Cutting Structures & Options
A wide range of cutter types and options to meet the specific needs and requirements of our customers.
Hole Opener Corporation offers a wide range of cutter types and options to be utilized in conjunction with our underreamers, hole openers and other tools. This is yet another example of how the flexibility and adaptability of our equipment allows us to meet the specific needs and requirements of our customers.
Roller Cones
All roller cone types are specifically designed for HOC's equipment – no split bits, no shortcuts. Cutters are sealed bearing with a pressure compensator actuator to ensure bearings stay continually lubricated, and are hard faced for longer life and extended wear.
Mill Tooth - Uninterrupted
HOC's standard and most used cone type. The teeth patterns come in either all straight or a combination of left, right and straight.
Designed for soft to medium-hard formations, 2,500 – 17,500 psi (shale, sand, salt, dolomite, sandstone).
Used on both underreamers and hole openers.
Mill Tooth - Interrupted
Popular among Security Custom and larger Security field changeable hole opener tools. Designed for soft to medium formations, 2,500 – 17,500 psi.
Most suitable for formations with a tendency to "stick" or cause "balling up" - the interrupted tooth configuration lets formation continue rotating around the cutter and carry to surface, rather than staying packed in a standard mill tooth.
Can come with or without webbed gauge protection.
Used primarily on hole openers.
Tungsten Carbide Insert (TCI)
TCI cutters are generally used in harder formations and provide a "pulverizing" cut rather than a rip, as with the mill tooth cutters. Designed for hard to extremely hard formations, 20,000 – 35,000+ psi.
Available in sets of 3 with staggered button patterns so cutters properly "track" each other and cut a true hole.
Used on both underreamers and hole openers.
Drag Type Cutters
Drag type cutters are more common to the underreaming and smaller hole opener applications.
PDC (Polycrystalline Diamond Compact)
Most commonly known and used drag type cutter. An excellent cutting structure in consolidated hard abrasive formations.
Composed of multiple PDC inserts with specific designs to prevent wear, minimize vibration and increase Rate of Penetration (ROP).
Provides a shearing action while drilling.
Not always necessary in most formations.
ADD (Advanced Drilling Design) Cutter
The HOC ADD Cutter is proprietary cutter technology providing extended tool life under the most adverse conditions.
Cutter is composed of carbide tiles and buttons in a similar arrangement as a PDC cutter and a cost-effective alternative to PDC.
Carbide tiles provide the shearing cutting action while the carbide buttons act as shock absorbers and are arranged to provide non-continuous, interrupted surface in opposed relation to formation being drilled, which increases the life of the cutter.
HOC has seen very good success in most roller cone applications as well as milder PDC applications. Good in both consolidated and non-consolidated formations.
Hybrid Cutter
The hybrid cutter is a product of resourcefulness. It utilizes crushed carbide inlay on cutter arms whose PDC or ADD inserts are damaged but still in like-new condition, providing additional cutting structure.
A cost-effective alternative for softer consolidated or non-consolidated formations.
Formation Compatibility
A quick reference for cutter selection by formation type. ● Full fit · ◑ Partial fit · — Not recommended
| Formation | RC-01 | RC-02 | RC-03 | DT-01 | DT-02 | DT-03 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shale | ● | ● | ◑ | ◑ | ● | ◑ |
| Sand / Sandstone | — | — | ● | ● | — | — |
| Salt | ● | ◑ | — | ● | ◑ | — |
| Dolomite | — | — | ● | ◑ | — | — |
| Limestone / Hard | — | — | ● | ● | — | — |
| Hard Abrasive | — | — | ● | ● | — | — |
| Soft Consolidated | ◑ | ● | — | ● | ◑ | ◑ |
Tell us your application.
We'll build the right tool.
Our Team works directly with your drilling team to spec the right solutions – no guess work, no catalog shortcuts.