Inside CED: Before a Drill Rig Leaves the Workshop, We Try to Find What Will Break
A brand-new drill rig sitting perfectly still is remarkably reliable.
Turn the engine on.
Build hydraulic pressure.
Move the mast.
Spin the rotation head.
Operate the feed.
Pull on something heavy.
Run the pumps.
Heat everything up.
Do it again.
Suddenly things become considerably more interesting.
Welcome back to Inside CED Workshop.
This week we're looking at one of the less glamorous — and considerably more important — parts of manufacturing exploration drilling equipment:
testing it before it leaves.
Because the worst place to discover a problem with a new drill rig isn't in the workshop.
It's 6,000 kilometres away.
Preferably after the container has cleared customs.
And definitely when the drilling programme was supposed to start yesterday.
At Cylinder Exploration Drilling, we want problems found where the tools, technicians and parts are.
Not on the drill pad.
THE FINISHED RIG ISN'T FINISHED
There is a satisfying moment during any machine build when it finally looks like a drill rig.
The mast is installed.
Engine is in.
Hydraulic hoses are connected.
Control panels are fitted.
Tracks are underneath it.
Paint is finished.
Everything looks magnificent.
Take the photograph.
Post it on LinkedIn.
Done?
Not remotely.
Assembly tells us the components fit together.
Testing tells us whether they actually work together.
And there is a very big difference.
FIRST: CHECK THE BORING STUFF
Everyone wants to see the rotation head spinning.
Before that comes the less exciting work.
Fasteners.
Hose connections.
Hydraulic fittings.
Fluid levels.
Filters.
Electrical connections.
Guards.
Lubrication points.
Engine systems.
Cooling systems.
Controls.
Emergency stops.
Leaks.
The sort of things that aren't particularly exciting until one of them isn't right.
A small hydraulic leak in the workshop is irritating.
The same hydraulic leak on a remote exploration programme can stop production.
That's why inspection starts before the machine is put properly under load.
THEN WAKE THE MACHINE UP
Once the initial checks are complete, the rig needs to operate.
Engine running.
Hydraulic system pressurised.
Controls responding.
Mast functions moving.
Rotation operating.
Feed and pullback cycling.
Winches functioning.
Tracks moving where applicable.
Pumps and auxiliary systems operating.
You begin checking whether the machine behaves like the machine that existed on the engineering drawings.
And occasionally it doesn't.
That's exactly why you test it.
HYDRAULIC PRESSURE HAS A HABIT OF FINDING THINGS
Hydraulic systems are brilliant.
They are also extremely good at revealing mistakes.
A fitting that looked perfectly happy five minutes ago may develop a different opinion once the system reaches operating pressure.
Hose routing that appeared sensible during assembly may need changing when components start moving.
Temperatures increase.
Pressures fluctuate.
Cylinders cycle.
Motors run.
The system comes alive.
This is where technicians start looking closely.
Leaks.
Abnormal noise.
Unexpected movement.
Pressure behaviour.
Heat.
Vibration.
Hose interference.
Control response.
Testing isn't about proving that the workshop got everything right.
It's about finding where we didn't.
A DRILL RIG NEEDS TO MOVE
A drilling machine is not a stationary engine with a mast attached.
There are movements everywhere.
Rotation.
Feed.
Pullback.
Mast raising.
Mast lowering.
Rod handling.
Winches.
Levelling.
Crawler movement.
Auxiliary functions.
Every movement introduces loads, clearances and interactions between components.
So we cycle them.
Then cycle them again.
Because a hydraulic hose rubbing against steel once isn't necessarily a problem.
Do it hundreds of times and it might become one.
That's the sort of problem we would much rather identify before shipment.
THEN ADD LOAD
A drill rig can behave beautifully when nobody is asking much of it.
Unfortunately, drilling involves asking quite a lot of it.
Rotation systems need torque.
Feed systems need force.
Pullback systems need to recover drill strings.
Hydraulics need to operate under sustained demand.
Engines need to maintain performance as loads increase.
Cooling systems need to control temperature.
This is where testing becomes more representative of the job the machine was actually built to perform.
The objective isn't to abuse equipment for entertainment.
It is to make sure the important systems behave correctly before the customer depends on them.
TEMPERATURE MATTERS
Machines change as they warm up.
Oil temperature changes.
Hydraulic behaviour changes.
Cooling systems start doing real work.
Engines settle into operating conditions.
Components expand.
A machine that runs perfectly for five minutes hasn't necessarily told you very much.
That's why operating equipment for meaningful periods matters.
We want to see what happens after the initial excitement of pressing the start button has worn off.
FACTORY ACCEPTANCE TESTING: LET THE CUSTOMER SEE IT
For larger CED equipment packages, Factory Acceptance Testing — FAT — is an important part of the delivery process.
And we like FAT.
Why?
Because customers should see what they're buying operate before it travels halfway around the planet.
Depending on the equipment and project, FAT can include inspection of the rig and supporting equipment, operational testing, system checks, verification against the agreed specification and review of the package before shipment.
For larger orders, independent inspection can also form part of the commercial arrangement where required.
The principle is straightforward:
Inspect it. Operate it. Question it. Fix anything that needs fixing. Then ship it.
That's considerably cheaper than having the same conversation on another continent.
TEST THE PACKAGE — NOT JUST THE RIG
This becomes even more important as CED supplies larger turnkey drilling packages.
