Technical Sharing | Five Key Issues in Drilling: Boost Your Machining Efficiency
SNSTC 2025-07-08
In the field of mechanical manufacturing, drilling is a critical process, widely used in the production of parts such as cooling systems, power generation equipment, and steam generators. However, several key issues frequently arise during drilling operations, directly impacting machining efficiency and product quality. This article delves into five major challenges in drilling and provides practical solutions to help you tackle them effectively.
1.Chip Control
Chip shape plays a critical role in drilling performance. Improper chip forms—such as powdery or fan-shaped chips—can clog flutes, reduce hole accuracy, shorten tool life, or even lead to drill breakage. Long chips, like spiral or ribbon-shaped ones, may tangle around the tool, hinder operations, or block coolant flow into the hole. To address these problems effectively, consider the following measures:
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Increase feed rate: A higher feed rate helps chips break more easily, improving chip breaking and evacuation.
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Use interrupted feeding: Intermittent feeding helps break chips more effectively.
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Grind the chisel edge: Modifying the chisel edge changes chip formation and reduces long chip generation.
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Install chip breakers: Chip breakers effectively break long chips to prevent entanglement.
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Use specialized chip-breaking drills: Modern drills with integrated chip-breaker edges fragment chips for smoother cutting.
2.Hole Accuracy and Precision in Drilling
Drilling accuracy is a critical metric for evaluating drilling quality. It includes key factors such as hole diameter, positional accuracy, coaxiality, roundness, surface roughness, and burr formation at the hole entrance.Key factors affecting drilling accuracy include:
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Drill clamping accuracy: Misalignment during clamping can cause positional deviations.
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Cutting conditions: Cutting speed, feed rate, and coolant usage all impact accuracy. Poor conditions may lead to rough surfaces or burrs.
To improve drilling accuracy:
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Drill a center hole first: This provides an accurate starting point and enhances positioning precision.
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Mill a seat with an end mill: For high-precision holes, pre-milling with an end mill ensures better hole location.
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Use appropriate drills: Choose drills with good cutting performance and rigidity to reduce vibration and improve accuracy.
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Reduce feed rate: Lower feed rates during drilling can enhance surface finish and minimize burrs.
3.Drilling Conditions
Proper drilling conditions are essential for maximizing tool life and machining efficiency. Cutting parameters should be established through trial cutting and comprehensively evaluated based on machining accuracy, productivity, and tool wear.
Tool Life and Machining Efficiency
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HSS Drill：The tool life of HSS drills is highly sensitive to spindle speed but less affected by feed per revolution. Therefore, increasing feed per revolution can enhance machining efficiency while maintaining tool life. However, excessive feed may produce overly thick chips, making chip breaking difficult. Trial cutting is recommended to determine the optimal feed range for stable chip breaking.
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Carbide drills: Carbide drills: Carbide drills have better heat resistance than HSS drills, making them less sensitive to rotation speed. Increasing spindle speed is an effective way to improve efficiency without significantly reducing tool life.
Proper Use of Coolant
Proper selection and application of coolant directly affect machining results. Water-soluble coolants offer excellent cooling, while non-water-soluble coolants provide superior lubrication and rust prevention. It is crucial to adjust the flow and pressure to ensure that the coolant reaches the cutting point effectively.
4.Drill Regrinding
Regular regrinding is essential to maintain drill performance. It's not just about restoring appearance, but also about ensuring that the cutting edge condition, hole precision, and cutting resistance remain within acceptable limits. The need for regrinding should be determined based on a comprehensive evaluation of these factors.
During regrinding, maintain the original drill geometry as much as possible to avoid performance loss caused by shape changes. Avoid overheating to protect the material integrity. Ensure symmetrical geometry and remove any residual burrs after grinding to preserve cutting performance.
5.Other Issues
Problems such as drill vibration and tool wear can significantly affect machining efficiency and product quality. Solving these issues requires not only advanced drill designs but also proper operation and maintenance. A comprehensive and systematic approach is vital to improving overall productivity and maintaining a competitive edge.
SNSTC is dedicated to delivering high-efficiency, high-precision machining solutions that meet the needs of general-purpose and specialized machines, as well as complex and challenging cutting applications.
With proven processing strategies and advanced precision equipment, we solve diverse machining challenges. From design to production, every step is managed by our expert team to ensure strict quality control and responsive service. We offer cost-effective, customized solutions—standard or complex—to eliminate tool compatibility issues and unlock higher machining efficiency.
Choose SNSTC — Smarter Solutions for Efficient, Accurate Machining.
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