Furukawa Rock Drill Rubber Parts: HCR and F-Series Maintenance Guide

Furukawa Rock Drill — now operating as Furukawa Rock Drill Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Furukawa Electric — is one of Japan’s oldest rock drill manufacturers, with production history dating to the late 1800s. Their HCR series crawler drills and CRF series compact rock drills are widely deployed in quarrying, mining, and infrastructure drilling across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

The F-series — the legacy range that includes the F6, F9, F22, and F25 models — remains in extensive active service despite being out of current production. These machines were built to last, and many are still operating 20–30 years after manufacture. The challenge: OEM spare parts supply for the F-series has become unreliable, with some part numbers discontinued.

This guide covers rubber components for current HCR and CRF series machines, plus the legacy F-series, with guidance on sourcing when OEM supply is unavailable.

Furukawa HCR Series: Current Production Crawler Drills

The HCR series is Furukawa’s current-generation crawler drill line. Key models:

• HCR 1200ED / 1200EDS: Compact crawler drill, commonly used in secondary blasting and construction drilling
• HCR 1500: Medium class, widely used in quarry bench drilling
• HCR 1500ED / 1500EDS: Enhanced down-the-hole capability variant
• HCR 2000ED: Large crawler drill for production drilling in hard rock

HCR Series Coupling Elements

The HCR series uses rubber coupling elements at two main locations:

Engine-to-compressor coupling: Large rubber coupling (tyre-type or disc-type depending on model variant) connecting the engine power output to the on-board compressor for DTH (Down-The-Hole) hammer operation or Atlas Copco-type top hammer.

Rock drill drive coupling: Smaller coupling element in the rock drill rotation mechanism.

HCR 1500 coupling specification:
– Engine-to-compressor: tyre coupling, specific outer diameter and bore dimension per machine serial number range
– Rubber compound: NBR (nitrile rubber) recommended for the high-temperature environment adjacent to the engine
– Replacement interval: Every 1,000 hours inspection; replace when spider arms show compression set above 15% or any cracking at arm roots

HCR 2000 coupling specification: Higher torque rating than HCR 1500 — do not use HCR 1500 coupling elements as HCR 2000 substitutes even if dimensions appear similar. Torque rating and compound hardness differ.

HCR Series Vibration Isolation Mounts

The HCR drill frame mounts to the crawler carrier through rubber-metal isolation mounts arranged at 4–6 points depending on model. These prevent percussion vibration from the rock drill from transmitting into the crawler drive system and the operator station.

In quarry operations where the HCR runs near-continuously in production drilling, these mounts should be inspected every 500 hours and replaced proactively at 2,000–2,500 hours. Worn frame isolation mounts cause crawler track tension loosening (percussion vibration reaching the track tensioner) and accelerated wear on the boom elevation cylinder pivot pins.

HCR Series Rubber Buffers

The rock drill percussion mechanism uses front and rear rubber buffers to absorb the rebound energy from each impact. HCR series buffer dimensions and compound specifications vary by rock drill model installed on the carrier.

Furukawa installs different rock drill models (FRD HD series) on HCR carriers depending on application. The rubber buffer specification is determined by the rock drill model, not the carrier model.

When ordering replacement buffers, specify both the carrier model (HCR 1500, HCR 2000) and the rock drill model installed (HD series designation). If unknown, provide buffer dimensions from the worn components.

Furukawa CRF Series: Compact Rock Drills

The CRF series represents Furukawa’s compact-class hydraulic rock drills, used primarily in secondary breaking and construction blasting applications.

CRF series rubber components are similar in function to HCR series but scaled down for the smaller machines:
– Smaller coupling elements with lower torque ratings
– Smaller rubber buffers with lower energy absorption requirements
– Same compound specification principles (NBR for high-temperature engine bay areas, natural rubber for percussion dampening)

CRF series machines often work in urban construction environments where noise is a regulatory consideration. Worn vibration isolation mounts cause increased percussion noise transmission to the carrier structure, which then radiates noise — replacing worn mounts can reduce site noise levels measurably.

Furukawa F-Series: Legacy Machines

The Furukawa F-series — F6, F9, F22, F25 — was produced from approximately the 1970s through the 1990s. These machines are no longer in production, and OEM spare parts support from Furukawa has been progressively reduced.

