Around 35,000 BCE, Homo sapiens discovered the benefits of
the application of rotary tools. This would have simply consisted of a pointed
rock being spun between the hands to bore a hole through another material.
Since then, the drill has gone through many changes.
The Bow Drill came first and can be traced back over 10,000 years, soon followed the PumpDrill,
thought to be invented during the Roman era. Many varieties of these existed
and led at some point (though it is not known when) to the invention of the
Brace and Bit, often known as an Auger.
The auger used a helical screw blade, which can now be found on most drill
bits.
The next great advancement in drilling technology, the electric
motor, led to the invention of the electric drill. It is credited to Arthur
James Arnot and William Blanch Brain of Melbourne, Australia who patented the electric
drill in 1889.
With power being put in to the equation we can now find many
varieties of drills on the market. Hammer Drills,
Rotary Hammer Drills,
Drill Presses, Mill Drills and most popularly, The Cordless Drill.
Now used in large numbers of industries, from builders to
dentists, you would think that the drill had had its fair share of innovation. You would be wrong.
Companies are regularly bringing out new and innovative
drills, making them work more efficiently and effectively.
Panasonic’s latest drill the 7443 is an example of modern
day innovation, featuring an innovative gear selection mechanism which changes
to suit the load and application automatically, economising on time and power.
With innovation being a key factor in many drill
manufacturers’ mission statements; I am excited to find out what will come
about next.
If you’ve seen any great innovations in the drill sector
then please do comment or let me know.
By Daniel Grosvenor
By Daniel Grosvenor
