CNC wood drilling machine is the CNC drilling machine specially designed for wood drilling. As a kind of numerical control equipment, the wood drilling machine also has the characteristics of high efficiency, high precision and long service life. Therefore, the CNC drilling machine has gradually replaced manual drills in furniture making.
Although the purpose is single, there are many types of wood drilling machines. Each type can achieve different drilling functions. As a furniture manufacturer, do you know how to choose a CNC wood boring machine?
This article will give you a detailed introduction to the CNC wood drilling machine. For example, the types, application, advantages and maintenance tips. I hope it can help when you choose a wood CNC drilling machine.
Application of CNC wood drilling machine
The wood drilling machine is mainly used for drilling and grooving processes in the woodworking and furniture making industry. It can make groups of multiple holes on the wood panels. The CNC drilling machine is very useful in cases where precise drilling of the panel is needed. This is especially so in the furniture industry that requires the creation of holes in the interiors or shelves of wardrobes and other cabinets.
The panel furniture or custom furniture making manufacturers use the CNC drilling machine to complete mass drilling work. Compared with traditional manual drilling, the CNC boring machine is easy to operate, has high efficiency and small error, and saves labor.
Types of CNC wood drilling machine
There are many types of wood drilling machine for furniture making. It can basically fall into four types, i.e. ATC CNC router with aggregate head, side drilling machine, hinge drill and five or six sided drilling center. All these drilling machines can achieve drilling process, but each of them has respective functions and features. I’ll introduce each type of the wood boring machine below.
1. ATC CNC router with aggregate head or drilling head
This is the combination of ATC CNC router and a CNC aggregate head or drilling head. Both the ATC CNC router and the CNC aggregate head can drill hole on panels. But the ATC CNC router can only drill vertical holes and the CNC aggregate head can drill holes on multiple surfaces.
This type of wood drilling machine is also a CNC nesting machine. Its major functions also include cutting, engraving and grooving, similar to the CNC router machines. The CNC aggregate head is equipped with multiple CNC drill bits and a saw blade and capable of drilling multiple types of holes and cutting plates.
I’d like to introduce a quite practical ATC CNC router with drilling function.
In addition, this drilling machine also has a carousel tool magazine with 12 tools. So it can achieve rapid automatic tool change and can complete cutting, grooving and engraving processes without changing tools manually. This wood boring machine adopts double Z-axis transmission mode for the spindle and the CNC aggregate head, reducing the load of Z axis.
Partial parameters of the 1632 ATC CNC router with aggregate head are as follows:
| Model | 1632 ATC CNC router with CNC aggregate head for CNC wood drilling |
| Working area | 1560x3200x400mm |
| Power supply | 380V, 3 phase, 50Hz |
| Spindle | Italy HSD air cooling automatic tool changer spindle |
| System | SYNTEC + hand wheel |
| Motor & driver | YASKAWA servo & YASKAWA driver |
| Worktable | Complete vacuum absorption worktable |
| Vacuum pump | EUROVAC KVE250, 380V, 3 phase, 50Hz |
| Inverter | Delta |
| Guide rail | PMI |
| Limit switch | OMRON |
Note: The parameters or configurations in the table above are for your reference and can be customized according to your needs.
2. Side drilling machine
As the name suggests, the side drilling machine is mainly for drilling holes and making grooves on sides of the panels. This wood drilling machine has wide application in the production of cabinet, cabinet doors, doors, and other furniture. The side hole drilling machine adopts laser positioning drilling and bar code scanning drilling modes and is easy to operate. Operators only need simple training to operate this machine.
The side hole boring machine has multiple stations and can process three small plates in one operation. One side drilling machine can work with 2-3 CNC nesting machines to solve the problem of horizontal drilling easily. At the same time, the side hole CNC boring machine can realize long and short board switching, dowel hole, single hole, and blind hole switching, meeting various process requirements.
