Renewal of a BTA deep hole drilling machine

• Subject Area: Production Technology
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 584606233

The use of specially designed deep hole drilling machines is necessary for the realization of high-precision boreholes with large length-to-diameter ratios and the manufacture of components with complex borehole contours using chambering tools. For decades, research has been conducted on the BTA deep hole drilling machine that is to be renewed in order to optimize BTA deep hole drilling processes and develop innovative tool systems, which is a central research focus at the Institute of Machining Technology. The renewal and replacement of critical components of the chamber boring tool drive system, which is integrated into the machine as an additional NC axis, restores the precision, repeatability, and process stability of the deep hole drilling machine. In conjunction with the renewal of the associated position measuring system of the tool spindle and components of the machine for holding the workpieces and tool systems, the machine is thus qualified for use in future research and development projects. One of the machine's main areas of application is the development and analysis of innovative tool systems for internal bore machining. The additional NC axis of the deep hole drilling machine enables the tool cutting edge to be extended radially within the borehole using so-called chamber boring tools, thus enabling CNC-controlled machining of the bore contour even at great depths. In addition to simple grooves and pockets, this process can also be used to produce complex geometries and even threads. The research focuses on the targeted adaptation of the tools to the required component geometries and on increasing the precision and quality of the machining. Particularly when machining difficult-to-cut materials, further priorities include optimizing chip formation and reducing tool wear through adapted cutting edge geometries and machining parameters. In the field of conventional deep hole drilling, research is focusing on the dynamic tool behavior of long overhanging tools and analyses of the interactions between the drilling process and the resulting properties in the sub surface zone of the borehole wall. Another focus is the integration of sensor systems for monitoring and controlling deep hole drilling processes. The equipment renewal ensures the long-term usability of the machine for a wide range of procedures and processes, thus allowing its continued use in fundamental research as well as in application-oriented research and development projects.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Erneuerung einer BTA-Tiefbohrmaschine
• Instrumentation Group: 2020 Bohrmaschinen (spanend)
• Applicant Institution: Technische Universität Dortmund
• Leader: Professor Dr.-Ing. Dirk Biermann