FAQs

Light weighting is arguably the biggest challenge and opportunity facing vehicle manufacturers today. As you’ll know, it’s about achieving better fuel efficiency and handling by building cars and vans that are less heavy.

Also known as vehicle weight reduction or mass reduction, it’s tricky but achievable, and there have already been some incredible success stories, including GM, who have launched 14 new vehicles since 2016 with a total mass reduction in weight of over 5,000 pounds. It’s an exciting time for transportation, and light weighting looks set to continue its mission to revolutionise how products are shipped across the globe.

 

To discuss whether Flowdrill can help you with this, just get in touch with our friendly team, today.

A Flowdrill friction drill uses rotational speed and axial force to locally create frictional heat.  It plasticises the metal and forms accurate bushings in seconds.

It is made of a sintered Tungsten Carbide powder to a hard metal tool.

Basically all bendable materials such as steel, stainless steel, copper, aluminum and brass. It is also suitable for circular and square pipes, other profiles as well as sheets.

Min.: t=0,5mm possibly with optimum underlining. High speed RPM is required.
Max.: t=12mm and more, it is necessary to have very high engine power.

CNC controlled: attempts in:

• St37, 2mm, M8, Flowdrill 7.3 short: 8000 – 10000 drillings / Pc
• In stainless steel possibly half
• In aluminum approx. 15000 drillings / Pc. and more

By hand similar amount of holes are accessible. Though to be taken into consideration in particular are:

• Flowdrill diameter and tool length
• Material thickness
• Material type
• Lubrication
• Heat development
• Vibrations
• Speeds
• Machine state and spindle state
• Feed speeds
• Ability for reproduction / exactness of the process guidance
• Surrounding conditions
• Application in bored holes

Flowtapping is also a chipless operation.  The thread shape is formed through the entire length of the bushing; therefore, a thread length of minimum 1 x D can normally be achieved.  The load of a cold formed thread exceeds that of a standard cut thread and provides a positive lifetime benefit as well.

Usually it can be expected to have comparable state times to that of the Flowdrill with regular lubrication with FTMZ.

In particular as a time and cost saving alternative with at the same time higher quality in comparison, e.g. to the sweat, press and rivet joins or other cut threads.

The most varied application possibilities thereby arise in the whole metal processing industry; everywhere where sheet metals or tins are worked on and processed (see the ADS book).

Typical sectors and application examples:

• Automotive: Thread for O2 sensor in the exhaust systems
• Sanitary: Connection for heater valves systems on manifolds
• Steel furniture: Connection for the plastic roles
• Spray arrangements: Connection of valve bodies
• Facade constructions: Connection of glass holders, handrails and push clutches
• Solar collectors: Brazed connection on capillary

The cooling fan acts as a large heatsink to reduce heat from travelling from the part to the machine spindle during the Flowdrill operation.  The cooling fan is installed on all Flowdrill toolholders.

To reduce the effect of build up material on the tools surface and increase the tool life to its limits.

About every 3 to 4 drillings in steel, with all other materials apply the lubricant before every hole in a thin layer up and down the length of the drill (also see short instruction).