For context, these are two videos I posted back on May 21 that show a larger
diameter annular cutter going through thicker steel plate and the resulting
problems:

Check out this link for a 2" hole being drilled through a 3/4" piece of
steel with the 5160-x series AutoDrill.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29oswoasnLQ

We haven't quite solved the chip build-up issue yet given the different
diameter holes that can be drilled, etc. See the problem he

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DJiDKnuHuI

The issue we have is that with a manual process, the "bird's nest" of chips
is not a problem. However, when trying to do this with an automatic or
self-feed drill like I provide, the chips just keep building up more and
more.

Since some customers will automatically feed parts to the drilling machine
(may up to 10 per minute for the worst case scenario), the problem quickly
spirals (sorry for that) into quite a big mess that simply damages the
surface of the part being drilled, could damage the bearing on the unit
doing the drilling if they somehow got in, etc.

The solution is to remove the possibility of a bird's nest of chips somehow.

Some ideas provided we

Chip breaker next to the tool
Magnetic chip "grabber" or comb device
Peck drilling to create non-spiral chips, etc.

We chose to try the peck drill idea. After receiving a link to this video
from Garlicdude (from over at alt.machines.cnc) showing a much more
sophisticated peck drill process:

http://www.mmsonline.com/articles/dr...pecks-for-free

....we got inspired to build our own.

We built a potentiometer-adjustable peck control so that we could control
the forward and reverse stroke from anywhere near zero time to 10 seconds
time.

Setting it at it's most inefficient setting but the smallest chip worked for
about 1/2" thickness of material. However, after the material got thicker
and the pile of "chiplettes" got big enough, they acted like those old toys
we played with as kids - the barrel of monkeys with interlocking arms. This
setting was roughly equivalent to 1/2 or 3/4 rotation per peck. Like I
said, really inefficient since the peck was also 1/2 to 3/4 rotation.

Eventually, the chips grabbed each other and made a ball that was simply
tighter wound but more loosely attached. It would be removed manually
easier after a shut down but still caused a significant issue.

....so we then tried to blow the chips off the work surface at a regular pace
along with the pecking. That way, we figured the chips could not build up.
Really inefficient use of compressed air, but it essentially worked.

....Of course, I now have "chiplettes" everywhere within a 50' radius of my
test machine... Ptooey there...

So... Essentially, a fix is in the works and a video may be taken early
next week for everyone's evaluation.

The peck will probably work in cooperation with an air blast chip evacuation
system (or some other more complex set up like a mega-magnet, etc.)... We
shall see.

P.s. New Facebook and Twitter links below too.

Regards,
Joe Agro, Jr.
(800) 871-5022
01.908.542.0244
Automatic / Pneumatic Drills: http://www.AutoDrill.com
Multiple Spindle Drills: http://www.Multi-Drill.com
Production Tapping: http://Production-Tapping-Equipment.com/
Flagship Site: http://www.Drill-N-Tap.com
VIDEOS: http://www.youtube.com/user/AutoDrill
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/AutoDrill
FACEBOOK: http://tinyurl.com/AutoDrill-Facebook

V8013-R