Gun drilling is a process used to produce small-diameter holes at a high depth-to-diameter ratio, beyond what is capable using conventional tooling, especially for difficult-to-machine superalloys such as titanium, Inconel, Monel, etc. Presently, it often incapacitates by low productivity, rapid tool wear, frequent tool breakages, and straightness deviation. This chapter addresses the challenges of tackling these problems by employing game-changing approaches and technologies. Existing research in the advanced gun drilling technologies tends to focus on the choice of drilling parameters. There is little literature available for the cutting mechanics and workpiece deformation, tool geometry, wear and failure mechanism, especially in the deep hole drilling process for superalloys. Consequently, the aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of how the game-changing approaches and technologies for advanced gun drill tool can be explored and utilized.

The drilling of deep holes by means of deep hole gun drill is investigated so as to establish the parameters of the guide hole and its production. The rate of change in the load on the tool is proportional to the active length of the primary cutting edge. Assessment of the smoothness of tool insertion on the basis of the rate of change in the load on the tool is proposed.

Referencing special energy model, a new gun drill mechanics model was established and the influence of the cutting parameters on axial force and torque was based on 15-5PH solid solution stainless steel through theoretical analysis and cutting tests. On the basis of the existing model, the model coefficients were modified under various cutting conditions and the integral area of the cutting edge was enlarged. The eccentricity at the bottom of the drill groove was taken into account in the integral area of the cutting edge. In the meanwhile, the torque calculation was simplified reasonably according to the theoretical analysis. The feasibility of the model was verified by experiments and the influence of cutting parameters on the axial force and torque was analyzed. The experiment data had shown that the relative error between the calculated values and the experimental values were within the acceptable range. The axial force and torque increased with the increase in cutting speed and feed rate.

Drilling mechanics model has always been the key and difficult point in the research field of solid carbide gun drill. In this paper, through theoretical analysis and processing experiments, the gun drilling mechanics model of Ti6Al4V titanium alloy is studied. On the one hand, based on the Oxley cutting model and the Johnson-Cook flow stress model, this paper takes Ti6Al4V titanium alloy as the research object and use the “microelement” method to establish the mechanical model of gun drilling, which includes cutting parameters, tool geometric parameters and material mechanical properties. On the other hand, the drilling model considers the influence of process damping and verified by experiments. The results show the calculated value of the model is consistent with the experimental value and the error is within the acceptable range. The model provides a theoretical basis for the prediction of drilling force, tool analysis and straightness error analysis.

The dynamics of the gun drilling process is analyzed in this paper. The tool shank is modeled as long straight beam vibrating in transverse direction under action of cutting forces. Axial force component is expressed as proportional to cutting thickness, which is determined as nonlinear function of beam transverse deflection with time delay. Nonlinear equations of motion of the drilling shank are derived. The stability diagram of the system dynamics was determined. The bifurcation analysis of nonlinear differential delay equations by means of multiple scale method was performed. The obtained results were verified by numerical integration of nonlinear equations. The influence of cutting conditions on system stability and chatter amplitude was observed.