Thompson, CT USA - Over the years, Numa has established itself as the leading designer and manufacturer of down hole hammers and bits in the drilling industry. This year marks the company’s 16th anniversary and they are showing no signs of relinquishing their leadership position.

Headquartered in Thompson, Connecticut USA and with regional offices and distributors in more than 45 countries, the Numa name is globally recognized in the water well, oil & gas, mining, quarry, construction, horizontal and exploration industries. Some typical vertical and horizontal drilling applications which Numa DTH products are used include water wells, blastholes, caissons, pile/rock sockets, tie backs, oil & gas exploration holes, tunneling and any other projects that require drilling through rock formations.

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For sixteen years, Numa has concentrated on creating the best team in the business in order to provide drillers with an unparalleled level of personal service. An elite group of regional managers and distributors now cover Australia, Asia and the rest of the world. These representatives not only provide sales but highly experienced technical support to Numa’s customers in even the most remote locations. It is this personal service along with Numa’s world-class products and unmatched performance that has set the company apart from its competition.

To further promote effective communication with all members of the drilling community, Numa provides an extremely interactive web site that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The web site not only allows drillers to contact Numa for price quotes and technical support, it also provides the most comprehensive information available anywhere on DTH products. www.numahammers.com offers hammer and bit specifications, air consumption requirements, a robust technical manual, troubleshooting guide, monthly web special sales and numerous DTH project summaries detailing drilling projects around the globe using Numa’s top performing hammers and bits. Furthermore, a news section contains the latest DTH news announcements and a trade show calendar listing dates and places where contractors can meet Numa directly.

From water wells to massive construction projects, Numa provides long lasting, performance-driven hammers and bits that are essential for conquering any drilling challenge. The company’s commitment to developing new products to meet drillers’ needs has required a heavy investment in engineering and manufacturing facilities. Numa now holds 11 patents, has several patents pending and produces over 50 different hammer models in one of the most technologically advanced manufacturing facilities in the industry. It is this dedication that has enabled Numa to design and build the most comprehensive large hammer product line available in the industry today. With years of experience in the large hammer market, Numa now boasts six (6) large hammer designs for drilling 457 mm (18") or larger diameter holes in conventional or reverse circulation applications.

Numa’s DTH products have the capacity to drill holes ranging in size from 89 to 1219 mm (3-1/2" - 48") in diameter for vertical, horizontal and reverse circulation applications. Furthermore, the company’s innovative approach continues to produce many other cutting edge products. Three of the company’s latest innovations include the Double Dome Carbide (DD) Bit, the Impact Ring Bit System® and the Super Jaws® Under Reaming Bit, all of which have revolutionized the drilling industry with their speed and performance.

Numa has introduced the Double Dome Carbide (DD) Bit to provide drillers with better performance and longer life in today’s demanding drilling markets. When using standard drill bits in hard rock formations, most drillers are required to sharpen their bits due to excessive wear every 92 to 122 m (300 - 400 feet) of drilling. The DD Bit has drastically changed those requirements. In similar formations, the DD Bit has proven to outperform standard bits by drilling up to 40% longer before initial sharpening of the carbide due to wear. This allows rig operators to keep drilling deeper without having to spend valuable time pulling out of the hole to sharpen or change bits. This results in lower overall cost per foot that is essential in today’s competitive world.

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A critical characteristic of the new DD bit is its distinctive new carbide consisting of a double reinforced layer that provides a double dome or nipple-like appearance. The double dome properties provide the strength and long life that make the DD Bit so unique. In fact, testing has shown that the DD Bit is able to produce upwards of 25% more footage before being retired. This increased performance allows drillers to reduce their bit costs by almost 25% over any other bits on the market today.

