The good kind of ‘when it rains, it pours.’
Reliability and cycle time are key if you’re running lights-out. Our customer’s machinists set up their machines during the day to run unmanned and unwatched the remainder of the shift. They were machining electrical harness mounts from copper 110, and their tooling seemed to be performing well enough. However, when they saw an opportunity to potentially increase their penetration rates, they decided to investigate.
The customer tested the 4TEX Indexable Carbide Drill using the “N” geometry-designed specifically for non-ferrous materials-with a TiCN coating giving them high lubricity. Originally, the customer was hoping for a 15% increase in penetration rate. The 4TEX blew past that expectation and increased the penetration rate by 158%. Along with that, the 4TEX decreased cycle time by 63%, all while providing a reliable process that produced better chips in a very difficult chip-forming material.
Already thrilled with the results, the customer also achieved improved tool life with the 4TEX. In fact, the previous tooling provided 50 parts per index, but the 4TEX crushed that number with 150 parts per index (a 200% increase in life).
When testing began, the customer was hoping for a slight increase in penetration rate while maintaining their tool life. When all was said and done, the 4TEX Drill had not only drastically increased penetration rate, it had also decreased cycle time, increased tool life, and improved chip formation. Sometimes, when it rains, it pours - and that doesn’t always have to be a bad thing.
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Product: |
4TEX Drill |
Objectives: |
(1) Increase penetration rate by 15%
(2) Maintain tool life |
Industry: |
Renewable energy/energy (electrical) |
Part: |
Electrical harness mount |
Material: |
Copper 110 |
Hole Ø: |
1.250" (31.75mm) |
Hole Depth: |
2.000" (50.8mm) |
4TEX Indexable Carbide Insert Drill
- Drill holder, 2xD length: D2091250I-125F
- Drill inserts, N geometry (non-ferrous materials): 4T-09T306-N
Measure |
Competitor IC Drill |
4TEX Drill |
RPM |
978 |
1146 |
Speed Rate |
320 SFM (97.536 M/min) |
375 SFM (114.3 M/min) |
Feed Rate |
0.0055 IPR (0.1397 mm/rev) |
0.012 IPR (0.3048 mm/rev) |
Penetration Rate |
5.3 IPM (134.62 mm/min) |
13.7 IPM (347.98 mm/min) |
Cycle Time |
22 sec |
8 sec |
Tool Life |
50 parts |
150 parts |
The 4-sided indexable inserts with non-ferrous geometry provided:
- 200% tool life increase
- Increased penetration rate
- Decreased cycle time
- Worry-free machining