Drilling

Dry milling and turning grow in popularity day by day, but dry drilling is
another matter. Because of the nature of drilling, it's more difficult to
perform this operation without coolant. Still, progress is being made,
thanks to research and more sophisticated coatings.

The CNCs on many lathes don't have drill-pecking cycles. The author
describes several ways to program CNCs to peck, including shortcuts such as
subprogramming and parametric programming.

There are several types of feed units for drilling and tapping on the market, varying in capability and the type of drive. This article discusses the difference between units and suggests questions users should ask themselves before selecting a unit. Factors to be considered include the volume of production, cost engineering and tool requirements.

Drilling with a single- or double-tube system might be the most efficient way to drill deep holes in some applications. This article, which describes the tools and the process, says tubular drilling can pay for itself in higher productivity, thriftier manufacturing and tighter tolerances.

The author explains how high-pressure, high-volume coolant can provide better control of chips and temperature during drilling operations. He also describes the tools, equipment and shop procedures that can ensure top performance from a high-pressure coolant system.

This article details the jobs and applications where indexable drills can and can't offer increased performance and economy. He also explains how to diagnose and correct common indexable-insert drill problems.

Spot drilling is a time-consuming process, but sometimes it is necessary to prevent drill walk. This article describes the reasons for spot drilling and the economic impact of adding the operation to a job. It also explains why a spot drill is a better choice for the operation than a center drill.

Small-diameter drills designed for drilling circuit boards can be used as a low-cost alternative for producing holes in other materials as well. Their fragility is the only drawback. This article describes these tools and the special handling they require.

Check out Greg Bartlett's Q&A with Allied Machine's product manager.

Look-Ahead: Company pairs its change system with an industrial robot for full automation.