What is a magnetic drill press?

A magnetic drill press is a portable drilling machine equipped with an electromagnet or a permanent magnet base and used to make holes in metal

A magnetic drill press is a machine tool equipped with a cutting tool attachment and an electromagnet, used to drill holes in metals. A magnetic drill press is fitted with cutting tools called core drills; the core drill is hollow inside but has cutting edges on its face and on its teeth.

A magnetic drill press is also called a magnetic core drilling machine, a magnetic drilling machine, a mag base drill, a magnetic drilling machine, a mag base drill or a magnetic drill.

A magnetic drill press can also carry out the following operations: thread cutting (tapping), twist drilling, reaming and countersinking. A portable magnetic drill press makes holes in metal with the help of a special cutting tool called a core drill or an annular cutter or a circular core cutter.

The difference between a conventional drilling machine and a magnetic core drilling machine:

The basic difference is that, unlike a conventional drilling machine, a magnetic core drilling machine is portable and flexible, can be moved from one place to another and fixed horizontally, vertically, sideways and so on. Such flexibility of work is never obtained with any other drilling machine.

Another difference is that the core drilling machine cuts only around the hole and not the whole surface, so it has to cut very little material and is therefore faster and more economical. For that reason a magnetic drill press is considered, under normal conditions, three to four times faster than conventional drilling machines.

Description of the magnetic drill press:

A portable magnetic drill press is a new-technology machine and a faster alternative to older-technology metal hole-making machines such as the drill press, the geared head drill press, the radial arm drill press, the mill drill and so on.

A portable magnetic drill press is a new-technology machine and a faster alternative to older-technology metal hole-making machines such as the drill press, the geared head drill press, the radial arm drill press, the mill drill and so on.

A portable magnetic drill press with core drill bits (annular cutters) makes holes larger than 12 mm in diameter. For holes below 12 mm in diameter, twist drill bits can be used. The core drills used on these machines are generally made of high speed steel (HSS) and tungsten carbide tip (TCT).

Depending on the nature of the material to be drilled and the diameter of the hole, the user decides whether to use HSS or TCT core drills.
With annular cutters, a magnetic drill press gives an accuracy of 0.005 mm to 0.001 mm on materials such as steel, stainless steel and so on.
A portable magnetic drill press is available in various sizes, shapes, designs, electronics and equipment depending on the machine's purpose. It combines the versatility of a drill press with a powerful electromagnetic base that lets it adhere to a carbon steel (ferrous metal) surface. It can be positioned to drill horizontally, vertically and even upside down (overhead).

The design of the magnetic drill press:

A magnetic drill press consists of four parts: the magnetic base, the drill stand, the motor and the arbor.

The magnetic base

The base of the magnetic drill press is equipped with a powerful electromagnet to attach (adhere) the machine easily to the workpiece to be drilled. When energised, this magnet fixes itself firmly to the workpiece and locks the machine base to the metal workpiece, helping the operator to make a steady feed against the workpiece. The electromagnet plays a very important role in a portable magnetic drill press, because it helps the machine to stay stable, does not let the machine move out of place during drilling, and lets the machine work overhead, horizontally or vertically. In general a magnetic drill press is used directly on a ferrous material, but with the help of clamping devices it can also be used on non-ferrous materials such as stainless steel.

The drill stand

The drill stand is the main body of the magnetic drill press, on which the electrical switches for the motor and the magnet, the magnet indicator and also the PCBs are mounted. The body of the magnetic drill press holds the motor and the magnetic base together. The feed handle is also attached to the body. The body of the magnetic drill press helps the motor mounted on it to feed up and down. The body of the magnetic drill press also serves as a handle for lifting the machine and carrying it from one place to another. The material used for the body is generally cast iron.

The motor

The motor is the main component of the magnetic drill press. It is a DC motor. The output power of the motor varies between 800 watts and 2300 watts depending on the power needed for drilling. A larger-diameter hole will require a more powerful motor. The motor used on drilling and tapping machines will also have the option of clockwise and anti-clockwise rotation. In general the speed and torque control electronics are on the motor itself.

The arbor

An arbor, also called the tool holder or chuck, is fitted to the motor on the magnetic drill press. It is a type of clamp used to fit core drills. There are mainly two types of chuck for the magnetic drill press: the industrial arbor (manual tightening) and quick-change drill chucks. The quick-change chucks are an easy and fast option for fitting core drills. There is no need to tighten the screws/jaws by hand. Arbors or chucks come with different types of spindle holder (machine taper) such as Morse taper MT 2, MT 3 and MT 4. The chuck allows different types of core drill shank to be fitted.

Operation of the magnetic base drill press:

The magnetic drill press is primarily for users in the construction, manufacturing and heavy engineering industries. These machines are ideal for use both on site and in workshops. Magnetic drill presses are ideal not only for core drilling but also for twist drilling, reaming, countersinking and tapping (thread cutting). Unless you are making blind holes or holes smaller than 12 mm in diameter, core drilling is well worth serious consideration, especially if your application is not under controlled workshop conditions.

A wide range of portable magnetically mounted drills is available for making holes on site, for repair or construction on structural steel. These newer,light machines can also be used in manufacturing or fabrication workshops. Configurable in both horizontal and vertical positions, magnetic drill presses are also available with pneumatic or hydraulic power for underwater/hazardous locations.

