Looking for a tool

I've got a customer trying to drill a 1-1/16" diameter hole through a thin (1/16") piece of wood/plastic composite material.

They can't really use a hole saw because the "plug" gets stuck in the center of the tool and the process is automatic, running a few hundred holes per shift and only stopping the drill machine to end a shift or change a tool.

I know they make plug ejection tooling for metalworking hole saws (I sell 'em!) but they don't work with thin wood or plastic materials so I doubt they will work with this.

I'm thinking there is either a special tool for this that ejects the plug or that someone sells a unibit (stepped drill bit) off the shelf with the

1-1/16" diameter capability... But I can't find the daggone thing.

Anyone have any good ideas for me other than having custom tooling made or modifying a standard hole saw? Maybe a source for that stepped drill bit (looks like a Christmas tree).

Already tried McMaster and MSC but I'm sure there are other options out there or that I may have missed it.

Regards, Joe Agro, Jr. (800) 871-5022

01.908.542.0244 Automatic / Pneumatic Drills:
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Reply to
Joe AutoDrill
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How about

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Reply to
Leon

How about a 1 1/16" forstner bit?

Reply to
Woody

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I would think that a highly "plastic" plug might stick to the center of a Forstner-type bit... Will have to grab one and test it on the drill press for a few dozen holes, etc.

I'm good at automatic drills. I'm good at metal drilling. That makes me good at automatic metal drilling. Automatic wood drilling is usually something we can figure out no problem, but add in sticky plastic-like stuff and thin wall, hole-saw type stuff and asking questions here is cheaper than flying to a customer's site for a fix.

Regards, Joe Agro, Jr. (800) 871-5022

01.908.542.0244 Automatic / Pneumatic Drills:
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Reply to
Joe AutoDrill

A #22 cutter, for making upholstery buttons, is 1-1/16" in diameter. It can cut through 15-20 layers of upholstery fabric in a snap. In the link, the cutter is the center piece and can be purchased separately for about $30. Just about any upholstery supplier in your area will have one in stock. It is hollow, so you would still need to punch the cut material from the center. When cutting fabric manually, a Handy button machine is used to press the cutter through the fabric, but a mallet can be used, also.... just keep the cutter straight/ vertical onto the surface.

This cutter could probably be mounted (chucked) on some sort of press machine of your own making, for mass cutting. I don't think the issue of removing the cut disks, from its center, would be difficult, at all. I think if you saw one of these cutters, an easy mounting/ chucking technique could be readily devised for your mass production needs.

When cutting fabric with the manual Handy button machine (metal base), a backer board (wood) is used to prevent the cutting edge from becoming dull or chipped, on the metal base. Furniture companies use pneumatic Handy button machines for cutting fabric disks and making buttons enmasse, so the option of getting one of these pneumatic machines is there, also, if you are to do this long term.

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Reply to
Sonny

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If the rate is slow enough there should be no problem and or if the rate is fast enough the bit should self clean with enough force.

Reply to
Leon

Is the end result the hole, or the material removed from the hole?

What about a punch and die and an arbor press? Probably better with a flexible plastic, but you remember those balsa airplanes you'd punch from a sheeet?

Reply to
Steve

the concept works just fine.

create a push-plate that is reasonably close to the id of the hole-saw. say 15/16". back it with a stiff spring of fairly large dia, say 3/4" (the larger the spring dia the less wobble to the push-plate. tension the spring so that the push plate is just proud of the tips of the hole-saw teeth.

Slap it in a drill press, or similar. down goes the quill, plate hits the material, saw starts cutting. cuts through the piece. quill comes up, spring pushes the material clear of the blade. voila.

the -fancy- one has the push-late on a lazy-susan type bearing, so it doesn't scuff the work material. cheap ones use slick plastic.

Reply to
Robert Bonomi

----------------------------- This is a simple operation for a gasket stamping house.

A simple tool using 11 ply Birch ply and steel rule to build a die, a pneumatic stamping press, and you are in business.

My former landlord could probably knock out at least a couple of thousand per 8 hour shift, if you want circles.

Less if you want a hole located in a piece of material.

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

Harbor Freight has step bits up to over 1 1/4". Used it severl times and still works great. Sharp as new. And cheap, two in a package, on is a smaller size, under $20

Reply to
James Paden

Two holes, side-by-side with a special multi-spindle drill head actually.

Not possible. Or at least not affordable given the multitude of part shapes with the same two hole pattern.

My best guess is they will try a forstner bit, a twist drill or even a metal-working end mill bit... But exploring the ideas out there also fuels my future "I can solve that problem for you" activities. Thus I ask.

Regards, Joe Agro, Jr. (800) 871-5022

01.908.542.0244 Automatic / Pneumatic Drills:
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Reply to
Joe AutoDrill

------------------------------- How many pieces in a typical production run?

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

Guessing a thousand parts per day or so... With the production "run" never ending unless their business changes significantly.

That's 2000 holes a day (two per part with my multi-drill set-up) or approximately 100,000 holes a year given holidays, retooling, etc.

Regards, Joe Agro, Jr. (800) 871-5022

01.908.542.0244 Automatic / Pneumatic Drills:
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Reply to
Joe AutoDrill

----------------------- Is this just a piece of sheet material with just these couple of holes thru it or is there additional machining, forming, etc involved?

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett
3-wing carbide x 1/2 shank. Blow or vacuum chip as it is created. ***************************************************

Reply to
routerman

Can't get into it too deeply, but it is essentially a bunch of formed parts, ranging in shape and size with a "lip" that needs a set of holes made in the same size and spacing, but different locations per part.

I provide the drill with the C-C distance multi-head drill set. They provide the table and all the different fixturing to meet the parts shapes properly so that the drill hits in the right location every time on every part.

When they move the part to the next "station" for whatever happens next, they essentially dump the chips / plug into a recycling bin (or maybe onto the foor for all I know!) and go at it again.

I haven't actually been to their location (hardly ever need to) so they could be medically clean or "Pittsburgh foundry" dirty... No clue and no worries. My machine will work just fine in either case.

Regards, Joe Agro, Jr. (800) 871-5022

01.908.542.0244 Automatic / Pneumatic Drills:
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Reply to
Joe AutoDrill

---------------------------------- An interesting application.

Somehow think trying to rotate a tool bit to drill a hole is going to be a real PITA.

A stamping or die cutting operation would appeart to be a lot easier.

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

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