If perfect chip removal is not ensured, the bore quality for dry drilling is significantly outside the required tolerances. However the biggest challenge for the development of a dry drill is the adaptation of the tool geometry to the unstable machining stable of the drill feed units in combination with cutting parameters and clamping systems (concentric collet).

Production Volume and Depth: Laser engraving is an effective choice for large projects or rapid production. For some depth of marking, dot matrix marking machines are more suitable. If you need to engrave hundreds of metal tags quickly, a laser engraver can speed up the process.

Craftsmen cut or engrave metal surfaces to form designs. This method is effective for simple markings and producing small quantities of products. However, it requires a significant amount of skill and time.

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Accuracy: Laser engraving provides the highest level of accuracy for complex designs. Rotary tool engraving provides good accuracy for general use, while hand engraving provides a unique artistic touch. If you’re engraving delicate jewelry, a laser engraver might be your best choice for precision and detail.

Metal engraving involves carving, etching, or cutting designs into a metal surface. It’s used for various purposes, from creating personalized jewelry to adding unique touches to everyday items. With advancements in technology, achieving precise and beautiful results has become easier than ever.

One of the main advantages of hand-carved metal engraving is the unique, handmade quality it brings to each piece. However, it’s important to note that hand engraving can be time- consuming and requires a significant amount of effort. Hand engraving requires a significant amount of practice to master.

To reliably dry machine composite materials made of CFRP and aluminium, MAPAL has also developed a drill with countersink step. The special geometry of the tool ensures that the heat caused by machining is not transferred to the part. In addition, neither part nor work environment is contaminated with coolant. The drill with two cutting edges made of solid carbide combines the properties of a drill for machining aluminium with those of a drill for CFRP machining. Reliable removal of the chips is ensured by the specially designed chip spaces. As CFRP is an extremely abrasive material, the drill is diamond-coated. This means that eight times the tool life is achieved compared with an uncoated drill.

At one aircraft manufacturer, the drill is used i.a. for the bores on the longitudinal seam in the rear main span. A spindle speed of 2,959 RPM and a feed of 0.154 mm are applied here. The drill with its diameter of 4.748 mm and a 100° countersink step reliably produces 1,600 bores before the bores no longer lie within the demanded tolerance of 4.73 - 4.805 mm.

Metal laser engraving offers several advantages, including high precision, speed, and the ability to create complex designs. It’s a non-contact process, which means there’s minimal wear and tear on the tools. However, it’s important to consider the initial investment in a laser engraving machine and the need for proper ventilation.

Rotary tool engraving is more forgiving than hand engraving, as mistakes can often be corrected or smoothed out. Rotary engraving can create precise lines, but may not have as much detail as hand engraving.

Dot matrix engraving is known for its speed, durability and versatility. It is suitable for a wide range of metals and shapes, including flat, curved and irregular surfaces. This type of marking is highly resistant to abrasion, making it ideal for industrial applications. However, this technique may not be suitable for extremely fine or complex designs.

The drilling/countersinking tool for dry machining CFRPaluminium combinations has been successfully used by customers. A spindle speed of 5,000 RPM and a feed of 0.1 mm are applied. The tool impresses not only with regard to process reliability, tool life and machining result, but also because of the steady boring process.

Budget: Hand engraving tools are usually the most affordable, while laser engravers can be a significant investment. If you are engraving small quantities, you can choose an inexpensive engraving pen.

Together with other quality characteristics of the machining result such as diameter, transition radius and countersinking angle, the burr at the bore outlet plays an important role. If a burr has formed at the bore outlet for multi-stage bore machining that was manually executed, it can be removed without great effort with the aid of a countersink. If the process is automated in only one step, manual deburring is not possible. For this reason, the relevant tool must be able to drill virtually burr-free. Aircraft manufacturers usually specify a maximum burr height of 0.1 mm. In addition to the burrs at the bore outlet, the interlaminar burrs between the layers can arise. If they form, the multilayer composite must be dismantled at the end of the drilling operation to remove the interlaminar burrs. Dismantling is time consuming and cost-intensive and so these burrs must also be avoided.

