MATRIX FIXED CUTTER

DRILL BITS

MANUFACTURING PROCESS
CONROE FACILITY

Mariana Boscardin
Raphael Guzman

July 2013
© 2011 NOV
 Outline

 Manufacturing Process Components

 Manufacturing Process

 Appendix

2
© 2011 NOV
 Manufacturing Process Components

0. Pattern Milling 1. Mold Manufacturing 2. Mold Pressing 3. Mold Assembly 4. Loading 5. Furnacing 6. Break Out
‐ Cutters plugs, Crow's 
‐ PVC (small bits <11’’) ‐ Blank,  Cast WC/Nickel 
Foot/Ports/Nozzles/Junk slot 
‐ Nylon (large  blend  OR Tugsten 
‐ Pot, Funnel, Lid, Cap  ‐ Mud Mix: Fine graphite,  formers, TSP, Durashell/Impreg 
bits>11”) Carbine Blend (hard 
(Graphite) coarse graphite, Clay,  Mix (optional to harden blades), 
Note: for longer bits,  powder), Tungsten Metal 
‐ JSA former core part Bentonite, Distilled  serial # plaque, DAG/upreamer 
PVC for blades and  Powder (soft powder), 
‐ Bit feature former molds Water, Surfactant rings, shimdown ring, Lateral 
nylon for body Binder Alloy, Sandstalk
component

7. Clean Up 8. Machining & Welding 9. Breaker Slot Milling 10. Nozzle Pressure Check 11. Brazing 12. Bit Finalizing
‐Flux (flux powder and  
water), Stopoff (nozzles 
‐ API Pin, Welding thread), Braze Disc,  ‐ Painting
Cutters (nickel strip to 
hold cutters) 

3
© 2011 NOV
 Manufacturing Process

0. Pattern Milling 7. Clean Up

1. Mold Manufacturing 8. Machining & Welding
2. Mold Pressing 9. Breaker Slot Milling
3. Mold Assembly 10. Nozzle Pressure Check
4. Loading 11. Brazing
5. Furnacing 12. Bit Finalizing
6. Break Out

4
© 2011 NOV
0. Pattern Milling

3. Body and blades prepared for

milling of OFV.

1. Blades being milled. 2. Blades being secured.

4. Result of Pattern Milling.

5
© 2011 NOV
 1. Mold Manufacturing

2. Graphite column being turned according to design

1. Saw for cutting bulk specifications (results of Mold Manufacturing include
graphite to turnable size. pots, funnels, lids, caps, and feature former molds).

Learn more about

Feature Formers Storage of bulk graphite for pots. Storage of used pots.
Mold Manufacturing

6
© 2011 NOV
2. Mold Pressing

1. Pots awaiting to be
Pressed (result of Mold
Manufacturing).

2. Pot dimensions being inspected before Pressing.

7
© 2011 NOV
 2. Mold Pressing

3. Graphite mud being

weighed to ensure the 4. Graphite mud being packed tightly into pot cavity.
proper amount is utilized.

Learn more about

Graphite Mud Mixing

8
© 2011 NOV
2. Mold Pressing

5. Pattern being
6. Pattern being
retrieved from
coated with
storage.
lubricant.

7. Pattern being 8. Pattern being

positioned aligned before
inside pot. commencing
Pressing.

9
© 2011 NOV
2. Mold Pressing

9. Patern (absent of
individual blades) being 10. Blades being laterally removed from mold in order to
carefully removed vertically retain shape integrity.
from mold.

10
© 2011 NOV
2. Mold Pressing

11. Furnace where pots 12. Pot being inserted with

will be loaded into for thermocouple (must be
material hardening. inserted into largest pot for
an accurate reading).

11
© 2011 NOV
3. Mold Assembly

Storage of molds (result of Pressing)

Mold assembly work area.
coming into Mold Assembly.

12
© 2011 NOV
 3. Mold Assembly

1. Molds being 2. Bit features (e.g.

spray-painted to aid cutters, TSP’s,
in assembly. durashell, nozzles,
JSA’s, ports,
shimdown ring)
being placed.

3. Bit features being inspected before placing, if

Learn more about necessary, DAG/upreamer rings.
Feature Formers Casting

13
© 2011 NOV
3. Mold Assembly

4. Assembled pots (result of Mold Assembly) being placed in post-

Mold Assembly storage.

