|
Leading
Diamond Drill Manufacturer |
|
Diamond
Drill / Bit Problem
Solving / Trouble Shooting
There
are many variables that affect diamond drill performance. Successful
diamond drilling is both an art & science. Requiring
the proper understanding of how to use drilling speed and pressure, coolants,
and drilling accessories to maximize production efficiency, drill life and
product quality. While this understanding is best gained through
experience, even new diamond drill users can quickly become proficient by
learning and applying some basic principles of diamond drilling.
We
are here to help you get the most out of your diamond drilling operation. BELOW
IS A GUIDE OF MOST COMMON DIAMOND DRILLING PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS ON HOW TO
RESOLVE THEM. Here you will find most common problems experienced by
Diamond Drill Users & recommendations to resolve them. If
you have a problem than is not addressed by this guide, have a question, need further guidance or assistance
please contact us by email, phone, or fax. For urgent support, you can
contact us at: Phone:
(661) 257-2288.
Our experienced engineers
can provide valuable
suggestions on how to improve you diamond drilling operation. We
encourage you to provide as much information as possible on your
application problem occurred, and periodically update us on your diamond
drilling progress.
We also highly encourage you to check the SUPPORT part of our web
site. This will answer most questions you may have.
UNDERSTANDING
DIAMOND DRILL LIFE & PERFORMANCE
|
Material
Hardness + Density + Drilling Depth + Material Shape/Geometry + RPM's
+ Feed Rate + Coolant Used + Drilling Equipment Type/Condition +
Material Holding Method + Operator Experience
=
DIAMOND DRILL LIFE
& OVERALL PERFORMANCE |
|
VARIABLES
AFFECTING DIAMOND DRILL LIFE & PERFORMANCE
|
Diamond Drill Life
& Overall Performance will vary with material hardness, density, Drilling
Depth. Few other factors that play a role in diamond drill life include: RPM's
(drilling speed), Feed Rate, Geometry (shape) of Material, Coolant being Used,
Coolant feed rate and Direction. Drilling Equipment, Material Clamping Method
& experience of operator. While there is now way of accurately predicting
Life of your diamond drill. It can be optimized by following Principals
of Proper Diamond Drill / Tool Usage.
There may also be some experimenting, as well as trial & error involved in
the part of the end user. Highly experienced diamond drill users may find some
variations in diamond drill life or performance even when working on same
material & application. |
While this phenomena is not too common, it does
occur. Each variable of the diamond drilling process is only
one of the many components of a larger diamond drilling system (equation).
Changing one component or variable of diamond drilling process cannot create
efficiency alone. Only when all components of the system added together can
desired outcome be achieved. Just like a mathematic equation,
it takes only one incorrectly select variable/component to affect all
other properly selected variables. Making the entire diamond drilling
equation/system incorrect or inefficient.
Many end users approach their
diamond drilling application uninformed or misled. Errors
are made in the set up phase and critical steps are skipped. When problems
do surface, most rush to treat a symptom rather than the cause.
Frustration leads them attribute their problems to diamond drill drill being
used. What some customers refer to as serious problem for example, may be
resolved by something as simple as adjusting RPM’s or feed rate. The solution
can be as easy as changing mounting method, properly mounting drill in machine
chuck, or educating customer about need to dress diamond drill.
The drilling environment around us is constantly changing. A slight
change or variation in any variable can have significant impact on your diamond
drilling results. Material being drilled can vary in composition or density even
when coming from same manufacturer or source. Slight change in coolant feed
rate, coolant direction, RPM's, even the way the material is held in place can
make the difference. Frequently the cause of the problem may not be obvious and
may take as much as several failed attempts to surface. Fore
more information on optimizing your Diamond Drilling Operation to ultimate
level of performance >>>
When
encountering problems or variation in diamond drill performance.