The challenges that tool manufacturers have to overcome for optimum solutions in final assembly are diverse. Not only the different materials or the demand for the highest process reliability play a decisive role here, but also the cooling concept, narrow tolerance specifications and the machine used. MAPAL has been researching intensively into these challenges and has brought appropriate tool concepts onto the market. This includes the reliable dry machining of material combinations such as CFRP/aluminium or different aluminium alloys.

Aircraft manufacturers use rivet connections for connecting the outer skin to the structural parts underneath. For this purpose, innumerable bores are drilled. To achieve the lowest resistance to the airstream as possible (low cW value), the rivet heads are countersunk in the outer skin. For this, an additional countersinking must be added to the bore entrance. In the past, a process with up to four individual machining steps was often required (drilling from the solid, boring, reaming, countersinking).

MAPAL has developed a drill with countersink step for dry machining composite materials made of different or the same aluminium alloys. Burr formation is kept as low as possible and an improved centring is achieved thanks to the special geometry features. The coating of the drill prevents the formation of a built-up edge at the cutting edge. Specially formed chip flutes ensure optimum chip removal. Air is used for cooling, preventing overheating of both the cutting edge and the aluminium and hence burr formation. The compressed air is also used to blow out the chips.

Rotary tool engraving is a modern technique. It is also known as engraving pen engraving. This technique uses a power tool with a spinning tip.

MAPAL has introduced a new bayonet-like separation point for interchangeable head milling systems onto the market. Users benefit from very easy handling, rigid connection and optimal cooling

The requirements for tool manufacturers and tools for final assembly therefore differ significantly from those for part manufacturing. While machined parts in part manufacturing have a value of around 1,000 to 50,000 Euros, parts in final assembly, depending on the assembly progress, are significantly more cost-intensive with a value of around 50,000 to 2 million Euros. Faulty machining must either be manually reworked, which is time-consuming and expensive, or the parts have to be completely replaced. For this reason, the suppliers for final assembly must be carefully chosen.

The tool is used to create designs on metal surfaces. This technique is favored for its efficiency and versatility, making it a popular choice for both hobbyists and professionals. Suitable metals for rotary engraving include aluminum, brass, copper, and stainless steel.

Contact us today and we’ll provide you with expert advice and top-of-the-line engraving tools tailored to your needs. Let’s create the extraordinary together!

Engraving metal, whether by hand or with lasers, is a way to be creative and make your pieces more valuable. The possibilities are endless, and with the right approach, anyone can master this art form.

Engraving metal is an art form that can transform ordinary objects into personalized masterpieces. It’s a skill that’s both accessible and rewarding, whether you’re a hobbyist or a professional. In this guide, we’ll explore the basics of metal engraving, covering different methods, tools, and tips to help you get started.

Etching is ideal for creating detailed and precise marks on metal molds. It allows for intricate designs and is particularly useful for serial numbers, logos, or technical information. However, it’s important to note that etching is a chemical process that requires careful handling and disposal of materials.

The bores at the outer skin (fuselage and wing) are drilled with portal machines or robots. The inaccessible drill machining steps, mainly in final assembly, are then drilled with drill feed units or with hand-held drills.

Metal laser engraving is a new method that uses a strong laser to create designs on metal surfaces. This method is very precise and fast, perfect for many uses like marking in industries or making detailed artwork.

Tools that are used for material combinations that contain CFRP are generally provided with a diamond layer. This counteracts the abrasion of the CFRP and enables long tool lives. Regrinding these tools is not possible as the diamond layer used has a very high hardness.

Hydraulic chucks contribute to sustainability in machining. The clamping technology conserves resources, improves workpiece quality and reduces energy consumption.

Machining solutions for scroll compressors: MAPAL offers precise, durable tools for electromobility. Focus on quality, efficiency and application-orientated processes.

Today machining in just one step, where bore and countersink are realised in one process, is state of the art. Only in this way was automatic machining using robots possible. Previously this type of machining was realised with minimum quantity lubrication (MQL). After machining, the parts had to be disassembled, cleaned and remounted. In addition the cooling medium got inside the aircraft where further assembly steps were taking place at the same time. The demand for tools for dry machining different composite workpiece materialswas the consequence.

