Micro Precision: Making The Worlds Smallest Hole?

Join me as I attempt to stamp some incredibly small holes in stainless steel.
Website-www.toolander.com

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#microprecision
#micro
#die
#toolanddiemaker
#engineering
#familybusiness
#machining
#metalstamping
#machinist

[@gradientascent4218]

You can arrange those tiny holes in a spiral on a thin circular plate (d=~60mm, rather metal foil) to make Nipkow disk with descent (like 40-60 lines) resolution. Nipkow disk was used in early mechanical TVs to scan the image line-by-line. I ordered such disk to a PCB maker and wait for it to be manufactured.

[@ToolanderEngineering]

Interesting… Thank you for watching

[@hullinstruments]

You'll also see them in rotary encoders, and the encoders on stepper motors. They will have slots so thin sometimes that a human hair won't pass through. It's incredible

[@gradientascent4218]

@@hullinstruments Yes. I think those are usually manufactured by chemical etching.

[@ced3098]

@@gradientascent4218 Can be made by EDM if you use aluminium alloy sheet that drill as butter by using an EDM .

[@gradientascent4218]

@@ced3098 If "stick" (contrary to wire, I don't know how it's called properly) EDM has positional accuracy in order of tens of microns than it can surely be used for making miniature Nipkow discs.

[@ced3098]

Interesting video , can you make video on double effect crank press tooling as cup forming ?

[@ToolanderEngineering]

If we ever form any cups, I’ll be sure to show it. thank you for watching.

[@whereisdave]

so cool. can you show us the punch holder and the tool itself.

[@ToolanderEngineering]

The tool isn’t beautiful it was pieced together from an old tool and a previously used die set. A few new components were made to complete the build, but it’s basically like a Frankenstein die. It was only built for this video. If we ever build something brand new for a customer, we could possibly show it.

[@whereisdave]

whats the max thickness you think you could punch at that diam?@@ToolanderEngineering

[@ToolanderEngineering]

@@whereisdave I punched .010 thick brass with the die as is. I would just have to open up the die and keep trying a thicker material until it broke.

[@whereisdave]

is that a general rule of thumb diam = maxt hickness of punch?@@ToolanderEngineering

[@ToolanderEngineering]

@@whereisdave You can punch holes that are much smaller that the material.

[@DavidOHara-m8i]

There are drill bits as small as .001" for drilling thru foils. I needed an array of tapered holes with .0002" diameter at one end, .02" at the large end and .080" deep in nickel. I had male versions of these made which I polished on a jewelers lathe using a tiny lap turned by a dremel tool and was able to watch the polishing under a 200X scope mounted on the lathe. These were mounted in an array and then nickel electroformed. The male pins could then be pulled out leaving my tiny conical holes with an optical surface inside.

[@ToolanderEngineering]

That quite a drill. From .0002-.020 Impressive

[@danielrogers6090]

Your a great dies maker. The smallest hole i pierced was .020 in .011 inconel drawn cup. We should talk shop som time

[@ToolanderEngineering]

Apparently someone out there was stamping .001 holes. I’m not sure how they were doing that. I appreciate your compliment. Sure we can talk anytime.👍

[@dittilio]

I expect tungsten probes could handle this just fine. Though typically I've only seen them around 2-0.1um

[@johnkruer7557]

Can you show the process of making the die? Setting up and running a press is not the same as making the tooling.

[@ToolanderEngineering]

If we ever build some thing similar to that I can show the build from scratch. This die is basically pieced together from some old dies and die sets with a few new added pieces to complete the build. It was built only for this video, it’s not a beauty.

[@ischmaed]

Try doing .003 holes in a 40x40 grid with .0004 walls. Ten thou holes are pretty big if you make parts for the semi-conductor industry.

[@ischmaed]

We use carbide though, how much stick out do you have on that punch and what is it made of?

[@ToolanderEngineering]

Are you stamping these holes or drilling them? I am not sure what you mean by stick out. This punch is completely straight at almost 2 inches long, made from m2.

