Hilti Hollow Drill Bits Previewed at 2013 WoC

Manufacturer: Hilti
Model: TE-YD

Our own Hal Jones was on-hand at World of Concrete this week to check out some of the latest tools and technology, and he came across something completely new and innovative: Hilti’s Hollow Drill Bit system (TE-YD and TE-CD). The system uses, as you’d expect, a drill bit with a hollow core which connects to a vacuum system. Dust is then evacuated from the hole as you drill, eliminated the need to use compressed air to blow out your new hole (and create a mess). As soon as you’re done drilling, the hole is ready for you to epoxy and drive in anchors.

Hilti’s new TE-CD and TE-YD hollow drill bits come in diameters up to 1-1/4″, and the company claims they will run cooler and last approximately twice as long as conventional concrete drill bits. Check out this video:

Possible applications for this include, among other things, drilling holes for:

• Anchoring structural steel (e.g. steel columns, beams)
• Structural connections made with post-installed rebars
• Anchoring secondary steel structures (e.g. staircases, steel ledgers)
• Structural renovation or upgrading with post-installed rebars
• Substitution of incorrectly placed or missing rebars
• Anchoring railings and safety barriers

Hilti really seems focused on developing a truly cordless jobsite. And I can’t think of any better venue for that than with concrete tools—which often show up when adequate corded power is a real pain to bring to the jobsite. Accessories like this mean that Hilti isn’t leaving the other factors behind as it pursues its battery-powered tools and seems to be driving forward with the whole package. It’s some pretty fascinating stuff and we’ll need to take a good look at it as soon as we can get our hands on a sample.

Specs

• No catching or sticking when drilling into rebars
• Same robustness, life, speed as TE YX/CX drill bits
• Drilling and borehole cleaning in one step
• Efficient hole cleaning and anchor installation