1. Q: How many holes can you drill or punch
with the same tool?
2. Q: What is the smallest hole you can make with a TI cutting tool?
3. Q: Can you drill metal tubing?
4. Q: Why don't you offer the HR & HS (17-4 PH Stainless Steel) series in TiN coated?
5. Q: How do you know whether to drill (rotating tool) or punch (non-rotating tool) holes in a particular material?
6. Q: Why isn't the SR series (440 C Stainless Steel, a cutlery grade of stainless steel) available in a wider range of sizes and shapes (ovals)?
7. Q: What materials do you recommend for internal support mandrel (beading)?
1. Q: How many holes can you drill or punch
with the same tool?
A: The life of a cutting tool is dependent on several factors:
(1) The cutting tool material will affect the life of the cutting tool. TI cutters are made from 304 Stainless Steel Hard-Tempered Cannula, 17-4 Stainless Steel, 440 Stainless Steel and Tungsten Molybdenum Tool steel, among others. Titanium Nitride (TiN) or Titanium Carbonitride (TiCN) coatings can also be added to increase hardness. Generally, hardened stainless steel and coated stainless steel increases the tool life, however, not all stainless steels are appropriate for certain shapes and cutting edge styles.
(2) The hardness or abrasiveness of the material being drilled or punched will affect the life of the cutting tool. Radiopaque media “loaded” into catheter material will also adversely affect tool life. Barium, bismuth and tungsten are commonly used as radiopaque and are extremely hard and/or abrasive.
(3) The speed of the drill rotation can affect the cutting tool life.
(4) The speed with which the drill is fed into the material being drilled may affect the life of the cutting tool. (5) Also, proper care and handling of the cutting tool by the operator will extend the life of the cutting tool.
2. Q: What is the smallest hole you can make with a TI cutting tool?
A: The smallest punch manufactured by TI will drill or punch a .005 inch (.125mm) hole.
3. Q: Can you drill metal tubing?
A: Although the primary use of TI drills is placing holes in plastic tubing, catheters, sheet, elastomers and other similar material, it is possible to use the technology to drill holes in certain metals.
4. Q: Why don't you offer the HR & HS (17-4 PH Stainless Steel) series in TiN coated?
A: 17-4 PH Stainless Steel attains its maximum hardness by furnace hardening at 900° F for 60 minutes. After 60 minutes at this temperature, the hardness peaks and then begins to become less hard.
The TiN coating process is done at approximately 900° F, but the process generally takes from 2 to 4 hours to complete. This results in the steel becoming less hard during the TiN coating process.
5. Q: How do you know whether to drill (rotating tool) or punch (non-rotating tool) holes in a particular material?
A: As a general rule, the cleanest hole is obtained by drilling the hole. In addition, drilling tends to extend tool life. Many punching applications require an internal support mandrel (beading) that supports the tubing to prevent collapsing the tube. Drilling, in many cases, can eliminate the time/motion required to insert and remove the beading.
6. Q: Why isn't the SR series (440 C Stainless Steel, a cutlery grade of stainless steel) available in a wider range of sizes and shapes (ovals)?
A: 440 C Stainless Steel is a difficult alloy to machine and requires a precise, high temperature (+1900° F) heat-treating process. The material in its annealed condition (soft) is brittle and doesn't form well i.e. tends to crack with the slightest deformation. In addition, its high carbon content prevents 440 C from being electro-chemically sharpened so a true razor edge is difficult to obtain.
7. Q: What materials do you recommend for internal support mandrel (beading)?
A: Beading is commonly used to support the tubing in both drilling and punching applications. Its benefits include clean round or oval holes without leaving undesirable “witness cuts” on the opposing wall and superior plug collection. It is critical in most applications that all plugs are removed during the hole-making process.
The preferred beading material is LDPE. Alternative beading and comments are given below:
LDPE (inexpensive and very lubricious)
Teflon (expensive)
Urethane (sticky)
Nylon (hard and abrasive)
Acetal (very hard)
Nylon fishing line is commonly used due to its availability in a variety of sizes but it tends to reduce tool life. Acetal is preferred for use in placing holes in stainless steel braided tubing because it is hard enough to support the braid when sheared by the tool.
