Background
Our client, a well-established foundation drilling contractor in the United States, was undertaking a highway bridge project requiring drilled shafts of 1,200mm diameter and 25m depth. The project presented a major challenge: a hard limestone layer extended from 8m to 20m below ground level, causing rapid wear on their existing drilling teeth and significantly slowing down their rig productivity.
The contractor had been using generic auger teeth from a local distributor, but experienced:
- Tooth replacement every 2–3 drilling hours
- High tooling costs per linear meter
- Rotary drilling rig downtime of up to 30%
- Difficulty penetrating the limestone layer efficiently
The Challenge
The client needed a wear-resistant bullet teeth solution that could:
- Withstand high-impact drilling in hard rock formations
- Reduce tooth replacement frequency
- Fit their existing augers and drilling buckets (standard 130mm shank connection)
- Lower the overall cost per meter of drilling
Our Solution
After reviewing the geological report, our engineering team recommended our B47K22H bullet teeth with:
- Forged alloy steel body heat-treated to 48–52 HRC for superior impact resistance
- Premium tungsten carbide tip (YG11C grade) for extended wear life in abrasive rock
- Hardfacing layer on the tooth body to protect against abrasive wear
- Retainer and spring pin system for quick and secure tooth replacement
We also supplied matching pilot bits and rock auger teeth configured for 1,200mm drilling buckets, ensuring full compatibility with the client’s Bauer BG 28 rotary drilling rig.
A trial shipment of 200 pcs bullet teeth was delivered within 10 days via express air freight, followed by bulk supply for the full project.
Results
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Tooth service life | 2–3 hours | 12–15 hours |
| Drilling speed (limestone) | 0.8 m/hr | 2.2 m/hr |
| Rig downtime | 30% | Under 8% |
| Tooling cost per meter | — | Reduced by 42% |
Client feedback: “The bullet teeth from APIE outperformed our previous supplier by a wide margin. We have now made them our standard piling tools supplier for all rock drilling projects.”
Products Used
- Bullet Teeth B47K22H (260 pcs)
- Rock auger teeth B85/2 (120 pcs)
- Pilot bits 130mm shank (15 pcs)
- Spare carbide tips and retainers
Need reliable bullet teeth for your foundation drilling project?
📧 Email: apie@apiepiling.com | 📱 WhatsApp: +86 18921287030