TROUBLESHOOTING OF

ROCK DRILLS

Rocktec : Jouni Rissanen

March 2015
COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTIVITY

We stand by our responsibilities towards our customers,

towards the environment and the people around us.
We make performance stand the test of time. This is what
we call – Sustainable Productivity.
CONTENT  Cavitation Erosion Slide No 4
 Erosion Slide No 5
 Heat-Related Failure Slide No 6
 Fatigue Failure Slide No 7
 Plastic Deformation Slide No 8
 Examples of Other Types of Failure (1) Slide No 9
 Examples of Other Types of Failure (2) Slide No 10
 Examples of Other Types of Failure (3) Slide No 11
 Adhesive Wear “Seizing” Slide No 12
 Abrasive Wear (“Scratching”) Slide No 13
 Shank Alignment (Piston Contact) Slide No 14
 Examples of Cavatitation Erosion Slide No 15
 Settings of Lubrication Mist System Slide No 16
 Settings of Dampening System Slide No 17
 Too High Charge Pressure in the Accumulator 1 (2) Slide No 19
 Too High Charge Pressure in the Accumulator 2 (2) Slide No 20
 Cracked Accumulator Cover Slide No 21
 Extractor Slide No 22
 Flushing Head Slide No 23
 Front Head Slide No 24
 Damaged Grease Seal Slide No 25
 Broken Cup Seals Slide No 26
 Piston Broken in Piston Guide Area Slide No 27
 Cavitation on the Piston Slide No 28
 Piston Broken/Damaged Slide No 29
 Piston Guides Damaged or Cavitated Slide No 30
 Rock Drill Rotation – Bearings Slide No 31
 Rotation Chuck Bushing Slide No 32
 Side Bolts Slide No 33
 Stop Ring Slide No 34
 Driver Slide No 35
 Shank Adapter Slide No 38
 Cavitation on Damping Piston Slide No 39
 CAVITATION EROSION
CAUSE
Surface wear that appears as a result of bombardment of fluid jets that are
created when cavities in a fluid implode/collapse near the surface. The
cavities are created as a result of rapid pressure fluctuations in the
hydraulic oil. Broken membranes or mis-charged accumulators increase
the risk of cavitation erosion.

ACTION
Dependent on component. Example, secure that the accumulators are
charged to recommended levels.
 EROSION
CAUSE
Surface wear that appears a a result of bombardment of hard
particles in a fluid or gaseous environment, or when a surface
is hit by droplets or fluid jets.
Fluid jets are created when liquid between the shank adapter
and the striking surface of the impact piston rapidly is forced
away. Pools of liquid is often a consequence of excessive
portions (or pulse rate) of lubrication oil or water leakage due Erosion pattern from repeated hits of droplets
to broken seals in the flush head.

ACTION
Secure that the portions of lubrication oil follow the
recommendations. Typical value is 20-25 pulse/min.
Excessive amount of lubrication oil is often seen as color
deviations on the surface of the component. Replace flush
water seals in the case of water leakage.
 HEAT-RELATED FAILURE
CAUSE
Sliding contact between two components during insufficient lubrication
conditions generates frictional heat and, thereby, local heating of the
components. Heat is removed by the lubrication mist (cooling contribution
from both ECL-oil and air) that is forced through the rock drill.
Insufficient heat dissipation by the lubrication mist results in elevated
temperature, which in turn, lead to extra tempering of the material
(thermal softening), adhesive wear “seizing” and fatigue failure (crack
development).

ACTION
Secure good lubrication and heat removal by correct lubrication mist
system settings i.e. pulse rate of ECL-pump and lubrication air pressure
(air flow).
 FATIGUE FAILURE
CAUSE
Fatigue failure is a result of repeated cyclic loading of a
material. The stress amplitude is often low as compared to
the level needed to cause plastic deformation. Fatigue failure
is a three stage process characterized by crack initiation
(start), growth and final fracture.
Crack development occurs most often in stress raisers in the
surface layer such as sharp geometrical changes/ radii,
cavitation pits, adhesive wear marks “seizing”, abrasive
wear marks “scratches” and other surface damages.

ACTION
Dependent on component/rock drill. It is important to follow
the guidelines regarding weekly maintenance – torque check
– of the bolted joints. For more information, see the
instruction manual. Example, replace broken flush water
seals because water leakage may cause corrosion attack on
the piston bore and, thereby, fatigue failure.
 PLASTIC DEFORMATION
CAUSE
Plastic deformation is a result of excessively high mechanical loads.
Excessive loads are produced, for example, as a consequence of drilling
with misaligned shank adapters. Another example is high local loads that
cause smearing of material.

