What are drilling and tapping machines used for?

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Drilling machines and tapping machines are used to drill/thread holes into workpieces. These machines vary significantly in size, from the tiny bench machines that are used by jewellers right through to the enormous, heavy-duty machines that are used to bore giant holes in steel forgings. They are used in many different industries, and holes of pretty-much any size and shape can be drilled into various kinds of materials.

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The world’s largest drilling machine was nicknamed ‘Bertha’ and was used on the Alaskan Way viaduct replacement tunnel project in Seattle, USA. Bertha had a diameter of 17.5 metres, was 99 metres long, and weighed over 6,000 tonnes.

Tapping machines

Tapping machines are used to cut an internal thread inside an existing hole in a workpiece, surface or product using a tap. There are a variety of different taps available to match the most-common screw types and sizes. There are a number of different types of tapping machines, with perhaps the most common ones being the thread tapping machine and the pneumatic tapping machine.

Tapping arms/machines

Roscamat are the world’s leading producer of tapping arms and are known for their high-quality machines. This makes Roscamat tapping machines a popular choice for many. There are a number of specialists offering these machines who also provide detailed online resources, such as the examples seen here: www.cotswold-machinery-sales.co.uk/roscamat-tapping-machines/.

Drilling machines

There are a number of different types of drilling machines, and they are usually divided into the following categories: upright/column drilling machines, portable drilling machines, sensitive drilling machines, gang drilling machines, radial drilling machines, multi-spindle drilling machines, automatic drilling machines, vertical drilling machines, and deep-hole drilling machines.

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The drilling machine in most widespread use is probably the vertical drilling machine, also known as a drill press. This machine utilises a rotating spindle with cutting edges to drill the holes as required. These drilling machines are predominantly used for the drilling/machining of small stock and can be found in equipment maintenance workshops, smaller manufacturing facilities, and personal workshops. The vertical drill press is portable, powerful, versatile, easy to use, durable, and cost-effective.