Sandvik QL80 DTH Hammer 8"

The Sandvik QL80 is an 8-inch (203 mm) down-the-hole (DTH) hammer engineered for large-diameter blast-hole drilling in hard rock quarrying and open-pit mining, as well as for deep well drilling in water, geothermal, and hydrocarbon exploration applications. The QL80 operates in the 18–25 bar (261–363 psi) air pressure range and delivers impact energy of up to 430 joules per blow at working pressure — enough to maintain high penetration rates in the hardest Saudi Arabian rock formations including the quartzite, granite, and andesite of the Arabian Shield. The hammer accepts a range of Sandvik-designed drill bits from 200 mm to 254 mm (8" to 10") in diameter, covering the blast-hole diameter range commonly used by Saudi aggregate quarries, phosphate mines, and oil-field surface preparation contractors.

The QL80 hammer body is manufactured from high-strength chromium-molybdenum alloy steel, precision-machined to Sandvik's exacting dimensional tolerances and heat-treated for resistance to the cyclical fatigue loading imposed by thousands of impacts per minute during continuous drilling shifts. The piston and front bearing housing are engineered as a matched assembly to ensure consistent air distribution across the full pressure operating range, maintaining penetration rate as operating pressure varies with compressor load and ambient temperature — an important consideration in Saudi Arabia where diesel compressors work harder in high-ambient summer conditions above 45°C. The QL80's flushing air passages are sized for the large air volumes required by 8" bits, ensuring effective chip removal from the borehole even in deep blast holes and reducing the risk of hole deviation from cuttings packing.

In Saudi Arabia, DTH hammers of the QL80 class are used extensively by Saudi drilling contractors serving the aggregate quarrying sector — where surface blast-hole drilling to depths of 10–30 metres precedes each quarry bench blast — as well as by oil and gas well preparation contractors operating in Saudi Aramco's southern field development areas and by construction dewatering drillers working on the deep foundations of NEOM's THE LINE infrastructure. Desert Rock Drilling and Gulf Drilling International, two of Saudi Arabia's most active drilling service companies, operate large fleets of DTH drilling rigs using Sandvik QL-series hammers and bits across multiple Saudi contracts. The QL80's long maintenance interval — driven by the Sandvik ball valve air distribution system that minimises internal wear compared to slide valve designs — reduces maintenance stoppages during continuous drilling campaigns at remote Saudi sites.

Razz Middle East holds stock of QL80 hammers, replacement piston and bearing kits, and matched Sandvik SR series 8" and 9" DTH bits for immediate delivery to Saudi drilling contractors. Our technical staff can advise on operating pressure optimisation, drill string configuration, and bit selection for the specific rock formations encountered at each Saudi site, whether limestone, dolomite, basalt, or Arabian Shield igneous formations.