DRILL WEAR AND CUTTING EDGE DAMAGE

The table below shows a simple drawing depicting the wear of a drill's cutting edge. The generation and the amount of wear differ according to the workpiece materials and cutting conditions used. But generally, the peripheral wear is largest and determines a drills' tool life. When regrinding, the flank wear at the point needs to be ground away completely. Therefore, if there is large wear more material needs to be ground away to renew the cutting edge.

When drilling, the cutting edge of the drill can suffer from chipping, fracture and abnormal damage. In such cases, it is important to take a closer look at the damage, investigate the cause and take countermeasures.