A Comparative and In-depth Analysis of the Development of Rotary Drilling Rig Technology at Home and Abroad

As a core pile-driving equipment in the infrastructure engineering field, the technical level of rotary drilling rigs directly affects the efficiency, accuracy, and environmental friendliness of pile foundation construction. In recent years, with the upgrading of global infrastructure demand and the advancement of the \"dual carbon\" goals, the technology of rotary drilling rigs at home and abroad has shown differentiated development paths. The differences between them in core technologies, application scenarios, and future trends provide diverse references for industry development.

From the perspective of technological development history and core advantages, foreign rotary drilling rig technology started early, represented by enterprises such as Germany's Bomag and Italy's Soilmec, which have long focused on high-precision control and adaptability to complex working conditions. For example, the intelligent construction system equipped in Bomag drills can monitor the verticality of the drill rod, torque, and drilling speed in real time. In complex geological conditions such as rock layers and gravel layers, the hole-forming accuracy error can be controlled within ±2cm; at the same time, its hydraulic system adopts load-sensitive control technology, with energy utilization rate 15%-20% higher than traditional systems, and the equipment has strong durability, with the service life of core components generally exceeding 15,000 hours. However, foreign technologies also have shortcomings: first, the manufacturing cost of the equipment is high, and the unit price is usually 30%-50% higher than that of domestic similar products; second, there are fewer customized solutions for China's special geology (such as soft soil and karst strata), with limited adaptability.

Domestic rotary drilling rig technology, on the other hand, is characterized by \"rapid iteration + localization adaptation\". In the past decade, enterprises such as Sany Heavy Industry, XCMG, and Zoomlion have achieved a breakthrough from \"following\" to \"keeping pace\" through technology introduction, digestion, and independent research and development. In terms of intelligence and lightweight design, domestic enterprises have率先 launched 5G remote-controlled drills, which can realize real-time monitoring and construction 100 kilometers away, while adopting high-strength steel and modular design to reduce equipment weight by 10%-15% and improve transfer efficiency by 20%; in terms of environmental protection and economy, domestic drills popularized the national IV emission standard engine earlier than foreign counterparts, and some models are also equipped with hybrid power systems, with fuel consumption 8%-12% lower than foreign同级别 equipment, and the unit price is more in line with domestic engineering needs, with maintenance parts supply cycle as short as 1-3 days, greatly reducing the usage cost for construction parties. However, domestic technology still has \"shortcomings\": although the localization rate of core hydraulic components (such as high-pressure plunger pumps and motors) and high-end sensors has been increased to 60%, there is still a 5%-8% gap in stability under long-term high-load working conditions compared with foreign brands.

From the perspective of application scenarios and market demand, the development of domestic and foreign technologies also shows obvious differentiation. The foreign market focuses more on \"precision construction\", and rotary drilling rigs are mostly used in projects with extremely high requirements for hole quality such as wind power foundations and underground utility tunnels, and strict requirements are placed on the low noise and low vibration performance of the equipment; the domestic market has both \"large-scale infrastructure\" and \"complex geological adaptation\" needs. Drills not only need to meet the efficient construction of large projects such as high-speed railways and bridges (for example, the Sany SR485R drill can form 8-10 holes per day), but also need to adapt to special working conditions such as karst strata in Southwest China and soft soil strata in Southeast coastal areas, which has also promoted domestic enterprises