Boart Longyear Releases New Roller Latch™ Underground Head Assembly

SALT LAKE CITY, March 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Boart Longyear (www.boartlongyear.com, ASX: BLY), the world's leading integrated drilling services and products provider, has released a new underground head assembly featuring patent-pending Roller Latch™ technology that allows for greater pump-in speed and productivity while utilizing large ball bearings for latching and hold-back braking to retain inner-tube assemblies in the drill string for safer operations.

"This new head assembly is unlike any other in the industry," said Matt Baird, product manager for Boart Longyear. "Roller Latch incorporates advanced design and patented technology, focusing on safety and improved productivity.  Boart Longyear has a long history of product innovation in in-hole tools and Roller Latch is set to become the new standard latching mechanism."

Roller Latches deploy and retract radially, without swinging like conventional pinned latch mechanisms, and fit tightly onto the outer tube eliminating excessive wear on the couplings, landing shoulder, and landing ring. Also, conventional latch mechanisms can be difficult to retract against a jamming 'core block', where Roller Latches will simply drop back in upon wireline retraction.

"Traditional pinned latching mechanisms wear fast. Since the Roller Latch rolls, rather than drags onto the rod string, product life is increased and the load capacity is equal to or better than our renowned 'link latch' mechanism," Baird said. "Roller Latch ensures smooth and reliable performance as the head assemblies are optimized for fluid flow and utilize corrosion and wear-resistant components to ensure smooth and reliable functionality."

The new Roller Latch locking coupling connects the drill string directly to the outer tube, locking the Roller Latches and rotating the head assembly with the rod string, which eliminates the need of an adapter coupling, drive key, or tang feature.  Locking couplings for the Roller Latch head assembly are available in both full-hole or stabilized carbide style.

The Roller Latch Head Assembly also features new variable lip pump-in seals that are compatible with Boart Longyear's V-Wall® drill rod, making all the advantages of light weight V-Wall rods available in underground coring applications for the first time.

About Boart Longyear

Boart Longyear (ASX: BLY) is a 120-year-old global mineral exploration company that provides mineral exploration services and drilling products for the global mining industry and also has a substantial drilling presence for water exploration, environmental sampling, energy, and oil sands exploration.

Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, with 2010 sales of US$1.476 billion and over 9,000 employees worldwide, the company conducts contract drilling services in 40 countries, and provides mining products to customers in over 100 countries.  Regional offices and operations are located in Asia Pacific, EMEA, Latin America, and North America.  

The company can be found on the Web at www.boartlongyear.com .  To get Boart Longyear news direct, visit http://www.boartlongyear.com/rss

SOURCE Boart Longyear