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Flowdrill
Create Structural Threaded Holes in Thin Wall Material
When you need a welded or riveted nut or a special insert -- think Flowdrill!
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TOOLHOLDER
The FDMC2 Toolholder insures the optimum clamping of the Flowdrill and prevents rotational slippage while the tool is turning at high speeds. Multiple prongs in the Collet securely hold the Flowdrill in a 360° clamping system. The Toolholder uses a built-in aluminum cooling disc designed specifically to diffuse heat that travels up the spindle. The Toolholder uses a standard tapered shaft that will fit most standard drilling machines. A cylindrical shaft is also available for CNC machines.
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Flow Drill Diameter
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Part Number
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2mm to 16.4mm
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FDMC2
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COLLET
Collets with multiple prongs totally encompass and clamp the Flowdrill tool. This optimum clamping system insures that the Flowdrill will not slip while rotating at the high speeds required in the process.
FLOWDRILL
Flowdrill tools are molded and shaped from very high strength tungsten carbide. The forming part of the tool has a polygonal shape with four facets. These facets produce the friction while turning at high speeds to heat and form the material. Flowdrills are designed with an almost flat, conical tip that transitions into a sharper conical shape that leads into a cylindrical shape. The conical and cylindrical portions of the tool are polygon shaped. The cylindrical part of the tool determines the diameter of the hole.
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For Threaded Hole
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Part Number
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5/16" - 18 Thread
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FT312518
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LUBRICANT
To optimize the quality of the hole, lubrication needs to be applied prior to each perforation. The specially designed Lubricant Paste increases the lifetime of the Flowdrill tools; improves the surface quality of the formed bushing; and provides clean and well defined edges. |
FLOWTAP
Flowtapping is the perfect compliment to the Flowdrill process. Flowtapped threads produced by the Flowdrilling methods produce superior strength threads as compared to conventional methods. Formed threads avoid cutting the natural grain of the material. The compressed structure provides higher pull-out strength and torque specifications.
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Flowdrill Lubricant
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Flowtap Lubricant
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2.2 pound
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FDKSO
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1 Liter
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FTMZ
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Create Threaded Holes in Thin Wall Material
The Flowdrill® process can be used in any application where the material thickness does not provide support for a threaded hole. When you need a welded or riveted nut or a special insert – think Flowdrill®. You will improve quality and save time and money.
Flowdrill® tools may be used on standard drilling machines, NC or CNC systems with motor capacities from 1.5 to 3.5 kW. Revolution speeds required range from 1000 to 3500 RPM.
The Flowdrill® comes into contact with the material using
relatively high axial pressure and rotational speed. The
generated heat makes the material soft and malleable enough to be formed and perforated. As the Flowdrill® pushes into the material, some of the displaced material forms a collar around the upper surface of the workpiece. The rest of the
material forms a bushing in the lower surface of the workpiece. All this happens in a matter of seconds. The
resulting collar and bushing can be up to three times the
original material thickness. The diameter of the bushing is accurately determined by the cylindrical part of the Flowdrill® tool.
The process does not disturb the material’s internal structure. As a result, the formed bush is remarkably strong and can be used for bearing sleeves or, when threaded in a separate process, can provide high torque threaded surfaces with very high pull-out strength specifications. |
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- Initial Contact
Relatively high axial pressure combined with high rotational speed is needed to generate heat between Flowdrill® and workpiece. The Flowdrill® temperature rises rapidly to about 1200° to 1400°F and the workpiece to 1100°F
- Material Flow
Displaced material initially flows up towards the Flowdrill®. When the point penetrates, material flows in the direction of the drill feed. As the material softens, axial force is reduced and feed rate increased.
Final size and shape of the Flowdrilled® hole and bushing are determined by the diameter and cone shape of the Flowdrill®.
- Flowtapping
The most common use of the Flowdrill® is to provide a high-strength, threaded fastener in thin sheet metal, pipe or tube. A Flowdrilled hole may be tapped with conventional cutting taps or, preferably, with cold form Flowtaps.
Flowtapping resembles Flowdrill® except that the operating temperatures are much lower. Instead of cutting, Flowtaps cold-form the thread – no swarf. The diameter of the Flowdrill® determines the final thread form, depth and strength
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Flowdrill
Create Threaded Holes in Thin Wall Material
The Flowdrill process can be used in any application where the material thickness does not provide support for a threaded hole. When you need a welded or riveted nut or a special insert – think Flowdrill. You will improve quality and save time and money. Flowdrill tools may be used on standard drilling machines, NC or CNC systems with motor capacities from 1.5 to 3.5 kW. Revolution speeds required range from 1000 to 3500 RPM. The Flowdrill comes into contact with the material using relatively high axial pressure and rotational speed. The generated heat makes the material soft and malleable enough to be formed and perforated.
As the Flowdrill pushes into the material, some of the displaced material forms a collar around the upper surface of the workpiece. The rest of the material forms a bushing in the lower surface of the workpiece. All this happens in a matter of seconds. The resulting collar and bushing can be up to three times the original material thickness. The diameter of the bushing is accurately determined by the cylindrical part of the Flowdrill tool. The process does not disturb the material’s internal structure. As a result, the formed bush is remarkably strong and can be used for bearing sleeves or, when threaded in a separate process, can provide high torque threaded surfaces with very high pull-out strength specifications.
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