What Is a Step Drill?
A step drill is a tool with multiple blades of varying diameters attached in a step-like fashion to a single drill. This design allows for drilling holes of different diameters and even completing chamfering in one operation.
Typically, drilling holes of various diameters requires using separate drills for each size, risking axis misalignment. A step drill eliminates this need, enabling more precise drilling.
Uses of Step Drills
Step drills are integral in manufacturing for efficient cutting and drilling. Their multi-diameter blades make them ideal for operations requiring simultaneous drilling of different sizes or chamfering. The drill’s material and coating can be chosen based on the work material, enhancing drill longevity and operational productivity.
Principle of Step Drills
Step drills are unique in attaching blades of different diameters to a single drill. While traditional drilling methods involve using drills of increasing diameters sequentially, step drills allow for completing this process with a single tool, significantly improving machining and hole-position accuracy.
Step drills, often resembling a bamboo shoot due to their shape, can drill multiple holes of varying diameters. However, they are not suitable for thick materials due to the shallow depth of each step, in contrast to conventional drills which can handle thicker materials.