Q. Describe how you would make a hole in metal, composite and wood.

Discuss
this in context of aircraft maintenance. State the precautions to be taken and
include limits or tolerances that the usage of these tools can achieve.

Ans.

Introduction: To make holes in metal, composite or wood, drilling’ operation is required.

Drilling is a cutting process using drill bits operated by an electrical or pneumatic drill
machine.  

Usually tool bits are different for metals, composites and wood for making
holes. Also, tip angle, cutting speeds and depth of cuts are different. Tool
size, tip angle, cutting speeds and depth of cut are to be selected from
appropriate source documents.

The most common twist drill has a point angle of 118 degrees. This is a
suitable angle for a wide array of tasks.  A sharper angle, such as 90
degrees, is suited for very soft plastics and other materials.  A shallower
angle, such as 150 degrees, is suited for drilling steels and other tougher
materials.

In general harder materials require a larger point angle, and softer materials
require a sharper angle.

Cutting holes on metal: To make a hole in a metal, I will proceed as

follows:

01. Selecting bit: As per specification of hole, I will select a twist bit of appropriate
size. Example: A 10 mm twist drill bit.
02. Job set up: prepare machine and work stand, mount the bit on tool holder on
machine, attach work piece on job-holder on work stand.
03. Select appropriate drilling speed and depth of cut as per AMM standard
practice (ATA ch-20).
04. Centering: Make a punch mark at location of hole and make pilot hole if the final
hole diameter is high.
05. Starting and completing drilling: Drive the rotating drill bit to the punch mark,
maintain depth of cut and complete drilling up to the required depth with proper
support from the back side of the material. I will keep cutting fluid ON during this
process.

Cutting holes on wood:  Wood is softer than metal, so drilling in wood is easier and
faster than drilling in metal. I will choose specialized bit for wood. It will require no cutting
fluid and no punching for centering. Higher cutting speed is to be used as per document.
Other procedures are the same as above for metal drilling.

Cutting holes on composite materials:  Drilling holes in composites require special

tool bits (mostly solid carbide and diamond drill bit), higher cutting speed, and smaller
depth of cut. The cut material comes away in the form of a fine dust.To prevent
ingesting this dust, approved vacuum equipment is usually used to provide dust
extraction from the worktable/tool. Other procedural steps are the same as above.

Precautions:

1.Observe safety rules,

2.wear PPE  (apron, helmet, safety goggles),  first aid kits be ready to take care
against rotating tool, hot sharp chips, eye and skin irritation from cutting fluids.
      3. Properly clamp the material  and give support from back side if required  

Tolerances and Surface Finish: Tolerance and surface finish depend upon: Tool
geometry, Cutting speed and Feed rate, Rigidity of tool, workpiece, and machine,
Alignment of machine, components and fixtures. Cutting Fluid, Composition and
hardness of the workpiece and so on.

Types of tool material:

Low carbon steel bits are used only in wood.

High carbon steel bits are made from high carbon steel and can be
hardened and tempered. These bits can be used on wood or metal and loose
their strength due to heat.

High speed steel (HSS) is a form of tool steel where the bits are much
more resistant to the effect of heat. They can be used to drill in metal,
hardwood, and most other materials.

Cobalt steel alloys are variations on high speed steel which have more
cobalt in them and hold their hardness at much higher temperatures, so they
are used to drill stainless steel and other hard materials.

Tungsten carbide are extremely hard materials that can drill in virtually all
work piece materials including composite material.

Diamond coated drill is among the hardest of all tool materials and is
therefore extremely wear resistant and used for composite material drill.