Kadant Johnson recently participated in the Underground Construction Technology (UCT) Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans. The event brought together industry professionals involved with underground infrastructure including sewer construction, rehabilitation, HDD operations, and gas and electric utilities.

The process of drilling into rock and soil formations many times comes to a screeching halt due to the poor performance of water swivels. Many times, the swivel is referred to as the weak point in the drill string. Kadant Johnson launched its high-performance water swivel during the UCT event and it gained a lot of attention. The HDD water swivels are designed to operate in the widest range of ground formations, from mixed hard soil to cobble to solid rock and is compatible with all commonly used drilling fluids, including bentonite-water and polymer-water slurries and air.

The proprietary design uses a proven and robust seal to allow the swivel to switch from drill mud to air hammer and back to drill mud without the fear of broken seals and work-stopping leaks from the swivel.

What you should expect from your HDD water swivel:

• Versatile for all ground formations, including hard rock
• Extended operating life regardless of drilling conditions
• Increased drill machine uptime
• Ability to switch between drill mud and air without modification
• Controlled-leakage in the event of a gradual seal failure
• Simple field repair