Content published by Clay's Industrial Supply Ltd. - 780-440-0132 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

HOW TO MAXIMIZE DRAWWORKS BRAKES
WITH AMERICAN FRICTION INC.‘s
NEW STINGRAY NON-ASBESTOS BRAKE BLOCKS

Hello to all our valued Clients,
This year has been especially difficult for drilling and well servicing since Environment Canada has been clamping down on the use of asbestos brake blocks! There are many customers that have complained about the performance of non-asbestos, saying that they don’t bite as well, the pads are more susceptible to glazing, the block feels spongy, or the brakes are slipping! So, we have a few things to address while working within the parameters of the traditional non-asbestos brake blocks and would like to offer a few suggestions on how to get better braking performance with the specific brand you are using.

Clay’s Industrial Supply will have a new product that will be in full production starting in February of 2022 called: Stingray Non-Asbestos Brake Blocks manufactured by AMERICAN FRICTION INC.

This new product is made with high tech resins and friction materials that provide excellent braking with great recovery at high temperatures and no glazing.(Yes, “NO glazing” – this new Stingray block will have positive brakes up to 7500F as well as full brakes on the recovery at 6250F) The J661 Chase Friction brake tests on this new block show that the friction tests have a higher coefficient rating than the old Asbestos American Friction Brake Block. So basically, there will no need to continue using the old asbestos product once this becomes available. We have performed field tests on three separate rigs that have confirmed the data from our laboratory testing results.

(1) Treeline Well Service Rig #29
First test was on a 2400M well with 2-3/8” off the catwalk. Driller reported that the brakes felt good and had lots of stopping power. But never really got the brakes that hot. On their second job it was a 3,800M well with 2-7/8” pipe. Brakes worked well all the way to the bottom of the well. The driller was leaning on the handle with good pressure near the bottom, however no assist brake was required.

(2) Eagle Well Service Rig #30
First test was on a 3000M well with 2-7/8” pipe. Driller said the brakes worked very well
and is very happy with the performance so far.

(3) Concord Well Service Rig #56 (this test was performed in the yard with no drill line on)
First test was with Indutex Asbestos block (pre burnished in). Second test was with Stingray Non-Asbestos block (not burnished in). It was tested at three temperatures (cold, 2000F, and 5000F) while the main drum was spinning at 310 RPM. Note the RPM drop, and the time required after brakes were warm at 2000F & 5000F.

Indutex Asbestos vs. Stingray Non-Asbestos Brake Block Testing

Stingray Non-Asbestos vs. Red Bull Non-Asbestos
Coefficient of Friction Test

As you can see from the graph above, Stingray brakes have a higher temp rating and there is full brake recovery at 6250 F versus the Red Bull that does not have full recovery until the brake rim has cooled down to 3000F. However both blocks will work if used within the range that the block is designed to function.
NOTE: The higher the operating temperature the faster the block will wear.

Maximizing Brake Block Surface Contact and Brake Effectiveness

There are a few key things to maximize the brakes on your drawworks. These suggestions apply to all drum brakes in the industry regardless of the manufacturer.

Step 1:  Make sure brake rim surface is smooth. Skim cut if surface is rough. Replace badly worn brake rims (ie: if the 42” diameter original rim is past 41.5” the rims should be replaced)

Step 2: Dynamically balance @ ISO G6.3 drum with brake rims only. Dynamically balanced brake rims will provide smooth braking.(NO hop on handle) Because of no hop or bounce the brake pad contact will be consistent and provide more positive braking power. Bearing life is also increased dramatically too, including all the attaching parts on the main or sand drum. Clutch function is also greatly improved, especially on drum style clutches.

Step 3:  Brake band set up. Properly adjust brake bands depending on model of drawworks to ensure proper brake shoe contact and brake shoe release. Adjust rollers if supplied on drawworks to be just above rim 3/16” approximately this will help reduce handle lift for driller. Adjust equalizer bar to prevent brake band twist and also to ensure equal braking from right to left. NOTE: Quick tip to check if brakes are equal is to use a laser -temp gun during operation. If the temperatures are the same from side to side then braking is equal, if not adjust the low temperature side to match.

Step 4:  Try to work within the parameters of the brake block being used. This will prevent brake loss, glazing, and or possible injury to others. As a rule try not to operate brakes past 5000F.

Do not hesitate to contact us to discuss maintenance requirements and product options available for your drawworks model. We are now taking pre-orders for the new STINGRAY brake blocks, get your order in today!

Sincerely,
Clay Bevans - Principal
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