What is a drilling machine and what is it used for?

March 21, 2022

A drilling machine is a device used to make holes in solid and hard materials. The drill is placed in a rotating spindle and fed into a workpiece, which is usually clamped in a vise resting on a table. The drill may be held in a chuck with three jaws that move radially in unison, or it may have a tapered shank that fits into a tapered hole on the spindle.

When a large number of identical mechanical components are required, a special purpose drilling machine can be built with spindles positioned at different positions relative to the workpiece. Although drill presses are primarily used for drilling holes, they can also be used to enlarge holes.

Parts and functions of a drilling machine:

The drill bit mainly consists of several parts:

Base: Mainly anchored to the ground to support the weight of the drilling rig.
Column: Located on one side of the base, it can support a sliding table mounted on it.
Arm: On top of the column, carries the drill head and drive mechanism housing.
Drill head : Mounted on one side of the arm, it consists of a feeding and driving mechanism. It can slide up and down.
Worktable: mounted on a column, can move vertically and horizontally.
Feeding mechanism: manual and automatic feeding with electric motor.
Finger rest: Holds a drill or cutting tool and rotates in a fixed position.
Chuck: Located on the spindle, it holds the drill bit.
Electric motor

Types of drilling machines and their uses:

Below are several different types of drilling machines with their construction, features, and uses.

Portable drilling machine (hand-held drilling machine): It is small in size and contains a universal motor, used for drilling holes in rocks or any hard surface.
Sensitive drilling machine (sensitive drilling machine): Excellent for making small holes at high speed, usually consists of a base, worktable, spindle, drilling head, driving mechanism and column.
Radial drilling machine: Mainly used for drilling large and heavy workpieces, the table can be adjusted to different heights. It can create cross or angled joints in one setup.
Vertical drilling machine: Larger and more powerful than a sensitive drilling machine, designed for drilling medium to large holes.
Deep hole drilling machine: A special type designed for drilling deep holes in connecting rods, etc., at high cutting speeds and low feeds.
Multiple drilling machine: With multiple strokes, ideal for drilling a large number of holes on a part and for drilling the same holes on identical workpieces.
CNC drilling machine: A computer numerical control drilling machine can automatically change tools with a turret or automatic tool changer. The program controls the speed, feed, and table position.
Micro drilling machine: Highly precise, high speed, used for machining small or very small parts.

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