In contrast to a multi-stage drilling process, the combination tool must undertake all work steps (drilling, boring, reaming and countersinking) during machining and bore the rivet connection in one step. In this way, both the position of the bore and the alignment between the cylindrical part of the bore and the countersinking are ensured. Angular errors or offset that can occur with multi-stage operations are therefore excluded.

Etching is a chemical process used to create precise and permanent marks on metal surfaces, including molds. It involves using acid or other chemicals to remove material from specific areas, resulting in a design or text. This method is particularly useful for marking molds, as it can achieve high levels of detail and accuracy.

Dot peen engraving, also called dot-matrix marking, is a common way to make precise marks on metal surfaces. This method uses a stylus to create dots on metal surfaces to make letters, numbers, or designs. The stylus is driven by air or electricity. It is widely used in industries such as metal part identification, traceability and branding.

Materials that are both high-strength and light are of vital importance in the aerospace sector. Thanks to new material combinations, the weight can be further reduced, strength and corrosion resistance increased and assembly can be simplified by means of an integrated design. While structural parts made of aluminium, titanium or high-strength steels are machined on machining centres or portal machines, parts in final assembly are mostly machined by hand-held machines, drill feed units or robots.

Tools for drilling composite materials made of different aluminium alloys, for example 7050 and 2024, do not need a wear-inhibiting coating. This is because the grades of aluminium used in aircraft construction contain no or very little silicon and can therefore be drilled virtually without wear. This multilayer composite is significantly different to composites that contain CFRP when machining.

Hand-carving is a traditional way to engrave metal using small chisels called gravers. Craftsmen use their skill and experience to create different effects with these tools. sizes to achieve various effects.

The outer skin and ribs of the latest generation of aircraft consist primarily of a composite made of CFRP and aluminium. In addition,  combinations made of different aluminium alloys or CFRP titanium are often used in the aerospace sector. The dimensional accuracy of the bores in this composite material is crucial. The bore must feature exactly the same diameter in both materials of the respective combination. In principle drilling always takes place from the outside to the inside. For example, the bore entrance and the countersinking is in the outer skin that consists of CFRP when machining CFRP/ aluminium, and the bore outlet is in the structure underneath that is designed in aluminium. During the individual machining of CFRP and aluminium materials, the geometries of the tools as well as the cutting data are fundamentally different.

Project Requirements: Consider the type of metal, complexity of the design and level of detail. For intricate designs on softer metals, consider hand engraving or laser engraving. For industrial marking on harder metals, laser engraving can be used.

The machine concept significantly affects the tool geometry. CNC applications on machining centres or portal machines are characterised by a high rigidity and stable machine control. As a result, the tool is very well guided in the bore. Applications with drill feed units, robots or hand-held machines are less stable and require tools with additional stabilising features for high accuracies.

Another special feature of drill feed units are the so-called “nose pieces”, also called guide bushes. The chips are removed above the tool through the long and narrow guide bushes up to a suction channel that is located at the end of the guide bush. To be able to remove the chips, long chip spaces are required that must be correctly dimensioned and adapted.

Skill level: Hand engraving requires excellent craftsmanship, while rotary tool and dot matrix engraving are more suitable for beginners. Laser engraving may require technical knowledge of operation and design software. So, before using a laser marker, carefully review the manuals, instructional videos, etc.

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In contrast for CFRP-titanium combinations, tools with a cutting edge that is sufficiently stable are required to withstand the ductile titanium and simultaneously have the appropriate sharpness to cut the CFRP. Whether merely one boring process suffices to produce a bore or whether the bore must be subsequently reamed depends on the required bore tolerance for this material combination.

To ensure process reliability during machining, attention must be paid to the quality requirement, the material and the process for the design of the tool geometry. As the majority of bores in aircraft are produced with countersinking due to the rivets, the bore outlet is to be assessed more critically to exclude cost-intensive rework. Delamination and fibre projections must be prevented in CFRP material and burr formation in aluminium. Chip removal is also important for machining all individual materials as well as all composite materials.