What is a swivel? What is a good swivel?

1. Definition and Function

The swivel, also known as "slewing joint" or "force breaker", is an important part of the rotary drilling rig. Its main function is to connect the wire rope of the main winch of the drilling rig with the kelly bar. As the main winch wire rope is retracted and released, it drives the kelly bar and drill bit to be lifted and lowered. In addition, when the power head rotates, the swivel can also remove the torsional force transmission of the wire rope caused by the rotation of the kelly bar through its own rotation, preventing the wire rope from being kinked, rolled, broken, etc. due to torsion, thereby ensuring the safety of the operation.

2. Structure and Composition

The swivel is generally composed of an upper connector, a middle connector, a lower connector, and auxiliary devices such as bearings. The upper connector is hinged to the wire rope through a pin, and the lower connector is hinged to the kelly bar through a pin. This structure enables the swivel to flexibly connect and disconnect between the kelly bar and the wire rope.

3. Working Principle

In rotary drilling and piling operations, the working principle of the swivel is as follows:

When the kelly bar needs to be lifted, the wire rope of the main winch is connected to the upper end of the swivel through a heavy-duty collar, and the lower end of the swivel is connected to the flat head at the upper end of the kelly bar.

As the main winch wire rope is wound, the swivel drives the kelly bar and the drill bit to be lifted together.

When the power head rotates and drills, the swivel removes the torsional force generated by the rotation of the kelly bar through its own rotation to prevent the wire rope from being damaged.

When the kelly bar needs to be lowered, the main winch wire rope is loosened, and the swivel drives the kelly bar and the drill bit to be lowered together.

4. Operation and Maintenance

Operation Precautions:

When operating the rotary drilling rig for piling operations, ensure that the swivel is correctly and firmly connected to the kelly bar and wire rope.

When lifting and lowering the kelly bar, control the speed and strength of the main winch to avoid excessive impact or load on the swivel.

Maintenance:

Regularly check the wear of the swivel, especially the bearings, pins and other wearing parts. If there is severe wear, they should be replaced in time.

Keep the swivel clean and lubricated, and regularly add lubricants such as butter to reduce friction and wear.

When parked or idle for a long time, the swivel should be sealed and maintained to avoid rust and corrosion.

5. Importance

The importance of the swivel in rotary drilling and piling operations is self-evident. It is not only a key component connecting the kelly bar and the wire rope, but also an important guarantee to ensure operation safety and improve work efficiency. Therefore, when using and maintaining the swivel, it should be carried out in strict accordance with the operating procedures to ensure the performance and life of the swivel.

Then why Unidrill swivel is better?

1) The swivel structure adopts a double-pass sealing design to prevent mud and sand from entering. The large-diameter multi-row slewing bearing reduces the slewing resistance so that the swivel can rotate flexibly and work with high reliability under heavy-load lifting and high-strength mud pressure.

2) The upper, middle and lower connectors of the swivel are forged with high-strength and high-toughness steel, and are processed by special heat treatment processes and high-precision CNC machine tools to improve the life and reliability of the main structure.

3) The swivel adopts a flexible and detachable structure, which is convenient for maintenance and replacement of wearing parts at the project site.

4) Application: Suitable for rotary drilling rigs, grab bucket drilling rigs, continuous wall milling machines and other overweight and ultra-deep lifting construction conditions, and high reliability work for a long time under heavy load and ultra-deep water.