According to configuration, the side hole drilling machine can be divided into three types, single head, double head and double-head with a saw blade. All three types of side drill machines support laser positioning drilling and bar code scanning drilling. They can realize intelligent boring without excessive operation by the operator. The laser positioning side boring machine adopts the American Bonner laser sensor. It can sense and locate accurately to ensure the drilling precision.
Single head and double head side drilling machine
The single head side drilling machine has one drill bit and can only move in one axis, i.e. forward and backward. While the two head side boring machine has two CNC drill bits and can move not only froward and backward but also up and down. The single head side hole drilling machine can drill side holes on panel furniture. For example, three-in-one connector holes, blind holes, dowel holes and grooves. The two head machine can, except for the above holes, drill holes for invisible connectors.
Below are the single head and double-head side hole boring machine from Blue Elephant.
Both two machines belong to the multiple-station wood drilling machine. Three plates can be placed on the worktable for drilling simultaneously in cabinet making process. It greatly increases the drilling efficiency.
Side drilling machine with a saw blade
Beside the one head and two heads side boring machine, there is also a three-head side hole drilling machine. This type of wood drilling machine is a two head machine plus a saw blade in the middle. The saw blade is suitable for making grooves on panel side for invisible connectors. Both the functions and purposes of this wood boring machine are better than the single-head and double-head one.
You can also check the following video to see how the side drilling machine with a saw blade works.
Regardless of the number of CNC drill bits, the side hole drilling machine is an economical and practical machine for horizontal drilling of panel furniture. It can greatly improve the efficiency of side boring in the cabinet making process. Combined with other machines such as nesting CNC machine and edge banding machine to form a furniture production line, it can truly realize intelligent production.
Partial configuration of the side drilling machines is as follows in table below.
| Model | ELE100 single head side drilling machine | ELE200 double-head side hole drilling machine | ELE300 side hole boring machine with a saw blade |
| Spindle | 2.2KW Changsheng air cooling spindle * 1 | 2.2KW Changsheng air cooling spindle * 2 | 2.2KW Changsheng air cooling spindle * 2 + 2.2KW JST saw spindle |
| Dimension | 3300*1250*1300mm | 3300*1250*1300mm | 3600*1250*1300mm |
| Motor | Dongling servo | Dongling servo | Weide servo |
| Guide screw | TBI | TBI | TBI + imported high precision ground guide screw for Z axis |
| Saw blade | Non | Non | Diamond saw blade |
Note: Other configuration of the three side wood drilling machines is basically the same.
3. Hinge drill machine
The third type of CNC wood drilling machine is the hinge drill with simple functions. It is a CNC boring machine used in panel furniture making process for drilling hinge holes. The hinge drill machine has wide application in drilling hinge holes on wardrobe panels, doors, cabinet and cabinet doors. It can drill the hinge hole and the screw holes beside the hinge hole simultaneously. That greatly improves the drilling efficiency.
The positioning rule and pneumatic pressing device firmly fix the plate, so that the drilled hinge hole reaches the perfect standard. It adopts foot switch to control operation, which is safe and labor-saving.
Hinge drill machine mainly include single head hinge drill and double-head hinge drill. The difference between them is that the double-head hinge drill is equipped with two drill head. So it can drill hinge holes on two plates or drill two hinge holes on one plate simultaneously. The work efficiency of double-head hinge drill is higher than a single head hinge drill.
It is ideal equipment for cabinet, wardrobe, and door processing manufacturers. The price of such hinge drill machine is relatively cheap, but it can increase hinge hole drilling efficiency. Thus it is a cost-effective CNC drilling machine to improve the automation level of a panel furniture production line.
4. Five and six sided CNC drilling center
Five sided and six sided CNC drilling center is a type of more advanced CNC drilling machine. Such five and six sided drilling machine can complete the drilling and grooving work on five and six sides of the panel at a time.
The five and six sided drilling machine has high-level automation. It adopts an advanced path optimization algorithm to realize the drilling and engraving work on five and six sides of a panel. In conjunction with a nesting CNC machine, it can realize fully automated production of customized furniture.