14
© 2011 NOV
4. Loading

1. Funnel and assembled pot being combined for paper checking.

15
© 2011 NOV
4. Loading

2. Crow’s foot being glued to nozzle/port formers.

16
© 2011 NOV
 4. Loading

4. Proper blank for bit being

3. Assembled pot being centered located for Loading.
and prepared for Loading.

Learn more about

Blank Manufacturing
5. Blank being degreased.
17
© 2011 NOV
4. Loading

6. Blank being centered.

7. Blank being introduced to assembled pot.

18
© 2011 NOV
 4. Loading

8. Sandstalk size being adjusted. 9. Glue being placed on sandstalk former. 10. Sandstalk being positioned
inside blank until it has reached the
crow’s foot.

19
© 2011 NOV
4. Loading

11. Hard powder being Loaded into mold.

20
© 2011 NOV
 4. Loading

14. Soft powder being Loaded and

12. Vibrational table being engaged. 13. Stabilizing screws being removed.
probed to mix powders close to
surface.

21
© 2011 NOV
4. Loading

15. Pot threading area being cleaned and funnel being secured to pot.

22
© 2011 NOV
4. Loading

16. Binder being loaded into funnel.

23
© 2011 NOV
4. Loading

17. Lid, cap and thermocouple being fitted to pot-funnel apparatus to prepare for furnacing (result of Loading).

24
© 2011 NOV
5. Furnacing

1. Mold being positioned and engaged in retractable arm, connected to thermocouple sensor, furnaced and cooled after.

25
© 2011 NOV
6. Break Out

1. Lid being removed from mold (result of Furnacing) by hand and funnel being removed with the
assistance of crane, adjustable ring, wrench, and retractable chain.

26
© 2011 NOV
6. Break Out

1. Lid being removed from mold (result of Furnacing) by hand and funnel being removed with the
assistance of crane, adjustable ring, wrench, and retractable chain.

27
© 2011 NOV
6. Break Out

1. Lid being removed from mold (result of Furnacing) by hand and funnel being removed with the
assistance of crane, adjustable ring, wrench, and retractable chain.

28
© 2011 NOV
6. Break Out

2. Matrix cast crown being removed from pot with the assistance of adjustable ring,
hydraulic crane, pot ring, and raisable securing table.

29
© 2011 NOV
6. Break Out

3. Cast crown (result of Break Out) being lowered on graphite disk and being sent towards
grinding room for Clean Up.

30
© 2011 NOV
 7. Clean Up

1. Cast crown being cleaned of graphite-mud and sand formers by

hand in JSA and watercourses.

31
© 2011 NOV
 7. Clean Up

2. Cast crown being grinded in watercourses, scraped of remaining

graphite-mud on gauge area, and prepared for sandblasting (garnet).

32
© 2011 NOV
7. Clean Up

3. Cast crown being sandblasted to clean OFV and cutter pockets.

33
© 2011 NOV
7. Clean Up

4. Cast crown being moved to technician workbench, smoothed in outer areas of ports/nozzles, grinded in JSA/
watercourses/gague, tested with dye pen, and cleaned in cutter pockets (time permitting).

34
© 2011 NOV
 8. Machining & Welding

1. Cleaned crown (result of Clean Up) being centered using a pressure gauge,
turned in the OD to one slightly above specification, removed of most of its binder,
and turned at the blank end to produce male connection for API pin.

35
© 2011 NOV
 8. Machining & Welding

2. API pin being united with male connector,

heated and shrink fitted to cleaned bit.

Learn more about

API Pin Manufacturing

36
© 2011 NOV
8. Machining & Welding

3. Connection being welded over several passes and turned at the weld to produce same OD as upper section.

37
© 2011 NOV
8. Machining & Welding

4. API pin being checked to be absolutely sure it

has been installed properly on bit and turned
entire upper section to OD of design specification.

38
© 2011 NOV
 9. Breaker Slot Milling

Welded bit after Breaker Slot

Welded bit (result of Machining &
Machining.
Welding) before Breaker Slot
Machining.

39
© 2011 NOV
10. Nozzle Pressure Check

1. Slot bit (result of Breaker Slot Milling) being sandblasted with glass-bead mix, cleaned of
any missed spots in cutter pockets and bit body, placed with o-rings for testing, screwed
with plugs to seal nozzles, and moved to testing location (if ports present, no test will be
performed on the ports – cleaning only).

