Anyone who sues a drill will know that it's not just the quality of the tool that counts: the quality of the drill bits is just as important. While there are many brands available, Goebel is a name you can trust. BS Fixings supply Goebel drill bits which are made using HSS steel, but what exactly IS this material? Find out here...

HSS steel was discovered many years ago; in the 13th century! The properties of the product came about accidentally due to the types of iron ore found in differing locations. HSS steel came into the modern era in 1868, when metallurgist Robert Forester Mushet developed a reliable method of creating the metal. Originally an alloy of carbon, tungsten and manganese, HSS steel was known as Mushet steel; gradually, chromium came to replace the manganese and by 1919 the first formally-classified HSS steel received official designation.

Today, HSS is known as a tool steel, an alloy which contains molybdenum, tungsten or a combination of the two. It belongs to the Fe-C-X multi-component alloy system, where Fe represents iron, C represents Carbon and X represents another metal, namely tungsten, molybdenum, cobalt, vanadium or chromium.

Goebel drill bits (HSS CO-SPOT Drill Bit) are made from HSS and offer several advantages to other types of metal. These include an enhanced level of wear resistance and working hardness, which show excellent retention. Strength overall is massively improved, preventing breakage at the crucial drilling points and cutting edges. These qualities are retained even when working at higher temperatures.

Find out more about Goebel drill bits on our website and get in touch with our technical team for further information and advice.