The mechanism and operation of the magnetic drill press:

The magnetic drill press works in the same way as normal conventional drilling
machine, but its advantage is that it can take the magnetic drill press to the workpiece. That advantage makes the magnetic drill press very portable and practical. The mechanism of the magnetic drill press motor is the same as a DC motor with speed and torque control. The operation of the magnetic drill press is very simple and easy and can be described in the following steps,

  • Hold the magnetic drill over the workpiece to be drilled.
  • Fit the core drill (annular cutter) you want, together with an ejector pin, into the arbor according to the diameter and cutting depth of the hole to be made.
  • Place and position the magnetic drill press where the hole is to be made.
  • Adjust it to obtain the centre of the hole.
  • Connect the magnetic drill press to the power supply (230 V or 110 V depending on the model).
  • Set the machine's speed gear according to the cutting speed.
  • Switch on the magnet switch
  • switch on the motor.
  • Open the lubrication tap.
  • Feed the machine downwards to drill. This makes a hole in the workpiece.
  • Pass the full annular cutter through the workpiece, then feed in reverse and bring the motor back to its starting position.
  • A metal slug will drop out, leaving a perfect hole in the plate.

Types of magnetic drill press:

There are various magnetic drill presses using a wide range of cutting tools such as annular cutters (core drills),twist drills, taps (thread cutting tools), reamers and countersinks. Magnetic drill presses are extremely versatile machines able to make holes up to 130 mm in diameter and to tap M42 in steel. The most powerful core drilling machine, able to core-drill up to 130 mm in diameter,MAB 1300 is made by our company. This is the world's most powerful magnetic drilling machine, and an automatic feed option is now also available under the model name MAB 1300V.

There are several types or models of magnetic drill press depending on their use, drive, size, feed, operation and so on. Some of the popular types are as follows.

Lightweight magnetic drill:

Lightweight magnetic drill presses are very popular for carrying out many operations where the weight of a machine is a major concern, such as working on electricity pylons, mobile towers, TV towers, bridges and so on. Our lightweight magnetic drill model is called MAB 100K.

Magnetic drill with automatic and semi-automatic feed:

Magnetic drill presses with fully and semi-automatic drill feed are very popular these days. These machines help save time and energy and lead to more output. Our fully automatic drilling machine models are AutoMAB 350 & AutoMAB 450, and the true automatic magnetic drilling machines are MAB 825V/MAB 845V and MAB 1300V.

and the true automatic magnetic cutting machine

Pneumatic core drilling machines are used particularly where there is a fire hazard from electricity. This model has been used for a safer purpose. The motor is driven by pneumatic means and the magnet is a permanent magnet rather than an electromagnet. Our pneumatic magnetic drill press model is AirMAB 5000.

Rail core drilling machines:

Specially produced core drilling machines are the best option for drilling holes in railway rails. These machines are equipped with special clamping devices instead of a magnet to clamp onto the rail. The rail drilling models are available in the electric drive as RailMAB 915 and in the petrol drive as RailMAB 965.

Horizontal magnetic drill:

Horizontal magnetic drill presses with angular gears are used specially for most restricted drilling situations. The name of our horizontal compact magnetic drilling machine isMAB 155.

Magnetic drilling & amp; milling machine:

The innovative magnetic base drilling and milling machine is also called a portable milling machine. This machine can do light milling, drilling, countersinking and reaming. This machine is equipped with a cross-table base. The model of this portable milling machine is MAB 825 KTS.

Application of the magnetic drill press:

Portable drilling machines or magnetic drill presses are used in many fields,

  • Bridge construction
  • Pre-engineered building (PEB)
  • Heavy engineering companies
  • Manufacturing industries
  • fabrication industry
  • boiler manufacturer
  • Rail drilling
  • Railway wagon manufacture
  • Wind turbine manufacture
  • Automobile industries
  • Tower and pylon construction

Advantages of the magnetic drill press over the conventional twist drilling machine:

Bringing the Machine to the Workpiece!

A wide range of portable magnetically mounted drills is available for making holes on site, for repair or construction on structural steel. These newer, light machines can also be used in manufacturing or fabrication workshops. Configurable in both horizontal and vertical positions, a magnetic drill press with pneumatic or hydraulic power for underwater/hazardous locations is also available.

A magnetic drill press is 2 to 4 times faster than the conventional twist drilling machine. Because of the single point cutting geometry of twist drill bits, the hole making operation requires a machine with higher horsepower — most often a bulky, bench-mounted machine that is traditionally vertically configured and less portable. The larger the hole, the more time and horsepower are required to evacuate the material. But, thanks to the multipoint cutting geometry of core drills (annular cutters), core drilling with a magnetic drill press can cut at higher feed rates with lower horsepower consumption, meaning they can run on smaller machines and drill 2 to 4 times faster.

A magnetic drill press is 2x to 4x faster than the conventional twist drilling machine. Because of the single point cutting geometry of twist drill bits, the hole making operation requires a machine with higher horsepower — most often a bulky, bench-mounted machine that is traditionally vertically configured and less portable. The larger the hole, the more time and horsepower are required to evacuate the material. But, thanks to the multipoint cutting geometry of core drills (annular cutters) core drilling with magnetic drill press can cut at higher feed rates with lower horsepower consumption, meaning they can run on smaller machines and drill 2x to 4x faster.

  • Making holes two to four times faster
  • Saves time
  • Saves money because the cutters last longer
  • Less material removal during drilling
  • Portable machines
  • attaching the machines to the workpiece/span>
  • Horizontal, vertical, diagonal, sideways drilling possible
  • Less noise
  • environmentally friendly
  • Easy to carry
  • Economical
  • powerful
  • Low maintenance