_FAQ

This lubricant is apllied manually in Formdrill applications. This lubricant may be used for all Formdrill applications.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers to some common queries about our product.

  • 1 Which materials are suited?

    - Steel upto 1100N/mm²

    - Stainless Steel

    - Copper

    - Brass (max. 40% Zinc)

    - Aluminium with less then 0.5%Si

    - Most "exotic" alloys

     

  • 2 What do I need for 1/4-20UNC in 0.080" wall thickness?

    Required tools:

    - FDMC2-TOOLHOLDER

    - FD430E8-COLLET

    - FD0570S-FORMDRILL

    - FT1/4UNC-FORMTAP 1/4-20 UNC

    - FDKSO-LUBRICANT FORMDRILL

    - FTOIL-LUBRICANT FORMTAP

    - REMARK: FOR A FLAT SURFACE USE A FD0570SF FLAT STYLE FORMDRILL

     

    Machine parameters:

    - Spindle speed: 2800Rpm.

    - Motor power: 1.5Hp.

     

    Check out our wizard page for more information about this and any other application.

     

  • 3 What is the tool life of a Formdrill?

    Tool life of a Formdrill is between 8,000 to 10,000 cycles in mild steel.

    Tool life of a Formdrill is between 3,000 to 5,000 cycles in stainless steel.

  • 4 Do I need special machinery?

    No, Formdrill will work on any drill press with the appropriate spindle speed and motor power. CNC-machines, milling machines or drill heads are suitable for the process.

  • 5 Is there any lubrication necessary?

    Yes, lubrication prevents the metal from welding to the tool. It increases signifantly the tool life of both Formdrill and Formtap. Lubricating every 4 to 5 holes is sufficient in steel. In stainless steel we recommend strongly to lubricate every hole. Important: Never use conventional lubricants or cooling fluids for drilling or tapping.

     

  • 6 Can Formdrill be used in a hand drill?

    Our advise is no. The problem with a hand drill is lack of stability and axial force. It can only work for small diameters in very thin work pieces.

  • 7 What about galvanized material?

    It depends the thickness and quality of the zinc layer. When very thin (3-5 micron) Formdrill will work. We advise a test in our lab.

  • 8 Can I get a hole without the top collar?

    The top collar is the result of material being drawn upward during the initial stage of the process. A Flat-style Formdrill is available which will remove the top collar at the same time the bushing is formed.

  • 9 Can I drill into solid material?

    No, We need clearance on the back side of the work piece. As we are displacing the parent material we need room for the material to flow.

  • 10 Where does the insert come from?

    The bushing (insert) is formed from the parent material. There are no additional components required or no material is added.

  • 11 How strong are the formed threads?

    Independent studies have showed that in most applications, thread strenght exceeds industry standards both in pull out and torque.

    Formdrill Test results

    5.250

    8.750

    8.500

    11.400

    14.200

    12.000

    16.000

    24.000

    22.000

    36.500

    43.000

    46.000

    69.500

    50.500

    84.000

    84.000

    94.000

    94.000

    126.000

    122.000

    147.000

    196.000

    5.250

    8.280

    9.550

    12.250

    14.940

    13.400

    17.350

    +24.000

    26.000

    40.000

    +45.000

    51.700

    69.800

    66.000

    86.800

    97.000

    94.220

    107.300

    134.400

    136.000

    151.800

    +200.000

    5.0

    9.0

    8.0

    11.0

    13.0

    16.0

    20.0

    26.0

    28.0

    51.0

    65.0

    64.0

    96.0

    134.0

    161.0

    267.0

    -

    -

    -

    -

    -

    -

    6

    8

    6

    8

    10

    6

    8

    12

    8

    10

    12

    8

    12

    6

    10

    10

    6

    6

    8

    5

    6

    8

    1.0

    2.0

    1.0

    1.5

    2.0

    1.5

    2.0

    3.0

    2.0

    3.0

    4.0

    3.0

    4.0

    3.0

    4.0

    5.0

    3.0

    4.0

    5.0

    3.0

    4.0

    5.0

    M4

    M4

    M5

    M5

    M5

    M6

    M6

    M6

    M8

    M8

    M8

    M10

    M10

    M12

    M12

    M12

    M16

    M16

    M16

    M20

    M20

    M20

    Wall

    thickness

    in mm

    Thread size

    DIN

    Weld nuts

    Pull out force in N

    Formdrill

    Results

    Pull out force in N

    Torque

    in Nm

    Class

  • 12 Can I use a normal machine tap (cutting tap)?

    Yes but we advise not to. The Formdrill system preserves the parent material to produce the threads. Using a machine tap would remove part of the formed bushing. If a machine tap is used we advise to use a Long or Long/Flat Formdrill.

  • 13 Doesn't the material get work hardened?

    This depends on the material and carbon content. In steel alloys there is almost never a problem. Stainless steel may harden about 10-15%, this causes no problem for the tapping afterwards.

  • 14 Where does the heat come from?

    All heat is generated through friction. There is no additional heat source.

  • 15 What is the maximum material thickness?

