Kenella

Harlen Supplies helps mines push maximum drilling meters out of the rod by focusing on total meters drilled and extending the life of the rod using our Kenella Rubber Collared Drill Steel; the premium choice in mining consumables built for tough underground conditions.

Underground mines in SA and Zimbabwe still rely heavily on hand‑held airleg/jackleg drilling, where small‑hole, percussive tools must balance penetration rate, bit life, and cost. A 34 mm taper bit sits in the “sweet spot” for narrow‑reef development and stoping—big enough for effective blasting patterns, yet small enough for fast, controllable drilling with standard 22 mm hex steels.

In mining and quarrying, drilling performance isn’t a “nice to have”. It drives productivity, influences safety, and determines your real cost per metre. Harlen Supplies manufactures and supplies high-performance Kenella DTH hammers and rods, as well as Kenella Top Hammer bits and rods, engineered to handle tough ground and sustained duty cycles.

This article outlines how Kenella drifter drill steel paired with R32 threaded bits is used to manage vibration, protect threads, and sustain consistent drilling performance in harsh African operating conditions.

In underground and surface drilling, tooling failure is rarely a “bad batch” problem. It’s usually a mismatch between ground conditions, impact energy, flushing, and how the drill string manages vibration and wear. When rock is fractured, abrasive, or wet, drill steel and bit selection directly affects penetration, hole quality, and the cost per metre.

Kenella drilling and rock‑breaking solutions, proudly distributed by Harlen Supplies, set the benchmark for performance and reliability across quarrying, mining and construction applications.