Helps Drillers Avoid Drops in Performance Due to Water Injection
Numa has released a new Vortex Backhead design that improves drilling performance and hammer/bit life. It is available for Numa’s 12-inch hammer line when drilling conditions require a significant amount of water injection.
Typically when water is injected into the air supply of a conventional backhead, the water will travel through all hammer components and exhaust out the bottom of the bit to improve hole cleaning. Water is not a concern when small volumes are used, but a drop in drilling performance can occur when significant amounts of water are required. Drawbacks can include slower drilling due to wet bottom conditions and a reduction in hammer/bit life due to cavitation from water.