Don't forget chips

Where many shops run into trouble is in chip evacuation. In fact, poor chip evacuation is the most common problem in drilling, especially in low carbon steel, and it does not matter which drill is being used.

Shops often use an external coolant supply to remove chips, but this works only when the hole depth is less than one times diameter of the drill and when using reduced cutting data. Otherwise, they must direct the appropriate coolant at the recommended flow and pressure to match the drill diameter. For machines not equipped with coolant through-the-spindle, shops should use a coolant inducer.

Remember, the deeper the hole, the harder it is to remove chips and the more coolant pressure is needed. Always check the manufacturer's recommended minimum coolant-flow level. At lower flow, it might be necessary to reduce feed.

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