ACTION
Dependent on component. Example, secure that the inner diameter of the
front guide does not exceed the maximum recommended value. Maximum
values for different rock drills are given in the maintenance instruction.
 EXAMPLES OF OTHER TYPES OF FAILURE (1)
Impact Piston Noise Failure
CAUSE
Piston nose failure is caused by high stress on the striking surface or
nose. Failure is often related with worn out front guides, strongly
misaligned drilling (high transverse forces on the drill string) or other
situations that cause the impact piston to strike tilted against the shank
adapter and cause locally high loads.

ACTION
Secure that the inner diameter of the front guide does not exceed the
maximum recommended value. Maximum values for different rock drills
are given in the maintenance instruction.
 EXAMPLES OF OTHER TYPES OF FAILURE (2)
Abnormal Wear on Damping Piston / Rotation Chuck
CAUSE
One explanation for abnormal wear on damping piston and rotation chuck
is too low feed force in combination with too high damping pressure. This
combination cause the damping piston to continuously slide against the
rotation chuck. Drilling in soft rock or heavily cracked rock may give this
type of situation.

ACTION
Secure that the constant flow valve is functioning properly and that the
settings are correct. In addition, secure that the feed force follow the
recommended values. Settings are given in the instruction manual. The
purpose of the valve is to give a constant stable, flow to the dampening
system, also during drilling.
 EXAMPLES OF OTHER TYPES OF FAILURE (3)
Drive Spline Failure
CAUSE
One explanation why splines in the driver break due to strongly
misaligned drilling (high transverse forces on the drill string) with heavily
worn front guide is that the shank adapter cause high loads on the
splines.

ACTION
Secure that the inner diameter of the front guide does not exceed the
maximum recommended value. Maximum values for different rock drills
are given in the maintenance instruction.
 ADHESIVE WEAR “SEIZING”
CAUSE
Adhesive wear occurs when local micro-welds (adhesive contact bridges)
between two materials break during sliding contact. This type of wear
occurs predominantly during contact situations with insufficient lubrication
in combination with high surface loads and high sliding velocities.

One example. Adhesive wear may occur during sliding contact between
the impact piston and the piston guides in situations where misalignment
lead to excessive contact stresses between the components.

ACTION
Secure sufficient lubrication by correct lubrication mist system settings,
i.e. pulse rate of ECL-pump and lubrication air pressure (air flow), and
correct rock drill settings. Replace worn components when the
geometrical tolerances reach prescribed levels or interval.
Recommendations are given in the repair handbook and the maintenance
instructions.
 ABRASIVE WEAR (“SCRATCHING”)
CAUSE
Abrasive wear (”scratching”) occurs when hard protuberances or
particles scratch against a softer surface. Two situations of abrasion
Two-body abrasion
is defined – two-body abrasion and three-body abrasion. In the first
situation, the protuberances/particles is a solid part of the surface (or
embedded), whereas they are more or less loose in-between the
surfaces in the other situation where they create pits in the surfaces
by rolling. One example of two-body abrasion may be scratches on
the piston surface or piston guide surface due to harsh handling Three-body abrasion
during maintenance, and one example of three-body abrasion may
be surface damages due to particles in the hydraulic system.
ACTION
Cleanliness is crucial. Avoid that dirt/particles enters the rock drill via
the hydraulic system and ECL-system as well as during
maintenance/repair. Gently remove protuberances (damages) on the
surface during repair/maintenance to give even surfaces.
Information on hydraulic system cleanliness is found in the RTE
Market Support database ”Diarot and Training material”.
 SHANK ALIGNMENT (PISTON CONTACT)

Normal

Shank Piston

High stress on piston strike face,

also on driver and rotation chuck
bushing.
25 ton force on stroke

Misalignment
 EXAMPLES OF CAVITATION EROSION
CAUSE
Some explanations for cavitation erosion on dampening seal
are in-correct settings of the dampening system or
malfunction of the constant flow valve that cause instable,
fluctuating flow to the dampening system.

Other examples of this type of failure is cavitation erosion of

the rear land of the piston and front piston guide.

ACTION Dampening Seal Rear Land

Secure that the accumulators are charged to recommended

levels.

Secure that the settings of the constant flow valve follow the
prescribed values.

Front Piston Guide

 SETTINGS OF LUBRICATION MIST SYSTEM

Rockdrill Pulses/min.

