What Are the Most Common Types of Carbide Mining Tools? The mining industry utilizes various carbide-tipped tools, each designed for specific applications and rock types: Drill Bits: Button Bits: The most common rock drilling tool. Tungsten carbide buttons (inserts) are pressed into holes in a steel bit body. As the bit rotates and pounds against rock, these buttons do the crushing and chipping. They are used in surface mining, quarrying, and construction. Drag Bits: Feature carbide "picks" or "teeth" that shear or plow through softer materials like coal, gypsum, and salt. Down-the-Hole (DTH) Bits: Large-diameter bits for deep hole drilling, equipped with hemispherical or ballistic-shaped carbide buttons for maximum penetration in hard rock. https://www.carbure-tungstene.com/products/tungsten-carbide-mining-tools