Critical guidelines for successful deep hole drilling

Deep hole drilling with an extended drill is much different than drilling smaller holes. There are varying requirements and different challenges associated with deep hole drilling. To avoid unsuccessful drilling attempts and costly mistakes, there are several critical steps to take, according to a recent blog post on Rotem Industrial Products’ website entitled “Deep hole drilling: How to do it right the first time”.

The key to safe and accurate drilling

A special gun-drilling machine can make deep hole drilling easier, as the drill is supported and, therefore, stops the drill end from “flailing”. However, most operators only have access to a lathe or mill where the drill is unsupported. And, when a deep hole drill is unsupported, the drill can snap when it touches the workpiece if it is rotated at full drilling rpm.

There is a way to safety drill deep holes, according to the blog. In these cases, it’s important to first drill a pilot hole of the same size to a minimum of twice the drill diameter. This will provide a sufficient pilot hole to guide the deep hole drill. Next, the operator should feed the drill into the pilot hole at a maximum 50 rpm and 300 mm/min until about 1.5 millimetres away from the bottom of the pilot hole. At this point, the end of the drill will be sufficiently supported by the pilot hole. The operator can then turn on the coolant and safely ramp up to 50 per cent of the recommended rpm, and 75 per cent of the recommended feed rate. Once the operator is about 1xD past the bottom of the pilot hole, the rpm and feed rate can be safely increased to 100 per cent of the recommended speed and feed. When it’s time to retract the drill, the operator should first turn off the coolant and reduce the speed to 50 rpm.

A leading supplier of drilling solutions

Rotem is a one-stop source for drilling, deep hole drilling and other holemaking solutions. The Toronto-based company carries a wide variety of drills, and has the expertise to help customers safely complete their drilling tasks with the most appropriate solution.

To learn more, contact Rotem.

• Tweet