Arnco Technology Trust Ltd.

Hardbanding is the process of depositing hardfacing alloys onto drill pipe tool joints, collars, heavy weight drill pipe and other down hole components to protect both casing and drill string assets from abrasive wear. Hardbanding is most commonly applied to the box end of drill pipe tool joints using a MIG welding process, bonding the hardbanding alloy with the parent steel of the drill pipe. There are, however, other hardbanding application methods that are occasionally used including laser and plasma arc processes. The need for hardbanding arose decades ago when drilling contractors and operators wanted a way to protect casing and extend the life of costly drill string equipment from wear associated with rotational and axial forces while drilling and tripping in and out of a well. Initially, tungsten-carbide particles were dropped into a mild-steel matrix, remaining the industry standard for many years. However, well owners soon realized that while the tool joint was well protected, the tungsten-carbide particles were often acting as a cutting tool against casing, causing extreme rates of wear and occasional total casing failure. To address the critical need for a casing-friendly hardbanding product that could adequately protect tool joints and other down hole tools, Arnco pioneered the casing-friendly hardbanding industry by utilizing an advanced alloy from it’s sister company Alloy Products Group, a subsidiary of Triten Corporation.

f hardbanding material, as well as some operators, have developed and employ the use of proprietary wear testing machines, the Mohr Engineering Wear Test is currently an industry benchmark for hardband performance. The test is useful when comparing hardbanding performance across competitive products and is required during most industry certification processes. Mohr Engineering defines the general scope of the wear test machine as follows: "While in either water or oil based drilling fluid, a lateral load is applied to a rotating tool joint at the sliding surface between the tool joint and the casingriser. The casing is reciprocated to simulate axial movement of the drill string. Lateral load, torque, and wear are monitored during the tests to evaluate the severity of the wear, contact pressure threshold and the friction factor between the tool joint and casingriser specimen." It is useful to examine illustrations of the machine and to understand the test data point definitions in order to analyze and interpret these results among competitive products