High-volume drilling requires precision, efficiency and reliability to meet demanding production schedules and maintain cost-effectiveness. For manufacturers, these requirements often pose challenges such as ensuring tool longevity, achieving consistent hole quality and minimising downtime.
What’s required to achieve more efficient hole drilling in an increasingly competitive environment? Mikael Carlsson, global product specialist for indexable rotating tools at Sandvik Coromant, explains how a new drilling innovation could reinvent high-volume hole making.
High-volume hole making often reveals challenges that can be underestimated, even by experienced manufacturers. Many already recognise the importance of tool wear and cycle times, but it’s the hidden complexities of high-speed and high-penetration operations that can profoundly impact productivity.
Thermal and mechanical stresses – especially in hard steels and heat-resistant superalloys – can lead to accelerated tool fatigue, burr formation or even deformation of the workpiece.
These challenges go beyond tool durability. They involve understanding the interplay between tool geometry, coatings and material composition with the specific characteristics of the workpiece. Effective heat dissipation, resistance to microfractures and the ability to maintain edge sharpness over prolonged use are all essential.
Another consideration is the cost impact of inefficiencies, such as setup or tip changes. In large-scale operations, even small delays can accumulate into substantial productivity losses. This highlights the importance of streamlined solutions – systems designed for quick setup, precise alignment and easy tool changes.
Eliminating unnecessary steps in the drilling process can also drive significant savings. For example, tools that remove the need for pilot holes or presetting equipment can reduce cycle times and minimise operator intervention, thereby increasing throughput.
A streamlined approach
Introduced by Sandvik Coromant in March 2025, CoroDrill DE10 is an advanced exchangeable-tip drill designed for high-volume drilling.
CoroDrill DE10 boosts productivity while streamlining operations due to its advanced -M5 tip geometry. This design balances high feed rates with precise penetration, delivering exceptional performance across diverse materials – from steel alloys to stainless steels – while minimising burr formation and deformation.
A patented pre-tension clamping interface enables fast and easy tip changes without spare parts. It ensures reliable drilling at high speeds, delivers superior clamping strength and achieves straighter holes with tighter tolerances. It also extends drill body life, making CoroDrill DE10 the most robust exchangeable-tip drill of its kind, he says.
CoroDrill DE10 also eliminates the need for pilot holes, further streamlining workflows and reducing inventory complexity. Its robust design supports extended tool life and more tips per tool body, ultimately lowering cost per hole.
It integrates effortlessly into existing setups and is compatible with Sandvik Coromant’s CoroPlus platform, which provides precise cutting data and real-time performance insights.
In Italy, CoroDrill DE10 showed strong performance advantages over a competitor while drilling AISI316L stainless steel – achieving a 57% productivity increase and 43% longer tool life.
In another case, an automotive manufacturer faced issues with high cutting forces deforming drill bodies while machining gearbox housings in 47CrMo4 alloyed steel. Switching to CoroDrill DE10 delivered a 17% productivity boost and exceptional accuracy with reduced downtime.
“These examples show how CoroDrill DE10 delivers operational and cost-saving benefits – a strategic solution for high-volume production.”