MODULAR drilling systems with bayonet interfaces enable quick drill head changes directly in the machine – but with a lack of process reliability and short tool life, these time savings can quickly become negligible. The BT 800 from Gühring demonstrates that easy handling and high performance don’t have to be mutually exclusive and claims to deliver a 150% longer tool life.
Tradition, innovation, and reliability – these are the hallmarks of Salzgitter Mannesmann Stahlhandel GmbH, which produces and distributes high-quality steel products. These include flat products, tubes, and long products that are characterised not only by a broad and flexible range of dimensions and grades but also by meeting the highest quality standards.
To meet the increasing demands for efficiency and precision, the company, headquartered in Mühlheim an der Ruhr, is focusing on modern tool solutions. These include modular drilling systems, which Salzgitter Mannesmann expects to enable more economical and time-saving drilling processes, especially for larger diameters.
Quick change
Production employee Tino Becker explains why interchangeable head systems with a bayonet lock are particularly effective: “The drill head can be easily replaced directly in the machine. Compared to alternative modular drilling systems, where the drill head is attached with a screw, we save a lot of time because the drill doesn’t have to be removed from the machine, and the program doesn’t have to be interrupted.”
Therefore, Salzgitter Mannes-mann initially resorted to a drilling system from a Gühring competitor with a bayonet interface. However, it became clear that a simple and quick drill head change wasn’t enough when problems arose during an application in structural steel: The company was struggling with long chips and loud drilling noises. The result was unclean drilling and even tool breakage. “If the holder is also damaged in the process, it can quickly become expensive. The economic advantages of modular tools are then lost,” says Becker.
“We can do better,” says Gühring application engineer Tobias Förderer, proposing a new solution to the long-standing customer. Gühring’s BT 800 replaceable head drilling system combines the advantages of a convenient bayonet interface with the performance of solid carbide drills and a long service life. Salzgitter Mannesmann is convinced of this in the production of steel beams (structural steel S355 J2), where through holes with a diameter of 17.5 mm are to be produced on a Kaltenbach drill-saw system.
