Chamfering, milling, and grooving are just a handful of the techniques used by machinists, fabricators and even woodworkers for delicate material removal activities. It’s the kind of intricate X- and Y-axis milling work that can make or break a final project. But what do you do when you also need to work along the Z-axis?

You can always work slowly with a mishmash of handheld routers and various types of drills to get the job done on wood, plastics, and softer metals, but what happens if you’re working on denser, or larger pieces of metal where you need to go deeper? Actually, it’s not as big a problem as you might think. You have to have the right equipment though, and it’s no coincidence that there’s one machine that can get it all done easier and quicker than any other.

Modern Mill Drills with DRO Let You Work Safely on All Axis

Ask any business or hobbyist who does fabrication what their greatest limit is, and they’ll almost always tell you that it’s the capability of their tools. That’s why when you have a working piece that needs to be drilled, as well as milled on its X- and Y-axis, a geared and tilting head mill drill is the only tool with both the power and capacity to see the job through. Power-fed mill drills combine the heavy-duty drilling capacity of a drill press with the two-axis versatility of a pure milling machine, making them the perfect fabrication tool for almost any type of material removal that you can imagine.

For active fabricators and machinists, the versatility that mill drill machines have to offer is irreplaceable:

·   They save time. If you’re working on a time-sensitive project, there’s no need to switch between multiple tools to perform various types of cuts. With the push of a button, all your drilling tools and milling ends are available on the spot.

·   They save space. Keeping a collection of powered routers and drills lying around consumes valuable workspace. With everything you need located right at your drill mill table, you can reclaim the space that you’re losing to tool storage.

·   They’re safe. Trying to coax a handheld cutting tool to perform a measured task while you’re also holding the working piece is dangerous. Once you’re set up, a three-axis mill drill press machine allows you to work safely and with no unnecessary risk to the working piece or yourself.

Make no mistake: mill drills are working assets that every level and type of fabricator can reap an instant benefit from on the shop floor. Where that value really shines through though is in their performance. With Digital Readout (DRO) functionality and the proper cutter, a three-axis mill drill is able to drill, mill, and cut through virtually any substrate with pinpoint accuracy. Your finished products are going to turn out better than ever, all courtesy of what these high-quality mill drills can do.

Exceptional Three-Axis Travel With Innovative Table Functionality 

Although three-axis mill drills make up some of the best-rated machines of their kind in the world, the top mill drill machines for sale in Australia are in a league all their own. These are advanced, industrial-quality machines that are designed to be user friendly, and feature a host of seriously powerful operating features that go beyond just extensive head tilting and travel ranges.

Fine down feed control and depth stop adjustments are in line with exceptional drilling and milling machine features that include:

·   Both manual and powered up and down action with dovetail guides;

·   A low noise, 1.5Kw motor with a speed range from 75 – 2500 RPM;

·   A large, heavy-duty ISO30 taper spindle;

·   A power-operated draw bar spindle for quick tool changes;

·   Forward, as well as fully reversible operation;

·   Long-life roller bearings for extreme stability; and,

·   Standard coolant system with coolant return tray.

And when it comes to innovative functionality, especially in their table options, these durable machines also boast an array of travel features that include:

·   Longitudinal power feeds with forward and reverse operation;

·   Push-button rapid feed capability; and,

·   Automatic table-stopping measures.

With a rich array of innovative features, a properly engineered three-axis mill drill machine is an asset for any workshop. That includes the technological advantages they have to offer too; and the best Australian drilling and milling machines for sale are very effective at putting state-of-the-art processes together with machines that are powerful enough to handle any job.

DRO: The Small Measurement Taker That Makes the Big Mill Drill Difference

Machinists and fabricators want their drilling and milling machine processes to be as precise and as efficient as possible. And while technology has a role to play in both requirements, the challenge is also to ensure that the processes can be accomplished as cost-effectively as possible.

DRO-equipped machines make it possible for fabricators to exercise a degree of control over their milling process that wouldn’t be possible by purely manual means, or without costly full automation. The effectiveness of three-axis functionality comes fully into focus here as DRO makes it possible for mill drills to successfully achieve:

·   Greater accuracy. Instead of relying strictly on manual estimations, digital readouts are able to measure distances and angles to the thousandths, on both metric and imperial scales.

·   Improved productivity. With DRO, the time that would otherwise be spent calculating distances and calculating angles along three axis can now be put into ensuring that the job is done quickly, and error-free.

·   Increased profitability. The time that’s lost with performing manual measurements can be significant, but DROs eliminate the potential for even costlier material losses due to machining errors.

No matter which capacity you intend to use it in, when you’re looking at buying a drill milling machine, you want to make sure that it’s equipped with a three-axis DRO.

The Final Word

At the end of the day, any machine that makes the fabrication process simpler, faster, and ultimately more accurate is going to have a positive impact. That’s the machine that professionals and hobbyists would design for themselves; and fortunately, that’s the type of machine that’s built in Australia to meet their demands.

A user-friendly, tilting head mill drill with DRO is the perfect piece of fabricating equipment for any workshop. It can handle any series of milling or drill tasks that are on your schedule, and you won’t believe what it’s going to save you in time and resources.