Many safe drill bits that were once effective are no longer adequate and security professionals are forced to use special safe bits and methods to gain entry.The solution to drilling these new materials is to use safe bits which feature tips made of Tungsten Carbide or other sintered metals and to properly apply those bits to the hardplate application.

The majority of Tungsten Carbide tipped safe bits have been designed and manufactured for drilling masonry and are not suitable for the job of penetrating safe materials.There are hundreds of grades of metal carbide available for safe bit tips and various grades of steel which can be used for the body of the safe bit.Some metal carbides are more resistant to shock loading than others. It is these safe bits, which are generally used in masonry drills.Safe bits used for hardplate drilling require a carbide with a better resistance to failure from heat generated while drilling.

A few manufacturers of tipped safe bits make safe bits suitable for conversion to working on hard metals, but most of those are prohibitively expensive, especially when the body material is made of high speed steel.Also, subtle variations in design and materials have a remarkable effect on performance.In particular, the fluting and the method of fixing the tip determines whether the bit can be sharpened to produce a workable tool and whether it will stand the rigors and temperatures encountered when drilling hardplate.