Process-Improvement

Scrap in deep hole drilling is more expensive than scrap in most other machining operations. By the time the hole is drilled, the part has already been turned, heat-treated, and faced. A scrapped bore means all that upstream work is lost. I have worked on reducing scrap rates across multiple shops. The approach that works is not complex — it is systematic. Track What You Are Scrapping The first step in reducing scrap is knowing what you are scrapping and why. Without data, you are guessing. ...

I document every drilling problem in a log. This practice has saved me weeks of troubleshooting time over the years. A single recurring problem that goes undocumented can cost thousands of dollars in scrapped parts and broken tools before someone recognizes the pattern. Problem Description The typical approach in most shops is to fix the immediate problem and move on. The tool breaks, so you replace it. The surface finish is bad, so you adjust the feed. These fixes address the symptom but not the root cause, and the problem comes back days or weeks later. ...