Drilling and Tapping

The History of the Drill

Humans have been using tools to make work easier for a long, long time.

Drills have been used for thousands of years. The bore drill dates back to approximately 3,000 B.C. and bow strap drills have been used for over ten thousand years.

The oldest drill bits are over 35 thousand years old. Originally made from sharp sticks, flint, bone, or bronze, drill bits were employed to start fires and make holes in softer materials such as wood and clay. Metal bits were developed in the 13th century.

Even the drill press is centuries old. Powered first by human effort, then by wind or water, they’re now omnipresent in workshops and manufacturing floors.

The drill was paired with electricity in the late 1800s, shortly after the pneumatic drill was invented in 1871.

20th-century industrial advances in drilling and tapping manufacturing have resulted in upgrades to the production line and higher-quality finished products.

Precision, accuracy, and consistency are improved along with shorter cycle times.

Customization and specialization are everyday occurrences. Drilling and tapping machines can be tailor-made for specific use cases.

And many of these machines are workhorses. Some running 30+ years with few replacement parts needed.

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Drilling and Tapping Industries

Who uses drilling and tapping technology? Anyone that needs to drill a lot of holes. And if frequency, consistency, precision, and cycle times are a concern, CNC controls are added to the mix for optimal results.

Each application determines the type of drilling machine required, but the main industries include automotive, aerospace, heavy equipment (construction/agriculture), energy, defense/military, electronics, and HVAC/plumbing among others. Drilling is also done when making furniture, appliances, and firearms. It is even used in casket construction.

Automotive

Hundreds of holes are drilled in every car, truck, and SUV manufactured. Transmission and engine components require highly accurate drilling machines that perform the required tasks quickly and consistently to keep production lines rolling along. Electric Vehicles have large battery trays and gigaparts that require specialized drilling solutions to expedite fabrication.

Aerospace

Deep hole drilling, such as gundrilling, has been long used in the aerospace industry. Many vital parts including landing gear, fittings, fasteners, and cylinders are drilled in both commercial and military aircraft manufacturing.

Furniture

While some furniture is hand-crafted one piece at a time, many manufacturers mass-produce items, such as dining chairs and tables, cabinetry boxes and doors, and contract furniture like office desks and chairs.

Building/Construction

Many building/construction materials, such as window frames, doors, and door frames, are drilled and tapped. These parts are frequently large pieces and may require a specialized machine.

Heavy Equipment

Like cars and planes, heavy equipment has large motors, cylinders, and many fittings. These also have many holes that need to be drilled and/or tapped.

Electronics

Circuit boards are the foundation of electronics, and Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) are found in everything from LED lighting to medical devices. PCBs are mass-produced and have many holes that need to be precisely drilled, with no room for error.

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Electric / Pneumatic / Servo

Pneumatic Drill Units

Pneumatic drill units are powered by compressed air and are used heavily in mass production. These units can drill small diameter holes in a variety of materials from cast iron to plastic, and their light weight and portability make them a perfect option in tight spaces and multi-hole line operations.

Pneumatic drill units are compact and compatible with multi-spindle heads. The absence of a main motor means they are generally smaller and lighter than traditional electric power tools.

Without the risk of electric shock, pneumatically powered tools are better suited for use in hazardous or explosive environments than electrical tools.

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Electric Drill Units

Most production lines are not just focused on drilling and tapping. They have multiple machines in many different formations and rely on all of them working in conjunction.

Electric-driven systems offer greater accuracy, flexibility, and control and are not subject to air compression fluctuations or the cost to produce air. They are also more maneuverable as they don’t need to be connected to an air source. Electric drills produce less noise, and vibration than pneumatic options, making them safer for the workforce.

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Servo Motors

When accuracy is key, servo motors are an ideal solution for drilling and tapping applications. Servo motors can finely tune and adjust feed, depth, and spindle speed.

Servo motors are highly efficient, and powerful relative to their size. They are very reliable, quickly responsive, and can run at high speeds.

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Special-Purpose Machines

Special-purpose machines are an ideal solution for mass production when the product will be around for a long time.

But more recently, customer needs are diversifying, and products’ life cycles are getting shorter. This new normal requires machining options that are flexible enough to meet the changes without incurring additional large out-of-pocket expenditures.

Something that doesn’t take up too much room.

All while hitting the tight specs for the specialty markets such as the semiconductor and EV industries.

And processing time should be quick and efficient.

CNC machines are considered the mainstay for efficient manufacturing because it is easy to change programs for appropriate parts and can process parts in multiple ways.

However, the initial cost of CNC machines is expensive, processing time can be longer, and they need a lot of space. There are times when a special-purpose machine with drilling and tapping units is a better idea, delivering efficient processing and cost reduction.

That was the thinking behind Selfeeder.

Sugino’s Selfeeder is a full line of all-pneumatic, air-electric, and servo-driven drilling units that automatically rapid to the workpiece, convert to feed mode, finish, and then rapid back to home position. They are often combined with Synchrotapper, Sugino’s tapping unit with a built-in fast forward/return mechanism and complete synchronization of rotation and feed.

Selfeeder and Synchrotapper are increasingly used in special-purpose mass production machines, especially those with multiple holes to drill and/or tap.

A half-century since their release, the Selfeeder drilling units and Synchro Tapper tapping units are now global standards. These units, which are an accumulation of technology and know-how over many years, are installed at sites around the world. Known for their longevity, precision, and versatility – Sugino’s creative customers also use them to perform burnishing, boring, reaming, and deburring operations.

The Selfeeder DUO can both drill and tap with one unit and is also capable of reaming, burnishing, plunge milling, deburring, drapping, and flow drilling. The DUO can be mounted to an integrated gantry providing the flexibility to position the units to multiple locations on a part. Or consolidated into a four-station design so loading and unloading time is free. And the DUO units are programmable for different hole diameters, to drill, tap, and ream whatever size you may need. The DUO can also be robot-mounted and has available tool-changing options.