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Drilling

Drilling services at Midwest Metal Fabrication.

Drilling is a cutting process in which a hole is originated or enlarged by means of a multipoint, fluted, end-cutting tool. Drilling is easily the most common machining process. One estimate is that 75% to 90% of all metal-cutting material removed comes from drilling operations.

Drilling involves the creation of holes that are right circular cylinders. This is accomplished most typically by using a twist drill.

To view details about Midwest Metal Fabrication’s drilling services, select one of the links below:

• Drilling overview
• Drilling process characteristics
• Materials
• Drilling diameter
• Workpiece geometry/shapes
• Tool holding
• Tool style
• Tool materials
• Part sizes
• Tolerances
• Complementary services

Drilling overview

Midwest Metal Fabrication offers heavy-duty metal drilling services to customers requiring these heavy-gauge metal-fabricating services. We utilize a number of powerful drills to provide our OEM customers with the metal shapes they need to meet their custom fabricated metal parts requirements. We are capable of drill holes with a maximum diameter up to 6”. All of our drilling is for fabricated components or parts attached to another component or part.

We also provide tapping services to complement our drilling services.

Drilling process characteristics

The characteristics of drilling that set it apart from other metal reduction operations are:

• The chips must exit out of the hole created by the cutting.
• Chip exit can cause problems when chips are large and/or continuous.
• The drill can wander upon entrance.
• For deep holes in large workpieces, coolant may need to be delivered through the drill shaft to the cutting front.
• Of the powered metal cutting processes, drilling on a drill press is the most likely to be performed by someone who is not a machinist.

Materials

Midwest Metal Fabrication’s operators commonly drill steel and aluminum.

We can also drill T1 and T2 aluminum, various aluminum alloys, brass, copper, cold rolled steel, hot rolled steel, galvannealed, high strength, low alloy, and galvanized steel, various steel alloys, and pre-painted metals.

Drilling diameter

Midwest Metal Fabrication’s drilling operators typically drill holes between 0.0125” and 1.50”. Our minimum drilling diameter is 1/32” and our maximum attainable drilling diameter is 6”.

Workpiece geometry/shapes

Our operators can provide drilled metal materials with the following geometries:

• Simple hole shape,
• A countersink shape,
• A counterbore shape, and
• A combination drilled shape.

Tool holding

Midwest Metal Fabrication offers drilling using both straight shank drills and tapered shank drills depending on the requirements of the part or component.

Tool style

We offer standard countersink / center drill drilling services as well as common twist drill services.

Tool materials

Midwest Metal Fabrication ensures all drilling contracted through us uses high speed steel tools as it provides strength, toughness, and high temperature hardness, ensuring our customers receive and excellent fabricated part or component.

Part sizes

Midwest Metal Fabrication drilling operators can drill parts as small as 1 ” W x 1 ” L x 1/4” H up to parts that are 10’ W x 10’ L x 3’ H.

Tolerances

Utilizing drilling, our Midwest Metal Fabrication personnel can achieve tolerances of +/- 0.005”.

Complementary services

We offer turning, milling, tapping, and grooving among other complementary machining services for our custom fabricated metal parts or components.

Call us today at 1-219-931-3131, email us at sales@midwestmetalfabrication.com, or send a fax using 1-219-844-8512 to get a quick quote to help solve your heavy gauge steel fabricating problems.

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