Vibration-Based Non-Destructive Inspection Method for Detecting Manufacturing Defects in Drill Bits

Abstract:

Manufacturing defects in drill bits, especially those with helical oil holes, pose significant challenges in quality control because traditional inspection methods, like optical microscopy and fluid-based testing, often fail to detect internal defects as they are typically focused on surface characteristics. To improve defect detection in drill bit manufacturing, a vibration-based non-destructive testing (NDT) method is proposed. This approach combines finite element analysis (FEA) for simulations with experimental vibration analysis to identify frequency changes that indicate the presence of defects. The methodology now systematically includes the fundamental Bending-1 mode and employs statistical analysis (t-tests) to validate the statistical significance of detected frequency shifts and numerically express uncertainty. The results unequivocally confirm that vibration analysis can effectively distinguish defective drill bits by identifying characteristic frequency changes.

• Periodical: Key Engineering Materials (Volume 1053)
• Pages: 39-44
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-kkkeP4
• Online since: May 2026
• Authors: Siti Munirah Mohamad Yusof*, Leong Wen Chek, Mohammad Yazdi Harmin, Tuan A.Z. Rahman, Baarath Kunjunni
• Keywords: Drill Bit Defect Detection, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Frequency Response Function (FRF), Non-Destructive Testing (NDT)

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