How to make my drill bits last longer

StevenHansen849

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So I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to drilling into aluminum that is an 1.5 inches thick but I would think you would want to make a starter hole so your bits would last longer. Is this the case?

The whole story is, I work at a company that has a robot drilling a 16mm by 38mm thick. After about two week the bit starts to gum up and wonders. These holes can only about .5mm off the correct spot and when those drills wonder the holes end up being around 1-2mm off. I understand that the bits will lose there edge and because of the heat the aluminum shavings will "weld" to the hardened steel, but if you guys know a way to make the bits last even a couple days more that would be wonderful.

Thank you and I look forward to your replies.
 
Are you using any kind of lubrication for the drill?

Does the machine start with a smaller drill and work up?

Do you sharpen the drills?

What kind of speeds and feeds is the robot using?

Also, what kind of aluminum?

Is it peck drilling or just going straight down?

Answers to these questions will help us give you a better answer.
 
Steven: Make sure you are using quality bits, correct speeds and feeds with coolant. You may need to do some pecking too.
 
Is a cutting fluid being used? Is the drill being regularly sharpened? Is a spotting drill used before the twist drill?
 
Normally I would use peck drilling with a full retract, flood coolant. Through-tool coolant would be better if available. 135° split point, cobalt, stub drill would be my first choice, or maybe a 3 or 4 flute solid carbide bit if the machine spindle speed will support that.
 
We just ran 5000 aluminum parts with five 1/2" holes in each part in a Haas TM1, flood coolant, 4000 Rpms, .100" peck.

It took 1 OSG carbide SM drill which would probably drill another 25000 holes, use uncoated carbide.
 
An anodized surface will quickly dull a HHS drill. Even carbide is softer than anodizing. The aluminum oxide that makes up the coating is second only to diamond in hardness.
 
An anodized surface will quickly dull a HHS drill. Even carbide is softer than anodizing. The aluminum oxide that makes up the coating is second only to diamond in hardness.

Is the coating thick enough to make a difference when drilling?
 
Are you using any kind of lubrication for the drill?

Does the machine start with a smaller drill and work up?

No it doesn't work up to the size, the guy who programmed the bot has it using the 16mm bit right away.

Do you sharpen the drills?

So we sharpen the bit only after it get gummy.

What kind of speeds and feeds is the robot using?

It's a low speed, I think like 90 RPMs.

Also, what kind of aluminum?

Not too sure, but I its casted.

Is it peck drilling or just going straight down?

Its going straight down on the part.

Answers to these questions will help us give you a better answer.
 
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