Underground Drilling Collaboration Yields Solution in Half The Time

In energy exploration, it can cost millions when a component fails during a drilling operation. That’s why a leading downhole drilling company explored solutions with Oberg when it was engineering its #1 new product development initiative – a new steerable assembly for directional drilling operations. It needed high-performance, reliable components that wouldn’t fail in harsh underground environments.

Cutting the typical 3-year cycle development time in half, Oberg’s New Product Development team worked closely with the customer’s engineering group to provide Design-For-Manufacturing guidance on parts that would be reliable and manufacturable. Using its manufacturing horsepower, Oberg expedited iterations of prototype parts until designs were finalized in only 18 months. Through the development process, custom brazing and PCD diamond grinding techniques were created for this project. Oberg also sourced new coating suppliers.