Trends in the Rock Drilling Rod Industry
Driven by upgrades in global high-end manufacturing, implementation of carbon-neutral policies, and deepening downstream application scenarios, the rock drilling rod industry is moving away from a traditional “scale-expansion” model toward a new phase of high-quality development centered on technical innovation, low-carbon production, and extended service ecosystems. Considering policy direction, technological breakthroughs and shifting market demand, six core trends will reshape industry competition and value allocation. The following summarizes the most prominent trends across materials and processes, digitalization, and green transformation.
Materials and process iteration: higher strength-toughness, longer life, and customization
High-end materials at scale: Conventional 42CrMoA alloy steel is being superseded by 30CrNiMoV special steels and martensitic aging steels (for example BMS-1500 with tensile strength up to 1800 MPa). Combined with nano-grained cemented carbides and gradient structural designs, fatigue life for drilling rods is increasing from industry averages of 300–500 hours to 800–1,200 hours. Application-specific materials for extreme environments are accelerating: high-temperature rods using Cr–Mo–V alloys with ceramic coatings now tolerate temperatures exceeding 1,600°C; extreme-cold products undergo −196°C cryogenic treatment to preserve impact resistance at low temperatures; corrosion-resistant rods adopt nickel-based anti-corrosion coatings for deep-mine operations in H2S and other aggressive media.
Greener surface treatments: Environmentally friendly surface processes are replacing polluting traditional methods. Water-based rust-prevention and chromium-free passivation processes now account for about 85% adoption—an increase of 42 percentage points since 2021—resulting in large reductions in pollutant emissions per unit product. Advanced coatings such as AlCrN and DLC nanocoatings, and strengthening techniques such as laser cladding, are being applied at scale, improving wear resistance by over 30%, reducing drilling resistance by 15–20%, and lowering unit footage costs by 15–22%.
Surge in customized products: Downstream segmentation is shifting products from “standard specifications” to “scenario-specific” designs. Large infrastructure projects such as the Sichuan–Tibet Railway have driven demand for large-diameter (D45–D64), high-stability custom drilling tools; customization penetration for such projects has reached about 76%. For specialized environments—deep mines (more than 800 m depth, with 137 such shafts currently noted), trenchless urban pipelines, and blast-furnace maintenance—manufacturers offer rods engineered for creep resistance, anti-deflection, and flexible guidance, enabling “one environment, one solution” adaptability.
Intelligent transformation: from passive use to active sensing and predictive maintenance
Integrated intelligent sensing: MEMS sensors and RFID chips are increasingly embedded in the rod body to capture real-time data on impact frequency, temperature, wear, torque fluctuations, and more. Edge-AI algorithms enable automatic recognition of working conditions and on-the-fly parameter optimization. Leading products (for example Sandvik’s iDrill series) report fault-warning accuracies around 89.7%, helping to preempt stuck rods and breakages and increase overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) by more than 18%.
Lifecycle service models: “Drilling tools as a service” (BaaS) models are being rapidly deployed. Leading suppliers use industrial-internet platforms to provide end-to-end services—selection, usage monitoring, maintenance, and replacement—to major customers such as Zijin Mining and Aluminum Corporation of China (Chinalco). Data-driven service revenue already accounts for about 27.3% of income for some providers, with gross margins near 58.6%, representing a core profit driver.
Smart manufacturing deployment: Digital workshops and intelligent factories are accelerating deployment. Digital-twin simulations optimize production flows and enable precise control of heat-treatment parameters and real-time product traceability. Manufacturers such as Sany and Tiangong report energy consumption reductions of about 19%, delivery lead-time compression of 40%, and batch consistency controlled within ±0.05 mm standard deviation. By the end of 2023, 12 core enterprises had been integrated into the national industrial-internet identification and resolution system; industry digital penetration is projected to reach 54% by 2026.
Green and low-carbon transformation: regulatory pressure meets market pull
Cleaner production at scale: Companies are increasing environmental investment—the share of environmental spending in revenue rising from 2.1% in 2021 to an estimated 3.8% in 2026—with full coverage of wastewater and exhaust-treatment facilities. Short-process electric-arc furnace smelting is replacing traditional blast-furnace routes, cutting carbon emissions per unit product by roughly 22%. Waste-heat recovery and slag valorization technologies are becoming widespread, waste-material recycling rates exceed 95%, and per-unit energy consumption is expected to drop 25–28% compared with 2021.
Explosive demand for green products: Buyer procurement logic is shifting from “lowest price” toward “optimal low-carbon total cost.” About 78.6% of leading customers now require carbon-footprint reports and environmental certifications. Products certified to ISO 14067 (carbon footprint) command an average export price premium of 28% and show return rates below 0.7%, making green credentials a decisive competitive advantage in international markets.
Circular-economy models: Use of recycled materials is accelerating and is expected to jump from under 10% to about 30% by 2026 through technologies such as laser-based remanufacturing and used-rod refurbishment. These practices reduce dependence on virgin raw materials and lower production costs.
Overall, the rock drilling rod industry is transitioning to a technology- and service-driven model characterized by advanced materials, intelligent products and processes, and a pronounced focus on low-carbon, circular production. Companies that combine material and process innovation, data-enabled services, and green manufacturing practices will be best positioned to capture future value and lead market transformation.