Few stop
to think about or carefully examine their drilling process. Many users
immediately suspect quality of the diamond drill and are quick in labeling the
drill "Defective" or "Poor Quality". This is very rarely the case. Usually in over 90%
of these cases the diamond drill itself was not at fault. Most Respectable &
Experienced Diamond Drill Manufactures have rigid quality control and inspection
processes set in place. Controlling everything from raw material input, output,
to final inspection.
What a number of diamond drill users don't realize the
technical aspects & delicate nature of diamond drilling/machining process. Unlike
carbide, high speed steel, & other types of drills. Diamond drill works by grinds away material on micro (nano)
level. Carbide and other types drills on the other hand cut material with a
sharp cutting edge. A simple example of the minute details and understanding
that play a major role in your diamond drilling process. What is important to
understand that almost
all diamond drill/bit users, regardless of experience or technical background
will make some type of an unintended operator error while using their
diamond drills/bits.
MOST
COMMON PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED WHEN USING DIAMOND DRILLS
If
you find the your material is:
a.)
Broken while drilling b.)
Chipped while drilling c.)
Drilling Process is too slow
We
recommend following the steps below in consecutive order:
1.
Dress and Clean the drill by drilling several times into a dressing stick
2.
Check for drill runout. We recommend the drill concentricity within 0.005". If
you find the drill run out not close to this figure, take the drill off the
machine, clean tapers and threads of drill and any drilling accessories. Mount
the drill again and recheck its runout using an indicator.
3.
Increase the amount of coolant (PSI) Pressure per square inch flowing through the center of your drills.
Look inside the drill to make sure no material debris is stuck inside.
4.
Check if you are using the appropriate (recommended) drilling speed.
5.
Decrease the drilling pressure placed on the drill. Try drilling with only
minimal contact pressure. Make sure you are using submerged
pressure. Meaning drilling in up and
down cycles (movements). Drill down for 30 seconds, than lift diamond drill up
for 30 seconds, letting coolant penetrate deeper into material being drilled and
diamond drill cool in air. Continue this process until drilling is completed. Attempting
to drill without properly applying SUBMERGED PRESSURE technique is the
most common cause for diamond drilling trouble or failure.
6.
Repeat all steps carefully. If the problem persists, you nay have to check your
drilling machine. Make sure your drilling equipment is in proper condition and
you have enough horse power for your drilling operation. Larger diameter diamond
drills or thicker material requires greater than 1HP motor power.
7.
Try mounting the drill on another drilling machine. See if this resolves the
issue.
Diamond
Core Drill/Bit Tip # 1 - FREQUENT CAUSE OF DIAMOND DRILL DAMAGE:
What
happens when material core (center plug) becomes stuck inside the diamond drill
Once
the center core (plug), material
debris stick inside the tube of the drill. Coolant is no longer able to
penetrate the drilling zone.
The bond structure surrounding the diamonds either on sintered (metal
bond) or electroplated (nickel bond) diamond drill must wear away to
continuously keep re-exposing the diamonds for the diamond drill to continue
drilling.
If
the tool becomes overheated, the metal bond does not wear away, instead it
“glazes over” the diamond. Hence coating or covering the diamond. The metal
bond then becomes the cutting agent rather than the diamond. Generating more
heat. The diamond tool will eventually chip the material or break it, due to
excessive heat build up in material. Same heat may damage the diamond tool
itself, by causing heat cracks in the diamond section.
Diamonds
in the center of the drill start turning into carbon (phenomena known as reverse
osmosis process) and slowly stop working (drilling the material), while diamonds
on the side of drill (diamond layer section) continue working at full speed.
There is uneven wear on the diamond section, and the drill appears to be
drilling very slow, or almost stops drilling. The operator than applies greater
force (pressure on the drill). Usually what ends up happening is the operator
breaks the steel tube with the diamond section from the steel collet or shank.
|
Common Problems /
Cause |
Solution /
Preventions |
|
Material Overheating
|
-
Not enough
coolant is reaching drilling zone.
