For a long time, Coring Magazine had been hoping to visit a real drilling manufacturing facility and prepare a special feature focused not only on the products themselves, but on the people, technology, and production processes behind them—with photography playing a central role in telling the story.
The first company to participate was the Chinese manufacturer Jinshi Drilltech. Thanks to their excellent organization and warm hospitality, our team was able to make the visit a reality in June 2026.
Jinshi Drilltech is one of China’s largest integrated manufacturers of mineral exploration drilling tools and equipment, covering drill bits, reaming shells, rods, casings, core barrels, and rigs, while also offering drilling services. The company is based in Tangshan, one of China’s oldest steel-producing cities, located around two hours from Beijing.
Jinshi’s main office
Our team was first welcomed at Jinshi’s corporate headquarters, an imposing seven-story building that houses the company’s management, sales, and administrative teams while also serving as a hub for guests from around the world. The visit began in an elegant reception room centered around a boutique-style solid wooden Chinese table with intricate carvings, where we were served excellent jasmine tea.
From there, we moved into Jinshi’s showroom, a space of more than 200 square meters (over 2152 square feet) displaying almost the full range of the company’s products. After a brief presentation introducing the breadth of this product portfolio, we were invited to continue the visit at the first manufacturing facility adjacent to the offices, dedicated to core barrel and drill bit production.
Drill bit and core barrel manufacturing
After a short walk —and a quick stop to put on our PPE—we entered the drill bit manufacturing complex. Covering 55 000 square meters (592 015 square feet), the facility spans several large structures. Its sheer scale was impressive, but our attention quickly shifted to the manufacturing line itself.
Around 20 Japanese-made robotic arms, positioned behind brightly colored steel safety barriers, moved with remarkable precision. Each robot was able to serve up to four CNC machines, carrying out a carefully coordinated sequence of movements designed to maximize production efficiency. While some were assigned to routine loading and unloading operations, others handled more demanding tasks, including processes that would be potentially hazardous if performed manually. The sight was so captivating that we nearly overlooked the workers stationed safely around the production floor.
Moving into another building, we entered the drill bit and reaming shell manufacturing area and this is where things became noticeably hotter.
Here, another set of robots handled the red-hot components during the high-temperature sintering stage, in which metal powders are bonded into a solid matrix around the diamonds. The robots themselves were protected with heat-insulating covers, making them look almost like specialists in heat-resistant suits approaching lava.
In a separate room within the same production area, the atmosphere changed completely. Here, diamonds and metal powders are still set by hand. After more than an hour surrounded by robotic arms, CNC machines, and highly automated production lines, the contrast was striking. The rhythm of the machines gave way to the mastery of skilled hands.
It took only a few moments to understand why this stage remains manual. The workers were performing their task with remarkable precision and calm confidence, more like watchmakers or jewelry artisans than factory operators. Each diamond is placed with care, each movement contributing to the final performance of the bit.
Despite the delicate nature of the work, each specialist can complete as many as 70–80 bits per day, helping Jinshi reach an impressive daily output approaching 1000 bits.
Drill rods facility
Less than ten minutes away by car, in Tangshan’s newer industrial zone, is Jinshi’s drill rod manufacturing facility. Built in 2020, it is the company’s newest and most technologically advanced workshop, covering 18 000 square meters (193 750 square feet) and employing 50 workers alongside 15 robots.
Having already witnessed extensive automation at the first facility, the drill rod workshop impressed us in a different way: through the clear organization of the entire production flow.
The raw material passes through a sequence of dedicated production lines and mechanisms, each responsible for a specific stage of the process, from raw material inspection, sizing and cutting, tempering, mechanical properties inspection, and shot blasting, to straightening, thread machining, thread inspection, surface treatment, and final size and appearance inspection.
For drill rods, the value of this automation is not only speed, but repeatability: consistent heat treatment, thread quality, straightness, and inspection discipline are critical for performance in deep and demanding holes.
Equally impressive was the enormous inventory of finished drill rods. Giant storage racks stretched for tens of meters and rose more than ten meters high, holding thousands of completed rods, more than our team had ever seen gathered in a single location. For Jinshi, however, this represented only several days of production, as the workshop manufactures several hundred rods per day.
Drill rig production
Our tour of the third facility, dedicated to drill rig production, came with a caveat. Jinshi is currently constructing a new, modernized workshop that will feature greater automation, expanded floor space, and significantly higher production capacity. The new facility is expected to cover 40 000 square meters (430 556 square feet), employ 90 workers, and be capable of producing more than 100 rigs annually.
For now, the existing workshop manufactures a range of bright-orange Y-series hydraulic rigs in various configurations. The Y-series rigs are designed around practicality, serviceability, and ease of operation. These features are valued by contractors working in remote exploration environments where reliability and maintenance access matter as much as technical specifications.
Who’s buying all this?
This was the question that repeatedly surfaced throughout our tour. According to our hosts, aside from some supplies on hand for better lead times, approximately half of this production remains in China, which has quietly become one of the largest drilling markets in the world. The remaining products are shipped internationally to customers across dozens of countries on every continent.
During our discussions with the Jinshi team, we learned that the company’s international sales have grown significantly in recent years. According to our hosts, Jinshi has already reached a leading position in several South American countries, and this expansion appears to be continuing. At the same time, they also acknowledged that their global presence is not yet universal. Some markets remain difficult to enter, especially where long-established brands, local relationships, and conservative purchasing habits still play a strong role.
More about Jinshi
Celebrating its 30ᵗʰ anniversary in November 2026, Jinshi Drilltech stands as one of the leading providers of geological drilling equipment. Founded in 1996, the company has grown into a global enterprise with approximately 530 employees and operations serving customers across Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Antarctica.
Jinshi manufactures a comprehensive range of drilling products, including drill bits and reaming shells, drill rods and casings, coring systems, hydraulic drill rigs, and specialized drilling accessories. Backed by advanced intelligent manufacturing facilities, a dedicated research and testing center, and strategic partnerships with universities and research institutes, the company continues to drive innovation in drilling technology.
In addition to manufacturing, Jinshi operates a dedicated drilling division that delivers drilling projects and technical services throughout China, making the company one of the few industry players capable of providing fully integrated drilling solutions—from equipment design and production to on-site drilling execution.
For more information: Visit jsexplo.com
