Triumph Tool proudly represents botek Präzisionsbohrtechnik GmbH, a world leader in deep hole drilling technology based in Riederich, Germany.
Gundrilling has been around for a long time as a means of manufacturing deep and precise holes with high process capability.
Traditional gundrill configurations include:
- Carbide–tipped
- Solid carbide
- Indexable carbide
These configurations are widespread across several market segments we serve, including automotive, aerospace, mold & die, power generation, and medical.
Gundrills are not only suited for dedicated deep hole drilling machines but can also be used on more traditional CNC equipment such as lathes and machining centers.
Some of the more common challenges of gundrilling over years include:
- Lower feed rates and hence longer cycle times than traditional drilling
- Dealing with cross holes, as is commonly found in the mold & die industry
- General requirement for a high quality neat cutting oil
The good news is that there have been recent breakthroughs in technology to at least partially address each of these challenges.
3 Key Considerations for Building or Upgrading Your Gundrilling Configuration
Is it time to upgrade your gundrilling with the latest technology? Or maybe it is time to start gundrilling?
Consider the following:
1. Increase Penetration Rates with Indexable Gundrills
Type 01 Indexable gundrills from botek can typically feed at about double the penetration rate of carbide tipped drills.
Up until about a year ago, the diameter range was from 12.00 to 43.99mm. Two recent product line extensions first got down to 11.00mm and most recently to 9.90mm. New high performance universal inserts 225S-91 yield higher productivity and process reliability.
Cutting inserts and guide pads can be changed out on the machine, with the simplest handling, without re-adjustment, setting within +/-0.01mm. Of course, no regrinding is required.
2. Handle Cross Holes with both Carbide-Tipped and Indexable Gundrills
For common cross hole applications, botek type 110 carbide tipped drills should be furnished with extra-long (XL) carbide heads to much better handle cross holes. The XL head helps support the gundrill across the cross hole, as it bushes on the hole that it has created, and eliminates/reduces cutting edge chipping.
When using type 01 indexable drills, extended guide pads should be furnished for the same reasons as described above.
3. Get Around the Traditional Requirement for a High-Quality Neat Cutting Oil
Triumph proudly represents Blaser Swisslube of Goshen, NY, USA., a world leader in metalworking fluids.
There are some inherent problems when using neat cutting oils when gundrilling. The first and obvious concern is that most workpieces have other operations done to them on traditional CNC machines that typically use a water soluble coolant emulsion, and hence part washing of some sort is required between these operations.
Another concern is “slippery” floors, machine tables and surfaces that fall under health and safety concerns. Blaser has recently developed some excellent water soluble products that work very well, where previously, only neat oil could be used.
The other area that we can help with Blaser is where Minimal Quantity Lubrication (MQL) is a requirement of the process. Recent product developments make gundrilling with MQL a practical option.
Up Your Gundrilling Game with Triumph Tool
Whether you are interested in upgrading your gundrilling process, or you are considering starting to gundrill, Triumph Tool is here to support you.
Triumph is well-positioned to support you. Our botek Product Manager/Engineer is extremely capable with all botek products, with some 25 years of experience. Meanwhile, when it comes to cutting oils/water soluble coolants, we are equally well positioned to support you with both in-house Blaser local support.
With all of the challenges of manufacturing deep holes in modern workpieces, be sure that you are using the latest technologies in both gundrill and metalworking fluids. We are here to help!