Flowdrill
Process
The
Flowdrill comes into contact with the material
using relatively high axial pressure and
rotational speed. The generated heat makes
the material soft and malleable enough to
be formed and perforated. As the Flowdrill
pushes into the material, some of the displaced
material forms a collar around the upper
surface of the workpiece. The rest of the
material forms a bushing in the lower surface
of the workpiece. All this happens in a
matter of seconds. The resulting collar
and bushing can be up to 3 times the original
material thickness. The diameter of the
bush is accurately determined by the cylindrical
part of the Flowdrill tool.
The
process does not disturb the material’s
internal structure. As a result; the formed
bush is remarkably strong and can be used
for bearing sleeves or, when threaded in
a separate process, can provide high torque
threaded surfaces with very high pull out
strength specifications.
