Drilling in the smallest diameters is only efficient if all process components are precisely coordinated: Does the machinist expect long or short chips from the material to be machined? Is the coolant pressure sufficient to effectively serve the delicate cooling channels of the drill? Is the coolant sufficiently filtered and free of suspended and tiny particles that could clog the cooling channels? "These are just some of the questions that our customers have to deal with in advance if they want to get the most out of their micro drilling process. As soon as they have to venture into deep-hole dimensions, expert knowledge is essential," says Felix Meggle, Product Manager Solid Carbide Drilling at Ceratizit.

Micro specialists for universal use

What sounds like a contradiction in terms applies perfectly to the new drill series from Team Cutting Tools in the Ceratizit Group: The WTX Micro from the WNT Performance series is a specialist for micro and deep-hole drilling applications and can also be used universally, "because it is anything but picky when it comes to materials: Whether steels, cast materials or high-temperature materials and their alloys - our WTX Micro can take them all!" says Felix Meggle. This makes it versatile and suitable for use in a wide range of industries.

As the tightest tolerances and, above all, unconditional process reliability determine the specifications for micromachining, the WTX-Micro has been optimally trimmed for this application. The ultra-fine grain carbide used, developed and manufactured by Ceratizit, the chip chamber geometry, ultra-smooth surfaces and the coating are finely tuned to each other - for the highest quality.

One of the cool kind

The spiralized inner channels of the WTX micro drill are optimized for the maximum flow of cooling lubricant, which leads to an improved surface quality of the drill holes. This is achieved in part thanks to a power chamber, which the micro drills from 5xD are equipped with along the entire length of the shank. "It increases the amount of coolant at the tip while maintaining the same pressure, which also benefits tool life," explains Felix Meggle.

WTX-Micro is available from a diameter of 0.8 mm in lengths of 5xD, 8xD, 12xD, 16xD and 20xD. From 1.0 mm to 2.90 mm, they are also available in 25xD and 30xD. The optimized geometry with lapped surfaces and patented chip space openings as well as the special pointing of the micro drills ensure high cutting edge and therefore process stability.

To make the tools even more resistant to wear and the effects of heat, the WTX micro drills are provided with the innovative DPX74-M coating. In the variants from 8xD to 30xD, only the extremely stressed drill head is coated, while the 5xD variant is given the biting Dragonskin DPX74-M coating along its entire length.

No flying blind, with or without a pilot

There is hardly any way around a pilot hole for deep hole drilling. "We have the 5xD version of the WTX-Micro in our range for this purpose, which optimally prepares the drill hole. But since the tools are characterized in particular by their excellent self-centering, piloting can be dispensed with in vertical machining from a diameter of 1.0 mm up to a length of 12xD with a clear conscience," says Felix Meggle. The basic prerequisite for this is, of course, a smooth workpiece surface with a certain degree of straightness.

Ceratizit customers make no compromises when it comes to quality and service. Felix Meggle sums it up: "Micro-drilling is not something you do in between. There are numerous parameters that need to be considered in order to achieve a successful result. Here, too, we are on hand with help and advice: with know-how and optimized tools that stand out not only for their strong performance but also for their excellent price-performance ratio!"