1. The Challenge: Complexity at Scale

Manufacturing a single showerhead involves navigating extreme technical hurdles:

  • Massive Hole Counts: Between 5,000 to 10,600 holes per part.
  • Diverse Geometries: A mix of single holes, step holes, and “cone + micro-hole” configurations.
  • Tight Tolerances: Requirements for surface roughness of and zero-defect exit burrs.
  • High Risk: Micro-drilling ( to ) often leads to tool breakage during the exit stage in conventional setups.

Showerhead Hole Types and Control Points

Single

  • Holes tolerance
  • Hole roughness
  • Burr in the exit

Step

  • Holes tolerance
  • Hole roughness
  • Burr between two hole

Cone & Small

  • Hole and cone roughness
  • Burr in the exit

Complete

  • Hole and cone roughness
  • Burr in the exit of small hole

2. Traditional vs. Mikron Tool Solutions

Manufacturing a single showerhead involves navigating extreme technical hurdles:

  • Massive Hole Counts: Between 5,000 to 10,600 holes per part.
  • Diverse Geometries: A mix of single holes, step holes, and “cone + micro-hole” configurations.
  • Tight Tolerances: Requirements for surface roughness of and zero-defect exit burrs.
  • High Risk: Micro-drilling ( to ) often leads to tool breakage during the exit stage in conventional setups.
Feature Conventional Method (Competitors) Mikron Tool Solution
Tool Variety Requires 7–8 different tools per hole. Integrated Special Tools (e.g., Taper Drill + Reamer).
Machining Speed Low feed rates (Vf = 400mm). High-speed performance (Up to Vf = 720mm).
Efficiency Frequent pecking (every 0.2mm). No Pecking required; single-pass machining.
Throughput High lead times due to tool changes. 10,600 holes in just 2 hours.

3. Specialized Technical Solutions

Precision General Drilling

Drill with 3cutting edge drill Drilling:

Utilizing a specialized 3-edge drill, Mikron Tool achieves rapid bulk drilling of over 10,000 holes with N=6500 and Vf=700, maintaining the required Ra < 0.8 without periodic tool retraction.

The “Cone + Hole” Integrated Process

Taper Drill&Reamer:

By combining the taper drill and reamer into a single custom tool, Mikron Tool ensures perfect cone roughness and dimensional accuracy in a single operation (N=12000, Vf=500mm).

Micro-Hole & Burr Control

Achieved roughness, tolerance and burr requirements for tested options, no pecking, ensuring stability (N=18,000 Vf=720mm)

4. Key Benefits for Manufacturers

Production Maximization: Radical reduction in cycle times through high-speed parameters.

Superior Quality: Minimized burrs significantly reduce the time needed for post-processing (polishing/lapping).

Process Stability: Lower cutting resistance and specialized bending moment designs extend tool life.

Cost Efficiency: Lower total manufacturing costs through reduced lead times and longer tool replacement cycles.

About the author : Duke Lee

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