Welding affects the material properties: Frictiondrilling directly on a weld seam can lead to cracking, a torn collar, and tool breakage. We do not recommend this.
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.
What is the minimum machine power for Friction Drilling?
It is not always necessary to have an expensive or complex production line to perform friction drilling. A 1 kW pillar drill with a speed of 2,400 RPM is already capable of creating friction-drilled holes up to size M6. Larger friction drills require a machine with more power. Want to know if your machine has the right power and can reach the maximum RPM? Request our datasheet.
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).
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.
Friction drilling minimizes waste for the following reasons:
Friction drilling is essentially suitable for all metals that are malleable and not brittle. This means that approximately 99% of the common materials in the metal processing industry are suitable for friction drilling. For a complete list of metals that are suitable (and some that are not), click here for more information.
CNC controlled: attempts in:
By hand similar amount of holes are accessible. Though to be taken into consideration in particular are:
Friction drilling offers several advantages over rivet nuts, weld nuts, and press nuts. To simplify, here’s a list.
Friction drilling is a chipless drilling process in which, through the generation of frictional heat, it is possible to create a hole in a profile or material without producing chips. The specially ground geometry of the Flowdrill friction drill gradually displaces the metal, resulting in a friction-drilled hole accompanied by a distinctive collar.
No. The sample is specifically intended to help you get familiar with friction drilling.
Yes. Technical advice is always available. Contact us to discuss your application and receive targeted advice. No problem at all.
Depending on the location, shipping may be free.
Why can’t I order online or see prices?
At Flowdrill, it’s all about personal service and tailor-made solutions, not standard options. Since there’s often no standard price or standard drill, we don’t show prices on our website or offer online ordering.
Every Flowdrill is tailored to your specific application. That’s why we prefer to get in touch with you personally, so we can find the best solution together.
For over 40 years, we’ve been delivering exceptional service, whether it’s your first order or your fortieth. It might take a little more interaction than simply clicking “order,” but in return, you get expert advice, the right product, and that extra bit of care for a smooth and pleasant experience.
Almost as fast as ordering online, but with the bonus of free personal service that puts a smile on your face!
The thicker the material, the stronger the connection. A Flowdrill connection is often stronger than traditional fastening methods.
For example, an M6x1.0 connection in 2 mm mild steel reaches a pull-out force of 19.4 kN and a torque of 16 Nm. That’s stronger than a class 8.8 bolt.
We also test this ourselves. Through internal strength testing, we ensure each connection meets our standards. Do you have questions about the strength you need? Feel free to contact us.
Friction drilling works in almost all materials that are ductile and not brittle. Think of aluminium, stainless steel, and high-strength steel with 1000 MPa or more.
Not sure if your material is suitable? Feel free to contact us. We can quickly check this in our material database. If needed, we’ll perform additional tests to determine the possibilities.
Yes, Flowdrill can be excellently integrated into automated production processes, including robotic welding environments. We actively support customers with this and maintain strong relationships with experienced machine builders, including those in the automotive industry.
Yes, absolutely. The friction drilling process forms a bushing that can be up to three times the thickness of the original material. This creates a strong thread without requiring thick base material. It saves both weight and cost, making it ideal for strong, lightweight constructions.
A Flowdrill (friction drilling) connection is generally stronger than conventional fastening methods, especially in thin-walled material and in applications with moving or vibrating components. Unlike blind rivet nuts, which tend to loosen more quickly under vibration, a Flowdrill connection remains solid and reliable.
You can order a Flowdrill friction drill directly via our website or through one of our authorized partners.
For more information, please contact us.
An alternative to blind rivet nuts, weld nuts, and press nuts
Yes, friction drilling is a proven technology with a long history of success. The first friction drillings were developed after World War II. Since then, Flowdrill has continuously refined and improved the technology. Today, friction drilling is used daily by thousands of customers around the world as a reliable alternative to blind rivet nuts, weld nuts, and press nuts.
Yes, this is possible. This is known as a “Flat Finish” or a collar-free result.
The Flat Finish is achieved by incorporating a milling cutter into the standard friction drill. In a single process, the tool forms the hole and removes the excess material from the top surface, leaving a flat finish.
This allows adjacent parts to be placed flush with the material surface and is particularly useful in applications where a clean and seamless result is required, such as in the furniture industry.
If you want to add frictiondrilling to your production process, it’s important to know that the frictiondrill alone isn’t enough. A few essential accessories are crucial to achieve the best results.
Flowdrill accessories also help extend tool life and improve the quality of your holes. To make things easy, we’ve created a complete Starter Set, packed in a striking red case. It includes everything you need to start frictiondrilling right away. The Starter Set is suitable for CNC machines, tube lasers, and pillar drill machines.
