drill press

drill press, device for producing holes in hard substances. The drill is held in a rotating spindle and is fed into the workpiece, which is usually clamped in a vise resting on a table. The drill may be gripped in a chuck with three jaws that move radially in unison, or it may have a tapered shank that fits into a tapered hole in the spindle. Means are always provided for varying the spindle speed and on some machines for automatically feeding the drill into the workpiece.

Drill presses for occasional use in general-purpose machine shops usually have only one spindle. For drilling several holes successively or simultaneously in a workpiece, machines with multiple spindles are available. When large quantities of identical mechanical components are required, special-purpose drilling machines, with spindles arranged in a variety of positions relative to the workpiece, can be constructed. Although drill presses are used mainly for drilling holes, they can also be used for enlarging holes with a boring tool or finishing holes with a reamer. With the aid of a special tapping attachment and a tap, they can produce threads in a hole. See also boring machine.