What’s Next with Handheld Tools and Drills?
Improvements to handheld tools and drills allow fabricators to work with more powerful and safer products to get the job done.
Posted: December 21, 2021
TOOLING & WORKHOLDING
Advances and enhancements to portable tools offer operator’s more torque, easier mobility and the ability to work with a wider range of materials. Ergonomically friendly carrying features and increases in safety measures provide additional benefits.
NEW MAGNETIC DRILL FOR FRICTION DRILLING
Friction drilling by Formdrill USA (Rolling Meadows, IL) is an easy and cost-effective application to join thin-walled materials and avoid costly weld nuts or inserts. The drill bits are used to make a hole and create a bushing out of the parent material, which increases the area available for tapping.
Due to popular demand, Formdrill introduces a new magnetic drill for friction drilling. Typical hand drills are not suited for the process as they are unstable and don’t have the spindle speed or motor power. Manufactured to the highest quality standards, this is a portable drill that can do up to 0.120″ wall and 7/16 UNC or 1/8 NPT. The drill runs at 2,800 rpm – 1,600 W (2.1 HP). The drill can be purchased as a kit, which includes a heat dissipating tool holder, base plate and vise.
NEW HIGH TORQUE THREE-SPEED MAGNETIC DRILL
Hougen Manufacturing, Inc. (Swartz Creek, MI) has released a new model of portable magnetic drill, the HMD920. The drill offers major performance and power improvement to the line of Hougen magnetic drills. With the addition of a three-speed gearbox, the drill gives metal fabricator’s more torque to drill large, deep holes in steel and the ability to use a wider variety of annular cutters.
The HMD920 has a number of features that increase the operator’s productivity. The LED pilot light is built into the base of the magnet and allows the operator to more efficiently and quickly line up the pilot with the hole’s center location in low light conditions. Powering the drill is a proprietary, high torque, Hougen motor and three-speed gearbox. The motor is the strongest, most powerful put on any Hougen drill. The three speeds (250, 450, 700 rpm) help maximize torque, tool life and productivity. It also allows for the use of both high-speed steel and copperhead carbide cutters. The addition of a two-stage magnet increases magnetic holding power by 30 percent when the drill’s motor is turned on. This saves energy and increases magnet life. The arbor system utilizes a 5/8” slot drive for more rigidity, hole accuracy and quicker use of accessories such as drill chucks and tapping attachments.
The new mag drill also comes with additional features such as an attached coolant bottle. The drill weighs 49 lbs., measures 25-15/16″H x 8-3/16″W x 12-13/16″L and provides drilling capacities from 7/16″ up to 2-3/8″ (12-60 mm) diameter and 3″ (76 mm) depth of cut. The drill has an electrical rating of 13.5A and arbor speeds of 250/450/700 rpm.
For safety, the drill incorporates Hougen’s exclusive features to ensure a safe work environment, which includes a no-adjustment safety switch, which shuts down the drill motor if lift of the magnetic base is detected. The HMD920 is made in the USA.
COMPLETE LINE OF PORTABLE POWER TOOLS FEATURES SLAT CLEANER
TRUMPF Inc. (Farmington, CT) offers a complete line of portable power tools for cutting, fastening, beveling and deburring sheet metal. The TruTool TSC 100 slat allows operators to thoroughly remove the accumulation of slag on the support slats of 2D laser cutting machines during the cutting process. This ensures reliable, high-quality production of laser-cut components. By cleaning the slats regularly, you can also increase their service life by up to three or four times.
