Hydraulic rock drill is a type of drilling equipment that integrates machinery, electronics, and hydraulics, using high-pressure fluid as power. It is widely used in tunnels, exploration, mining and constructions. When a hydraulic rock drill works, the hydraulic pump draws oil from the oil tank and sends it to the hydraulic cylinder to generate pressure. The piston moves rapidly under pressure, transforming energy into impact force for impact crushing and drilling.

1. The birth of hydraulic rock drills

In 1920, the Britishman Dorman developed a hydraulic rock drill. About 40 years later, another Britishman Suttcliffe developed another type of hydraulic rock drill, but neither was sold on the market. In the late 1960s, French Secoma company developed the RPH-35 hydraulic rock drill for laboratory drilling. In 1970, French Montabert launched the world’s first practical hydraulic rock drill, model H50, which achieved excellent results of 14,000m of drilling and was put into mass production and application. Since then, dozens of rock drilling equipment manufacturers from France, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, as well as Poland have competed to research and develop distinctive hydraulic rock drills and fully hydraulic drilling equipment.

2. Hydraulic rock drills at the end of the 20th century

As various countries successively developed and launched various models of hydraulic rock drills into the market, the advantages of low energy consumption, rapid drilling speed, long component life, and lower consumption of drilling tools were proven in practice. Companies continually improved and perfected their designs, enhancing the reasonableness of the hydraulic rock drill design and its performance.

By the late 20th century, hydraulic rock drills were adapted to drill holes with diameters ranging from Ø 27 to Ø 230mm, with the heaviest Tamrock’s HL4000 model weighing 1100 kg.  During this period, the service life of hydraulic rock drills also greatly improved. The service life of the impact piston of Tamrock’s second-generation hydraulic rock drill was 500 impact hours, while the third-generation product reached 1,000 impact hours; the maintenance cycle of Atlas Copco’s COP1238 hydraulic rock drill was 100-200 hours, while the COP1838 reached more than 500 hours.

3. Hydraulic rock drills in the 21st century

Entering the 21st century, the needs of drilling project and the advancement of hydraulic rock drills have given hydraulic rock drills good development prospects.

The mechanical rock-breaking method for tunnels and roadways is also called the TBM method. Abroad, 30%-40% of tunnels are constructed using the TBM method each year.  However, since the TBM method is only effective in tunnels longer than 2,000 m, most tunnels are still constructed using the drilling and blasting method. The experience of using hydraulic rock drills in tunnel drilling and blasting has proven that hydraulic rock drills are key equipment for improving tunnel construction speed and conditions, and they will continue to play a role in tunnel project in the future.

In mining and surface drilling projects, where extensive and robust rock work is required, drilling and blasting is almost the only effective rock-breaking method, and highly efficient and economical rock-breaking equipment must be hydraulic rock drills and their supporting hydraulic drill jumbos.

The successful application and development of hydraulic rock drills have also brought changes in the mechanization of non-blasting hole construction, improving the level of rock hole construction such as anchor bolt holes, water exploration holes, and grouting holes.

Nowadays, with the development of microelectronic technology, remote control technology, navigation technology, underground global positioning system (UGPS) technology, and automatic operation technology, hydraulic drilling equipment is developing towards higher-level remote control and intelligence, and will become an important intelligent equipment for the construction of unmanned mines.