The operation is simple. There is no need to manually turn over the plate during the drilling process, which improves the work efficiency.
Compared with the two, the six-sided wood drilling machine has more advanced configuration, higher accuracy and higher efficiency.
Besides, other configuration of this wood boring machine can also ensure the drilling efficiency, accuracy and stability. For example, air floating table, air floating press beam, double-gripper guide rail, etc.
The six sided CNC boring machine can complete the processing of 80-100 boards in one day together with a nesting CNC machine with auto labeling function. It can significantly improve the production efficiency, and is an ideal choice for automatic panel furniture manufacturers.
Advantages of CNC wood drilling machine
Accuracy.
Superior precision is the greatest advantage of using a computer-controlled drilling machine. With this, the finished surface holes or grooves meet exact specifications and to tight tolerances.
Efficiency.
CNC wood boring machine can drill holes or make grooves much faster than manual drilling method. This improves the whole production efficiency, lowers expenses on labor and optimizes the production lines.
Versatility.
It’s a significant advantage that some CNC drilling machines are capable of accepting multiple bits. For example, the ATC CNC router with aggregate heads, five and six sided wood drilling machine. The drill units they carry have many types of drill bits, which can meet various drilling demands.
Reproducibility.
Especially when mass producing a product, CNC drilling machine is the preferred drilling method. It can drill holes with high efficiency and accuracy and produce consistent products.
CNC wood drilling machine price
Although the machines all use CNC technology, the CNC wood drilling machine price varies greatly. The price of wood drilling machines with fewer functions is lower than those with multiple functions. And the low-level configuration wood drilling machine price is lower than the high-level configuration.
For instance, the single head hinge drill machine has only one drill head and simple functions. So its price is relatively low. Regarding the side boring machine, the price of single head is lower than that of double heads. For advanced wood drilling machines like six sided wood boring machine, its price is definitely higher than the common ones.
The wood drilling machine price is affected by many factors. For example, the cost of the parts and components, the drilling machine brand or buying source (domestic or imported). Imported parts and components and buying machines from overseas will cause extra to the wood drilling machine price.
The following table lists the general wood drilling machine price range. This price range is for reference only. The detailed price is subjected to the negotiation with relevant CNC drilling machine manufacturer.
| Category | Price range (only for reference) | |
| ATC CNC router with CNC aggregate head | $15,000-$30,000 | |
| CNC side drilling machine | Single head | $15,000-$30,000 |
| Double heads | $3000-$5000 | |
| With a saw blade | $3000-$5000 | |
| Hinge drill machine | Single head | $600-$1300 |
| Double heads | $1000-$2000 | |
| Five or six sided drilling machine | $5,000-$40,000 | |
How to choose CNC wood drilling machine
Each type of CNC wood drilling machine has respective functions. Then do you know how to choose between these four types? In fact, some wood drilling machines are mutually complementary. A complete intelligent furniture production line can adopt several wood drilling machines.
Which to choose
If you want to buy a nesting CNC router and you also have drilling demands, you can choose the ATC CNC router with aggregate head. Such wood drilling machine has the advantages of both CNC router and drilling machine. It can complete the cutting, engraving, grooving and vertical hole drilling processes on panels. In addition, the aggregate head with multiple drill bits can drill holes on four sides of the panels. This ATC CNC router drilling machine is suitable for cabinet making.
In case that you already have a nesting CNC machine, you want to purchase CNC boring machines for your cabinet production line. You can choose the side drilling machine and the hinge drill machine. A cabinet production line may use side hole wood boring machine and hinge drill. But if you only produce cabinets without doors, a side hole drilling machine may be enough.
If your cabinet adopts three-in-one connectors to assemble, the single head side hole drilling machine can meet your demands. However, if you need to make grooves for invisible connectors, you need to choose the double-head side hole wood boring machine or the side drill machine with a saw blade.
