NEW DRILL DESIGN BOOSTS TOOL LIFE AND LOWERS COSTS

A new drilling tool design developed by ATI Stellram has significantly boosted productivity and reduced costs at Young Touchstone, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of industrial heat exchangers.

Stellram® HardCore® technology has dramatically transformed a machining operation at the US-based company’s plant in Tennessee by doubling the average number of holes achieved per drill and delivering a 59% saving on tool costs.

Young Touchstone, part of the Wabtec Corporation, turned to ATI Stellram for help on its project, which involved drilling approximately 1,000 holes, 13mm x 16mm deep, in 1018 CR steel plates used for a variety of cooling applications.

“The challenge was to identify areas for improvement which would help increase productivity and decrease tool costs. Under the existing operation, the drill cost per hole was high and tool life varied greatly,” explained Patrick Cann, ATI Stellram’s solid carbide specialist.

“The Stellram® product development team recommended the use of HardCore®  technology drills as part of a series of changes designed to further improve the control of cutting conditions and tool life. A feed and speed was established that not only gave the required production rate, but also longer tool life.

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“As the tool life was substantially increased, the average holes per drill increased from 15,000 to 30,000 and, as a consequence, the cost per hole was also reduced, achieving a saving of 59% compared to the previous method,” he added.

Chad Copeland, ATI Stellram’s sales engineer, said the patented HardCore® technology was suitable for the application because it combines two optimum grades of carbide in one tool, removing the problems usually associated with switching between tools with different carbide grades.

“This new technology helps extend tool life, eliminate chipping and resolve durability or production speed issues. While one of the carbide grades is designed to withstand the high speed of the tool’s outer diameter, the robust characteristics of the other grade easily handle the slow speed of the tool centre,” he commented.

Jeremy Kennedy, Young Touchstone’s CNC Co-Ordinator (Supervisor), praised the product and the efforts of ATI Stellram’s team. “The design of the HardCore® drill means we get longer tool life at an increased feed and speed rate. The technical support was excellent and I have since purchased more ATI products for other applications with great success.”

HardCore® drills are available in sizes ranging from 3-16mm (0.118-0.63 in) diameter and capacities up to 5x diameter. Further details are available online at www.atistellram.com or from Elena Gandiglio on 00 41 22 354 9711 (email egandiglio@ATIEP.com).

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