COP 1032 20-25

COP 1132 20-25 Old model: 3217 8667 50
COP 1238 20-25 35-40 pulses/min. (0.04 ml / Puls)
COP 1432 20-25
COP 1532 20-25
COP 1800-series 20-25
COP 2550/2150 20-25
COP 2560/2160 25-30
COP 4050 25-30

New model: 3217 8667 52

20-25 pulses/min. (0.07 ml / Puls)
SETTINGS OF DAMPENING SYSTEM
COP1132 COP1638-2560 (Not CR Version)
 SETTINGS OF DAMPENING SYSTEM
COP4050 COP1838-2550 CR

Note!
The damper settings is different on the
COP1838 and 2550 CR version,
15 bar on both idling pressure on the damper
and loading pressure on the accumulator
TOO HIGH A CHARGE PRESSURE IN THE ACCUMULATOR 1 (2)
TOO HIGH A CHARGE PRESSURE IN THE ACCUMULATOR 2 (2)
 CRACKED ACCUMULATOR COVER
CAUSE
The accumulator has probably run without gas for a period of time.
This leads to high pressure peaks in the oil, and thus higher stress in the
steel, which may create a crack in the bottom of the thread.

ACTION
Please note: We do not recommend to check the accumulator pressure
unless some difference in the performance is noted, such as changed
sound from the rock drill/ reduced penetration/ increased vibration in the
impact hoses etc. (Many reports about cracked accumulators state that
this has happened short after a regular check of the pressure).
The accumulators should never be overcharged.
We recommend to change the filling valve in connection with overhaul of
the accumulator, since it may be a cause for gas leakage if opened and
closed too many times.
Overtightening of the cover may create stresses, which can lead to a start
of cracks.
Cracked accumulator cover is not considered to be a product safety risk,
which also the product safety committee has stated.
 EXTRACTOR
CAUSE
The extractor is designed to be used to help getting loose in stuck drill string situations.
When the rock drill is pulled backwards the shank adapter forces the extractor piston to the
balance position. When the piston hits the shank adapter some of the impact energy goes
down the drill string and some is transmitted to the extractor piston, which is pushed
forward. The hydraulic oil in front of the piston acts as a spring and the piston bounces
backwards and hits the shank adapter.
During this cycle the striking piston, shank adaptor and extractor forms a system with no
axial contact with the housing parts of the rock drill, and thus the extractor method of
coming loose is very gentle to the rock drill compared to the old way with backhammering.
Hydraulic connections:
COP 1838/1840/2150/2550 surface applications:
During normal drilling the extractor is not pressurized and the extractor piston is in its
forward position. This is to avoid that the shank adapter accidentally hits the extractor
piston during normal drilling, especially when drilling in fractioned or soft rock.
COP 1838/1840/2150/2550 Underground applications. COP 4050 all applications:
During normal drilling the extractor is pressurized and the extractor piston is pushed
backwards towards the mechanical stop. The pressure line is always open.
The reason for the difference is that the extractor might damage the front head if it would
be allowed to move without control when drilling in different directions
Leakage from the Possible problems:
Extractor; Normally caused by the O-ring in front end of the front bushing damaged.
Extractor piston seized; Normally caused by contaminated hydraulic oil
Front head damaged; The extractor has been run without pressure in underground or 4050
applications
 FLUSHING HEAD
CAUSE
The flushing head locates the flushing seals in correct position and supports
the stop ring. As the impact forces from the stop ring are transferred through
the flushing head it is made of a high strength corrosion resistant steel grade.
We have seen a few reports about cracked flushing heads. The cause is
primarily excessive impact system running with no feed force (back
hammering), but there are two circumstances that can make the situation
worse.
Firstly, high strength and good corrosion resistance can not be combined for
steel. This means that the material in the flushing head can corrode if
aggressive flushing water is used. The corrosion causes cracks, and finally
fatigue failure. If the front head is corroded, the flushing head can move
forwards in the front head and impact forces from the stop ring will be
transferred to the stem of the connection plate rather than the stud in front
head as intended. This leads to unfavourable stress distribution around the
hole for the connection plate in the flushing head, and can cause cracks.

ACTION
Good status of the shank, flushing seals and connection plate is essential in
order to avoid corrosion of the front head and the failures this corrosion may
cause. Minimizing impact system running with low, or no, feed force, especially
with high impact pressure, also improves the life of the flushing head.
 FRONT HEAD
CAUSE
The front head supports the front guide and the flushing head, and carries
all loads transferred through these parts.
The worst load case happens when the impact is being run with too low,
or no feed force or with reversed feed (backhammering). The impact
forces from the piston are transferred through the stop ring and the
flushing head and creates stress peaks in the front head. It is thus
important to minimize back hammering, especially if performed with full
impact pressure.
In cases where the front head is corroded internally, the corrosion initiates
cracks that grow slowly by the action of the stress peaks until the front
part of the head separates from the rest. This happens mainly in
underground applications and gets worse with corrosive flushing water.