Another innovative product Numa has designed is the Impact Ring Bit System® which provides a revolutionary, new way to simultaneously drill and case holes in either horizontal or vertical rock drilling applications. The system consists of a down hole hammer and a unique two-piece bit design incorporating a center and ring bit combination for drilling holes from 133 to 1219 mm (5-1/4" - 48") in diameter. In horizontal applications, an auger is also fitted onto the backend of the hammer to promote more efficient cleaning of the hole during drilling. The system’s center bit is connected directly to a DTH hammer and the ring bit is attached directly to the casing being installed. To begin drilling, the hammer and center bit are inserted through the casing to align with the ring bit. The two bits work in unison to install casing while drilling.

The benefit of the two-piece design is realized at the completion of each hole. Once the casing has been drilled down to the required depth, the center bit and drill string can be pulled back out of the hole leaving the casing installed. The ring bit is also fully recoverable in horizontal applications that utilize pit-to-pit drilling techniques. Virtually all components of the Impact Ring Bit System® are recoverable which reduces overall equipment costs because the product can be used again and again on multiple projects.

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Two features of the Impact Ring Bit System® are the ability to drill quickly and accurately. Penetration rates in granite have yielded speeds in excess of 102 mm/minute (4 inches/min) while accurately drilling on-line and on-grade. The thickness of the ring bit also helps to promote longer and deeper bores. All of this together combines to provide the drilling industry with the fastest means available on the market today for setting casing in difficult ground conditions.

Impact Ring Bit Systems® are available for many different styles of casing including steel, P.E., or concrete/clay pipes and casing. The system is perfectly suited for vertical and horizontal applications such as piles, pipelines, sewer / water rehabilitation, tie backs, tunneling under roads and buildings or any other casing installation project.

Numa has also recently expanded the range of the Super Jaws® Under Reaming Bit to drill holes from 150 to 1245 mm (5-7/8" - 48-9/16"). Manufactured under a joint agreement with Tone Corporation since 1998, the Super Jaws® Bit has become recognized around the world for its robust construction, ease of operation and overall efficiency.

The Super Jaws® Bit is a special under reaming wing bit design made for simultaneously setting casing while drilling in unconsolidated rock formations of boulders and loose strata. It has been widely accepted in the construction/foundation industry as the most efficient means of installing casing.

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Central to the design of the Super Jaws® Bits are replaceable jaws that extend out further than the casing while in the drill position. During drilling operation, the bit drills a hole slightly larger than the casing diameter to allow the DTH hammer to pull the casing down as the drilling advances. When drilling is complete, the wings retract back inside the casing and the entire bit is brought to the surface while the casing is left securely down the hole. A significant cost savings benefit of the Super Jaws® Bit is that it does not require the use of replacement ring bits that remain down the hole when drilling is complete.

Super Jaws® Bits have proven to deliver improved performance and faster penetration rates in comparison to many traditional casing methods commonly used. This is due to its under reaming concept that allows the full face of the bit to be in constant contact with the rock formation to quickly and easily break up boulders and any other rock formations encountered. The bit body and the wings are concentric to the centerline of the hole, while both drilling and retracting. This lowers the torque and reduces the possible damage to the rotation head motor as well as lowering the possibility of a shank failure.

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Throughout the years, Numa has also grown a tremendous reputation in over 60 countries around the world. Each of these areas have their own drilling challenges to overcome, but Numa’s DTH products have conquered all types of rock and unconsolidated conditions such as solid granite, limestone, shale, basalt and loose strata consisting of dirt, sand, boulders and concrete. In Australia and New Zealand alone, Numa’s hammers and bits have been used on four (4) unique projects requiring DTH holes 762 mm (30") or larger. All of these projects were challenging in their own way but Numa’s products delivered on all of them with success. It is exactly this type of experience that has made Numa what it is today, an industry leader that designs performance-driven, long lasting products to produce winning results

Numa competes with many different companies around the world, but it is Numa that clearly stands out as the technological leader in the field. For the past 16 years, Numa has been instrumental in the development of leading DTH technology in the vertical and horizontal drilling industry. In the future, Numa will continue to provide the DTH drilling industry with the best people, products and performance worldwide to help drillers conquer their most demanding needs.

- As seen in Australasian Drilling