-
Run
high pressure of coolant through center of drill.
-
Run
high pressure of coolant through jets from both sides of
diamond drill into drilling zone.
-
Consider
Using synthetic water soluble coolant (such as SMART
CUT™ coolant) or mineral oil.
|
|
Material/Drill Vibration
(uneven holes)
|
-
Check
your diamond drill for run out
-
check
your drilling machine chuck for run out
-
Make
sure your diamond drill is properly placed into drilling
machine chuck
-
Check
condition of your drilling machine & replace worn/out of
order parts as needed.
-
Make
sure your material is firmly held in place and does not move
while drilling
-
Make
sure your table does not vibrate
-
Dress
your diamond drill using a dressing
stick to rexpose and
sharpen diamonds as needed.
|
|
Excessive
Chipping
Possible Causes:
-
Incorrect
Bond Type
-
Diamond
Grit Size
-
Concentration
-
Bond
Hardness
-
Excessive
Drill Machine Chuck Run Out
-
Insufficient
amount of coolant reaching drilling zone
-
Incorrect
RPM or Feed Rate
|
-
Use
Finer Diamond Mesh (grit size) diamond core drill
-
Reduce
Speed, RPM & Feed Rate
-
Consider
using appropriate coolant for the material / application such as
synthetic water soluble coolant
or mineral oil.
-
Make
sure that your material is securely held in place and does not
move while being cut.
-
Check
condition of your drilling machine to make sure it is not out of order or
parts need replacement
-
Check
to see if sufficient amount of coolant is reaching the cutting
zone.
|
|
Excessive Burrs
on Material Edges
|
-
Use
Finer Diamond Mesh (grit size) diamond drill
-
Reduce
RPM and Feed rate as needed
-
Use
higher Diamond Concentration diamond drill
-
Check
to see if sufficient amount of coolant is reaching the
drilling zone.
-
Consider
Using
appropriate coolant for the material / application such as
synthetic water soluble coolant
or mineral oil. (not just plain water)
|
|
Diamond Drill is
Drilling Very Slow
|
-
Use a
dressing
stick made from alumina oxide or silicon carbide to
dress the diamond drill (sharpen diamonds / rexpose diamond layer)
-
drill
into dressing stick
10 to 20 times. Or as much as necessary,
until diamond drill starts near same speed as when it was new.
-
Make
sure material core (plug) is not stuck inside the core drill.
-
Increase
the RPM and Feed Rate as needed
|
|
Diamond Drill is Not
Drilling / Working
|
-
Make
sure the RPM's recommended for the specific diamond drill you
are using
-
Use a
dressing
stick made from alumina oxide or silicon carbide to
dress the diamond drill (sharpen diamonds / rexpose diamond layer)
-
Cut
into dressing stick
10 to 20 times. Or as much as necessary,
until diamond drill starts near same speed as when it was new.
-
Increase
RPM (speed)
-
Make
sure material core (plug) is not stuck inside the core drill.
-
Improper
diamond drill specification. Diamond Concentration, Mesh Size, and
Bond Hardness is inappropriate for material being drilled. Use
different diamond drill with right bond type, hardness, concentration
and grit size for material being drilled. Contact us for
recommendation.
|
|
Short Diamond
Drill Life
|
-
Improper
diamond drill specification selection. Diamond Concentration, Mesh Size, and
Bond Hardness is inappropriate for material being drilled. Use
different diamond drill with right bond type, hardness, concentration
and grit size for material being drilled. Contact us for
recommendation.
-
Check
to see if sufficient amount of coolant is reaching the
drilling zone.
-
Make
sure material core (plug) is not stuck inside the core drill.
-
Consider
Using diamond core drill with water
swivel adapter to run high pressure of coolant through
center of drill. On Average, depending on material /
application Diamond Drills used with Water
Swivel Adapters will last
40% to 75% longer.
