On 8/14/2013 10:33 AM, Joe AutoDrill wrote:
A good customer of mine just sent in a request for a few drills and
tappers.

They want to drill and tap in a single stroke (DRAP) and are doing so in
Aluminum.

It's tough because of the thickness of the material and the fact that
each unit has to perform a two hole process. ...Yes, two drilled holes
and two tapped holes, one stroke.

...We can do it. A quick example of a single spindle DRAP operation can
be seen he https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czK0f-R5dVQ

All I need from the customer at this point to generate a quote is:

1. Cut tap or roll form tap?

2. C-C of the two hole patterns?

3. He requested four. ...Is that four units or four holes? The partial
drawing (PNG and STEP format) I received shows four holes total, but it
also shows a part that is used in the quantity of four on his final
product.

4. Are the machines going to be manually run or controlled by a PLC, etc.

5. What direction will the process take place in? Vertical down,
Horizontal, etc.

Per Mr. Gardner's request, I have now shared some of my metalworking
stuff with you. May the conversations commence!




COOL, some fun for a change! A couple of questions: What are the
constraints for C-C? Can hole tooling be "ganged" to be run from the
same power head? Are the torque requirements the same for rolling and
cutting threads? What's the difference in percentage of costs to go
PLC? Wouldn't the scrap rate be a LOT lower with the PLC? What
difference does direction make? Do you have to lube? What lube and how
does it get applied?

You'd love my latest multi-hole drilling operation that consists of a
guy using a Harbor Freight hand drill on a handle clamped in a jig that
has two hardened 0-1 drill guides. When I need more than a couple
hundred a day, I'll have to do something else.