What do you think about drilling and tapping in thin-walled parts?
As shown in the picture above, a fusion drill can handle this task.
The hot melt drilling process is a chipless technology for processing holes and bushings on a metal sheet or pipe, which completely replaces the process of welding (riveting) nuts on thin-walled workpieces.
With hot melt drilling technology, it is convenient to form bushings or light holes on thin-walled parts with a wall thickness of less than 12 mm. Inserts or light holes can be up to 4 times the wall thickness of the parent material, with hole diameters ranging from 1.8 mm to 32 mm.
The hot melt adhesive drill is made of wear-resistant and heat-resistant carbide. When the tool is in contact with the workpiece, the high speed (1000~4000) and the corresponding axial force (feed force) will cause strong friction between the drill and the metal, and the temperature will reach 600~800 degrees Celsius in an instant. The metal around the drill rapidly softens and thrust continues to be applied to rapidly extrude bosses and bushings about 3-5 times the thickness of the original insert on the top and bottom surfaces of the workpiece. The whole process takes only 2-6 seconds.
Tap tap
↓↓
For machining that requires a smooth joint surface or chamfered hole, a platform drill can be used to remove the boss formed on the surface of the workpiece. The sleeve can be used as a bearing support, bifurcated neck weld, etc. The threads are extruded, and the processed threads can withstand higher tension and torque.
Short description of the processing process:
Step 1
The hotmelt drill bit simply makes contact with the material, positions it, and then presses it against the material with high axial force and speed.
Step 2
Applied pressure and speed generate the required frictional heat of around 600°C to plasticize and shape the material. The Fusion drill penetrates material in seconds.
Step 3
The melting drill compresses the metal both horizontally and vertically, thereby moving the material down, creating a sleeve. As the hot melt drill penetrates the metal, the feed pressure is gradually reduced and the feed rate is gradually increased.
Step 4
A bushing has formed during fusion drilling. Material fed in the opposite direction is extruded and forms a round table that can be used for compaction. This frame can be removed in the same operation using a flat tipped drill with a cutting edge on the drill bit.
Step 5
The shaping tap can be used immediately to cut threads without chipping the resulting sleeve without storage. Threading by cold extrusion increases the hardness of the material.
Step 6
The result: a connection capable of withstanding high loads and torques. No drilling, subsequent rivet or nut welding required.
Use case:
Hot fusion drilling can be ductile with almost all thin-walled metals (except tin or zinc), such as: ordinary steel, stainless steel, mild steel, aluminum, copper, brass, bronze, titanium alloys and other permanent workpiece materials. and also can process electroplating blanks.
——END——