Modern Technologies for Micro-drilling of the Fuel Injector Nozzle used in Motor Vehicles - A Review of the Literature

To cope with the pollution norms and an improvement of the combustion of the internal combustion engines, high-quality holes with diameters smaller than 145 µm are needed for the manufacture of fuel injection nozzles. The current practice of using drilling by electro-discharge machining of fuel injection nozzles is limited in terms of the size of the hole it can efficiently produce and the time required for drilling. In addition, the cost of the tool is high. This paper presents an investigation into a sequential laser and electro-discharge micro-drilling technique for the manufacture of fuel injection nozzles. A pilot hole drilled with a laser is removed by electrodischarge. It was found that this hybrid process eliminated the problems of reformed and heat-affected areas usually associated with the laser drilling process. The new process has allowed a reduction in total drilling time compared to standard electro-discharge machining drilling, as less material is removed from the electro-discharge machining. The quality of the holes is as good as direct electro-discharge machining drilling. This technique has allowed valuable cost savings and increased production capacity for the manufacture of the fuel injector nozzle