Paper drilling is now considered to be an extremely useful activity for the printing industry. These machines have now made it super easy and hassle-free for us to drill holes in paper for the purpose of binding. As opposed to a typical hole punch machine capable of punching holes into approximately 10 paper sheets at a time, paper drilling machines can drill holes even through a few inches thick paper stacks. Paper drill bits may be referred to as the drills that punch through stacks of paper, and are inseparable components of the paper drilling process.
Different types of equipment are required for drilling holes into different types of papers and this is also true for paper drill bits. It is important to take measures for extending the service life of your drill bits because they are quite expensive.
Made of hardened worked steel, standard paper drill bits are lubricated, sharpened, and ready to use. They tend to heat up quickly after intensive use as there is generally no coating on them. In addition to heat build-up because of friction, paper drilling also involves paper jamming inside the drill bits. Both these problems can lead to shattering or cracking of the drill bits by heat or pressure.
Steps You Can Take:
Mentioned below are a few things you can do to enhance the performance as well as life of your drill bits.
- Try to sharpen your drill bits on a regular basis. Dull bits are one of the most common reasons for burned or discoloured paper. It takes just a few minutes to sharpen drill bits. This will ensure that your drill bits are capable of effortlessly cutting through paper and even vinyl covers. It is recommended that the bits are sharpened before starting all new jobs. Very little pressure is required by paper drill sharpeners to sharpen a hollow drill bit’s tip. Please remember that application of excessive force will result in flaring out of the bit.
- Before using paper drill, its depth must be adjusted. This simple step not only helps achieve maximum productivity, but also reduces damage to the stacks’ bottom sheets. The ideal depth is achieved when the drill barely touches the drill strip below the paper stacks. Be extremely careful while making this adjustment because excessive depth may cause serious damage to the tips of the bits.
- Always keep your drill bits well lubricated because this will allow quicker and smoother drilling by reducing friction. This will also ensure that the waste chips are able to flow out of the hollow bits easily. As paper drill bit lubricants contain oil, it is a good idea to first drill through some scrap stock so that your documents are not stained from excessive oil.
- An old printers trick for lubricating your drill bit, without fear of staining documents is to drill through a bar of sunlight soap.
- To ensure clean punching of the bottom sheets, place a chipboard or some scrap stock under the paper stacks.
- In some instances, paper chips make their way into the hollow bits. A chip clearer can be used for cleaning these waste chips and you can sharpen and lubricate them before the next drilling job.
At Renz Australia, we offer a wide spectrum of equipment and supplies for binding, shredding, laminating, etc. Please contact us for the latest range of paper drilling products and supplies.