Sunward Intelligent Equipment has released a new "Geology-Adaptive" control system for its SWDM series rotary drilling rigs. In foundation construction, particularly in karst regions (areas with caves and fractured rocks), the drill tool can easily get stuck or buried if the operator applies too much crowd force or rotation speed. Traditional rigs rely on the operator's experience, which is subjective and prone to error.
The Geology-Adaptive system introduces a "Drill String Load Observer." It uses sensors on the crowd winch motor and the rotary drive to calculate the "Drilling Efficiency Index." When the system detects a sudden drop in drilling speed combined with a spike in torque (indicating a transition from soil to hard rock), it automatically switches the control mode. It reduces the crowd force by 50% and increases the rotation speed to "grind" the rock, rather than "crowd" it.
Conversely, if the system detects a rapid increase in drilling speed (indicating a soft cavity or mud layer), it instantly switches to "Soft-Soil Mode," increasing crowd force and slowing rotation to prevent the drill from falling freely and tipping the mast. A key safety feature is the "Anti-Jamming Prediction." By monitoring the torsional vibration frequency, the system can predict a "key-seat" situation (where the drill pipe gets stuck in a groove) 2 seconds before it happens. It then triggers a "Reverse Oscillation" maneuver, slightly oscillating the rotary drive left and right to free the tool before the torque reaches the critical limit. This reduces costly downtime and drill pipe breakage risks by over 60%.
