The Latest Technical Developments from KLEMM Bohrtechnik

SPOTLIGHT ON EQUIPMENT
The Latest Technical Developments
from KLEMM Bohrtechnik
By Martin Bonzel and Carl Hagemeyer, KLEMM Bohrtechnik GmbH
In the past years several significant equipment trends have developed in the foundation drilling industry. One of these trends is
the advances made in the capability of handling casings and rods
through the development of new systems i.e. magazines. Further
development of radio remote controlled drill rigs is another sector
in which manufacturers have invested research and development
effort. The evolution of more efficient hydraulic systems and the
reduction in energy consumption has been a very important part
of the design and engineering of new models. These trends are
equally strong in both Europe and North America.
The driving force behind the trend in casing handling equipment is the desire to reduce the manual handling of casings and
rods, thereby reducing injuries caused by lifting. These changes
have increased the general safety standards and productivity on
job sites. As it relates to handling systems, ADSC Associate Member, KLEMM has developed a number of different solutions. The
process takes into consideration the size of the drill rig and its’
permissible load capacity.
On smaller drill rigs with restrictions on the total permissible
weight that the mast can carry, there is a move towards gripper
systems that are attached to small standard excavators. KLEMM
has developed a new handling gripper unit, type HBR120, with a
patented gripping system. This unit allows the use of a wide range
of possible casing and rod diameters up to 180mm (7”) and does
not require changing the gripper inserts. The HBR120 unit enables
the loading of both single rods for open-hole drilling, and the combination of casing and rods for overburden, or double head drilling
systems. In order to meet greater weight and load requirements
the handling gripper is designed around a modular system that
can be extended with additional grippers. This newly developed
gripper system can be used as a stand-alone handling system independent of the actual drill rig therefore offering advantages in all
drill rig class sizes. Another benefit of the HBR120 handling system is that there is no absolute drill depth restriction, whereas a
magazine system has a limited load capability.
On mid-sized drill rigs the already well-established type 2.1V
HBR120 loading casing
and rod on the drill rig.
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FOUNDATION DRILLING February/March 2014
box magazine is used for single and double head drilling systems.
This magazine class allows for combined drill tool weights of
1150kg. It carries six, 3m outer casings up to 152mm in diameter,
with standard inner rods with a diameter of 88.9mm.
Larger rigs provide a base for very effective revolver magazines
such as type Mag. 6.0 and Mag. 7.0. These have load capabilities
of up to 1800kg. The magazines eliminate the need for manual
handling of outer casing and inner rods. The greater load capabilities of these larger drill rigs allow for the handling of 3m casings
and inner rods with diameters up to 254mm and 178mm. The
patented revolver is reloaded when removing the inner string from
the drilled borehole. With the help of an integrated hydraulic gripper system each drill rod is placed onto a separate holding pen.
When it is time to remove the outer casing from the borehole the
magazine pocket is free to receive the outer casing. This leaves the
magazine fully loaded and ready to drill without requiring manual
handling of the drilling tools.
Another interesting trend is the development of robust radio remote control units. By separating the operating controls from the
machine, remote control offers the flexibility of finding the most
ideal position for the drilling operation. This separation of the control unit also allows for safer loading and unloading of the drill
FOUNDATION DRILLING February/March 2014
rig. These features increase the safety level on job sites. KLEMM’s
present fleet offers (on nearly all models), the choice of standard
direct hydraulic controls or radio remote control units. As a standard each radio remote control unit can also be operated via a direct-wire connection. This function may be required in areas that
are sensitive to radio frequency such as airports, hospitals etc.
The KLEMM patented Power Sharing System is also of interest.
During the drilling operation the power needs of the particular
operation, i.e. rotary heads and drifters can vary at different stages
in advancing the bore hole. This varying power consumption
within the machine’s hydraulic system is a key factor in the Power
Sharing System. With the help of a manual knob the operator can
tune the power ratio of the pumps to the power needs of each separate function during the drilling process. This means that on a
hydraulic circuit where the full power load is not required, the redundant power can be diverted to another hydraulic circuit, one
that requires extra power. This capability optimizes the power distribution within the rig thus allowing for smaller diesel engines,
and less fuel consumption, while maintaining a highly effective
use of the hydraulic system. At all times the operator can manually adjust the power supply to the rotary head or drifter as needed.
(Continued on page 52)
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SPOTLIGHT CONTD.
HBR120 with excavator.
advanced drilling applications. KLEMM will be there to offer products that address whatever changes occur.
Facts and Figures
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Company founded in 1963
Employs more than 230 people, including 18 trainees
KLEMM Bohrtechnik holds 101 patents and 25 trademarks
Production capacity is 200 drill rigs per year
75% of production is exported outside of Germany
Part of the BAUER Group since 1998
The information that appears in the Spotlight on Equipment department is provided by ADSC Associate Members through the association’s Associates Committee. Submittals should be sent to
Committee Chairman, Roy Kern at: akern@ecanet.com. (Editor)
Challenges and Prospects
Technical progress is always accompanied by some level of risk.
This means progress depends on a customers’ willingness to join
in blazing new trails. The challenge for the manufacturer has always been understanding the customers’ requirements. The manufacturer must be cognizant of what elements are important and
which are secondary. In KLEMM’s early years in the 1960s, development relied primarily on an intuitive and experimental approach. Customers now expect a much higher level of perfection.
As a response to new demands engineers are increasingly resorting to analytical and numerical modelling. One of today’s challenges is to offer a product range that meets an increasingly
diversified market demand, and at the same time is economically
viable for both the manufacturer and the customer.
In order to meet the demands of a technically demanding and
completive market KLEMM will continue to embrace new technologies. In addition, we can expect that in the coming years new
KLEMM Bohrtechnik headquarters in Germany.
Newly designed HBR120
handling system.
legal standards will exert a major influence on how products are
built and how they operate. As an example consider the new drill
rig Safety Standard EN 16228, or the implementation of the EU,
and U.S., exhaust emissions regulations. In the future, it will be
hard to imagine drill rigs that do not have PLC control and electrical actuation. Markets outside of the EU and the U.S. are also
raising their environmentally acceptable requirements, therefore,
the new standards are becoming worldwide.
In KLEMM Bohrtechnik’s view, more and more assistance systems, and in-process data transmission systems will be standard
features. You can expect that vibration drilling technology is poised
to usher in a technological paradigm shift. No one can predict precisely what conditions will prevail 20 years from now. What we
do know is that the construction needs of the future will call for
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FOUNDATION DRILLING February/March 2014
Clean Technology
in compliance with
latest emission
standards
KR 806-3F
Engine power: 160 kW
Tier 4i / Stage IIIB
Weight: 16,5 t
KLEMM Bohrtechnik GmbH
Wintersohler Str. 5 57489 Drolshagen
Germany
Phone: +49 2761 705 - 0
Email: klemm-bt@klemm-mail.de
www.klemm-bt.de