Drilling carbide reamers come in a cylindrical-shaped. These precision reamers are used as rotary cutting tool to perform reaming, a mechanized process to remove chips and improve finish.
That being said, what uses does drilling carbide reamers have? As a general rule, the main task of precision reamers is to obtain the most excellent precision in hole opening tasks with the help of a directional control valve. In this sense, the manual reamer with a start stands out, commonly known as a simple reamer.
What types of drilling carbide reamers exist?
Reamers have carved teeth or grooves that can be straight, helical or conical. In the same way, these teeth or slots can be oriented to the left to make through holes or to the right to make blind holes.
We can find drilling carbide reamers of different shapes and sizes. Normally, they are manufactured with high-carbon steel, and we can find them in various types: adjustable, non-adjustable, removable, fixed, for manual use, or to be attached to a machine. The precision reamers can be activated manually but can also be placed in a drill, lathe or reaming machine.
Currently, there are many models, which are usually the following:
- Manual type reamers.
- Precision reamers
- Straight reamers
- Machine reamers
- Rose reamers
- Shell reamers
- Floating reamers
- Expandable reamers
- Carbide reamers
- Conical reamers
- Morse taper reamers
- Helix Fluted Machine Reamers
- Reamers with spiral flutes
- Mold reamers
- Reamers with tip screws
How does reaming work?
Reaming works by cutting the inside surface of a previously drilled hole to make it smoother and more precise. The carbide reamer tool is inserted into the hole and rotated with adequate speed and pressure to cut the material. Reaming can also be used to finish the edge of a hole so that it is rounded and ends with a flat, uniform surface.
Reamers play an integral role in today’s machine shops and are essential in a machinist’s tool arsenal. For this reason, it is good to remember that if a precise hole is desired, start dreaming about reaming. If an operator in a high-quality machine shop drills a precision hole, there is a good chance that the hole will require a reamer to finish the job. But what is a reamer, and why is it such an important tool?
Precision reamers
Reamers come in taper pins and hand reamers. The following refers to high-precision machine reamers used with lubricant on lathes and machining centers. Regardless of the application, a reamer is a precision tool, and successful operation depends on the machinery, the operator, and the tool itself. Reamers are produced using solid round carbide, HSS, and cermet materials.
Essentially, the process of enlarging a hole is called reaming. By design, reamers are used to enlarge the size of a drilled hole in small quantities but with high precision, ensuring that the sides of the hole have a smooth surface finish. When applied correctly, a reamer can ream thousands of holes without significant performance loss and with high precision.
A reamer is the most precise tool available for forming holes. If a reamer is used in metalworking, it is commonly used for high precision tolerances of H6/H7 according to ISO metric standards, which are perfect for locating stationary parts. Still, they can be assembled and disassembled freely.
Carbide reamers do not remove large amounts of material.
The amount of material removed depends on several factors, including the material to be machined and the pre-drilled hole’s size and quality. For the machinist, this is a careful balancing act. For the end mill to perform as expected, the correct amount of stock must remain in the hole. With too much material, the reamer may struggle, and the hole may warp. Likewise, when there is insufficient material, the reamer will rub and wear, causing holes of poor quality.
What are the parts of drill carbide reamers?
Another detail to keep in mind is what the parts of a drilling drill carbide reamers are:
– Serrations: which is the sharp tip of the reamer? They are made up of a face, a perforation area, and what is known as a taper space.
– Neck: it is the area that facilitates the entry of the reamer into the hole in which the drilling is carried out.
– Handle: the area that reduces friction between the reamer and the surface on which the drilling is carried out.
Precision reamers must combine hardness on the cutting edges to ensure long life and strength, preventing the tool from failing under regular use forces. Used correctly, they should only remove small amounts of material, ensuring a long life for the reamer and a superior finish in the hole. Additionally, if the workpiece is flexible during reaming, the result could mean chattering, a poor finish on the workpiece, and severe cutting of the cutting edge. During the reaming process, friction and extreme heat can cause problems, meaning that proper lubrication is essential to not only cool the tool but also increase the life of the reamer. Lubrication also leads to higher cutting speeds and shorter cycle times. Lubrication also removes chips and contributes to a better workpiece finish.