Down-the-hole drilling (DTH) essentially involves a drilling hammer at the bottom of a drill string. It relies on three elements for drilling holes: bit loading (weight), rotation and air. These active elements combine to be effcient at crushing rock. As the drill string slowly rotates, the drilling hammer is forced into the rock repeatedly.
Striking power is provided by compressed air driving a piston inside the hammer. DTH drilling is often used in the mining industry (blast hole drilling), on construction sites, drilling water wells, and in the oil and gas industry.
