Automatic Feed Drills And Trappers Market

Market Overview

The global automatic feed drills and tappers market size is estimated to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period (2023–2031). The global automatic feed drills and tappers market is primarily boosted by growing industrial automation worldwide. The technological developments in these drills and tappers are further expected to propel global market growth. Moreover, the prominent players in the market are consistently upgrading their old products and launching new ones to increase their market share, in turn creating opportunities for market growth.

Automatic feed drills and tappers are commonly employed in various industrial sectors to perform drilling and tapping tasks. Automatic feed drills, also known as self-feed drills, fixtured drills, or auto drills, offer a cost-effective option for CNC drilling or a substitute for the traditional drill press. They are particularly effective in production drilling scenarios that require precision, reliability, and flexibility.

Automatic feed drills are frequently employed in specialized drilling stations to simultaneously drill individual or multiple holes. This can be achieved either through the utilization of multi-heads or by strategically positioning several drills around a component to complete all the holes in a single operation. These drills are particularly advantageous in scenarios where rapid and uninterrupted drilling is necessary to achieve high production rates on automated machinery. These machines can autonomously advance the drilling or tapping tool into the workpiece, diminishing the requirement for operator intervention and augmenting production.

Market Dynamics

Automatic Feed Drills and Tappers Market Drivers

Growing Demand for Industrial Automation

The growing need for automation in diverse industrial processes is anticipated to drive the proliferation of automatic feed drills and tappers. The industrial sector has experienced significant advancements due to the continuous integration of advanced technology, including robotics, artificial intelligence, and other complex innovations. Similarly, the manufacturing sector has witnessed a swift integration of novel systems and enhanced networking architectures in light of the emergence of Industry 4.0. This development is anticipated to offer substantial prospects for market expansion.

According to the McKinsey Institute, implementing automation across various tasks in the industrial sector can increase yearly productivity growth to 1.4%. Likewise, according to a survey from Oxford, implementing automation in the manufacturing sector has the potential to generate an annual gain of USD 4.9 trillion by the year 2030. Therefore, the increasing automation of the industrial sector is expected to drive the global automatic feed drills and tappers market.

Technological Advancements

Automatic feed drills and tappers are an appealing choice for industries because they decrease labor expenses, guarantee consistent quality, and accelerate production. Technological breakthroughs are increasingly augmenting the capabilities of automatic feed drills and tappers, thereby raising their efficiency and precision. The incorporation of computer numerical control (CNC), programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and improved sensors is facilitating increased automation and enhanced control in many operations. The market for automatic feed drills and tappers has been substantially boosted by the growing interest in such investments by a wide range of sectors.

Automatic Feed Drills and Tappers Market Restraint

Rising Unemployment Rate

The surging automation in the industrial sector is increasing the unemployment rate as more individuals are losing their jobs. Since 1930, around 33% of newly created occupations can be attributed to automation. The above phenomenon has contributed to the perception that automation brings favorable circumstances. In contrast, economists claim that the advent of modern automation would result in a greater magnitude of job loss than employment creation by the year 2030. In England, the process of automation resulted in the loss of around 850,000 individuals employed in various occupations over the period spanning from 2001 to 2017. Such factors restrict the market's growth.

Automatic Feed Drills and Tappers Market Opportunities

Rising Product Launches and Upgrades

Major players in the global market are involved in new product launches to strive in the highly intense market competition. For instance, in January 2022, to meet the requirements of the aerospace and energy sectors, Sodick developed the new 5-axis K4HL small-hole drilling machine. This machine facilitates the rapid and accurate drilling of thousands of small, high-precision holes in exotic materials, which are essential for aero engines and other turbines.

Furthermore, the key players are upgrading their existing products to enhance efficiency. For instance, in September 2018, Sandvik introduced the Leopard DI650i drill equipment. With the implementation of its iDrill automation platform in June 2021, Sandvik equipped the drilling equipment with fully autonomous capabilities. The organization asserts that the newly implemented RC drilling system, seamlessly incorporated into the Leopard DI650i platform, provides a dependable and precise approach to identifying ore bodies and regulating grades in open-pit mining. This is achieved through the optimization of drill rig utilization and an enhancement in productivity, which is predicted to generate opportunities for market growth.