Take an RC package.
The rig may be ready.
Excellent.
What about the compressor?
Air hoses?
Manifold?
RC drill string?
Hammer?
Sampling equipment?
Rod handling equipment?
Critical spares?
The individual machines matter.
But so do the connections between them.
The same principle applies to diamond drilling.
Rig.
Mud pump.
Water pump.
Drill rods.
Core barrels.
Tooling.
Consumables.
Spares.
If CED is supplying a complete package, we want to look at the complete package before mobilisation.
Because exploration sites have enough surprises already.
THEN COUNT EVERYTHING
This part doesn't make particularly exciting social media.
It is extremely important.
Before international shipment, the equipment package needs checking against what the customer actually ordered.
Rig.
Pumps.
Tooling.
Drill rods.
Consumables.
Service kits.
Critical spares.
Accessories.
Documentation.
Small items have an impressive ability to become very important once they're missing.
A multimillion-dollar exploration programme can still lose time because somebody forgot a relatively inexpensive component.
So before the doors close:
count it.
PACKING IS PART OF ENGINEERING
Then we have to get everything there.
Exploration equipment doesn't teleport.
It goes into containers.
Onto trucks.
Through ports.
Across oceans.
Through customs.
Back onto trucks.
Potentially onto considerably worse trucks.
And eventually to site.
That means packing matters.
Components need securing.
Sensitive equipment needs protecting.
Weight distribution matters.
Access for unloading matters.
Packages need identifying.
Documentation needs matching what is physically inside.
A machine arriving undamaged is part of delivering the machine properly.
AND THEN WE DO SOMETHING IMPORTANT: COMMISSION IT
Factory testing and site commissioning are not the same thing.
The workshop tells us the equipment worked before shipment.
Commissioning confirms the equipment is correctly prepared for the environment where it will actually operate.
That can involve equipment inspection after transport, setup, operational checks, system testing and operator familiarisation.
For CED, commissioning and training are important parts of the complete equipment model.
Because handing somebody a complicated piece of drilling equipment and an instruction manual isn't our idea of technical support.
TRAIN THE PEOPLE WHO WILL ACTUALLY USE IT
This might be more important than another 20 pages of specifications.
Operators need to understand the machine.
Daily checks.
Controls.
Operating procedures.
Lubrication.
Service intervals.
Warning signs.
Basic troubleshooting.
Safe operation.
And importantly:
what not to do.
Good equipment operated badly becomes bad equipment surprisingly quickly.
CED can support customers with commissioning, operator training and technical personnel because our business isn't only manufacturing.
We also operate drilling equipment.
That connection matters.
THE FIELD WILL ALWAYS FIND SOMETHING THE WORKSHOP DIDN'T
We should be realistic.
No amount of factory testing can perfectly reproduce an exploration site.
The workshop cannot replicate every geology.
Every temperature.
Every operator.
Every road.
Every drilling fluid.
Every strange noise at 2am.
Every decision made after somebody says:
"It'll probably be fine."
The field remains the ultimate test.
But that's not an excuse to send avoidable problems there.
The workshop should eliminate everything it reasonably can first.
Then field feedback needs to come back into CED Engineering and CED Production so the next machine improves.
That's the loop we're trying to build.
UK LEADERSHIP. SOUTH AFRICAN ENGINEERING. INDONESIAN MANUFACTURING.
CED's international structure gives this process another dimension.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom International leadership, commercial coordination and project management.
🇿🇦 South Africa Engineering and manufacturing capability, including development of the SFM Series.
🇮🇩 Indonesia Exploration drilling equipment manufacturing, assembly, testing and technical capability.
🌍 The field Where our drillers, supervisors, fitters and customers provide the feedback that ultimately matters.
Different locations.
One objective.
Send better equipment into the field.
WE WANT TO FIND THE PROBLEM FIRST
There is a strange mentality required in equipment testing.
You've just spent weeks or months building something.
It looks fantastic.
And now your job is essentially:
Try to find something wrong with it.
Good.
That's exactly what should happen.
Find the leak.
Find the loose fitting.
Find the awkward hose.
Find the abnormal temperature.
Find the control that needs adjustment.
Find the missing spare.
Find the packing problem.
Find it while the machine is surrounded by technicians and tools.
Because once that container door closes, finding problems gets considerably more expensive.
BUILD. TEST. FIX. TEST AGAIN. SHIP. SUPPORT.
That's the CED approach we're continuing to develop.
We're not pretending manufacturing is perfect.
Manufacturing is a process of engineering, assembly, inspection, testing, correction and improvement.
The objective isn't to claim nothing will ever go wrong.
It's to aggressively reduce the number of things that can.
And when equipment reaches the field, support it properly.
Because a drill rig earns absolutely nothing sitting still.
Planning to Purchase Exploration Drilling Equipment?
If you're considering a diamond drilling rig, RC drilling rig, Air Core rig, SFM Series platform or complete exploration drilling package, talk to CED about the actual programme.
Country.
Commodity.
Drilling method.
Expected depth.
Planned metres.
Terrain.
Support requirements.
We'll build the equipment discussion around what you're actually trying to achieve.
Not simply what's sitting in a catalogue.
This week's question:
Drillers, fitters and equipment owners — what's the strangest fault you've seen appear on a brand-new piece of drilling equipment during commissioning?
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