Smarter leaders trust GlobalData

Data Insights Innovation in mining: high performance drill bits

Buy the Report

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

Sandvik AB

Kennametal Inc

View all

However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilizing and reaching maturity.

Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.

45+ innovations will shape the mining industry

According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the mining industry using innovation intensity models built on over 81,000 patents, there are 45+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

Within the emerging innovation stage, tunnel ventilation systems, remote tunnel monitoring, and mine drainage systems are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Lithium recovery, battery metal recycling and tunneling, and anchoring machine are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are hydrometallurgical extraction and hybrid industrial vehicles, which are now well established in the industry.

Innovation S-curve for the mining industry

High performance drill bits is a key innovation area in mining

High performance drill bits are critical in today's modern global mining environment to increase production and efficiency in the extraction of gold, silver, and other metals and minerals. Rotary Bits, Fixed Cutter, Roller Cone, and down-the-hole (DTH) Hammers are among the many rock drilling tools and accessories used in both open-pit and underground mining. Thinning comes in a variety of shapes, including the X-shape for machining deep holes, the R-shape for machining stainless-steel-based workpieces, and the S-shape for machining cast-iron or non-ferrous-based workpieces. Flat drill bits, which can drill holes without bending even on round surfaces, have gained popularity in recent years.

GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 90 companies, spanning technology vendors, established mining companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of high performance drill bits.

Key players in high performance drill bits – a disruptive innovation in the mining industry

‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.   

‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.  

Patent volumes related to high performance drill bits

Kennametal and Sandvik are among the leading patent filers in high performance drill bits. Kennametal provides high-performance drills such as Y-TECHTM, KenDrill^TM HPS, KenDrill^TM FBL, and KenDrill Deep HPR for drilling holes in steel, stainless steel, cast iron, non-ferrous and high-temp materials. Drill pits from the company are used at high-cutting parameters to reduce machining time and free up capacity in mass production environments.

Meanwhile, Sandvik offers a complete range of rock tools such as DTH, top hammer, rotatory, and raise boring drilling tools, for surface and underground mining, and construction. Sandvik’s drilling bits are designed to increase productivity and sustainability, while reducing total operational cost and emissions. The company’s high-performing rotary drill bits, which are manufactured using high technology for mining blast holes, enable longer bit life and reduce costs.

In terms of application diversity, Shenzhen Jinzhou Precision Technology leads the pack, while Klenk and Fukui Prefecture stood in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Vestas Wind Systems held the top position, followed by Alleima and Fukui Prefecture.

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the mining industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Mining.

GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.

GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.