Drilling Systems From GLASSLINE™

GLASSLINE’s Drilling Systems: Let’s Drill Down

Our drilling heads come with a number of features designed for your drilling success. These include:

• • A heavy-duty weldment is stress relieved and precision machined along the back for mounting of specially designed linear ways and bearings. Both the top and bottom drilling arms move vertically along these same rails, offering very tight concentricity. This vertical travel, unlike clamshell style machines, provides consistent tool/glass contact no matter the thickness.
• • The rails/bearings are chosen to provide the best life possible in this harsh environment.
• • The spindle arms are also fabricated from rectangular tubing, stress relieved and machined. The arms bolt onto the slides formed by the rail bearings and arm mounting plates. This forms a strong, rigid member to mount the spindles and motors.
• • Mounting the spindle and motor on the same moving member eliminates the need for traveling timing belts. The majority of the drill mechanisms are also mounted on the back of the drill frame, away from the water to avoid issues.
• • Each spindle arm is driven via servo motor and ballscrews with zero backlash nut assemblies. Servos provide for faster cycle times, and easier setup, as well as allow controlled hole chamfering.
• • Oil mist lubricated spindles offer not only a longer lifespan for the equipment, but less maintenance as well.
• • Variable-speed spindles are also available, allowing for the programming of optimum drill RPMs based on the unique needs of your project.

GLASSLINE has a broad range of drilling system configurations that can be chosen depending on the various types of products being produced. It is important to know the part size ranges, the number and size and location of the holes of your parts in order to choose the optimum configuration. Throughput is also an important aspect to consider, as drilling is typically a bottleneck of any production line.  Various systems have been designed based on historical needs of the market including:

• • Single-head drills: with a fixed table- semi-automatic machines, i.e. manual load and automatic simultaneous drilling by both top and bottom spindles. Extra ball caster tables can be included for larger glass. Laser locating assistance can be optionally provided.
• • Linear/polar drills: Glass located on a servo driven rotating vacuum pad, with the drill head mounted to a servo driven ballscrew axis. Typically used to drill holes near and around the perimeter of the part.  Virtually unlimited hole quantities, with some limits to the number of hole sizes, although multiple systems can be configured together. Can be used for automotive, residential, commercial, and any products with holes near the perimeter.
• • In-line Drilling: A conveyance and location system is fitted between two transposed drilling heads, moving perpendicularly to the conveyor. This provides for the two holes to be drilled in-line with one another, such as hinge holes. The two holes are drilled simultaneously. This system is used for appliance glass, shower doors, solar glass, and similar that require holes in alignment.  This system is, or can be, placed in line after a double edger. Multiple systems can be placed in series or parallel.
• • XY Table(Frame): Glass is located within a frame, which is fitted with locating means. This frame allows for the glass to be drilled nearly everywhere in the part, other than near the edges. There are variations of the configuration in which the table is fixed and only the drills move, or the drills are fixed and the table moves in both XY, or the table moves in the Y axis and the drill/s move in the X axis.  These systems are available in both automatic and semi-automatic systems. The machines are a good solution for appliance glass, or others requiring holes virtually anywhere in the part.
• • XY Table(Other): Variations of XY systems have been produced, such as a fixed vacuum table with multiple drills servo-adjustable in X and Y, and an adjustable table moving in the Y axis, with two independent drills moving in X. Another solution(Automotive XY) is available which is a combination of XY servo drill tavel with a rotational axis table. GLASSLINE indeed tries to find the best solution for your needs.
• • Slotted table: A fixed table is manufactured with a continuous slot, while a laterally moving drill is on a servo axis. This allows multiple holes, and multiple parts to be drilled nearly continuously along this axis.  The glass is manually loaded, and a back fence is set up to locate the glass properly for the desired hole positions.  The solution is a good one for residential, or appliance, or others requiring multiple holes aligned in one axis.
• • Combi-grind/drill: A special machine, it is able to grind a shape, and drill holes in the same machine.  It can be configured as semi-auto or automatic inline with load/unload shuttles.