Carbide and PCD – the evolution of West Ohio Tool proprietary specials tool development
Up until the discovery that PCD brazing to carbide increased durability, carbide was the solid choice in optimizing the wear and tear of metal shredding metal.
Depending on the industry you’re engineering for, carbide may be the right man for the job. Softer non-ferrous metals like aluminum are no match for our carbide drills, even if we’re being ranked solely in chip or heat resistance. Our carbide twist with thru spindle coolant helps prevent wear while keeping the cut zone cooler. This may be all you need for your project.
If you want more _______________, (fill in the blank with what you want from your drills)
You may want the diamonds that look like coal.
Thanks to PCD, polycrystalline diamonds, and through brazing, engineers added a coat of the armor on the spirals of an already tough carbide drill. It definitely was an improvement in strength in durability, but at a cost.
In addition to the cost hitting your budget, there’s the long, expensive process it takes to make them. Plus, depending on the technician’s experience in working with PCD drills, and cycle times, you could end up in a situation where it’s easier to order new tools than wait for an intricate regrind that requires logistics.
West Ohio Tool Needed to Take PCD to the Next Level.
There had to be a better way. And a better PCD. We have patent pending manufacturing of PCD where it matters most – in the cross center tip of the drill. Every hit counts, like every mile on your car. Top that with if you’re stuck with peck or spot drilling, making several hits for one hole – it’s like your commute is much longer, wearing and tearing on your vehicle.
The cross tip PCD material takes the highest, concentrated grade of PCD in the market. Then you braze it solidly to the carbide twist drill with through tool coolant and you’ve got one tough, non-ferrous metal shredder.
We knew our solution for using the strength of PCD where it’s needed most – leading the first punch. The first point of contact should be the hardest. One pass.
When you’re drilling aluminum there are some variables to consider such as the machine, operator and geometric design of the drill for your project. Our PCD cross center tip drills can exceed 800k to 1 million hits with 3-5 times faster runs. The process also cuts your wait time by 75% with #weeks being in the single digits.