As an auxiliary machine in the furniture production line, the hinge drill is mainly for making hinge holes. If you have enough budget and want to improve the hinge hole boring efficiency, you can buy this wood drilling machine. But if your production output is low, you can also choose to drill manually.
As the CNC drilling machine with currently the highest efficiency, the price of the six sided drilling machine is also the highest. So if you are looking for drilling holes with high efficiency and have adequate budget, six sided drilling machine is the best choice.
What to consider
The wood drilling machine price shall not be the only consideration when buying a machine. You need to consider multiple factors comprehensively. For example, work efficiency, production cost, etc.
Although the CNC drilling machine machine price is high, it has higher efficiency and accuracy and less manual operation. In spite of increased equipment cost, the production efficiency has doubled. Moreover, one operator can operate 2 machines simultaneously, which greatly saves labor costs. Therefore, the CNC wood boring machine is worth buying.
How to choose a wood drilling machine manufacturer
Buying a wood boring machine involves the selection of a right wood drilling machine manufacturer. I have written an article on how to choose a right CNC machine manufacturer. The selection of wood drilling machine manufacturer shall also comply with these rules.
You need to figure out the professionalism, products and services provided, production and delivery ability, and purchase procedure of the wood drilling machine manufacturer. Besides, you also need to check the customer satisfaction, which can reflect the product quality and service to some extent.
If possible, you’d better personally visit the production workshop of the wood drilling machine manufacturer. It is best to test run the wood boring machine you want to buy. This can also help you find a more suitable wood drilling machine manufacturer.
How to use and maintain wood drilling machine
CNC wood drilling machines rarely break down, but they also need to be maintained during daily use. Proper use and maintenance can extend their service life.
Check the lubricant frequently
Lubricant can reduce the friction around moving parts. Arranging regular lubrication can extend the service life of the CNC drilling machine. It is also important to check that you are using the correct lubricant.
Check the abrasion
Vibration, friction, high temperature and shock are the main causes of CNC drilling machine failure. By checking the wear and tear, you can detect and replace the faulty parts as soon as you find them.
Clean the machine timely
Clean the machine every time after you use it. The chips may enter the gaps of the CNC boring machine, which may affect the use and accuracy of the machine.
Check the CNC drill bits
The sharpness of the CNC drill bits could influence the drilling shape and accuracy. So please frequently check the condition of the bits and replace the worn bits. Make sure all the CNC drill bits and precision cutting tools are sharp.
Check the alignment
The CNC wood drilling machine consists of many components. Losing alignment could affect the drilling accuracy significantly. You can check the alignment by performing test work and then measuring the final part. If the specifications are not correct, you need to adjust the wood drilling machine.
Keep proper maintenance records
You need to check the machine parts frequently, such as the electric system, in order to take precautions. Keeping proper records allows you to have the necessary tools and spare parts on hand, thus avoiding extended downtime. Maintaining records is also important for operator safety. Preventive maintenance programs can significantly reduce the CNC boring machine downtime.
Conclusion
This article offers customers a guide for CNC wood drilling machine. The wood drilling machine mainly includes 4 types, ATC CNC router with aggregate head, side drilling machine, hinge drill machine and five or six sided drilling machine. Four types of CNC drilling machine have distinct functions, but all of them can improve drilling efficiency and accuracy. They all are good helper of intelligent furniture production line.
A panel furniture production line can include several wood boring machines. When choosing a wood drilling machine, you must first clarify your processing needs and understand which CNC drilling machine can meet these needs. Different models of the same type of wood drilling machine may also have different functions. In case of large output and sufficient budget, the six-sided drilling machine is an excellent choice. It can complete drilling work on six sides at a time, which is more efficient.
Remember to clean and check the wood drilling machine condition and replace worn CNC drill bits timely. In such case, service life of the wood boring machine can be extended. Choosing the right wood drilling machine can increase the production efficiency and definitely increase profits.