The Skinny on Microdrilling - Cool Jet Systems - #4

your tool."

Starro differentiates itself by holding tolerances to ±0.0002" in some pro­duction runs. Dwyer said that most of the available drilling data covers rotat­ing applications, so Starro has had to develop many of its own procedures for using microdrills on screw machines and CNC machining centers. "Center­ing is the trick," he said. "You must have very good machines and less than 0.0001" TIR."

Dwyer said that the major benefits of the coolant-fed microdrills are increased tool life and speed. Depending on the workpiece material, through-coolant drills can provide three times the tool life and 30 percent faster cutting speeds than noncoolant-fed carbide drills.

Optimizing every element of the over­all cutting system is especially important in long-run microdrill applications.

Tom Krueger, national sales manager for Kyocera Tycom Corp.'s Micro In­dustrial Cutting Tools division, Irvine, Calif., said lower-volume machine shops can get cost-effective perfor-

timize the entire operation.

With a special drill, point geometry, flute length, helix angle, and shank length and diameter can each be ad­justed for achieving the best perfor­mance in a particular workpiece mate­rial. Analysis of the machine tool used to apply the drill can further increase output.

Krueger cited a stainless steel med­ical product application involving a 0.015"-dia. drill. The process was per­formed on a unique machine that ro­tated the drill at 5,000 rpm while rotat­ing the workpiece at the same speed in the opposite direction. Kyocera Tycom suggested process modifications, such as changes in machine alignment, that doubled part output.

Realizing major gains in productivity takes time, money and commitment. Starro, for example, invested in equip­ment and processes and conducted ex­tensive research on various microdrill­ing applications.

"It's not for the faint of heart," Dwyer said.

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mance with standard tools, but, where high volumes of a specific product are involved, a shop should analyze and op-

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