Thermal Drilling Saves Time and Money

In Booth S-2222, Formdrill USA Inc. (Chicago, IL), a manufacturer of thermal drill bits, will demonstrate the thermal drilling process. Visitors can see what is considered a novelty in the Americas even though it has been in use for over 40 years by multi-national fabricators to small machine shops throughout Europe. Its popularity is due to the big savings in time, labor and material costs. Resulting joints are as strong or stronger as the equivalent diameter welded nut. A drill press will be available to demonstrate how easy it is to perforate metal using friction. The main benefit of the process is that the material, that would normally be cut using the conventional drilling process, is used to form a bushing that triples the material thickness. This bushing can then be tapped to Form your own Inserts and be used instead of welded nuts, threaded nipples and inserts. The process can also be used in CNC, or milling machines.

Arne Van Der Steen, one of Formdrill’s R&D engineers, states that “typical savings can be as much as $2 dollars per joint because there is no need to cut the hole, clean the burrs, buy the nuts or nipples, weld them, and test for leaks. By multiplying the $2 savings per joint times the millions of holes drilled per year, it is easy to cost-justify its implementation.” Another very significant benefit of this process is that parts can also be designed with lighter/thinner materials. These built-in inserts can be formed in UNC, UNF, NPT, Metric and Metric Fine threads in steel, stainless, aluminum and copper from .032 in to ½ in thick. Attendees will be amazed by the clean, no chips operation and the feeling of pushing into butter as the steel is heated with friction and transformed into a plastic state to Form your own Inserts and save a lot of time and money.

Formdrill USA Inc., 4118 North Nashville Avenue, Chicago, IL 60634-1429, 773-290-1040, www.formdrill-usa.com.