Manufacturers are placing greater emphasis on stabilising processes, strengthening operational resilience and achieving consistent output in high-volume production. Against this backdrop, Mikael Carlsson, product application specialist at metal cutting and manufacturing solutions expert Sandvik Coromant, explains how a holistic tooling strategy made a significant difference for direct-drive system manufacturer Hägglunds.
Efficient drilling does not happen by chance. It comes from engineering expertise, close collaboration and the right tooling. That was the challenge facing Hägglunds, a Bosch Rexroth brand and manufacturer of direct-drive systems, when machining cam rings from bearing steel, a notoriously difficult material for holemaking. The existing drill was neither durable nor reliable enough to deliver predictable hole quality, meaning operators needed to monitor machines constantly, limiting uptime and slowing production.
“Our old tool just wasn’t durable or reliable enough. We didn’t trust it to deliver and couldn’t leave the machine unattended like we wanted to,” says Branthsson, production engineering manager at Hägglunds.
Sandvik Coromant and Hägglunds have a long-standing partnership built on open dialogue and continuous improvement. Sandvik Coromant’s approach extends beyond supplying tools to include knowledge transfer, operator support and identifying optimisation opportunities as part of what the company describes as manufacturing wellness, a mindset focused on skills, technology and process health across the operation.
To stabilise the drilling process and achieve consistent performance from the first hole to the last, including enabling lights-out machining without risking tool failure or part damage, engineers from Sandvik Coromant and Hägglunds identified the need for a more wear-resistant and repeatable solution.
The answer was the CoroDrill DE10, Sandvik Coromant’s second-generation exchangeable tip drill launched in March 2025. Unlike the previous tool, the CoroDrill DE10’s patented pre-tension clamping interface, high clamping force and centring capability provide robust stability even in demanding machining conditions. The design produces straight holes with tight tolerances while supporting a higher number of tips per drill body.
According to Sandvik Coromant, the CoroDrill DE10 delivers repeatable hole quality. During testing, thousands of holes were drilled with consistent results.
“What makes this drill stand out is the repeatable hole quality,” says Carlsson. “We drilled thousands of holes in testing, and the consistency was there, hole after hole.”
The drill is designed to support high-feed, high-speed drilling and extended tool life when used with the recommended cutting data. The M5 tip geometry is compatible with a wide range of materials and applications, requires no pilot drill and allows tip changes without spare parts.
With the CoroDrill DE10 in place, Hägglunds says operators can leave machines running unattended and focus on other tasks, transforming downtime into predictable, continuous machining.
“The stability of the drill lets us push the machine harder without compromising quality. We increased productivity by 18% and doubled the time in cut per drill tip from 40 to 80 minutes. And the drill body lasts much longer,” says Branthsson.
Rather than replacing machinery, Sandvik Coromant focuses on strengthening manufacturing processes through advanced tooling and collaboration. The company says products such as the CoroDrill DE10 are designed to deliver repeatable precision, extended tool life and reliable performance, helping manufacturers increase output, reduce interruptions and move towards more autonomous workflows without replacing existing equipment.
Hägglunds’ experience demonstrates the role precision tooling can play in demanding production environments. By combining engineering expertise, collaboration and the appropriate drill, Sandvik Coromant says it helped the company achieve reliable high-volume production while reducing manual supervision.
“It’s a holistic approach grounded in what we call manufacturing wellness, looking at the bigger picture of skills, knowledge and technology,” says Carlsson.
The company says investing in appropriate tooling can improve productivity, process stability and operational resilience, while helping manufacturers gain more from existing equipment and prepare for increased automation and lights-out manufacturing.