Better Choice for Smaller Work: Mini Drill Press

Posted on Dec 25, 2020

Mini Drill Press

Drill presses are one of the most versatile devices that create the configuration of the products by making holes on the workpieces. However, this device is no one-size-fit-all, since if you drill holes on a small workpiece that can be held by a hand with a large machine, the drill bits, which are the tools on this machine, may not be suitable for the works that are smaller than what it is supposed to deal with.

What Is a Mini Drill Press?

A mini drill press is the smaller form of drill presses, the machines that would be applied in the precision machining work fields. The mini drill press is used to remove materials from the workpieces in order to create holes depending on the requirements, which does the same things as the standard or larger drill presses, but comes in a more portable form instead.

A drill press is a device that makes the cutting tools called the drill bits, which are long and thin shafts with blades on the tips, to rotate at a high speed and come in contact with the surfaces of the workpieces, in order to produce and remove the chips from the workpieces, and thus create the holes. The mini drill presses are sometimes referred to as mini drilling machines.

No matter what kinds of works there are, the drill press is capable of achieving the required geometries by configuring the workpieces with holes that may be required for being bolted to another product, for example. Such configuration works cannot be performed only with a drill press, but also require others like a milling machine or lathe, so as to attain more different works.

As far as we know, the drill press is one of the versatile devices that do the configuration of the products by making holes on the workpieces. However, this device is no one-size-fit-all, since if you drill holes on a small workpiece that can be held by a hand with a large machine, the drill bits, which are the tools on this machine, may not be suitable for the works that are smaller than what it is supposed to deal with.

In other cases, if you would like to drill bigger holes on a heavier and thicker workpiece with a mini drill press, the drill bits on this machine would be too thin to reach the required sizes of the holes.

In other words, when it is necessary to create holes on the workpieces in order to reach the required geometries of the products, choosing the right sizes of the drill presses is the first and foremost thing to do.

Therefore, in the precision machining work fields that are dealing with smaller or tiny products, applying a mini drill press that is compact, lightweight, and portable but performs as well as the larger one may be more suitable for achieving the requirements.
 

:: Read More: What Is the Mini Drill Machine?
 

How Does a Mini Drill Press Form?

The structure of a mini drill press is actually similar to the standard or larger one but the entire device is smaller in size and lighter in weight, which allows the operator to carry and transfer it to the places where the drilling work is needed. A mini drill press consists of a base, a column, a table, ahead, a motor, a spindle, and a chuck.
 

Base

The base is the component that is set at the bottom of this device, which is used to support the other components and allow the drilling work to be conducted. 

Compared to the standard drill press, the base of the mini model has a smaller footprint but remains sturdy, which allows the entire device to be placed on a benchtop steadily instead of being stationary on the ground.
 

Table

Unlike the tables on all of the standard drill presses that are set in the middle of the column and separated from the base, the tables on the mini drill presses can be either attached on top of the base or like the standard ones, arranged in the middle of the column.

The difference between the table that is attached to the base or set in the middle is in the moving methods of the workpieces. For the former, the table is stationary, which means that when it is necessary to move the workpiece to drill holes in different positions, the operator is required to move the workpiece directly by the hands.

As for the latter, it may come in two forms that one is rotary and the other is not. The rotary table allows the operator to rotate when there is a round workpiece, while the other form is suitable for the x and y axes of movement of the workpiece instead.
 

Column

The column is a long shaft that is mounted upon the base and carries the upper components. Similar to the base, the column is used for providing support for the other components, but is directly attached to and holding them instead of assisting with another part. Therefore, it should be strong and sturdy as well.
 

Head

The head, as the name implies, is on the top of the device, and is equipped with the motor and the spindle, which provide the source of power and the kinetic energy for the workpieces respectively.
 

Motor

The motor of the mini drill press is set at the back under the head, which transforms the electric power into the kinetic energy that drives the spindle to rotate.
 

Spindle

The spindle is set on the front of the mini drill press that, and is a device that is driven by the motor and rotates at a high speed, and causes the drill bits, which are the tools, to rotate as well when cutting through the workpieces.
 

Chuck

The chuck is the tool holding device that clamps on one drill bit at a time and is connected to and under the spindle. When the device is operated, the spindle and the chuck would facilitate the rotating of the drill bit, which provides the kinetic force to cut the workpiece.
 

What Are the Features of a Mini Drill Press?


Compatibility

This feature is related to the size of the mini drill press. Since this device is smaller in size compared to the standard one, it is portable and allows for being transferred to the required working sites, which makes it compatible with a variety of working environments even if the space is limited.
 

Mobility

As the mini drill press is lighter in weight, it is easier to transfer the machine to another working site as long as the environment is available for drilling work. For the manufacturers that are specialized in producing products with smaller sizes but in a wide range of categories, this mini model would be more suitable with its better mobility.
 

Accuracy

Although the construction of the mini drill press is relatively less sophisticated than the standard one, it is ensured with the accuracy that it is able to perform for the drilling work. Therefore, if the standard drill press is not available for the small workpieces, this form of drill press would be the better alternative to take the place of works.
 

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