Portable Drilling of Aerospace Materials
June 1, 2017
"Until the introduction of the Fives eADU, portable drills available to the aerospace market were all pneumatic," said a Fives spokesperson. "A limitation of pneumatic drills is that they operate at a single speed. The Fives Machining eADU electrical drilling unit makes drilling of dissimilar materials more efficient with the portable drill's ability to vary the speed based on the material."
In their quest to achieve maximum strength with minimal weight, aerospace manufacturers are increasingly stacking materials such as composites and titanium together in a part. The ideal speed and torque needed to machine holes differs greatly from one material to another. The eADU not only has the ability to vary the speed, but when the material type, thickness and desired drill speed are entered into the program, it is automatic. The process data is recorded on the integrated flash memory, allowing complete traceability and data management of every cycle and every machine. The eADU handles stacks of a variety of metals including aluminum, titanium, steel and carbon fiber. The Fives enhanced Automated Drilling Unit is programmable. Spindle speed, torque and lubrication may be programmed and optimized, leading to increased tool life and reduced cycle times.
"Power consumption has been reduced as much as 10 to 20 times compared to pneumatic drills," said the spokesperson. The eADU also has lower noise levels, as low as 70 dB. The drilling unit's weight at 2.8 kg (6.2 lbs.) makes it easy to handle and reduces operator fatigue.
For more information contact:
Fives Giddings & Lewis, LLC
A subsidiary of Fives Machining Systems, Inc.
142 Doty Street
Fond du Lac, WI 54935
920-921-9400
www.fivesgroup.com
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