40
© 2011 NOV
10. Nozzle Pressure Check

2. Slot bit being filled with water within its watercourses, being tested with both water and air, and
emptied of water.

41
© 2011 NOV
11. Brazing

2. Tested bit (result of Nozzle

1. Cutters being cleaned in vinegar bath and cleaned in methanol bath.
Pressure Check) being
coated with stopoff on nozzle
threads to protect from
brazing.

42
© 2011 NOV
11. Brazing

3. Cutter pockets being cleaned with methanol,

flux being made from flux powder and water, flux
being coated in all areas where cutters will be
located, and Braze disks being placed in all
areas where cutters will be located.

43
© 2011 NOV
 11. Brazing

5. Tested bit being coated with flux over all cutter

4. Cleaned cutters being mixed with flux and placed into
surfaces and flash-welded with nickel strips to hold
all cutter pockets.
cutters in place while in furnace.

44
© 2011 NOV
 11. Brazing

6. Tested bit being preheated 7. Tested bit being torched to remove nickel strips and further 8. Tested bit being covered
in furnace with thermocouple Braze cutters to pockets. with thermal blanket awaiting
located on crown and bit OD grind.
body.

45
© 2011 NOV
12. Bit Finalizing

1. Brazed bit (result of Brazing) being OD grinded and later sandblasted.

46
© 2011 NOV
12. Bit Finalizing

3. Dye check inspection being

performed on brazed bit.
2. Dye pen being applied to brazed bit.

47
© 2011 NOV
12. Bit Finalizing

5. Brazed bit being painted.

4. Brazed bit being cleaned by
sandblasting and/or grinding.

6. Painted bit (result of Painting) 7. Inspected bit (result of Q&A) being boxed
being inspected in Q&A. and shipped.

48
© 2011 NOV
 Appendix A: Feature Formers Mold Manufacturing

Material to be utilized to
make crow’s foot former.

JSA former core part being milled.

Return

49
© 2011 NOV
 Appendix B: Graphite Mud Mixing

B. Materials being C. Graphite mud being

A. Materials being stored.
measured for mud loaded and mixed.
mixing.

Return

50
© 2011 NOV
 Appendix C: Feature Formers Casting

B. Locating Cutter and Nozzle Formers for Assembly

A. Cooking and Breaking Out

Crow’s Foot and JSA Formers C. Spray Paint JSA Formers White to Aid in
Assembly
Return

51
© 2011 NOV
Appendix D: Blank Manufacturing

Demonstrates Positioning of Blank

52
© 2011 NOV
Appendix D: Blank Manufacturing

A. Raw Blank Material B. Turning Section of C. Blanks Awaiting Threading

Blank to be Welded Phase

53
© 2011 NOV
 Appendix D: Blank Manufacturing

D. Threading Section of Blank

that will Fit into Nozzle Formers

E. Milling of Nozzle Profile

Return

54
© 2011 NOV
 Appendix E: API Pin Manufacturing

A. Raw Material Awaiting to be Machined

C. Threading being turned.

B. Shrink fit connector being turned.

API Pin Design Specifications

Return

55
© 2011 NOV
 Appendix F: Nomenclature – Mold Assembly Components
Serial Number
Plaque

Junk Slot Durashell or

Area Former Impreg Mix

Lateral
Component
(Prevent
Gauge Wear)

Port TSP (Thermally Stable

Nozzle Former Cutter Polycrystalline)
Back Angle Upreammer
Former Plug
Ring Plug

56
© 2011 NOV
Appendix F: Nomenclature – Mold Assembly Components

Cross Section View

57
© 2011 NOV
Appendix F: Nomenclature – Back Angle Rings & Shimdown Ring

Upreammer
Cutter

Upreammer: Serves to put the back angle

and locate the upreammer plug

DAG
Cutter

DAG: Serves to align upreammer plugs to

engage directional drilling
DAG (Dual Action
Shwimdown (to reduce
Gauge), Upreammer Gauge diameter)
Shwimdown &
Upreammer Rings DAG

58
© 2011 NOV
Appendix F: Nomenclature – Mold Assembly Components & Loading

Crow´s
Foot Former

JSA Former
Lid

Funnel

Sandstalk Pot

59
© 2011 NOV