ACTION
The only way to improve the situation is to keep shank, flushing seals and
the connection plate in good shape.
 DAMAGED GREASE SEAL
CAUSE
• Blocked ECL return line has broken this seal by building up a over
pressure and ”popping” the seal out.
• Grease can now leak out from the gear box and lubrication air is
leaking out from a check valve in the gear box / COP4050.

ACTION
Check the condition of all ECL lines and hoses on service day and regular
intervals during operation.
BROKEN CUP SEALS
 PISTON BROKEN IN PISTON GUIDE AREA
CAUSE
The most common case with broken pistons is seizure in one of the piston
guides. For some reason the piston has got a too hard contact with the
guide. The piston surface is then locally heated up to some hundred
degrees, causing small heat cracks to develop. The crack gives a
big stress concentration and initiates a fatigue crack, which grows inwards
through the piston.

ACTION
Reasons for the hard contact can be as follows:
Contaminated hydraulic oil
Broken side bolt or uneven tightening of side bolts
Corroded mating surfaces, or dirt between mating faces causing
misalignment
Dirt between cylinder and piston guide causing misalignment
Dirt between the seal housing and the back head or piston guide causing
misalignment
Uneven tightening of the back head screws (screws not retightened at
specific intervals)
 CAVITATION ON THE PISTON
CAUSE
With the pulsating operation of rock drills there is always some cavitation, how much
depending on the running conditions.

ACTION
On pistons some cavitation usually occurs on the mantel surface at the front and rear
driving areas and at the switching area between the piston lands. As long as the
cavitation only result in greyish colour of the mantel surface no harm is done. Also a
rough surface created by cavitation is acceptable, as long as the damage is kept outside
the sealing areas.
When the rough surface start to reach the sealing areas, or if the ends of the piston
lands are too much affected, it is time to replace the piston. If the piston has run more
than 1000 impact hours when this happens it can be regarded as an acceptable wear
out time.
If severe cavitation on the piston occurs after short running time, one can assume that
the running conditions have been abnormal.
Long time running with too low feed force can lead to cavitation damages. With too low
feed force the damping piston will move forward, which means that the striking position
for the piston is also moved forward and the piston stroke gets longer. The timing
between piston and valve piston will then not be matched as the rock drill is designed
for.
Frequent back hammering or running with faulty charged, or broken, accumulator would
also cause faster cavitation wear on the piston.
 PISTON BROKEN / DAMAGED
CAUSE Piston Broken / Damaged in Land Area
Breakage of the piston in the lands is normally caused by
seizure between piston lands and cylinder. As a seizure here
is between steel parts this may cause that the piston gets
stuck, and the impact will stop before the crack has
propagated through the piston.

The reason for the seizure can be dirt in the oil or particles
from the rock drill coming between piston lands and cylinder.
It can also be caused by misalignment because of faulty
tightened side bolts, or by worn out piston guides.
Piston Broken / Damaged in the Striking Face
 PISTON GUIDES DAMAGED OR CAVITATED
CAUSE
• Piston guides can be damaged as a secondary damage at a piston seizure or
a piston break. Now and then we get reports about cavitation on the piston
guides.
• If severe cavitation on the piston guides occur after a short running time it is
normally caused by abnormal running conditions, such as long time running
with too low or no feed force.
• With too low feed force the damping piston will move forwards, which means
that the striking position for the piston also moves forwards and you get a
longer piston stroke. The timing between piston and valve piston will the not
be matched in the way the rock drill is designed for which may cause
cavitation on both front and rear piston guides.
• Long time back hammering (without extractor) means that the piston hits the
adapter and recoils back when it is in the dampening area, which will cause
cavitation on the front piston guide.
• Running with broken or faulty charged accumulator could also cause
cavitation on both piston guides.
• With the varying conditions for a rock drill some cavitation on the piston
guides is normal. If a piston guide has cavitation marks on the end planes, but
is not damaged at the inner, guiding, surface, there is no need to replace it.
Normally the cavitation is at one side of it, the guide can then be turned a bit
so the following cavitation starts on a fresh surface.
 ROCK DRILL ROTATION- BEARINGS
CAUSE
Appropriate amount of preload of the bearings is essential. If the preload
is too small, the rollers in the bearings will deviate from the intended
rolling direction and damage the bearing. In particular rock drills with
simple dampers - COP 1032/1238/1440 - are sensitive for low preload.
The simple dampers in these rock drills hammers on the rotation chuck,
the vibrations cause the rollers in the bearings to deform the bearing
cages, which finally cracks into two pieces.

