Best carbide grades for aircraft composites 2

[tomwalz]

I would appreciate any recommendations.

Thanks,
Tom


Thomas J. Walz
Carbide Processors, Inc.

http://www.carbideprocessors.com

Good engineering starts with a Grainger Catalog.

 

[berkshire]

Tom,
you are the carbide guru. Do you mean carbon grades?
As in carbon fibre?
B.E.

 

[tomwalz]

Dear berkshire,

Thanks for the compliment. We keep up on wood, non-ferrous and plastics. Wondered, if anyone knew from actual use, about drilling carbon fiber.

Tom

Thomas J. Walz
Carbide Processors, Inc.

http://www.carbideprocessors.com

Good engineering starts with a Grainger Catalog.

 

[berkshire]

Ok Tom,
Most of my drilling of carbon fiber is on light aircraft maintenance and repair.I specialise in the repair of advanced composite sailplanes. I tend to use a slow twist solid carbide drill, to avoid chipping up and delaminating the surface layers. However I have never really paid any attention to the particular grade of carbide used.I just change them when they get dull.
I have more problems drilling aramid fiber, avoiding the fuzzies, cutters have to be sharp for that. This is most likely not going to help you much, but it may provoke a response from other users now they know what you are looking for.
B.E.

 

[btrueblood]

Tom,

You might ask up at Electro-Impact (in Mukilteo) and see what they say...

 

[rerig]

From Boeing Training class, see attached.

 

[MSSandvik]

A bit late, but...

I have repeatedly read K10 to be a good starting point.

experience suggests that because of the extremely high abrasiveness you would see little difference between them anyway. Coating any less than a true diamond coating don't produce great improvements either. You can of course have 'diamond like coatings' redressed. true diaomd coatings generally cannot be.

If you have the money buy 'solid' PCD. if you're carefull you will see a drop in cost-per-hole.

better late than never.

 

[dgapilot]

Brian,
I have to agree about aramid fibers, those fuzzies are terrible! Also just keep the tools sharp.

David

 

[berkshire]

Hi David,
You still running a repair station?

Ton, the OP makes these carbide tools and is a good guy to know about.

I just keep a very sharp high speed steel plane blade for Aramid and shave the fuzzies of afterwards.

Brian E.

 

[tomwalz]

Thanks all for the suggestions.

Timber and housing are very slow but aerospace seems to be doing pretty well. Just looking for some grades to sell to them.

Berkshire, thanks for the recommendation but I am afraid I don’t know what an OP is.

Tom


Thomas J. Walz
Carbide Processors, Inc.

http://www.carbideprocessors.com

Good engineering starts with a Grainger Catalog.

 

[berkshire]

Tomwalz,
Tom,
An OP is an original poster.
B.E.

 

[dgapilot]

Brian,
Got laid off from the repair station a little over 2 years ago. I'm working as a System Safety Engineer for the Navy now. Just an fyi, I think there is a C-70 that will be sold at a sheriff sale soon. The owner isn't a member of the glider club anymore and hasn't paid rent for a couple years.