A radial drilling machine has a drilling head that slides along a long arm, and the arm swings around a column and moves up and down. This lets the operator drill, tap and bore holes anywhere over a large, heavy part without moving the part.
Quick facts
- Size given as
- Max drill diameter in steel and arm reach (e.g. 50 mm (1.97 inch), 1,600 mm (62.99 inch))
- Work
- Drilling, reaming, tapping, counterboring, boring
- Best for
- Large, heavy parts such as plates, castings and frames
- Typical hole accuracy
- About ±0.05–0.1 mm (±0.0020–0.0039 inch) drilled; better with reaming
- Holding
- Box table, base plate, clamps
- Operator
- Manual, often with a drilling jig for batches
Typical work
- Hole patterns in base plates and flanges
- Drilling and tapping castings and fabricated frames
- Large-diameter holes with trepanning or core drills
- Batch drilling with jigs for consistent positions
Radial drill or VMC?
- Radial drill: low cost, quick setup, handles very large and heavy parts
- VMC: accurate hole positions and automatic tool changes for batches of smaller parts
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Related job work
Questions
- What does 'radial drill 50 mm' mean?
- It is the largest hole the machine can drill in mild steel in one go, here 50 mm (1.97 inch). The arm reach is usually given alongside it.
- How are hole positions kept accurate on a radial drill?
- With a drilling jig that guides the drill through hardened bushes, or by careful marking and centre drilling for one-off parts.
The figures on this page are typical values for guidance, written by Diemeco from standard engineering practice. They are not a specification: confirm grades and properties with the relevant standard or the supplier's mill test certificate, and tolerances with your workshop. Last checked 9 October 2026.