DMG MORI Adaptive Drilling Control Technology for Deep Hole Drilling

DMG MORI Adaptive Drilling Control (ADC)

In early 2026, DMG MORI introduced a new Adaptive Drilling Control (ADC) technology cycle for deep hole and gun drilling applications. ADC represents a shift from fixed-parameter drilling to real-time, sensor-driven adaptive control — monitoring coolant pressure, flow rate, and spindle load to automatically optimize drilling parameters as conditions change.

Developed in collaboration with botek, Gühring, Kennametal, Walter, and FUCHS, ADC is designed to integrate with DMG MORI’s CELOS X control ecosystem and is available on new machines and as a retrofit.

How ADC Works

Sensor Integration

ADC continuously monitors three primary signals at 100 Hz sampling rate:

Signal	Sensor Type	What It Reveals
Coolant pressure	Pressure transducer at tool holder	Blockage, leak, pump condition, chip evacuation health
Coolant flow rate	Flow meter in supply line	Venturi effect status (DTS), chip passage blockage
Spindle load (torque)	Drive current monitoring	Tool condition, chip packing, material variation

Control Logic

ADC operates in a closed loop:

Sensors → Compare to threshold → If abnormal → Adjust parameter → Re-evaluate
                         ↓
                    If normal → Continue

The adjustments are made without operator intervention — typically feed rate reduction when torque or pressure indicates a developing problem, with automatic restoration when conditions normalize.

Three Operating Modes

ADC offers three distinct modes matched to drilling application complexity:

Mode	Best For	What It Controls	Response Time
Standard	Conventional drilling (3–5×D)	Feed rate, spindle speed	0.1–0.5 seconds
Deep hole	BTA and ejector drilling (5–50×D)	Feed rate, coolant pressure	0.2–1.0 seconds
Gun drilling	Single-lip gun drilling (up to 300×D)	Feed rate, peck parameters, coolant	0.5–2.0 seconds

Key Performance Results

Tool Life Improvement

Application	Without ADC	With ADC	Improvement
Standard drilling (steel)	Baseline	30% longer tool life	Fewer tool changes
Deep hole drilling (BTA)	Baseline	25–35% longer	Consistent across hole depths
Gun drilling (small diameter)	Baseline	30–40% longer	Most benefit in small diameters

Energy Savings

Aspect	Improvement	Mechanism
Coolant pump energy	~30% reduction	Pump speed optimized — not always at maximum
Spindle energy	~10–15% reduction	Reduced cutting forces with adaptive feed
Total energy per hole	~20% reduction	Combined coolant + spindle savings

Process Reliability

Issue	Without ADC	With ADC
Tool breakage events	1 per 50–100 holes	1 per 200–500 holes
Scrap from chip packing	2–5%	< 1%
Operator intervention required	Frequent	Minimal

Deep Hole and Gun Drilling Specific Features

Deep Hole Mode (BTA/Ejector)

In deep hole mode, ADC monitors coolant pressure and spindle load as the hole progresses:

Signal Pattern	ADC Response	Rationale
Gradual pressure drop	Alert operator — check filters	Filter loading increases over time
Sudden pressure spike	Pause feed, retract 2 mm, resume	Possible chip blockage
Spindle load rising	Reduce feed 10–20%	Insert wear progressing; maintain tool life
Load + pressure both rising	Stop feed immediately	Chip packing detected — prevent breakage

Gun Drilling Mode

Gun drilling mode adds specific logic for the unique characteristics of single-lip drilling:

Signal Pattern	ADC Response	Rationale
Rising load trend across multiple holes	Reduce feed incrementally	Tool wear — compensate to maintain surface finish
Erratic load within one hole	Temporary feed reduction	Chip flow variation in V-flute
Coolant pressure at tool < 80% of pump	Stop cycle — check coolant swivel	Seal or swivel leak
Load spike > 2× baseline	Emergency retract — stop feed	Tool breakage imminent

Gun Drilling Parameter Adaptation

ADC in gun drilling mode automatically adjusts:

Parameter	Adjustment Logic	Effect
Feed rate	Reduce when load > threshold; restore when normal	Protects drill from overload
Peck depth (Q)	Can reduce Q at extreme depths for chip clearance	Prevents V-flute blockage
Dwell time (P)	Increase at depth for chip relaxation	Allows chip clearance before retract
Spindle speed	Reduce on vibration detection	Suppresses chatter

Compatibility and Integration

Machine Compatibility

DMG MORI Series	ADC Compatible?	Notes
DMU / DMC V series	Yes	Standard deep hole mode
NL / NTX lathe series	Yes (with live tooling)	Gun drilling mode for lathe retrofit
DMU 80–200 P (gantry)	Yes	Large part deep hole drilling
FD (B-axis) series	Yes	Multi-angle deep hole drilling
Retrofit to older DMG MORI	Limited (CELOS X required)	CELOS X control system needed

Control System Requirements

Requirement	Detail
Control	CELOS X with Siemens 840D solutionline
Sensors	Integrated pressure transducer + flow meter (ADC kit)
Coolant system	Through-spindle coolant (standard on DMG MORI)
Tooling	Through-tool coolant capable (required)
Software	ADC option cycle (purchased separately)

Partner Tooling

ADC was developed and tested with:

botek — BTA and gun drilling tools
Gühring — solid carbide and gun drills
Kennametal — deep hole drilling tooling
Walter — exchangeable tip drills
FUCHS — high-performance cutting fluids

When to Use ADC

Strongest Business Case

Scenario	ROI Justification
High-volume gun drilling production	30% longer tool life = fewer tool changes + lower tool cost
Unattended / lights-out manufacturing	Adaptive control prevents breakage without operator intervention
Difficult materials (stainless, titanium, superalloys)	Higher breakage risk — ADC provides safety net
Shallow talent pool (less experienced operators)	ADC compensates for non-optimal parameter selection

Weaker Business Case

Scenario	Consideration
Low-volume, simple steel drilling	ADC cost may not justify the benefit
Existing stable process with good tool life	Gain from ADC may be marginal
Non-DMG MORI machine	ADC is specific to DMG MORI with CELOS X

Comparison with Other Adaptive Systems

Feature	DMG MORI ADC	Generic Spindle Load Monitoring	Machine Learning (Custom)
Sensor integration	Pressure + flow + load	Load only	Variable
Control modes	3 (standard/deep hole/gun)	Basic feed hold	Custom
Tool life improvement	30% documented	10–20% typical	Variable
Setup time	Factory option or 1-day retrofit	Hours	Weeks to months
Cost	Included option or $5K–$15K	~$2K	$10K–$50K
Knowledge required	Minimal (built-in)	Moderate	High (ML expertise needed)

Summary

DMG MORI’s Adaptive Drilling Control represents the first commercially available closed-loop adaptive control system specifically designed for deep hole and gun drilling. By monitoring coolant pressure, flow rate, and spindle load in real-time, ADC automatically adjusts drilling parameters to prevent tool breakage, extend tool life by 30%, and reduce coolant energy consumption by 30%. The three operating modes — standard, deep hole, and gun drilling — match the specific process dynamics of each application. ADC is available on current DMG MORI machines with CELOS X and as a retrofit kit, and was developed in partnership with major tooling and coolant manufacturers. For a broader view of drilling automation, see deep hole drilling automation and AI systems. For the ADC programming guide, see DMG MORI ADC programming.