Hammer

High shock energy for air drilling operations

When encountering hard rock formations that require the use of a percussion hammer, Impax diamond-enhanced insert (DEI) hammer bits offer a highly reliable retention system that prevents the loss of the bit head in the hole and saves the cost of fishing or sidetracking.

The system’s primary retention mechanism is a set of split retaining rings at the top of the hammer bit. The bit retainer is a sleeve that is trapped between the shoulders of the driver sub and the hammer case. It catches the bit head in the event that a shank (fracture in the spline area) prevents the primary retention rings from functioning.

The secondary catch mechanism is a rope thread machined on the retainer ID and on the hammer bit OD. During the trip out of the hole, right-hand rotation of the drillstring virtually eliminates any chance of the bit head coming out of the retainer.

Impax hammer bits are designed with a hardened-steel guide sleeve for optimal energy transfer and ruggedness.(0.17 MB PDF)