Harness the Advantages of Multi-Material Drills A Drill for All Materials

Related Vendors

Sandvik AG

Sandvik Tooling Deutschland GmbH GB Coromant

FAULHABER Drive Systems

Wuxi InfiMotion Technology Co., Ltd.

In January 2025, the World Economic Forum reported that selected production sites from its Global Lighthouse Network achieved remarkable productivity increases of 70 percent—while simultaneously reducing energy costs and time to market by 40 percent each. But how can such efficiency be achieved without driving up costs? James Thorpe, Global Product Manager for Hole Making and Composite Machining at Sandvik Coromant, demonstrates how a new drilling tool can optimize production in multi-material applications.

Not only the production sites of the Lighthouse Network but manufacturing companies around the world face the challenge of producing an increasing number of components from different materials: from hardened steels to composites to softer metals and plastics. This requires uncompromising precision and efficiency. To achieve this and streamline processes in an increasingly competitive market, tools are needed that can do more than conventional drilling.

Overcoming Difficulties

Drilling is a fundamental yet technically demanding manufacturing process. One of the biggest challenges is the variety of materials. Frequently, materials with very different properties are processed, ranging from tough, hardened steels to lightweight but ductile metals. And each material has its own characteristics: hardened steels can cause excessive tool wear, while softer metals are more prone to deformation.

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Heat generation and tool wear are critical factors. High cutting speeds, long machining cycles, and demanding material combinations generate excessive heat. This not only accelerates tool wear but also affects machining accuracy and can lead to surface defects and dimensional deviations. Effective heat management in both tool design and machining strategies is therefore crucial for tool durability and the quality of the components.

Smooth and Uniform Chip Removal

Another problem is chip removal: During deep hole drilling or applications with high feed rates, insufficient chip removal can lead to increased heat generation and, in the worst case, tool breakage. Drill flutes must therefore be designed to enable smooth and uniform chip removal to ensure process reliability.

Process reliability is equally crucial when it comes to the precision of drilling. The exact positioning and straightness of holes are critical factors in the precision manufacturing of high-quality components for the aerospace and automotive industries.

Even minor deviations can impair the functionality of the final product and lead to costly rework or scrap. To ensure the required accuracy, robust tool geometries and optimized machining parameters are necessary.

Just one Drill for all Materials

To increase productivity while maintaining cost-efficiency, drills are needed that are versatile and can process multiple materials without frequent tool changes. New coating technologies and tool designs today make it possible for so-called multi-material drills to deliver good performance without compromising quality. This saves costs and supports sustainable processes.

The basis is a fine-grained carbide substrate

An example of this is the "CoroDrill Dura 462," which has been specifically designed for high drilling performance in various materials. With its fine-grained carbide substrate, it offers exceptional wear resistance and reliability.

The controlled microstructure ensures consistent results even with challenging materials such as hard metals or ductile alloys. This makes the "CoroDrill Dura 462" a valuable tool for manufacturing companies that expect consistent precision and stability regardless of the material composition of their components.

Macro- and Micro-Geometries Designed for Versatility

The geometry of the "CoroDrill Dura 462" is designed for versatility. The specialized tip design significantly reduces cutting forces and improves positioning accuracy, especially in applications with tight tolerances. The clearance angle enhances tip strength, while the single-flute design reduces heat generation. This increases stability and optimizes overall performance.

Zertivo 2.0: Patented PVD Coating

The drill becomes even more powerful thanks to the patented PVD coating Zertivo 2.0. In combination with the fine-grained carbide substrate, it offers excellent wear resistance and enables high-speed drilling with consistently high process stability.

Practical tests demonstrate the competitive advantages of the tool. With the "CoroDrill Dura 462," a customer was able to increase productivity by 110 percent and extend tool life by 36 percent. In another case, a productivity increase of 85 percent was achieved—with more than double the tool life compared to a low-cost competitor product.

Conclusion

While the "Lighthouses" of the World Economic Forum point the way to more efficient manufacturing, companies need the right tools to manage the complexity of multi-material production. Given the increasing pressure to implement sustainable and cost-efficient production processes, the focus is on less waste, longer tool life, and reduced energy consumption.

The balance between economic and ecological goals is driving the demand for drilling tools that deliver better results while reducing unit costs. True productivity breakthroughs and sustainable business success are achieved by those who rely on versatile solutions that master material diversity, thermal management, and process stability.

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