-
Consider
Using
appropriate coolant for the material / application such as
synthetic water soluble coolant
or mineral oil. (not just plain water).
NOTE
ABOUT DIAMOND DRILL LIFE: Diamond
Drill Life will vary with material hardness, density, Drilling
Depth. Few other factors that play a role in diamond drill life
include: RPM's (drilling speed), Feed Rate, Geometry (shape) of
Material, Coolant being Used, Coolant feed rate and Direction.
Drilling Equipment, Material Clamping Method & experience of
operator. While there is now way of accurately predicting Life of
your diamond drill. It can be optimized by following Principals of
Proper Diamond Drill Usage. There may also be some experimenting,
as well as trial & error involved in the part of the end user.
Even high experienced diamond drill users may find some variations
in diamond drill life on same material & application.
|
|
Diamond
Tip Fractures Off (for sintered metal bond drills)
Possible Causes:
-
Material
Core (plug) stuck inside
-
Material
Being Drilled in not held firmly & securely in place
-
Drilling
Material at an angle
-
Excessive
run out or wobbling of drilling machine chuck
|
Possible
Cause: Material Core (plug) stuck inside diamond drill. This
occurs when user does not remove this core generated while
drilling. Failing to remove this core periodically will generate
excessive heat on diamond drill and material. Coolant cannot effectively
cool & lubricate diamond drill. Diamonds start turning into
carbon under high temperature in phenomena known as reverse osmosis
process. Diamond Drill will slowly stop drilling, while user is
applying same feed rate level.
Solution
/ Prevention: Periodically check the inside of your diamond
core drill to make sure material core does not bind up the drill.
Remove when necessary. Consider using this drill with Water
Swivel Adapter to run high pressure of coolant through
center of drill (about 45 PSI). You can automatically remove
material core inside drill by increasing coolant pressure.
Possible
Cause: Material Being Drilled in not held firmly & securely
in place. Failing to properly secure material while drilling will
cause material to suddenly jolt creating enough pressure to while
diamond drill is rotating to deform the diamond section (tip) or
break off completely.
Solution
/ Prevention: Firmly secure material before drilling using
proper claming mechanisms for material size, type and geometry
being drilled. Such as vice, vee-block, clay dam, double sided
tape, rotary table, vacuum chuck, and etc.
Possible
Cause: Drilling Material at an angle will cause the diamond
drill section (tip) to unevenly wear. One side of the diamond tip
may wear faster than than the other or wear excessively in proportion
to the rest of the diamond tip. Eventually pressure may cause the
diamond section to collapse on itself, hence fracturing the
diamond section (diamond tip). This often occurs when drilling
horizontal surface or using hand held drilling machine or chuck of
users drilling machine wobbles excessively and is out of
tolerance.
Solution
/ Prevention: When drilling horizontal surfaces use a template
or guide. One can be made using a block of wood or crap piece of
material. Drill the hole size in the template that you need to
drill. And use it to start your hole and keep your drill from
drilling at an angle or wobbling all over the place. Also please remember
to use the SUBMERGED PRESSURE TECHNIQUE discussed above. If
using a stationary drilling machine, check you the chuck for signs
of wear or wobbling before drilling.
|
|
Diamond Tube separated
from collet (female thread)
Possible Causes:
-
Drilling
at an angle
-
Drilling
machine chuck run out
-
Excessive
Vibration while drilling
-
Drilling
at maximum drill depth at angle or not enough coolant reaching
drilling zone
|
Possible
Cause: The universal application sintered (metal bond) diamond
core drills are produced from once solid rod of steel. There is no
braising or welding diamond core drill tube with diamond section
to collet. Drilling at a sharp angle on a hand held machine
or using machine with excessive vibration / run out.
Solution
/ Prevention: Smaller diameter diamond core drills 1/4"
diameter and below should be used carefully. Make sure there is no
vibration or wobble while drilling. If possible use smaller
diameter diamond core drills on stationary machinery, not hand
held such as hand held drill or angle grinder. For beginning and
inexperienced drill users, some type of fixture or guide is
recommended to keep drill straight and steady while drilling.
