The customer is manufacturing AR upper receiver castings for the firearms industry. The parts are made from cast aluminum. Previously, the customer was using a solid carbide twist drill to perform the operation. The twist drill achieved a tool life of 2700 linear inches (68.58 M). The customer needs to increase tool life without sacrificing hole quality.
Allied’s GEN3SYS XT Pro drilling system with non-ferrous geometry insert achieved 9000 linear inches (228.6 M) of tool life, a 233% increase over the twist drill. The parameters were kept the same to create a level test, which resulted in the same cycle time for both tools, but the XT Pro offered 3x the tool life.
| Product: |
GEN3SYS XT Pro |
| Objectives: |
Improve tool life |
| Industry: |
Firearms |
| Part: |
AR upper receiver |
| Material: |
Cast aluminum |
| Hole Ø: |
0.998'' (25.349mm) |
| Hole Depth: |
4.500'' (114.3mm) |
The GEN3SYS XT Pro High Penetration Drilling System:
- GEN3SYS XT Pro holder: HXT1024S-100F
- GEN3SYS XT Pro insert, (N) Non-ferrous geometry: XTN24-25.3
| Measure |
Competitor |
GEN3SYS XT Pro |
| RPM |
5000 |
5000 |
| Speed |
1300 SFM (396.24 M/min) |
1300 SFM (396.24 M/min) |
| Feed Rate |
110 IPM (2794 mm/min) |
110 IPM (2794 mm/min) |
| Cycle Time |
2.46 sec |
2.45 sec |
| Tool Life |
2700" (68.58M) |
9000" (228.6M) |
| GEN3SYS XT Pro offered 52% cost per hole savings over the competitor tooling. |
The GEN3SYS XT Pro provided:
- Increased tool life by 233%
- Decreased cycle time
- Decreased cost per hole