A*STAR

Improving the design of drills capable of excavating deep holes should increase their performance and longevity. Scientists from A*STAR develop a computational model that can determine the ideal drill design, achieving significant savings. In designing a drill, a crucial consideration is the effective removal of material, known as chips. A standard drill bit, the part of the drill that excavates the hole, removes chips by having a spiral shape that carries the chips up the length of the bit and out of the hole entrance.

A magnetic system could precisely control the movement of levitating objects for many manufacturing applications. Magnetic levitation (Maglev) is well known for its use in high-speed rail networks, but could also be applied at smaller scales in medicine and electronics. To do so, researchers must be able to precisely control electromagnetic fields so that they can move and rotate objects without touching them.