Troy Guhr has been with McLaughlin for 26 years designing any and everything Auger Boring. Needless to say his knowledge is invaluable. He took an afternoon to discuss the technique behind the tested and trusted auger boring flights. Before we dig in there are some terms one should be familiar with:
Terms to Know:
- Connection Size
- OD: Outer Diameter
- Pitch: separation in-between the revolution of flights
The connection size, OD and pitch together define the auger flight.
There are two different types of auger flights that are made here at McLaughlin a continuous wound flight and sectional pressed flight. Continuous flights are made using a custom designed winder and go up to 12” diameter. The process involves wrapping a piece of flat bar material 20 feet long around a mandrel to create continuous flighting. Sectional flights can be larger ranging up to 60” and instead of one long continuous flight; it is made up of individual segments welded together.
The connection size and pitch will vary based on what size auger is being made
- 12” auger 12” pitch
- 16” auger has 16” pitch
- 24” and above – all have a 24” pitch
McLaughlin’s specially designed customized winder isn’t something you can find anywhere else in the world. It is a custom piece of equipment that we have developed over the years. The winder is only used for the smaller diameter wound continuous flights.
Key Components
The core is a piece of DOM steel tube and is what the pressed/wound flight is welded to. When a pressed flight is being made it is important to ensure that the various sections of auger are pressed with straight ends forming a overlapping joint for them to properly fit together. Female sockets and male shanks are then welded to the core to complete the auger.
What do they do?
The flight acts as a conveyor when it is inside a casing – so as it rotates it moves material down through the casing. As you come to different segments of auger you want them to time (or match up) so that any dirt or spoil that is being rolled through does not get caught on an auger out of time and thus can seamlessly pass between the two ends of the auger for a continuous flow. Timing of the auger flight is extremely important so that there is a smooth transition from auger to auger. This is why McLaughlin makes sure each auger is timed- meaning the end of each auger flight is always going to be created to match up with the next section of auger.
How does it work?
The various sections of augers are made with one male and one female hex on each end of a segment and are pinned together making sure the timing lines up. Using a shank (male connector) and a socket (female connector) the two auger flights are pinned together.
Tip- McLaughlin sockets and shanks are heat treated thus have the same hardness making them extremely durable.
Why do I care?
Other companies have case hardened female and a through hardened male thus the inner piece is stronger than the exterior – like putting a piece of steel in plastic – over time the softer female starts to wear and round out letting the male slip inside the female – similar to a stripped bolt and end up spinning out.
Auger boring flights made in here in our shop in Greenville, SC are used for horizontal bores, the mining industry and asphalt augers around the world.
The Tested and Trusted McLaughlin Way.