A new technology that Areva demonstrated Thursday in Lynchburg could make waves in manufacturing — or any application that uses a drill.
Called “ultrasonic machining,” the technology sends sound waves through a drill bit to make the bit last longer and drill holes faster, too. It accomplishes that by reducing friction, said Nate Ames, technical director for the Edison Welding Institute Nuclear Fabrication Consortium, which helped Areva develop the technology.
The Department of Energy provided money for Areva and EWI to put on a demonstration of the technology for other manufacturers, including Babcock & Wilcox and Newport News Shipyard. About 50 people attended the demonstration. They watched equipment bore holes into metal blocks with and without the ultrasonic devices.
“We’ve got the first deployment of this technology to show others that it works,” said Gary Peters, Areva’s vice president of component repair and replacement.
Ames flipped a switch to activate the ultrasonic device connected to a two-foot drill bit. Although the pitch was inaudible, the bit let off a squeal as it vibrated.
With the sound waves permeating it, the drill bit felt to the touch as if it were covered in grease.
“The sound that’s going through this tool is making it expand and contract … 20,000 times per second,” Ames said. That means there are 20,000 times each second that the bit is not directly contacting the surface it is drilling, thus reducing the friction.
The concept was invented in the 1960s, but computer technology at that time could not control the process effectively, Ames said. Since then, some people wrote off the idea as impossible. Also, other technologies have been developed using the name “ultrasonic machining,” but they have different applications.
In 2007, the NFC started using newer computer technology to finally develop the ultrasonic drilling capabilities.
About 18 months ago, Areva joined the effort because it needed to improve its drilling, said Peters.
The end result is a technology that could shave 24 hours off a reactor maintenance job Areva is lining up for next year, Peters said.
The actual drilling time will be cut in half, he said.
Drill bits with the ultrasonic capability will last longer, too, Ames said. Normally, one of Areva’s bits can drill two holes. With the ultrasonic attachment, it can drill 12 before being replaced.
Peters said he envisions this technology being put to use in other machine shops. Eventually, it could find its way into consumer products such as power drills, he said.
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