3.Machining and processing HPL
Drills for plastic materials are the most suitable for drilling in HPL-Compact. These are special drills with a point angle of approx. 60 – 80°, rather than 120° for normal metal drills. They also have a steep pitch with a large chip space. Drills with a tip angle of 50 – 60° should be preferred for drilling through.
To prevent splintering at the exit point on the HPL-Compact, the feed speed of the drill has to be continuously decreased. We also recommend working with a firm base which can be drilled (e. g. chipboard, plywood).
For drilling blind holes, the hole depth should be chosen so that at least 1.5 mm
sheet thickness (a) remains.
For holes drilled parallel to the sheet plane, the remaining thickness (b) has to be at least 3 mm. Arbour-mounted counterbores can be used for simultaneous drilling and countersinking. In addition to carbide tools with fixed tips, carbide inserts are often used for drilling and routing recesses.
Furthermore, it is easy to cut threads into HPL-Compact; self-tapping screws can also be used.
Remaining thickness for a vertical drilled holes at least 1.5 mm and b at least 3 mm for horizontal drilled holes