ACTION
Two much preload overloads the bearings and causes premature wear
out.
Whenever a gearbox is dismantled, preload of the bearings must be done,
according to instructions, when it is reassembled.
 ROTATION CHUCK BUSHING
CAUSE
The rotation chuck bushing transmits the reflected chock
waves from the shank adapter to the damping piston.
There are normally two possible reasons for breakage of the
chuck bushing - poor lubrication or fatigue.
Sufficient lubrication is essential for good performance of the
chuck bushing. High feed force and large diameter drill bit
will raise the demands for proper lubrication. Discoloration of
the bushing near the ends is a sign of high temperatures
caused by insufficient lubrication.
In severe case this may cause the bushing may break into
pieces, which normally causes very expensive secondary
damages to the rock drill.
The rotation chuck is a wear part, and wear limits are stated
in the overhauling instructions. However, we recommend to
exchange the bushing in connection with the regular 400 hrs
interval to prevent from break down caused by fatigue.
 SIDE BOLTS
CAUSE
The side bolts are intended for keeping the parts of the rock drill safely
attached to each other. They are subjected to high pulsating stresses due to
the heavy vibrations that are created when drilling. To avoid fatigue failures,
the side bolts always have to be properly tightened.
Side bolt breakage is most often caused by the fact that the side bolts have
not been properly retightened at specified intervals.
Another reason for the bolts not being properly preloaded may be dirt and/ or
corroded threads causing seizure between nut and bolt. The tightening
torque will, in such a case, not create enough preload in the side bolt, and
thus cause a fatigue failure.
Damages like dents and corrosion pits can cause cracks, which can start a
fatigue failure.
ACTION
Side bolts should be changed if they are badly rusted or if they show signs of
crack formations.
We recommend to change side bolts, dome nuts and washers in connection
with every overhaul of the rock drill, to prevent from possible, expensive
secondary damages. New and old side bolts should never be mixed.
The life length of the side bolts varies a lot in different applications.
 STOP RING
CAUSE
The most common problem with the rock drill is caused by intense
backhammering or drilling with too low or no feed force.

The impact velocity of the piston will be reduced by a damping device in

the cylinder when the piston reaches the front part of the rock drill.
However, to be able to loosen a stuck drill steel the piston must have
some residual impact velocity when it reaches the shank in its forward
position. The impact forces are then also received by the stop ring.
In order to resist the impact and wear from the rotation the stop ring is
carefully heat treated.

ACTION
The stop ring should be inspected in connection with change of shank
adapter and it should be exchanged if it has some damages or if the wear
is higher than what is stated in the Maintenance Instructions.

It is a wear part and we recommend to change it at least every 400 hrs,

even if it looks good, to prevent from breakage because of fatigue.
 DRIVER
CAUSE
The most common reported problem with drivers is premature wear, which
normally is caused by:
• No, or insufficient lubrication
• Wrong type of lubrication oil
• Drilling with larger diameter than the rock drill is designed for

In some cases extreme heat may build up in the driver, causing the shank
adapter to crack in the splines area, which may lead to serious secondary
damages
 DRIVER
CAUSE
Another problem that may occur is broken splines in the driver. This is
normally caused by the guide in the front head being too worn.
 DRIVER
CAUSE
If the driver is cracked, this is normally caused by wrong tolerance
between driver and rotation chuck i.e. the clearance outside the driver is
too big.
 SHANK ADAPTER
CAUSE

The Shank adaptor transmits the rotation and the shock wave to the
drill steel, it also transfer’s the flushing media (water / air or a mix of
water and air) to the drill bit through the drill steel.

ACTION
Normal wear on the threads will lead to replacement.
Its important to have the thread coupling tight, if the coupling is
"loose" the wear will increase.
Always change the coupling sleeve when changing shank adapter
(if you use that drilling system)
 CAVITATION ON DAMPING PISTON

CAUSE
If severe cavitation on the piston occurs after short running time, one can
assume that the running conditions have been abnormal.

ACTION
Running with wrong settings leads to cavitation damages, as broken
diaphragm or even wrong charge of the accumulator leads to cavitation.
Even fluctuating constant flow valve can create cavitation on the damper
piston.
 COMMITTED TO
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTIVITY.