Overview

The AQUA Drills Three Flutes (3-flute) is a high-precision drill designed to enable reamless, accurate hole processing. Its balanced 3-flute design ensures superior roundness and low cutting resistance, making it suitable for precision drilling and grade reaming in various steel materials.

Key Features and Performance

• Balanced 3-Flute Design: Provides excellent cutting balance for high precision.
• Original Thinning Geometry: Reduces cutting load and resistance.
• High Roundness Accuracy: Achieves roundness under 3μm in pre-hardened steels.
• Low Thrust and Torque: Demonstrated lower thrust and torque compared to competitor 3-groove drills.
• Long Tool Life: Proven durability in carbon steels (S50C), alloy steels (SCM440), and hardened mold steels (SKD61).

Drilling Conditions and Material Suitability

Drilling tests were conducted under wet conditions with various materials and parameters:

• Materials: NAK80 (40HRC), S50C (180HB), SCM440 (310HB), SKD61 (50HRC).
• Speeds and Feeds: Cutting speeds ranged from 40 to 100 m/min; feed rates from 0.18 to 0.27 mm/rev depending on drill diameter and material hardness.
• Hole Depths: From 15 mm to 30 mm, including through holes and blind holes.

The AQUA Drills 3-flute consistently outperformed competitor drills in terms of hole diameter stability, tool life (number of holes drilled before failure), and precision.

Precision and Surface Quality

Measurements of roundness and surface roughness under various cutting speeds and feed rates showed:

• Roundness values consistently below 3μm under optimal wet conditions.
• Surface roughness and hole enlargement were minimized, contributing to high-quality hole finishes.
• Optimal cutting parameters vary by drill diameter and workpiece material; trial runs are recommended to determine best conditions.

Tool Specifications and Availability

The catalog provides detailed dimensional data for the AQUA Drills 3-flute series, including:

• Diameter range: 3.0 mm to 16.0 mm (with increments as small as 0.01 mm in some ranges).
• Groove length, overall length, and shank diameter specified for each size.
• Stock availability indicated for standard sizes (●) and distributor stock (□).
• Recommended re-coating (RE-AQUACOAT) after re-sharpening to maintain performance.

Recommended Usage and Safety Guidelines

• Use appropriate cutting conditions; avoid improper parameters.
• Do not use tools with significant wear or chipping.
• Securely clamp both tool and workpiece.
• Avoid direct contact with cutting edges and rotating tools.
• Ensure chip removal and cooling, especially in dry machining (use air blow).
• Adjust cutting parameters if vibration or abnormal noise occurs.

Drilling Conditions Table (Wet Processing)

Recommended rotation speeds and feed rates for various materials under wet conditions:

• Structural Steels, Carbon Steels, Cast Irons (SS, SC, FC): Rotation speeds from 650 to 820 min⁻¹ depending on drill diameter; feed rates from 450 to 6400 mm/min.
• Alloy Steels, Pre-hardened Steels (SCM, NAK, HPM): Rotation speeds from 3200 to 5300 min⁻¹; feed rates from 320 to 580 mm/min.
• Mold Steels, Hardened Steels (30-40 HRC): Rotation speeds from 1900 to 4200 min⁻¹; feed rates from 190 to 5300 mm/min.
• Hardened Steels (40-50 HRC): Rotation speeds from 1600 to 3200 min⁻¹; feed rates from 250 to 8500 mm/min.
• Ductile Cast Irons (FCD): Rotation speeds from 1600 to 8500 min⁻¹; feed rates from 250 to 8500 mm/min.

Notes: For dry machining, reduce rotation and feed to 70% of wet condition values and use air blow for cooling and chip removal. Not recommended for aluminum alloys, light metals, or stainless steels.

Manufacturer and Contact Information

Produced by Nachi-Fujikoshi Corp., Tokyo, Japan. The catalog includes contact details for various regional offices and distributors for ordering and technical support.

Summary

The AQUA Drills Three Flutes series offers a high-precision, durable drilling solution with superior roundness and low cutting resistance. It is optimized for wet machining of various steels, providing long tool life and excellent hole quality. Detailed specifications and recommended cutting conditions support effective tool selection and use. Safety and operational guidelines ensure proper handling and performance.