[@ischmaed]

@@ToolanderEngineering We’re drilling them. I wish we could punch them, it’d be much faster. By stick out i mean how far does the punch stick out from the holder?

[@ToolanderEngineering]

About .030@@ischmaed

[@agg42]

Interesting Punch design. Curious why you went with a long flappy instead of say a short stubby carbide punch? If you want an interesting paper to read, check out "Micro-hole fabrication by mechanical punching process" by Joo BY, Rhim SH, and OH SI. It goes into their processes for punching holes down to 25 microns (.0009") in 316ss. Thanks for the videos and keep it up!

[@ToolanderEngineering]

I was just playing around and using components that were more readily available. I will check out that article. Thank you

[@adhawk5632]

I just did my first tiny drilling practice. 0.3mm PCB carbide drill. Did 54 holes in ally. Broke 1 bit because i didnt clean the swarf off the drill. IPA for lubrication, flat out on a optimum BF16 with a DRO( the smallest and cheapest mill they sell). It went well. Those PCB bits are cheap as and good. Buy lots😉 10 thou' is 250 microns. I'm still learning via KZbin University and these were the first tiny holes ive ever drilled, and there 300 microns. The 10 pack of bits has a 0.1mm drill. Its next. Im using a keyless integrated MT3 chuck with 20 micron runout, the 100 micron drill bit should be ok.(I wrote my mates channel name with drill holes, 4 letters, 7 x 4 letter grid at 0.5mm centers. 0.2mm gap). Give it a go, its doable👍👌🇦🇺

[@ToolanderEngineering]

Keep up the good work. Let me know how the .1 mm drilling goes.

[@marceloiannini8199]

Be aware that minimal amounts of spindle run-out breaks these small sized drills. Always clean your chuck before installing those tiny bits.

[@mustricsgeza2431]

Watchmakers be like "hold my beer girls"

[@ToolanderEngineering]

Ha ha..

[@johnspathonis1078]

I realise your business is centered on stamping, but have you considered high accuracy lasers to cut small holes in thicker material. Cheers

[@ToolanderEngineering]

At this moment we wouldn’t have a use for a laser cutter, but you never know what the future holds. Thank you for watching.

[@johnspathonis1078]

I asked that question as some time ago I needed a large number of sharp edged oriface plates for use as flow controls in a hydraulic circuit. The holes were cut with a high accuracy laser in stainless steel 0.7mm thick. The hole diameter was 0.45mm. Cheers John@@ToolanderEngineering

[@ToolanderEngineering]

@@johnspathonis1078 That is pretty impressive.

[@hullinstruments]

​@@ToolanderEngineering you would be amazed what you can get today in high accuracy fiber lasers for not very much money. I'm talking $1,000 maybe a bit more. Check out "Marco reps" KZbin channel and the insane miniscule resolution he's getting out of some of his lasers. I'm talking semiconductor industry type photolithography sizes. Absolutely unbelievable stuff for not very much money. It really is a golden age..... You don't need a half a million dollar Trumph brand industrial laser to do stuff like that anymore. And I honestly don't know how I could get by in my electronics /metrology lab without a few decent cheap fiber and/or C02 lasers

[@thefekete]

What is this?! A hole for ants?!

[@ToolanderEngineering]

LOL...I am not sure an ant could fit in those holes.

[@thefekete]

@@ToolanderEngineering sorry, I realize now the channel name is not a reference to the movie Zoolander... But regardless, that is quite impressive to have such a small feature size from a punch press. I'd have expected either EDM or chemical etching if I saw that without knowing the process ;)

[@than_vg]

'world's smallest hole'?? that's a bit of a statement...

[@ToolanderEngineering]

It’s not a statement it’s a question

[@than_vg]

@@ToolanderEngineering the answer to which is not clear to you? I think you know the answer pretty well

[@ToolanderEngineering]

@@than_vg thank you for watching

[@catch_me_outside_how_bout_dat]

What material is it

[@ToolanderEngineering]

It is stainless steel.