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How Drilling & Hole Making Works

Drilling & Hole Making: the route, the tolerances it holds, materials and design tips, with an indicative cost. One of 56 processes in the free finder.

MachiningFamily
+/-0.05mmTypical tol.
5Route steps
16Parts in finder

Drilling and deep-hole drilling cut round holes with a rotating drill, with gun drilling holding straightness over long lengths.

At a glance

When to use it, and when not

Best for

Holes of all kinds, and long straight bores like gun barrels and hydraulic cylinders.

Watch for

Hole geometry only; deep holes need special tooling and chip control.

Step by step

The typical route

Raw material to finished part. Steps vary with material, volume and tolerance; this is the free route from the finder.

  1. Fixture

    Locate and clamp the part.
    Tooling Fixture   Tolerance -   Lead -
  2. Drill

    Drill the hole pattern.
    Tooling Drill   Tolerance -   Lead -
  3. Ream/tap

    Ream to tolerance or tap threads.
    Tooling -   Tolerance -   Lead -
  4. Deburr

    Deburr both sides.
    Tooling -   Tolerance -   Lead -
  5. Inspect

    Check position and size.
    Tooling -   Tolerance -   Lead -
Precision

Tolerances it can hold

TYPICAL TOLERANCE IT CAN HOLD
+/-0.05mm typicalcoarsefine+/-1mm+/-0.1mm+/-0.01mm+/-0.005mm
Where this process typically lands. Tighter is possible with extra operations like grinding, at higher cost.
Materials

Materials it suits

GradeWhy it suits this
(matches the parent part)n/a
Design

Design tips

A few general pointers for Drilling & Hole Making. The full, part-specific DFM list is in the dossier.

  • Very deep holes (>5x dia). Allow peck/gun-drill or relax.
  • Drilled hole toleranced like a reamed one. Call out ream/bore only where needed.
Cost

What it costs

Usually a secondary op costed into the part; deep, tight or angled holes add time.

PER-PART COST vs VOLUME
one-offat volumeVolume per order, low to highCost per part
Per-part cost drops as volume spreads tooling and setup over more parts. The exact figures for your part at your volume, in your currency, are in the dossier.
MODEL EST.
$2.4 to 4.1 per part at 1 off
A rough ballpark only. The dossier gives should-cost at your exact volume and currency, with the full breakdown.
GET THE FULL DOSSIER

Everything you need to quote and source it

The free route above is yours. To actually put a number on this process and buy it well:

  • Should-cost at your exact volume in 12 currencies, with the material, processing, tooling and overhead breakdown
  • Who to source from, typical MOQ and lead time, and the exact RFQ checklist to send
  • A quote checker that tells you if a supplier quote is fair, and the red flags to watch
  • The full DFM list and a ready-to-send RFQ draft

One part is $2, once. Pro is every part, plus the tracker, compare and sync. Cancel anytime.

Examples

Parts made by Drilling & Hole Making

16 parts in the finder use Drilling & Hole Making as their primary process. A sample, each with its own guide:

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How is a part made by Drilling & Hole Making?
Drilling and deep-hole drilling cut round holes with a rotating drill, with gun drilling holding straightness over long lengths. The typical route is: Fixture; Drill; Ream/tap; Deburr; Inspect. Holes of all kinds, and long straight bores like gun barrels and hydraulic cylinders.
What does Drilling & Hole Making cost per part?
It depends on size, tolerance and volume. As a rough ballpark it starts around $2.4 to 4.1 per part at low volume and falls with quantity. The dossier gives should-cost at your exact volume and currency. Model estimates, not quotes.
What tolerance can Drilling & Hole Making hold?
Typically about +/-0.05 mm, tighter with extra finishing operations at higher cost.
What materials suit Drilling & Hole Making?
Common choices are (matches the parent part) (n/a).
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