the average bit life will
be 660 drill metres (diagram 1). If a
bit is overdrilled, and the wear flat is
more than half of the button diameter,
there is a tendency towards cracked
buttons. There is always a sharp edge
created on the button, and this
becomes sharper the more the bit is
Diagram 1: Typical bit life grinding at different
intervals.
Total bit life
700
drill metres
600
10 regrindings
500 per drill bit
400
300
200
Grinding interval
100 drill metres
0
10 20 30 40 50 60
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TALKING TECHNICALLY
Diagram 2: Risk of total loss when a bit is overdrilled.
overdrilled. This sharp edge, especial-
ly on ballistic buttons, is very brittle.
Once the edge cracks, pieces of
cemented carbide break away and cir-
culate in the hole, causing secondary
damage to the buttons.
Diagram 3: Penetration rate drops as the button profiles flatten.
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When a bit doesn’t show any vis-
ible wear flat, it may be suffering from
micro cracks on the cemented carbide
surface. This is known colloquially as
snake skin, and can be clearly seen
when using a magnifier. In this case,
the surface has to be ground away,
otherwise the micro cracks lead to
more severe damage on the buttons.
Likewise, buttons which protrude too
much must be ground down to avoid
damage (diagram 2).
Penetration Rate
When the right bit has been chosen for
the rock condition, it will provide
maximum penetration rate, along with
acceptable hole straightness. In rock
conditions like Swedish granite, with a
compressive strength of around 2,200
bar, the bit gets a wear flat after just
10-20 drill metres, accompanied by a
small drop in penetration rate. When it
has a wear flat equivalent to one-third
of the button diameter, the penetration
will have dropped by 5%. If the bit is
used further until it has a two-thirds
wear flat, the penetration will have
dropped more than 30% (diagram 3).
When a bit has a heavy wear flat it
tends to deviate, and, by the time it
reaches the bottom of the hole, it will
have deviated far more than planned.
As a result, the blast will produce
coarse fragmentation, and much sec-
ondary blasting may be required.
In contour hole drilling, it is of
utmost importance that the holes are
straight. If the holes deviate, the tunnel
walls will be uneven, making rock rein-
forcement more difficult than expected.
Rock formations with different
layers and joints are often character-
ized by heavy hole deviation, putting
extra stress on the remaining rock
tools in the drill string. A sharp bit
always cuts better, and will prevent
both deviation, and its disadvantages.
Grinding Machines
Two parameters guide the selection of
the right grinding machine: the
number of bits to be ground; and
whether the machine should be
portable or stationary. Several kinds of
grinding machines are available to sat-
isfy these parameters. In most cases, a
simple machine will suffice for a small
operation, grinding only a few bits.
The semi-automatic machines are
more suitable for larger operations,
such as mines and construction sites,
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TALKING TECHNICALLY

7
Labour cost
6
Grinding material cost
5
Machine cost
4

2
Annual grinding volume – buttons. Figures
1
on the left side of the diagram show cost index
0 per button.
5 000

10 000

25 000

50 000

75 000

100 000

Cost of grinding reduces dramatically with volume.

where the machine can be stationary, where it functions as a centring device,

and the rock tools can be brought to it. allowing for easy grinding. Grind Matic Manual B.
Grind Matic HG is a water or air- Grind Matic Manual B-DTH is
cooled hand held machine for grinding similar to the Grind Matic Manual B. threaded button bits. Cooling water is
cups. Both spherical and ballistic cups It is mainly intended for down-the- recycled after the waste product has
are available. The machine is driven hole bits, but can also be used for been separated in a container.
by up to 7 bar compressed air, and is threaded bits with a special bit holder. Grind Matic BQ2-DTH is the latest
suitable for a small grinding operation. As an optional accessory, the machine grinding machine for mainly down-
Grind Matic Manual B is an air- can be equipped with a belt grinder for the-hole and Coprod bits. It can also
driven portable grinder using diamond- gauge grinding. be used for threaded bits with a special
coated grinding wheels for spherical Grind Matic BQ2 is the latest semi- bit holder. The machine has the same
and ballistic buttons. The machine is automatic machine, with many features features as Grind Matic BQ2, and can
mounted in a box fitted with wheels such as auto-indexing device, timer grind bits up to 7 in-diameter.
and handles for easy set up. It is mainly control, automatic feed, and an auto-
for threaded button bits, but small matic centring arm. These features, Grinding Advice
down-the-hole bits can be ground in coupled to an ergonomic design, ensure
this machine. A steel spring is mounted high productivity, and the machine is The Grind Matic machine’s secret of
in the profile of the grinding wheel, designed to handle large volumes of success is that both the grinding table
and the diamond grinding wheel
Comparison of grinding wheel with grinding cup. rotate. The result is perfectly ground
button surfaces, regardless of whether
the buttons are spherical or ballistic.
In addition, the machine’s unique
diamond grinding wheel is designed to
ensure even wear on its grinding sur-
face, while still retaining its profile.
This, in turn, guarantees the button
shape throughout the life of the wheel.
Secoroc advice is to use Grind
Matic grinding machines, with profiled
diamond grinding wheels, for grinding
button bits.
Correct grinding is important for
every drilling operation, particularly in
these days of cost consciousness and
fierce competition.

by Bo Persson

FACE DRILLING 21