Moldmakers Maximize Tooling Investments With Carbide Drill

For those moldmakers machining ferrous metals, hardened steels and superalloys, custom PCD, CBN and carbide tooling from West Ohio Tool Co. boosts cutting efficiency and provides extended tool life for maximum tooling ROI. Among the company’s custom PCD and carbide tooling is the EdgeX4 drill that is said to consistently exceeds expectations in holemaking performance, precision and reliability.

EdgeX4 drills feature a solid-wafer PCD cross-center tip, bonded to the carbide drill body via a proprietary process. The design prevents premature breakdown of the drill point compared to outboard tip drills.

In actual applications, West Ohio Tool says the EdgeX4 provides performance equal to or better than conventional tooling, but at a lower cost per hole. While there are many variables to consider such as the machine, the workholding, the operator and design of the tool, EdgeX4 drills, depending on application, typically exceed 800,000 to 1 million holes, running 3 to 5X times faster to reduce processing time by up to 75%, according to the company.

West Ohio Tool’s portfolio covers carbide and PCD custom drills, reamers, mills, end mills, grooving and internal forming tools. Its EdgeX4 tools include the line’s helix, straight, full nib and ball nose variants.

In addition to cutting tool design, the company uses its expertise to help customers determine the best tool to use by researching all aspects of the project from work materials and machining parameters through application support, providing what West Ohio Tool says is 75% faster turnaround and delivery times than the industry standard.