If you are friction drilling into a tube with a small inner diameter and want to avoid a long bushing on the inside, there is a simple solution. By using a pilot hole, also known as a pre-drilled hole, you can reduce the length of the bushing. This helps maintain sufficient clearance inside the profile.
Yes. Flowdrill supports the integration of friction drilling into drill presses, CNC machines, robot cells, and custom-designed production cells.Our team has experience with on-site integrations and can help evaluate the application, define the correct tool setup, and advise on key process requirements such as spindle speed, feed rate, clamping, lubrication, and machine stability.
This helps engineers implement friction drilling as a reliable production process, whether in a drill press, an existing CNC machine, an automated robot cell, or a purpose-built production system. For certain applications, on-site visits, integration support, and additional technical guidance may also be possible.
Frictiondrilling is mainly used to create a strong and durable connection between metal and another material. It’s an excellent alternative to blind rivet nuts, weld nuts, and press-in nuts. Frictiondrilling is used across many industries, including automotive, heating and ventilation, furniture production, bicycle manufacturing, and metalworking. You’ll find our technology in applications like underfloor heating distributors, boiler systems, car chassis, sprinkler installations, order kiosks, and barbecues.
For larger and automated production setups, we offer an automatic lubrication system. This eliminates the need to manually apply paste or oil during frictiondrilling and tapping.
FDKS Paste is essential for successful frictiondrilling. It’s a high-performance, heat-resistant paste that helps prevent material buildup and extends tool life. We recommend applying the paste with the included brush every 5 holes.
Apply a small amount of tapping oil after each hole using the supplied brush. The oil ensures optimal lubrication during thread forming, resulting in stronger threads and a longer tool life.
Depending on the diameter, frictiondrilling is possible up to a thickness of 10 millimeters, based on ST235 mild steel.
Note: The larger the frictiondrill diameter, the more power is required from the machine.
Want to know more about what’s possible with different metals? Feel free to contact us.
A Flowdrill friction-drilled connection is known for its high strength, depending on the material, wall thickness, thread size, and application. In many cases, it can be stronger than alternatives such as rivet nuts, blind rivet nuts, or press-in nuts. For example, a friction-drilled connection in 2.0 mm thick steel can withstand a force of up to 2.7 tons, approximately 26.5 kN. This makes it a strong and reliable alternative to conventional mechanical fastening methods.
Frictiondrilling is possible on CNC machines, tube laser machines, and pillar drill machines. However, we do not recommend using a handheld drill for frictiondrilling. We offer specific toolholders for each type of machine. If you want to know whether your machine is suitable for frictiondrilling, or if you’re curious about what a new machine could do for you, feel free to contact us for more information.
After frictiondrilling, we recommend using a form tap. With form tapping – also called cold forming – the material is deformed instead of being cut. This offers several advantages: No chips Improved productivity High thread strength Form tapping also enhances the structural integrity of the thread.
Welding affects the material properties: Frictiondrilling directly on a weld seam can lead to cracking, a torn collar, and tool breakage. We do not recommend this.
Some coatings and protective layers may be damaged during friction drilling.
Galvanized steel
Powder coating and ED coating
Cast iron and zinc die-cast (GD-ZnAl4Co1): Metals with a brittle structure break easily under the pressure of frictiondrilling. Not suitable for a reliable connection.
Hardened steel (e.g. hardened 16MnCr5, hardened C45M): The material is too hard and causes excessive tool wear. Not suitable without special pre-processing. Contact us to discuss the possibilities.
High-strength steels such as HARDOX® and DP1000: Due to the extremely high strength of the material, there is not enough displacement to form a proper collar.
Copper and brass (CuZn39Pb3, CW614N): Is suitable for friction drilling, but requires adjusted parameters. Please contact us, we are happy to help you!
Aluminium 6060-T6 and other aluminium alloys: All types of aluminium are suitable for frictiondrilling. This is due to the low melting and deformation temperature.
Note: we do recommend using our specially developed Aludrill.
Mild steel (S235): Commonly used in various applications. Frictiondrilling in S235 is no problem at all.
Stainless steel (304/316): Requires adjusted drilling parameters due to higher strength and heat generation. Local discoloration from heat is possible but can be treated with passivation techniques.
High-strength steel (e.g. 16MnCr5, 25CrMo4): Can be suitable with adapted process parameters. Some extreme types are not suitable. We’re happy to help you explore the possibilities.
A friction drilled hole is typically 3x material thickness, however this is dependent on drill diamter and material thickness. At Flowdrill we can provide you complete hole dimensions including step files if required to incorporate into your drawings. Just let us know the material thickness, thread size, and surface finish desired.