The Formdrill process uses a special carbide tip to drill through thin materials such as sheet metal using friction, removing the need for nuts and bosses. The Formdrill process involves a carbide conical tip (Formdrill) that heats up the material by friction into a super-plastic state, enabling the Formdrill to push through and form the hole and displace the material into a bushing that generally triples the material thickness.This additional wall surface is then threaded, eliminating the need for welded nuts, bosses or inserts. This bushing is also used as support for brazing or as a bearing wall in rotating shaft applications. It can be used on most drill presses, milling machines or CNC systems. The only parts required are a tool holder, a collet and the Formdrill. Each Formdrill will perform from 8,000 to 10,000 cycles in mild steel, a little less in stainless steel, and more in aluminum and copper.
This process is claimed to have the ability to reduce costs from 50 per cent to 90 per cent when compared to conventional methods. The savings come from the fact that overall cycle times are reduced and consumable costs are almost eliminated. There is virtually no post-process cleanup. The joints created are said to have exceptional torque and pull-out strength values that equal or excel the welded nut equivalents.
