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Flow drilling

Punching by a smooth rotating tool that’s pressed through the material that has been heated by friction.

Beskrivning
Illustration of Flow drilling

The process

The tool [1], which has a smooth tip, is rotated at high speed while pressing the workpiece with sufficient axial pressure to create a large amount of heat energy through friction. The workpiece is then heated up and becomes deformable, whereupon the tool is pressed through the material. The material is displaced and flows upward and downward along the tool. By moving the tool base all the way down towards the material, the material above the upper side is pressed and flows back to the surface and form a collar [2]. On the bottom a longer and thinner extension of the hole is formed. The hole depth may thus be up to three times as thick as the starting material thickness.

Typiska applikationer

Metoden används vanligtvis för att skapa ett hål med så pass stor tjocklen att man kan gänga hålet.

Synonyms

Friktionsborrning
Flow drilling
Process films
Advantages and disadvantages
In comparison with alternative methods
Very quick process
molds all the material without losing any material
Clean process
No access required to the workpiece rear side
can process all types of metals
Enables subsequent threads in thin materials
Not possible with solid materials
Materials must withstand more heat
Requires higher engine capacity and rotational speed than conventional drilling