All About Directional Boring: 5 Advantages of This Digging ...

15, Jul. 2024

 

All About Directional Boring: 5 Advantages of This Digging ...

Directional boring is also sometimes referred to as horizontal drilling, deviated drilling, or horizontal directional drilling (HDD). Horizontal directional drilling is often the term used for large-scale projects that require larger machinery. In general, directional boring involves the use of a surface-launched drilling machine to dig precise, pre-established underground paths. It's an attractive alternative to trenching, and, increasingly, energy companies and oil and gas companies are opting for directional boring rather than traditional trenching because of its efficiency and other benefits. In the oil and gas realm specifically, directional boring is often used for drilling wells through rock.

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Directional boring is also a great method for drilling into the ground for the purpose of installing utilities and pipes. This is because it minimally disturbs the ground surface while digging along the necessary path with maximum precision. Directional boring is also often used to make crossings under roads and bodies of water where pipes can be installed. If you're wondering about some of the specific advantages directional boring offers, here are five to consider:

1. It doesn't disturb the ground or its surroundings. This is the main advantage it has over traditional trenching. Trenching isn't ideal for places where the ground can't be disturbed (such as high-traffic roadways) or for digging near buildings and other structures. Directional boring can dig under buildings and other structures as well as roadways without causing damage to anything above ground. It also allows for the installation of pipes underground, under bodies of water like rivers. This is something traditional trenching simply can't do.

2. It's better for the environment. It decreases groundwater pollution in comparison to trenching. And it also doesn't disturb the ecosystem of the digging site. Additionally, it results in fewer fractures in rocky areas than trenching, which means rock formations are preserved and protected.

3. It's handy in combination with traditional trenching. One reason directional boring hasn't completely eclipsed traditional trenching in popularity is because its operational costs are higher. Oftentimes, projects that use trenching also will use directional boring too, however. Traditional trenching can take care of the bulk of the work, and then directional boring can be used for fine-tuned digging under or around obstructive structures.

4. It's a safer alternative. Trenching creates safety risks and requires protective systems to be used to prevent serious accidents onsite. For some trenching safety tips, be sure to read our previous article on the subject. There's a lot involved in ensuring workers are safe in the trenches. Since directional boring cuts a precise path that minimally disturbs the ground, workers are much less at risk for falling or having to deal with rocks and debris falling around them. Plus, directional boring is safe in all weather conditions. Trenching is hazardous when it's raining or snowing or has recently rained. This, of course, also translates to less downtime on digging projects due to inclement weather and project completion without unexpected delays.

5. It's faster. As mentioned, directional boring is technically costlier, but it's also a lot quicker and more efficient than trenching. With directional boring, less dirt gets displaced, there's less dirt to put back into place, and there's less to dispose of and deal with once a digging job is complete. Directional boring makes cleanup easy. This speeds things up, and since time is money, directional boring may in some ways make up for its higher upfront costs due to its efficiency. On a related note, directional boring also requires fewer operators and workers. This means workers who would be trenching can work on other aspects of the project and accelerate things even further.

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3 Benefits of Using a Boring Mill

What is a Boring Mill Machine?

Boring mill machines are a type of equipment used to enlarge holes in various kinds of materials using a single-point cutting tool (a tool with one cutting edge). These machines come in two varieties that perform similar functions differently:

  1. Horizontal Boring Mills. These machines let the workpiece rest on the table of the machine while the boring bar rotates around a horizontal axis. Some have compared this to the operation of a horizontal milling machine.

  2. Vertical Boring Mills. With these boring mills (or often referred to as a VTL), the workpiece rotates around a vertical axis while the boring tool moves in a linear fashion'i.e. without turning. In some ways, this is similar to a vertical lathe.

What Are Boring Mills Used For?

Boring mill machines are primarily used to enlarge holes where other processes would be cost-prohibitive, inefficient, or inaccurate. A couple of key uses include:

  • Roughing/Finishing Internal Surfaces. One of the key uses of a CNC boring mill is to roughen or smooth out the interior surfaces of a cut hole. Here, the tool used can help texture the surface of the hole's interior in a specific way. This is sometimes done when reconditioning a product rather than making a new one.

  • Boring Heat-Sensitive or Non-Ductile Materials. As a physical shearing process, boring milling machines can enlarge holes in materials that are unsuited to thermal or electric-based hole-making methods (such as laser cutting or electric discharge machining).

Manual boring machines are best suited for expanding through holes. While CNC boring mill machines may have the precision necessary to drill blind or partial holes, this is still not their preferred application.

Benefits of Boring Milling Machines

So, if a CNC horizontal boring mill is kind of like a specialized horizontal milling machine, and a vertical boring mill is like a vertical lathe (albeit with it expanding a hole rather than stripping the outer layer of a workpiece), why would you want a boring mill instead of one of these other machines for your machine shop?

A few reasons include:

  • Boring Mills Can Handle Extremely Large Parts. Some machine shops have to mill very large workpieces, and this is where boring milling machines excel. A boring mill has a very large 'configurable envelope,' which lets it mount larger workpieces than a similar horizontal milling machine.

  • Minimizing Tool Deflection. Tool deflection, or the deviation of a machining process, happens when a tool encounters resistance greater than what it can easily compensate for'such as when a spindle is extended too far from its anchor, causing it to drill at an unusual angle when placed under an excessive force. With boring mills, the spindle advances from the headstock, which means it can be kept short to prevent tool deflection. This results in more consistent drilling.

  • Durability and Useful Life. Boring mills might not be exciting, but they are incredibly sturdy and reliable tools'especially when they're well-maintained. They can last for decades of consistent use with the proper care'making used CNC boring mill machines particularly desirable investments that retain their value.

Do you need help finding the right kind of boring mill machine for your machine shop? Contact the experts at SFMS today for advice, or to leverage our extensive network of contacts to find a used boring mill that's right up your alley.

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