    This depends on the Formdrill diameter and style. For the larger diameters the wall thickness can go upto 0.500".

    Maximum Wall Thickness

    1.5

    1.5

    2.0

    2.0

    2.5

    2.5

    3.0

    3.0

    3.0

    3.0

    3.0

    3.5

    3.5

    3.5

    3.5

    4.0

    4.0

    4.0

    4.0

    4.0

    4.0

    4.0

    4.0

    4.0

    2.0

    2.0

    2.5

    2.5

    3.0

    3.0

    3.5

    3.5

    3.5

    3.5

    3.5

    4.0

    4.0

    4.5

    4.5

    5.0

    5.0

    5.0

    5.0

    5.0

    5.0

    5.0

    5.0

    5.0

    2.5

    2.5

    2.5

    3.0

    3.5

    4.0

    4.5

    5.0

    6.0

    6.0

    6.0

    6.0

    6.0

    7.0

    7.0

    8.0

    8.0

    10.0

    10.0

    10.0

    10.0

    10.0

    10.0

    10.0

    3.0

    4.0

    4.0

    4.0

    5.0

    6.0

    6.0

    6.0

    7.0

    7.0

    7.0

    7.0

    7.0

    8.5

    8.5

    10.0

    10.0

    12.0

    12.0

    12.0

    12.0

    12.0

    12.0

    12.0

    0.06

    0.06

    0.08

    0.08

    0.10

    0.10

    0.12

    0.12

    0.12

    0.12

    0.12

    0.14

    0.14

    0.14

    0.16

    0.16

    0.16

    0.16

    0.16

    0.16

    0.16

    0.16

    0.16

    0.16

    0.08

    0.08

    0.10

    0.10

    0.12

    0.12

    0.16

    0.16

    0.16

    0.16

    0.16

    0.18

    0.18

    0.18

    0.20

    0.20

    0.20

    0.20

    0.20

    0.20

    0.20

    0.20

    0.20

    0.20

    0.10

    0.10

    0.10

    0.12

    0.14

    0.16

    0.18

    0.20

    0.24

    0.24

    0.24

    0.24

    0.24

    0.28

    0.28

    0.32

    0.32

    0.40

    0.40

    0.40

    0.40

    0.40

    0.40

    0.40

    0.12

    0.16

    0.16

    0.16

    0.20

    0.24

    0.24

    0.24

    0.28

    0.28

    0.28

    0.28

    0.28

    0.34

    0.34

    0.40

    0.40

    0.47

    0.48

    0.48

    0.48

    0.48

    0.48

    0.48

    2.0 – 2.9

    3.0 – 3.9

    4.0 – 4.9

    5.0 – 5.9

    6.0 – 6.9

    7.0 – 7.9

    8.0 – 8.9

    9.0 – 9.9

    10.0 – 10.9

    11.0 – 11.9

    12.0 – 12.9

    13.0 – 13.9

    14.0 – 14.9

    15.0 – 15.9

    16.0 – 16.9

    17.0 – 17.9

    18.0 – 18.9

    19.0 – 19.9

    20.0 – 20.9

    21.0 – 21.9

    22.0 – 22.9

    23.0 – 23.9

    24.0 – 24.9

    25.0 – 25.9

    SHORT

    mm

    mm

    mm

    mm

    inches

    inches

    inches

    inches

    Formdrill

    diameter

    (mm)

     SHORT/FLAT

    LONG

    LONG/FLAT

  • 16 Can a three-jaw chuck be used to clamp the Formdrill tool?

    No. You risk the Formdrill to break. A collet type chuck is advised.
    You also can overheat the machine spindle.

  • 17 When do I need a short or long tool?

    Tool length depends on the material thickness you work with. Careful: Tool should be short enough not to penetrate the opposite. Every Formdrill tool has a cylindrical and a conical part. The cylindrical part is responsible for forming the bushing diameter. The hole should be slightly tapered before tapping to ensure well formed thread over the complete length of the Formdrill bushing. If the bushing is too tapered it may cause problems during the tapping operation, in that case you should use a Long Formdrill tool.

     

  • 18 What material is the Formdrill tool made of?

    The Formdrill tool is made of special sintered carbide.
    The material is then grinded to a Formdrill friction drilling tool.

  • 19 Do I need to use different Formdrill tools for different materials?

    Usually not. However, depending on the material quality and requirements for the threads an adjustment of the diameter may be necessary.

  • 20 Are the thread formed in the same step?

    No, Threads are formed in a secondary operation or with self -tapping screws.

  • 21 The Formdrill tool gets red during the process, is this dangerous?

    No, Formdrill tools can develop temperatures of up to 1475°F and begin to glow dark red.
    When the Formdrill tool turns bright red or yellow it is getting too hot.
    This reduces tool life, machine parameters should be optimised.

     

  • 22 How can I reduce the material that runs inward?

    We advise to pre-drill a pilot hole before the Formdrill process. With the predrilled hole the bushing length will be reduced. Smoother edges of the bushing can also be achieved this way.

     

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