ISO 3552-2:1992

Overview

ISO 3552-2:1992 - Rotary core diamond drilling equipment, System B - Part 2: Inch units - is an international standard that establishes the nomenclature, leading dimensions and interchangeability limits for a range of rotary core drilling components in inch units. It covers drill rods and couplings, fishing rods, casing tubes and accessories, core barrels, core bits, core lifters and reaming shells for hole diameters from 1.42 in to 5.74 in, yielding core diameters of 0.87 in to 4.72 in. This part is the inch‑unit version of System B (metric values in ISO 3552-1 are the authoritative reference).

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope and nomenclature: standardized designation system and reference numbers for components (see standard tables for designation codes and component relationships).
• Interchangeability: leading dimensions and mating-detail geometry to ensure parts from different manufacturers fit and work together within System B limits.
• Dimensional tolerances: specified tolerances for outside/inside diameters, thread forms (thread tables), and other critical sizes. Example limits include outside diameter tolerance of +0.008 in for diameters < 1.6 in and ±0.5% for diameters ≥ 1.6 in.
• Straightness: maximum permissible deviations by tube length (e.g., up to 59 in → 0.079 in; 59–118 in → 0.118 in; 118–177 in → 0.157 in; 177–236 in → 0.197 in).
• Eccentricity: inside-to-outside diameter center offset permitted up to 10% of nominal wall thickness.
• Materials and mechanical properties: minimum mechanical property requirements and testing methods are referenced (see table 3 in the standard).
• Threads and connections: standardized thread dimensions and notes on right‑hand vs left‑hand threads for specific items (thread tolerances in table 40).

Practical applications and users

ISO 3552-2 is used to:

• Specify and procure rotary core diamond drilling equipment for mining, geological exploration, geotechnical and hydrogeological investigations.
• Enable manufacturers to design interchangeable drill rods, casings and core barrels compatible with System B components.
• Support quality assurance, inspection and acceptance testing of drilling hardware. Primary users:
• Drilling equipment manufacturers, component suppliers and designers
• Drilling contractors and field engineers
• Procurement/specification writers for mines and exploration companies
• Test laboratories and standards organizations

Related standards

• ISO 3552-1 - System B (metric units) - authoritative metric values
• ISO 3551-2 - System A - Part 2: Inch units (alternative System A sizes)
• ISO 8866 - System C (a separate nesting system)

Keywords: ISO 3552-2, rotary core diamond drilling equipment, System B, inch units, drill rods, casing tubes, core barrels, interchangeability, drilling standards, tolerances, eccentricity, straightness.