Drill mills are one of the most versatile tools a machinist can have in his tool belt. While it is always good to have specialized tools for each operation, there are times when a jack-of-all-trades tool is precisely what you need to keep churning out finished parts like a champ and have a productive day.
When your parts require you to punch holes but also do some roughing or countersinking, we are tempted to use spot drills to puncture the material, a drill bit to follow the hole, and an end mill to create a nice countersink around it.
This is the common sense approach as each tool has a specific role in your shop. However, this consumes a lot of your time if you have to go through the whole process, then rinse and repeat several times a day. Not to mention pieces that require some side milling work, deburring, chamfering or beveling.
On instances like these, the best way to reduce tool change downtime is to have a tool that possesses a strong point that can be plunged into your material, but also has helical flutes that allow you to perform axial drilling and side milling without missing a beat.
This is where a drill mill comes in, and it is precisely what you need to keep your production line moving or take the productivity of your workshop to the next level
A drill mill is simply a drill bit with flutes that run the length of the bit, allowing it to function as both a drill and a mill. This versatile tool can be plunged into your material like a drill bit, but also has the ability to cut in any direction like an end mill.
Drill mills excel at machining thin materials as they can spot a hole and then side mill the rest of the piece to add features to a part or perform decorative touches and engraving designs.
Light deburring and chamfering can be done with drill mills without a problem as well. The point angle is incredibly useful when you need to finish the piece and chamfer or smoothen out your edges. This ability to trace the edges of your workpiece with the pointed tip, allows you to create slight bevels when required.
The best part about a drill mill is that it can be used in almost any application where a drill bit and an end mill can be used. This makes it the perfect tool to keep in your arsenal for those times when you need a little more versatility from your tools.
This added functionality makes it possible to perform all of the operations you would need to create a finished part with just one tool. This can save you time and money, as you no longer have to change out bits between operations.
However, there is no point in having a drill mill that can´t effectively give you the best of both worlds.
There are a variety of different drill mills on the market, but not all of them are created equal. When shopping for a drill mill, it is important to make sure you get one that is built. You need high quality tools made by experienced manufacturers located here in America. Online Carbide specializes in creating high-quality carbide tools for every application. They create top-of-the-line tools designed for high-performance and high-speed machining, providing drill mills that can operate at much higher speeds and still offer superior cutting power and accuracy.
