Transmission Housing Machining — Hole Stacks, Tools, RFQ
Housing hole map
| Hole class | What usually drives the tool path |
|---|---|
| Bearing / precision bores | Controlled drill → measure → PCD ream on Al when tol/finish are tight |
| Locating / dowel | Position + diameter; ream only when the gauge requires |
| Oil / lube passages | Depth, chip escape, interrupted exits — TSC when flood cannot reach |
| Flange / bolt patterns | Position stack and wall thickness; create-hole stability first |
Do not expand this page into a hydraulic valve-body essay or a peck encyclopedia. Soft hole-type depth: Engine & Transmission Holes. Industry entry: Automotive Powertrain.
Aluminum vs ferrous — short fork
| Fork | Create-hole posture | Finish posture |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminum / non-ferrous case | Carbide drill (aluminum-aware geometry when justified) | PCD reamer on tight bores; Si% on the RFQ |
| Cast iron / steel sections | Carbide drill matched to material and coolant | Stay on carbide finish paths unless a written exception is agreed |
Say the grade on the chart. Full material-fork and TSC decision sentences live on Engine & Transmission Holes—do not paste that page here. Soft Si%: Aluminum silicon content — PCD vs carbide.
Tool cards (match pointers — not full catalog)
| Need | Open |
|---|---|
| Tight housing bore finish | Custom PCD Reamer |
| Create-hole | Solid Carbide Drill · Carbide Drill Aluminum |
| Cycle-time collapse (justified holes) | Combination Drill-Reamer · soft path Standard Drill-Ream Paths |
| Through-coolant when depth/chip justify | Through-Coolant Carbide Drill · soft Helical vs straight coolant holes |
Interrupted exits / cross soft: Inclined / cross / thin-wall drilling · Interrupted cut / cross-hole.
Common gauge failures (short)
| Signal | Typical housing read |
|---|---|
| Bearing Ø / roundness out | Pre-hole band unknown; finish frozen too early |
| Locating TP fail | Drill wander or fixture—not “need PCD by default” |
| Oil passage pack / break | Coolant delivery vs depth; soft TSC/deep-hole Knowledge—not peck essay here |
| Combo station scrap | Collapsed steps without measured capability |
Deep-hole L/D and peck strategy stay on Knowledge / drill product boundary: Deep-hole L/D, peck, chip escape—one soft-link, no encyclopedia on this URL.
Housing RFQ pack
| Must send | Why |
|---|---|
| Housing / case print + revision; critical holes marked | Separates bearing, locating, oil, flange |
| Material grade (+ Si% on Al) | Freezes Al vs ferrous routing |
| Hole chart: Ø, depth, tol, blind/through, TP | Drill vs ream vs combo scope |
| Pre-hole / allowance for finish bores | Incoming band before geometry freeze |
| Machine, holder, stickout, measured runout, coolant | Trial realism |
| Volume + sample yes/no + acceptance list | Written first-article |
Receive the housing pack, write which hole classes are in this round, sample against the frozen revision, then stay if first-off talks back. Checklists: PCD Reamer RFQ Checklist · Solid Carbide Drill RFQ Checklist. Soft quality: How PCD reamers are made · Manufacturing Quality Evidence.
What tooling is typical for an aluminum transmission housing?
Carbide create-hole drills for most openings, then PCD reaming on fit-critical bearing and locating bores when diameter/finish demand it. Oil passages may justify through-coolant when flood cannot reach the cut. Combination tools only when cycle time and capability justify collapse. Products: PCD Reamer · Solid Carbide Drill · send the print via Custom Cutting Tool RFQ.
Should oil passages use through-coolant by default?
No. Through-coolant is justified when flood cannot clear chip or cool the cut—blind depth, packed flutes, heat-colored chips. Confirm the spindle/holder path actually delivers coolant. Soft: Through-coolant when flood is not enough · Helical vs straight coolant.
When is a combination drill-reamer worth it on a housing?
When a hole class has stable allowance, proven capability, and cycle time that pays for collapsing stations—not as a default for every bearing bore. Soft: Standard Drill-Ream Paths · When combination is the wrong choice · product Combination Drill-Reamer.
How is this page different from the engine & transmission holes guide?
Engine & Transmission Holes owns hole-type paths (material fork, TSC/ream cues) across engine and transmission features. This page owns the transmission/gearbox housing workpiece—hole map, product cards, and housing RFQ pack. Use #2 for path depth; use this page when the print is a case.
Send the housing print—we’ll map bearing, locating, and oil holes
One housing, one hole chart. Engineering RFQ only—no public price list.