Possible
Cause: material core (plug), material
debris stick inside the tube of the drill. Coolant is no longer able to
penetrate the drilling zone.
Diamonds
in the center of the drill start turning into carbon (phenomena known as reverse
osmosis process) and slowly stop working (drilling the material), while diamonds
on the side of drill (diamond layer section) continue working at full speed.
There is uneven wear on the diamond section, and the drill appears to be
drilling very slow, or almost stops drilling. The operator than applies greater
force (pressure on the drill). Usually what ends up happening is the operator
breaks the steel tube with the diamond section from the steel collet or shank.
these drills are produced from one piece of solid
steel. We do not braise or weld the drill tube to the female
collet. Its all one solid piece
Solution
/ Prevention: Periodically check diamond drill to make
sure material core is not stuck inside. In order to cool the drill to optimum conditions.
we very highly recommend that the customer use a Water Swivel
Adapter (drill head assembly) to run high pressure of coolant
through center of drill. This will increase life of drill up to
75% and improve surface finish.
If
you are drilling very hard materials, we recommend you use water
soluble synthetic coolant or mineral oil, not just plain water.
Water dissipates (evaporates at 212 F). In many drilling
operations of hard materials, temperature can reach as high as 500
F. Without enough coolant reaching the drilling area, the diamond
section of the drill will crack, burn, and break. Water soluble
coolant or mineral oil is better able to dissipate head and thus
is a better coolant for drilling ultra hard materials.
|
|
RECOMMENDED
RPM'S (SPEEDS)
Below is a chart
of Recommended RPM's (speeds) in correlation to diamond drill/bit
diameter. Please note this chart is for reference purpose only to be
used as starting point only. RPM's will vary with material being
drilled, material hardness, density, geometry, drilling depth,
environment, and operator objectives. |
|
DIAMETER |
RECOMMENDED
RPM'S |
| .001”
to .004” |
300,000
to 450,000 |
| .005”
to .015” |
65,000
to 150,00 |
| .016”
to .030” |
30,00
to 65,000 |
| .031”
to .090” |
9,000
to 30,000 |
| 1/8”
(3.18mm) |
2,500 |
| 3/16”
(4.76mm) |
2,250 |
| ¼” (6.35mm) |
2,000 |
| 5/16”
(7.94mm) |
1,500 |
| 3/8”
(5.52mm) |
1,250 |
| 7/16”
(11.1mm) |
1,000 |
| ½”
(12.7mm) |
950 |
| 9/16"
(14.28mm) |
925 |
| 5/8"
(15.87mm) |
875 |
| 2/3"
(16.93mm) |
850 |
| 11/16"
(17.46mm) |
850 |
| 3/4"
(19.05mm) |
825 |
| 7/8"
(22.22mm) |
775 |
| 1.0"
(25.4mm) |
700 |
| 1-1/8"
(28.57mm) |
675 |
| 1-1/4"
(1-1/4mm) |
650 |
| 1-3/8"
(34.92mm) |
600 |
| 1-1/2"
(38.10mm) |
550 |
| 1-5/8"
(41.27mm) |
550 |
| 1-3/4"
(44.45mm) |
550 |
| 2.00"
(50.80mm) |
525 |
| 2-1/4"
(57.15mm) |
500 |
| 2-1/2"
(63.50mm) |
475 |
| 3.00"
(76.20mm) |
450 |
| 3-1/2"
(88.90mm) |
425 |
| 4.00"
(101.60mm) |
400 |
| 6.00"
(152.40mm) |
300 |
|
For
more helpful information see:
Diamond
Drill Usage, Suggestions, and Recommendations...
Optimizing
Your Diamond Drilling Operation to Ultimate Level of Efficiency >>>
|
