Radial Arm Drills

What are radial arm drills and what are they used for?

Radial arm drills are mechanical machines of great versatility for carrying out industrial processes. They are mainly used for hole machining, using their metal-cutting mechanisms.

To do this, radial arm drills use a tool called a drill bit, which has several cutting edges. It can be used on almost any type of material, with metal, glass and wood being the most common.

The drill bit must be changed according to the type of material being worked, as some bits are designed specifically for working certain types of material. The operations that radial arm drills can perform include roughing, countersinking and hole drilling, among others.

A notable feature of these machines is that they are available in different designs. Some are floor-mounted, but there are also versions fixed to a worktable. The type of design affects how difficult it is to reposition and locate the workpieces.

With radial arm drills fixed to the worktable, the workpieces are easier to handle, since the arm can extend over the material without difficulty as far as its length allows.

It is worth noting that these machines are designed to work even with very large materials. If the material is very large, cranes are usually used to position it on the worktable.

Modern radial arm drills are also very easy to operate because they incorporate Computer Numerical Control (CNC). This system automates the process by computer, so that pinpoint accuracy and much faster work can be guaranteed: you only need to enter the required parameters into the system and the drill does all the work.

In addition, these CNC drills have up to four workstations and can be programmed to change their tools automatically, so they are also able to work on several workpieces at once.

Finally, automatic programming makes the drilling process much simpler, as it allows the arm to carry out all the tasks.

Features of the radial arm drill

Radial arm drills, also known as jib drills, are part of the family of pillar drills. The name comes from the fact that they are characterised by a horizontal bed. In most cases the workholding table sits on top of that bed.

The workholding table has various devices designed to clamp the workpiece. In addition, there is also a cylindrical column that rises above the horizontal bed. The horizontal arm is mounted on this column and can move up and down.

In this respect, the most important parts of the radial arm drill are the drilling head, the arm and the column. The head is mounted on the arm and can rotate. The reach is variable, since arms come in different lengths. The arm is moved by a worm drive or a rack, which together make up a lifting mechanism that can be found on the column.

It is worth noting that a carriage, fitted with a tool head, runs on the horizontal guideways of the arm. This head drives the mechanisms that allow traversing movement, vertical travel and rotation.

The radial arm drill has the advantage of being the only type of drill that can be oriented radially, which makes it a highly versatile tool, especially when used with large workpieces.

Parts of radial arm drills

The parts that make up radial arm drills are as follows:

Column

This is why the machine is considered a pillar-type machine. This part supports the radial arm.

Lifting mechanism

This mechanism is responsible for adjusting the height of the radial arm on the column.

Arm clamp

This is the part responsible for holding the radial arm in place.

Worktable

This is the area where the workpieces are placed.

Base

The base is the part responsible for supporting the table and the column.

Spindle

The spindle is the part that holds the drill chuck.

Drilling head

This is the mechanism that drills the workpieces, making holes.

Radial arm

The mechanism that holds the drilling head and can move in different ways.

Accessories compatible with the radial arm drill

Some accessories are designed to add new functionality to the radial arm drill. They are not needed for basic operations on this machine but are used for specialised work. The most common are:

• Key release tool.
• Eyebolts.
• Taper sleeve.
• Box table shaped to fit the worktable.
• Settling tank.
• Tapping chuck.
• Quick-change chuck system.
• Floor stand.
• Grease gun.
• Rotary table

Other machines you may be interested in

• Industrial drilling machines
• Pillar drills

Unsure which machine to choose? Talk to a Heller technician.