Product Detail
Carbide Drills for Stainless—Work-Hardening & Chip Control
Stainless carbide drilling series focused on work-hardening, edge prep, coating, chip control and RFQ evidence—not hardened-steel HRC packets.
Series · Stainless · work-hardening & chip control
Carbide Drills for Stainless Steel — Work-Hardening, Edge Prep, Chip Control
Austenitic stainless (304/316 and kin) fails drills when the lip rubs, the entry skin work-hardens, and chips bird-nest. Bring the exact grade, condition and chip symptoms—not an HRC sticker from a hardened-steel problem.
Starting-reference policy: Geometry, coating and feed notes here are scene references—not universal life or speed guarantees. Validate on your grade, depth and coolant.
Work-hardening at entry
Dwelling, rubbing or too-low feed at entry hardens the skin so the next engagement chips the corner. Keep positive feed through entry, avoid casual spot-dwell, and confirm runout before blaming the grade. Playbook: stainless work-hardening playbook.
Edge preparation
Stainless wants an edge that is tough enough to resist micro-chipping yet sharp enough to cut instead of plow. Over-honed edges rub; fragile edges chip on interrupted entry. XRZ sets edge prep from grade, interruption and measured runout—not from a one-line catalog claim.
Coating choices
Coatings that reduce adhesion and heat can help austenitic stainless, but coating does not fix packing, dry cutting or excessive stickout. State current coating, wear photos and coolant when requesting a revision.
Coolant and chip control
Stringy chips need flute volume, feed that forms a manageable chip, and coolant that reaches the cutting zone. Blind holes and deeper ×D often need through-coolant. Related: through-coolant carbide drills · chip-packing checklist.
Feed discipline
Too-low feed promotes work-hardening and BUE; too-high feed can overload the corner on entry or exit. Use process-first speeds & feeds and change one variable at a time. Starting windows are references only.
Chipping and breakage
Corner chip, flute crack and shank break have different first checks—runout, packing, exit breakout, interrupted cut. Diagnosis map: why solid carbide drills break.
Grades and conditions
304/316 behave differently from ferritic, duplex or precipitation-hardening stainless. Annealed vs cold-worked condition matters. “Stainless scrap” without a grade slows quotation—identify the alloy first. Hardened/tempered steel with HRC focus belongs on the hardened-steel series.
Standard vs custom
Open-tolerance production holes may fit standard stainless-oriented geometry. Custom Ø, L/D, coolant outlets, step and overall length follow the print via the solid carbide drill manufacturer path.
Stainless RFQ intake
- Grade + condition (not just “SS”)
- Hole Ø / depth (×D) / through vs blind
- Coolant / through-coolant need and pressure notes
- Chip, BUE, squeal or breakage description + photos
- Holder, stickout, assembled runout if known
Stainless FAQ
I only have HRC from a tempered zone
That packet belongs on the hardened-steel series, not this stainless work-hardening lane.
Is this for aluminum?
No—use carbide drills for aluminum.
Will coating alone stop work-hardening?
No. Feed at entry, edge condition, runout and coolant dominate. Coating is secondary.
What should I send for a stainless drill RFQ?
Grade/condition, Ø and ×D, coolant, chip/BUE photos and holder notes—see the drill RFQ checklist.
Grade and chips written down?
Stainless RFQs are behavior-driven: grade, chips, BUE and entry symptoms. Send evidence with the drawing.