2. Q: What is the smallest hole you can make with a TI cutting tool?
3. Q: Can you drill metal tubing?
4. Q: Why don't you offer the HR & HS (17-4 PH Stainless Steel) series in TiN coated?
5. Q: How do you know whether to drill (rotating tool) or punch (non-rotating tool) holes in a particular material?
6. Q: Why isn't the SR series (440 C Stainless Steel, a cutlery grade of stainless steel) available in a wider range of sizes and shapes (ovals)?
7. Q: What materials do you recommend for internal support mandrel (beading)?
A: The life of a cutting tool is dependent on several factors:
(1) The cutting tool material will affect the life of the cutting tool. TI cutters are made from 304 Stainless Steel Hard-Tempered Cannula, 17-4 Stainless Steel, 440 Stainless Steel and Tungsten Molybdenum Tool steel, among others. Titanium Nitride (TiN) or Titanium Carbonitride (TiCN) coatings can also be added to increase hardness. Generally, hardened stainless steel and coated stainless steel increases the tool life, however, not all stainless steels are appropriate for certain shapes and cutting edge styles.
(2) The hardness or abrasiveness of the material being drilled or punched will affect the life of the cutting tool. Radiopaque media “loaded” into catheter material will also adversely affect tool life. Barium, bismuth and tungsten are commonly used as radiopaque and are extremely hard and/or abrasive.
(3) The speed of the drill rotation can affect the cutting tool life.
(4) The speed with which the drill is fed into the material being drilled may affect the life of the cutting tool. (5) Also, proper care and handling of the cutting tool by the operator will extend the life of the cutting tool.
2. Q: What is the smallest hole you can make with a TI cutting tool?
A: The smallest punch manufactured by TI will drill or punch a .005 inch (.125mm) hole.
3. Q: Can you drill metal tubing?
A: Although the primary use of TI drills is placing holes in plastic tubing, catheters, sheet, elastomers and other similar material, it is possible to use the technology to drill holes in certain metals.
4. Q: Why don't you offer the HR & HS (17-4 PH Stainless Steel) series in TiN coated?
A: 17-4 PH Stainless Steel attains its maximum hardness by furnace hardening at 900° F for 60 minutes. After 60 minutes at this temperature, the hardness peaks and then begins to become less hard.
The TiN coating process is done at approximately 900° F, but the process generally takes from 2 to 4 hours to complete. This results in the steel becoming less hard during the TiN coating process.
5. Q: How do you know whether to drill (rotating tool) or punch (non-rotating tool) holes in a particular material?
A: As a general rule, the cleanest hole is obtained by drilling the hole. In addition, drilling tends to extend tool life. Many punching applications require an internal support mandrel (beading) that supports the tubing to prevent collapsing the tube. Drilling, in many cases, can eliminate the time/motion required to insert and remove the beading.
6. Q: Why isn't the SR series (440 C Stainless Steel, a cutlery grade of stainless steel) available in a wider range of sizes and shapes (ovals)?
A: 440 C Stainless Steel is a difficult alloy to machine and requires a precise, high temperature (+1900° F) heat-treating process. The material in its annealed condition (soft) is brittle and doesn't form well i.e. tends to crack with the slightest deformation. In addition, its high carbon content prevents 440 C from being electro-chemically sharpened so a true razor edge is difficult to obtain.
7. Q: What materials do you recommend for internal support mandrel (beading)?
A: Beading is commonly used to support the tubing in both drilling and punching applications. Its benefits include clean round or oval holes without leaving undesirable “witness cuts” on the opposing wall and superior plug collection. It is critical in most applications that all plugs are removed during the hole-making process.
The preferred beading material is LDPE. Alternative beading and comments are given below:
LDPE (inexpensive and very lubricious)
Teflon (expensive)
Urethane (sticky)
Nylon (hard and abrasive)
Acetal (very hard)
Nylon fishing line is commonly used due to its availability in a variety of sizes but it tends to reduce tool life. Acetal is preferred for use in placing holes in stainless steel braided tubing because it is hard enough to support the braid when sheared by the tool.