Since its development, U Drill has evolved into several different forms:

The WC series inserts were launched a long time ago. There are many manufacturers, many choices, and they are relatively inexpensive. Relatively speaking, these inserts offer excellent centering properties.

The SP series inserts are beneficial for machining blind holes.

The primary difference between a U-drill and a regular drill bit is that a U-drill uses peripheral and center inserts. In this respect, the relationship between a U-drill and a regular hard drill is similar to that between an indexable lathe tool and a welded lathe tool; once the tool wears out, there's no need for regrinding, only insert replacement.

Using indexable inserts saves material compared to solid hard drills, and the consistency of the inserts makes it easier to control part dimensions.

▲ A U-drill can drill holes on surfaces with an inclination angle of less than 30 degrees without reducing cutting parameters.

▲ With a 30% reduction in cutting parameters, a U-drill can perform interrupted cutting, such as machining intersecting holes, through holes, and parallel holes.

▲ A U-drill can drill multi-step holes and can also perform boring, chamfering, and eccentric drilling.

▲ U-drills produce mostly short, fragmented chips, which can be safely removed using its internal cooling system, eliminating the need to clean chips from the tool. This promotes continuous machining, shortens machining time, and improves efficiency.

▲ Under standard length-to-diameter ratio conditions, chip removal is not required when using a U-drill.

▲U-drills are indexable cutting tools; the inserts do not require sharpening after wear, making replacement convenient and inexpensive.

▲ Holes machined using U-drills have low surface roughness and tight tolerances, replacing some of the work done by boring tools.

▲U-drills eliminate the need for pre-drilling a center hole, resulting in a flatter bottom surface for blind holes, eliminating the need for flat-bottomed drills.

▲U-drill technology not only reduces the number of drilling tools but also, due to its carbide-inserted head, offers a cutting life several times longer than ordinary drills. Furthermore, the insert has four cutting edges, allowing for easy replacement when worn, saving significant grinding and tool change time and increasing efficiency by an average of 6-7 times.

❶ The cutting tool wears out too quickly and is prone to breakage, increasing processing costs.

❷ It emits a harsh screeching sound during processing, indicating abnormal cutting conditions.

❸ The machine tool vibrates, affecting its machining accuracy.

▲ When installing a U-drill, pay attention to the orientation: which insert faces upwards and which downwards, which side faces inwards and which faces outwards.

▲ The center height of the U-drill must be corrected. The required range depends on its diameter, generally within 0.1mm. The smaller the diameter of the U-drill, the higher the required center height. Poor center height will cause wear on both sides of the U-drill, resulting in a larger bore diameter, shortened insert life, and easy breakage for small U-drills.

▲ U-drills have high requirements for coolant. Coolant must be ejected from the center of the U-drill, and the higher the coolant pressure, the better. You can plug any excess coolant outlets on the turret to ensure sufficient pressure.

▲ The cutting parameters for the U-drill should strictly follow the manufacturer's instructions, but also consider the brand of inserts, machine tool power, and the machine tool's load capacity during machining. Generally, a high speed and low feed rate are used.

▲ U-drill inserts should be checked frequently and replaced promptly. Different inserts must not be installed backwards.

▲ Adjust the feed rate according to the workpiece hardness and tool overhang length. The harder the workpiece, the greater the tool overhang and the smaller the feed rate should be.

▲ Do not use excessively worn inserts. Record the relationship between insert wear and the number of workpieces that can be machined during production, and replace the inserts promptly.

▲ Use sufficient internal coolant at the correct pressure. The main functions of the coolant are chip removal and cooling.

▲ U-drills cannot be used to machine softer materials such as copper and soft aluminum.