A case for aggressive drilling of aluminum

Combinations of properly set high cutting speed and tool feed resulting in proportionally large material removal rate summarize aggressive drilling (AD). The basic ingredients for commercially viable, aggressive, yet economical drilling are coming together nowadays, promising a quantum leap in the speed (thousands of meters per minute) and, consequently, the feed at which drilling takes place. Drilling at many times the conventional rates undoubtedly translates into faster productivity, the savings of which typically would dwarf the cost associated with excessive tool wear. The trends, issues and challenges of aggressive drilling are reviewed in this paper.