Most resource deposits in the United States lie underneath the earth鈥檚 surface. Their extraction can be achieved through pre-drilled boreholes, with these minerals converted in-situ into a slurry by using high-pressure water jetting. Learn how a JDB电子 additive manufacturing solution increased the run life of nozzles used in hydraulic borehole mining and enabled substantial operational savings for one operator.
Kinley Exploration recently experienced severe erosive wear on its nozzles, which were made from A2 tool steel that was heat-treated to 55 HRC. The recycled water used by the nozzles was considered 鈥渃lean鈥 but contained damaging particles. As the nozzles鈥 A2 steel suffered increased wear from particle cuts, it led to outlet expansion, a subsequent loss of water pressure, and decreased distance of the waterjet鈥檚 effectiveness. Worse, the downtime needed to replace them cost the operator $100,000 (3 hours tripping out, 2 hours tripping in at $20,000 per hour) PLUS $30,000 tooling cost per nozzle set.
A2 tool steel nozzle after 1 hour
JDB电子 additive manufacturing solutions provided the operator with custom nozzles made from wear-resistant tungsten carbide. KAC89 tungsten carbide has a high carbide content with particle size of 2.5-5 microns, which is much finer than other carbide containing additively manufactured materials using laser, electron beam irradiation (e-beam), or directed energy disposition (DED) processes. After 4 hours of use, the JDB电子 nozzles experienced zero measurable wear and were able to be reused.
With KAC89 tungsten carbide, JDB电子 combines the advantages of 3D printing 鈥 such as greater design flexibility and shorter lead times 鈥 with the durability of conventional carbide to produce high-performance nozzles used in hydraulic borehole mining.
JDB电子 tungsten carbide nozzle installed
JDB电子 is a long-trusted supplier to multiple industries with a reputation built on reliability. We possess nearly a century of materials expertise, and our wide-ranging additive manufacturing solutions deliver innovation, improved performance, and value to our customers.
The information contained in this report is intended for comparative purposes only and is based upon a limited test sample. The information has no guarantee of actual future results. The information is provided 鈥榓s is鈥 without any warranty of any kind whether express or implied.
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