Modern drilling uses huge machines that can penetrate miles into the earth's crust. Obviously, this wasn't always possible. Today, we'll look back at the history of drilling and see how we got to the advanced technology we have today. HANGHUA shows you some interesting facts about Geotechnical Drilling & Exploration.
The earliest examples of drilling come from ancient Egypt, dating back to around 2500 BC. Research shows that they created tools with copper "drill bits" to core the holes. To get the soft copper through hard materials, such as granite, they simply used water and abrasive materials, such as sand. There are also indications that they may have been aware of certain chemical reactions that would have contributed to the process.
There is evidence that in China, by the Han Dynasty, boreholes were being used for mining, salt wells, etc. In fact, by the end of the Han Dynasty, tools had been developed to perform percussion drilling. Iron drill bits were attached to bamboo and repeatedly impacted the holes to make them deeper. These were, of course, rudimentary, powered by humans jumping up and down as counterweights.
Over the next thousand years, these tools were developed more and more, adding additional tools, such as repairing caves or retrieving tools that had fallen into them. Around 1050 A.D., they began using stripped bamboo "cables" that allowed them to make deeper holes. The auger could reach depths of 300m to 400m, which was the average depth in the 1700s.
During this time, the rest of the world was trying to catch up. One of the greatest inventors in history, Leonardo da Vinci himself designed a drilling rig in the late 1400s, but it would be many years before any significant progress was made. in 1835, a well in the Rising Sea became the world's first well 1km deep, almost twice as deep as the rest of the world was drilling at the time. This trend continued into the 1900s, and at the turn of the century it took about 2 years to drill a 600m hole. By 1950, this would take 9 months. By 1975, it would take less than 2 weeks, which brings us to where we are today.
Today, we can drill holes with portable machines that can easily fit into a garden in just a day or two. We have more advanced technology to avoid hole collapse and use steel casing to protect the structural integrity of the borehole. Drill bits, cables, etc. have been optimized to speed up drilling times. Now, what used to take several trained professionals many days to complete can be done by just two people.
So if you are looking for a company that produces drill bits quickly and cost-effectively, then you have come to the right place. If you would like more information about drilling, or would like to learn more about our services, please contact us!
