Drilling Machine Changes from BTA to Gundrill Tooling without Dismantling

Unisig has added the high-precision UNI-50BTA to its UNI series of deep-hole drilling machines. The machine extends the production range by enabling rapid change from BTA to gundrill deep-hole tooling. This enables drilling holes with diameters as small as 0.31" (8 mm) and as large as 2.56" (65 mm) at depth-to-diameter hole ratios of 100-to-1 or greater. The UNI-50BTA makes it possible to drill with either tooling method within the diameter range in the same part without secondary operations. Applications for this machine include aerospace landing gear actuators, helicopter main shafts, and diesel engine and transmission components.

The drilling machine features a pressure head design that enables tool changes without dismantling the machine, reducing the time for change-over from several hours to as little as 10 minutes, the company says. Additionally, the drilling machine provides high-accuracy feed and zero-endplay spindles for bottom-forming operations, counter rotation to minimize centerline drift, and preloaded ballscrew drives for precise depth control.

As the largest machine in the UNI series, the UNI-50BTA is available in modular lengths, with the longest able to produce centerline bores as deep as 118.1" (3,000 mm) in the toughest materials. Other drill depths available are 39.4" (1,000 mm), 59.1" (1,500 mm), and 78.7" (2,000 mm). According to the company, the series complements high-efficiency, multitasking turning centers.

A multilingual interface with process monitoring and graphical display of critical information eases operation. Fluid delivery and chip discharge strategies are easily programmed depending on finished tolerance objectives and the starting condition of the parts, while automatic process interruption enables unattended operation for increased productivity.