OBRABOTKAMETALLOV Vol. 28 No. 1 2026 250 EQUIPMENT. INSTRUMENTS References 1. Johansson D., Lindvall R., Windmark C., M’Saoubi R., Can A., Bushlya V., Ståhl J.E. Assessment of metal cutting tools using cost performance ratio and tool life analyses. Procedia Manufacturing, 2019, vol. 38, pp. 816– 823. DOI: 10.1016/j.promfg.2020.01.114. Payback assessment of the metal–composite technology for modular drill bodies based on an experimentally confi rmed increase in cutting head tool life Nikolay Lubimyi a, *, Andrey Polshin b, Boris Chetverikov c, Nikolay Zagorodniy d, Ardalion Maltsev e, Mikhail Bytsenko 1, f Belgorod State Technological University named after V.G. Shukhov, 46 Kostyukova St., Belgorod, 308012, Russian Federation a https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6131-3217, nslubim@bk.ru; b https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5809-4458, info@polshin.ru; c https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1801-6767, await_rescue@mail.ru; d https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2997-3282, n.zagorodnij@yandex.ru; e https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0878-3658, ardalion_bgtu@mail.ru; f https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2133-885X, b.michutka2005@gmail.com Obrabotka metallov - Metal Working and Material Science Journal homepage: http://journals.nstu.ru/obrabotka_metallov Obrabotka metallov (tekhnologiya, oborudovanie, instrumenty) = Metal Working and Material Science. 2026 vol. 28 no. 1 pp. 233–252 ISSN: 1994-6309 (print) / 2541-819X (online) DOI: 10.17212/1994-6309-2026-28.1-233-252 ART I CLE I NFO Article history: Received: 26 January 2026 Revised: 02 February 2026 Accepted: 14 February 2026 Available online: 15 March 2026 Keywords: Metal-composite systems Additive manufacturing Tool life Metal–polymer Drilling Funding This study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (grant No. 23-79-10022), https://rscf.ru/ project/23-79-10022/. Acknowledgements The research was carried out using the equipment from the High Technologies Center of BSTU named after V.G. Shukhov. ABSTRACT Introduction. Metal–composite technology (MCT) for modular drill bodies, based on an additively manufactured thin-walled metal shell with internal coolant channels followed by metal–polymer infi ll, off ers a way to enhance functional coolant delivery while reducing the additive metal volume. However, industrial adoption requires a transparent techno-economic justifi cation that links manufacturing costs with in-service outcomes under a real drilling program. The purpose of the work is to assess the payback of MCT modular drill bodies using an experimentally validated increase in the tool life of a replaceable carbide cutting head and to outline the economically feasible application domain of the technology. Methodology. Two manufacturing routes were compared: a baseline subtractive route for a conventional drill body and the MCT route combining SLM shell fabrication, vibro-vacuum polymer infi ll, and fi nal machining. Payback was evaluated using an integrated model that includes (a) manufacturing cost per body represented as variable costs plus one-time batch costs, and (b) in-service economics expressed through a cost-per-hole metric driven by the consumption rate of replaceable cutting heads within a fi xed drilling program. Industrial drilling trials provided the toollife input; the end of life of the cutting head was defi ned by a fl ank wear criterion of VB = 0.3 mm. Results and discussion. Topology optimization of the MCT body reduced the SLM metal volume and, consequently, the additive manufacturing cost component. Industrial validation demonstrated an increase in cutting-head tool life from 541 holes for the baseline body to 618 holes for the MCT body (+14.2%) . For a representative drilling program of 235,000 holes, the model predicts a reduced number of cutting heads and a positive overall economic eff ect dominated by the in-service component, while the manufacturing component can further shift the balance depending on batch size and one-time setup costs. Conclusions. The proposed framework enables mapping the economic feasibility of MCT drill bodies as a function of batch size, drilling volume, and cuttinghead cost, providing decision-support criteria for industrial implementation. For citation: Lubimyi N.S., PolshinA.A., Chetverikov B.S., Zagorodniy N.A., MaltsevA.K., Bytsenko M.V. Payback assessment of the metal– composite technology for modular drill bodies based on an experimentally confi rmed increase in cutting head tool life. Obrabotka metallov (tekhnologiya, oborudovanie, instrumenty) = Metal Working and Material Science, 2026, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 233–252. DOI: 10.17212/19946309-2026-28.1-233-252. (In Russian). ______ * Corresponding author Lubimyi Nikolay S., Ph.D. (Engineering), Associate Professor Belgorod State Technological University named after V.G. Shukhov, 46 street Kostyukova, 308012, Belgorod, Russian Federation Tel.: +7 951 136-40-17, e-mail: nslubim@bk.ru
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