Regional Analysis

Based on region, the global automatic feed drills and tappers market is bifurcated into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa.

In North America, substantial market expansion can be attributed to the regional manufacturing units' efforts to adopt cutting-edge technologies and digital transformation capabilities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their operations in response to intensifying competition and rising end-user demands. Likewise, numerous regional industries—including automotive, healthcare, and manufacturing, among others—are adopting industrial automation, with major corporations introducing industrial automation products to the market. Therefore, the market in the North American region is witnessing a surge in the launch of new products. For instance, in August 2021, Hilti North America, a provider of tools, software, and services to the commercial construction sector, recently introduced a semi-autonomous core drilling solution. The DD 250-CA diamond core drill assists the operator by directing the drill through the whole drilling process intuitively when used in conjunction with the Cut Assist Auto Feed unit. The contractors will find construction sites much more convenient and productive using this semi-autonomous drilling system. Such developments are expected to expedite market growth.

Europe is often recognized as a region that has achieved a high level of industrialization. The prevalence of industrial automation is on the rise in the region. European industrial automation is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 8%. This growth depicts the opportunities for the automatic feed drills and tappers market in the region. Similarly, the key players in the region are collaborating with several organizations to develop advanced automated products. For instance, in June 2022, Mollart Engineering, an organization specializing in deep hole drilling technology, was assisted by robotics and automation expert FANUC UK in developing an automated three-machine production cell for a Chinese automotive client. Developed to produce components for hydraulic gearbox pre-machined transmission shafts, the FANUC and Mollart solution drills 384mm-deep perforations into the hydraulic shafts. With a precision level of 0.2mm at the hole's beginning and an additional 0.3mm of deviation at the end of the holes, the operational efficiency of the production scale exceeds 90%. All these factors boost the market's growth.

Segmental Analysis

The global automatic feed drills and tappers market is segmented by type and application.

Based on type, the global automatic feed drills and tappers market is divided into pneumatic and electric segments. 

In the industrial and manufacturing sectors, pneumatic automatic feed drills and tappers are employed to drill holes and thread-tape in a range of materials, such as plastic, metal, and wood. These instruments are specifically engineered to mechanize the drilling and tapping procedures, aiming to enhance precision and efficiency. They are powered by compressed air, utilizing pneumatic energy. The properties of consistency and dependability are inherent to pneumatic power.

Additionally, the drilling or tapping operation's depth and rotational speed are typically adjustable on most pneumatic automatic feed drills and tappers. These instruments usually have safety features like operator guards and emergency stop buttons to prevent accidents and protect the user. Drilling holes for fasteners, threaded hole creation for screws and bolts, and performing additional precision machining duties are all possible with pneumatic automatic feed drills and tappers.

Based on application, the global automatic feed drills and tappers market is segmented into aerospace, automotive, machining, and others.

Automatic feed drills and tappers hold significant value in the aerospace industry due to their exceptional precision, productivity, safety features, and versatility. The assistance provided by these drills and tappers is crucial in guaranteeing the production of important components that adhere to the most stringent requirements, hence ensuring the safety and dependability of aircraft. Aerospace manufacturers frequently mandate detailed documentation and traceability of every drilled or tapped hole. Automatic feeding machines can be programmed to collect data on every activity, hence facilitating the monitoring and validation of the manufacturing process.

Recent Developments

• April 2023: Corva and Nabors Industries revealed a strategic technology collaboration to provide the global drilling industry with digital and automation tools. It is anticipated that the integration of Nabors' SmartROSTM universal drilling rig controls and automation system with Corva's industry-leading App Store and Dev Center will yield solutions that expedite the scalability of process and machine automation, improve remote project oversight, and streamline data exchange and collaboration throughout any fleet of AC rigs.
• September 2023: The PulseStar service, introduced by Halliburton Company, offers operators uninterrupted and rapid transmission of downhole data. The service ensures more consistent and efficient well delivery by transferring real-time, high-resolution drilling and subsurface data at greater depths.