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A deep hole is defined by its depth to diameter ratio (D:d), typically greater than 10:1. Gundrilling is a precision process to drill deep holes in a variety of materials, from aluminum to superalloys. Good finish, tight diameter control and straight-ness are part of the finished process. Deep hole drilling is beneficial across several applications. Oil and gas exploration equipment, armaments, aerospace equipment, and engines are common applications for deep hole drilling and machining processes. Advances in technology allow common CNC machining centers, equipped with high pressure through-spindle coolant, to be capable of gundrilling/STS-BTA.
"Which drilling method is right for my application .... Gundrill, BTA, Ejector?"
While many factors are involved in the choice of tooling and machine type Below are brief descriptions and general guidelines.
Gundrilling
Gundrilling is an very old process of drilling long or deep holes, first used in the making of gun barrels more than 100 years ago. Today's technology with refined machinery and tool design has made gun drilling a reliable high production method for drilling short holes as well as deep holes. The gundrill consists of a hollow tube with a " V" shaped groove or flute along its length, and a carbide cutting tip designed in such a way as to produce it's own guide bushing as it drills the hole. High pressure coolant is introduced into the center of the drill tube through the spindle of the gun drilling machine to help break and evacuate the chips along the "V" groove of the tool and out of the hole. Gundrilling provides very close tolerance straight holes with excellent surface finish. Gundrilling is able to produce holes as small as .031"
BTA/STS
BTA or STS (single tube system) drilling is a process developed in more recent years, with BTA drilling the coolant is introduced around the drill tube at the pressure head, and chips are evacuated through the center of the drill. The detachable drill head is comprised of individual carbide inserts and guide pads. Very high penetration rates can be achieved with this system along with good surface finish. Diameters as small as .500" (12.7 mm) or as large as 15.00" (381mm) can be produced with this type of system.
Ejector
Ejector drilling or two tube system is a process similar to the BTA process except in this case the drill tube consists of an inner and outer tube. Coolant is introduced at the spindle via a rotary connector and passes between the inner and outer tube, chips exit through the inner tube. Minimum diameter is limited to about .750 (19 mm) since there is less room for chip removal in the smaller diameter tube. The ejector system performs well in the case where the face of the part is irregular since the design of the rotary connector and drill head create a venturi effect to draw coolant and chips through the inner tube with out relying on a good seal between part and bushing. The Ejector system is often adapted for use in lathes or machining centers.
Drilling Tools
Gundrill Tooling
Small diameter drilling, typically 1 - 50mm [0.04 -2.00in] diameter holes High-pressure coolant is introduced through the spindle and gundrill center Chips are discharged on the outside of the tool Special forms can be ground in tool tip
BTA/STS tooling
Larger diameter drilling, typically 20 - 200mm [0.79 - 8 inch] Counter-boring and trepanning tools cover larger range, up to 500mm [20 inch] diameter High-pressure coolant is introduced around the outside of the tool Chips are discharged through the tool center and machine spindle High penetration rates and power requirements compared to gundrill tooling
Tools
Drill tubes thread onto the cutting tool head and connect to the machine spindle, to transfer power to the tool during drilling.
Drill Tubes
BTA drill tubes come in standard sizes and securely connect the drill head with the machine. A solid connection is essential for accurate drilling.
Why BTA?
After drilling, additional machining methods can further improve deep hole concentricity, straightness, surface finish, and more. These methods machine the inside surface of the hole, much like other external machining processes, and most can be performed on a BTA deep hole drilling machine. Processes are performed on a workpiece with an existing bore due to prior drilling or centrifugal casting, and an inside diameter surface exists. Many of these deep hole machining processes have been optimized for specific applications, such as skiving machines for the hydraulic cylinder industry, or bottle boring for landing gear actuators.
Dampener Cartridge/Manual
Precision rotating assembly with interchangeable collets to provide dampening to various drill tube size. Manually adjusted.
Dampener Cartridge/Hydraulic
Precision rotating assembly with integral hydraulic cylinder to provide dampening to various drill tube sizes. Automatically or remotely adjusted.
Coolant Systems
Cutting fluid is introduced to the tool and very high flow rates and pressure. Compared to conventional metal cutting processes, deep hole drilling requires very powerful pumps and precisely controlled delivery of coolant. UNISIG has refined the engineering for coolant systems, ranging from small gun drilling circuits operating at 200 bar (3,000psi) to high flow BTA systems delivering 1900 L/min (500 gal/min).
Driver Mounts
Three types of mounts (baoyonet, direct, or adapter) are available to connect the tube to the spindle, and are based on international standards.
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