Carbide Drilling Aluminum: Create-Hole Playbook
Aluminum create holes smear, weld to the margin, or pack chips when feed dwells—then someone skips straight to “we need PCD reaming” before the drill hole is even qualified.
This playbook is create-hole carbide drilling in aluminum. The drill→ream bridge stays in Carbide Drill + PCD Reamer Process; Si% finish decisions stay in Aluminum Si% PCD vs Carbide. No “always PCD ream after” absolute and no Nx drill life claims.
Create-only goals vs finish goals
Create owns entry, chip evacuation, and a stable wall for the next op. Finish owns size/surface after a controlled handoff. If create is the scrap mode, stay here and on drill RFQ checklist.
Adhesion / BUE on drill edges
Gummy chips and built-up edge smear walls and change effective diameter. Keep feed committed; avoid polish dwells at entry or peck bottoms—those rubs leave a sticky band the next pass has to plow.
Shop check: if chips weld to the margin or the wall looks burnished instead of cut, fix dwell and coolant aim before you jump to a finish-reamer RFQ. Series framing: Choose series by material. Si% as a finish-family variable stays on the aluminum Si% reaming page—this playbook stays on create-hole behavior.
Chip and coolant priorities
Packed flutes scratch walls and kill the next ream. Use chip packing checklist; deep features: deep-hole.
When create quality blocks later ream
Lobing, scratches, or dirty walls that pass “diameter” still fail finish—pre-hole quality. Do not buy a PCD reamer to erase an uncontrolled create hole.
RFQ create fields → drill RFQ checklist
Material/temper, Ø×depth, through/blind, coolant, stickout/runout, scrap mode (smear/pack/break) → Solid Carbide Drill RFQ Checklist · Solid Carbide Drill · RFQ. Soft finish path: Custom PCD Reamer.
Frequently Asked Questions
### Must every Al hole be PCD-reamed?
No—only when finish requirements need it after a controlled create hole.
Is this the Al process bridge article?
No—that article is drill→ream handoff; this is create-hole playbook.
Smear vs packing first?
Both can coexist; photos of wall and flutes decide.
What to send?
Create-hole fields per drill RFQ checklist + drawing → RFQ.