Down The Hole Drilling Trouble Shooting – Hammer Piston Broken

March 25, 2018

Hammer Piston Casing Breakage and Tread Breakage have been demonstrated in former article, today we will show you some cases of Hammer Piston broken.

Case 1

Problem
- Galling
Probable cause
- The signs of wear and streaking indicate that galling is the cause of this breakage that has occurred shortly after another piston breakage in the same hammer
Corrective action
- Make sure that piston casing is polished or honed before a new piston is installed

Case 2

Problem
- Broken piston internal
Probable cause
- The crack propagation pattern shows that the failure started from the hole in the piston.
- Most probable cause is galling between piston and feed tube
Corrective action
- Check lubrication system and contamination in the hammer.
- Look at signs of galling on feed tube at hammer maintenance

Case 3

Problem
- Piston failure
Probable cause
- Typical sign of some sort of damage to the surface on the piston most probably from mishandling during hammer maintenance
Corrective action
- Be careful when handling hammer components and check for signs of surface damage

Case 4

Problem
- Piston striking face damage
Probable cause
- These signs of erosion may come from jetting of water trapped between piston and bit striking faces
Corrective action
- Reduce the amount of water injection

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