Despite their age, F-series machines remain in active service in many markets, particularly where capital equipment acquisition is difficult and maintaining existing equipment is more practical.

F9 Rubber Components

The Furukawa F9 was one of the most successful rock drill models in the series — widely exported and still in active service. Rubber components:

Main coupling element: The F9 uses a jaw coupling with a 6-arm rubber spider between the engine drive and the drill rotation mechanism. The spider is the primary consumable.

OEM part number: No longer consistently available. Cross-reference approach:
1. Measure the spider: outer diameter, hub bore diameter, arm width, and arm length
2. Note the Shore A hardness if possible (compare to new part if available, or estimate from feel — a 70 Shore A spider feels like a hard rubber eraser, 85 Shore A feels like a hard plastic)
3. Confirm the number of spider arms (F9 uses 6-arm configuration)

Babacan Group can manufacture F9 coupling elements from these measurements. We have F9 reference data from previous orders and can typically confirm fit from measurements alone.

Percussion buffers: F9 front and rear buffers use a specific geometry that is not interchangeable with HCR series buffers despite overlapping dimension ranges. The F9 buffers are natural rubber compound — the original F9 design predates the routine use of NBR compounds for drill buffers.

Drill rod guide bushing: The F9 drill rod guide uses a rubber-lined bushing at the front of the drill. This bushing constrains lateral movement of the drill rod during percussion. Worn guide bushings allow the drill rod to vibrate laterally, increasing hole deviation and accelerating collar damage at the bit shank.

F22 and F25 Rubber Components

The F22 and F25 are larger-format drills than the F9. Coupling elements and buffers are similar in design but larger in dimension.

Critical note for F22/F25: These machines often have non-standard metric thread sizes for mounting hardware — some components use metric fine pitch rather than standard metric coarse pitch. Verify thread specifications before ordering replacement hardware.

Obtaining F-Series Part Cross-References

For F-series machines where OEM part numbers are no longer available:
1. Remove the worn component and measure carefully — OD, ID, length, number of arms/lobes, hardness estimate
2. Photograph the component — front, side, and detail at key features
3. Note the machine serial number — even without an active catalog, Babacan Group’s historical reference database may have the original specification

Submit measurements and photographs to our technical team via the quote request form. We typically respond within 48 hours with a specification confirmation or request for additional measurements.

Furukawa vs. Atlas Copco Rubber Component Comparison

Furukawa and Atlas Copco are the two most common rock drill brands in active service globally. Their rubber component requirements are not interchangeable:

The higher blows-per-minute (BPM) characteristic of many Furukawa rock drills means rubber components cycle faster per operating hour than on equivalent Atlas Copco machines. Plan replacement intervals accordingly — Furukawa buffer intervals may be shorter than the Atlas Copco equivalent at the same operating hours.

Babacan Group Furukawa Rubber Parts

Babacan Group supplies rubber components for Furukawa HCR, CRF, and F-series drill equipment. Our range includes:
– Coupling elements for HCR 1200, 1500, and 2000 series
– Percussion buffers for FRD HD rock drill models
– F9, F22, F25 coupling elements manufactured from specification or sample
– Frame isolation mounts for HCR crawler drills

For HCR current-production cross-references, request a quote with your machine and rock drill model. For F-series obsolete parts, submit measurements and photographs to our technical team — we confirm specification before manufacturing.

Worldwide delivery from Ankara to 84 countries. Standard lead time: 3–5 days for stocked items, 2–3 weeks for manufactured-to-order references.

Key Takeaways

1. HCR 1500 and HCR 2000 coupling elements are not interchangeable despite dimensional similarity — torque ratings differ significantly.

2. Specify rock drill model, not carrier model, when ordering percussion buffers — the buffer specification follows the rock drill, not the carrier.

3. F-series OEM support is unreliable — maintain dimensional records of worn components for cross-reference when OEM supply fails.

4. Furukawa machines typically run higher BPM than Atlas Copco equivalents — buffer replacement intervals should be set proportionally shorter.

5. F9 front guide bushing wear causes hole deviation — include this in the rubber components inspection scope, not just coupling and buffer checks.

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