Mechanical Engineering - Production Engineering - Discussion

When drilling brass, a drill with a *high helix angle* is generally preferred.

Here's why:

Chip Removal: Brass tends to produce long, stringy chips. A high helix angle helps to efficiently lift and remove these chips from the hole, preventing chip clogging and improving cutting efficiency.

Reduced Heat: Efficient chip removal also helps to reduce heat buildup, which is important when drilling brass as it can be prone to work hardening.

Surface Finish: A high helix angle can also contribute to a better surface finish in brass.

Why not other helix angles?

Zero helix angle: Drills with zero helix angle (like flat drills) are not suitable for drilling brass as they don't provide effective chip evacuation.
Low helix angle: While a low helix angle might work in some cases, it's not as efficient as a high helix angle for removing the long chips produced by brass.

Other factors to consider:

Drill material: High-speed steel (HSS) or cobalt drills are recommended for drilling brass.
Cutting speed and feed rate: Adjust these parameters to optimize cutting performance and prevent work hardening.
Coolant: Use a suitable cutting fluid to improve chip evacuation and reduce heat buildup.

By using a drill with a high helix angle and optimizing the drilling process, you can achieve efficient and effective results when drilling brass.

Usually helix angle 30 degrees.

For ductile material high.
For the brittle material low.

Brass is a brittle material.

So, it is low helix angle.

Machining is zero.

But drilling will low.

In machining operation for brass it 0.

And in drilling, it is low helix angle.

Around 13 degree.