Center drill geometry mapping in friction drilling of aluminium 6063 using artificial neural network approach

The growing demand for rapid production and innovative joining methods in the automotive, tube manufacturing, mechanical, and civil engineering sectors has led to the development and application of advanced hole-making techniques.One such technique is the friction drilling process, also referred to as thermal drilling, form drilling, or flow drilling, which utilizes the frictional heat generated between a rotating conical tool and the workpiece to produce holes without traditional cutting.This nontraditional process displaces material using a combination of axial force and rotational speed, allowing the tool to penetrate and plastically deform the substrate to form a bush a collar-like structure surrounding the hole without producing chips.The technique is highly effective on ductile and thermally conductive materials like aluminum 6063, offering increased structural integrity and material efficiency.The bush formed is typically 1.5 to 2.5 times thicker than the original tube wall, enhancing joint strength for tubular and sheet metal applications.This paper presents an experimentation of the friction drilling process on Aluminium tubes of varying thickness using High Speed Steel Center Drill (ASTM 600), drill tool of different tip angle.