History Of Drill Bits: Part 2 - Renaissance To Modern Advancements

Drill bits have been important tools for most of human history, ranging from areas such as construction, manufacturing as well as surgery and the aerospace industry. Creating holes in a large range of material has been useful to humans for hundreds of generations. However, advancements within drill bits have been numerous. Starting from simple tools to modern marvels that a few in the modern day truly understand. This insight series of posts from Quality Tools UK, explores the history of drill bits, uncovering their origins, the different type of drill bits invented and how they changed and evolved throughout history. This blog post is part 2 of the series, looking at the innvoations of the Renaissance Period, the advancements of the Industrial Revolution and the new inventions of the 20th Century.

Renaissance Innovations

The advent of science and engineering advancements of the renaissance period, led to further drill bit technological advancements. A man of the name Leonardo da Vinci, one of the core catalysts of the renaissance, designed many drilling machines in his time. Most notably a device that made use of a hand crank to rotate a drill bit. This would lay the groundwork for the complex machinery we see in the future even seeing similarities with what we use today.

Clockmaking & Precision Drilling

Clockwork making also caused advancements in drilling techniques. Specialised tools were developed by clockmakers in order to create the more precise holes that were needed in creating clock mechanisms. This advancement in drill bits for clock making had a knock-on effect on other areas of industry including watchmaking and fine engineering.

The Industrial Revolution: Mechanization & Mass Production

Moving onto the industrial revolution drill bit advancement once again make leaps and bounds. Steam power and the mechanization of most industries allowed for more efficient and powerful drilling machines as well as strong and durable drill bits. For example, come the early 19^th Century, inventors had developed the first drill presses. These drills used its own power source to rotate its drill bit, increasing both precision and the speed of drilling.

Introduction of the Twist Drill Bit

The invention of the Twist Drill (also commonly referred to as the Jobber Drill) can be seen as one of the more prominent examples of drill bit advancement through history. It’s creator, Steven A. Morse, created the twist drill bit in 1861. It featured a spiral flute design that meant it could more efficiently remove excess material all while maintaining better control over the drilling process. This design continues to represent one of the foundations of modern drill bit design.

Progression of Mass Production & Standardisation

During the industrial revolution, the mass production of drill bits through expanded industry allowed for drill bits to be manufactured in huge quantities and be more readily available to the mass population, leading them to become more affordable and accessible. Drill bits became standardised and assorted into varied sizes and diverse types, allowing for a more streamlined approach to drill bits, further helping their contrasting accessibility.

The Development of Specialist Drill Bits

As industrialisation boomed, this prompted more alternative specialised drill bits, designed for varying applications. Some of these examples include masonry bits, which are developed for drilling into materials such as brick, stone, marble and concrete. Masonry Drill Bits feature a carbide tip that can resist high collision forces. What has become the most common form of Drill Bit in modern society, is the High-Speed Steel (HSS) drill bits. HSS Drill Bits were introduced at the beginning of the 20^th Century, later establishing itself as the standard for metal drilling. This is due to the ability, of the drill bit, to withstand elevated temperatures while maintaining its shape and form.

20th Century Materials & Technology Advancements

As the world progressed into the 20^th Century, the materials and technology used in the production of drill bits underwent extensive evolutions. New alloys and synthetic materials helped make drill bits sturdier as well as more economical. One such advancement was that of High-Speed Steel (HSS), these became the gold standard for 20^th century drill bits because they had the unique capability of maintaining their shape even at high temperatures, all while maintaining performance.

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