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Flexi-Temp is the name give to the revolutionary design of drill jig that enables the drilling of holes that are normal to an exposed surface, without the need of a 5 axis machined drill jig. The Flexi-Temp jig is essentially a series of loose laminates that are held together using a 2-part drill jig bush. The loose jig can be pinned into piloted datum holes, allowing the jig to find the form of the work piece. The bushes / sleeves can be tightened / locked which creates a rigid jig, capable of withstanding applied forces during the drilling machine medium of your choice. Once set, the jig can be removed and refitted over and over, only requiring resetting for recertification purposes.

This article describes the physical background and the experience in the drilling of carbon fiber and aluminum-carbon fiber stacks. Low temperatures and intelligent chip removal technologies are the most important requirements for dry drilling or to avoid the MQL (minimum quantity lubrication). The drilling in one shot and in IT8 quality is mandatory. In case of machining metal, like aluminum or titanium, a lot of heat is generated by the tools and the cutting process. Machining of composites, the material and the tool should remain as cold as possible even by drilling without external or internal coolant. A new drill design is now developed, qualified and patented by MAPAL that allows the dry drilling of metals at very low temperatures also. We are now able to drill, all batches (composite / aluminum) without MMS. The high drilling feed and due to that, the shorter contact length between the tool and the material stack also gives us approximately twice the tool life.