What is drilling?

Drilling is a cutting process that uses a drill bit to cut a hole with a circular cross-section in solid materials. The drill is usually a rotating cutting tool, often multi-point. The bit is pressed against the workpiece and rotated at speeds of hundreds to thousands of revolutions per minute. As a result, the cutting edge is pressed against the workpiece, which removes chips from the hole during drilling.

When drilling rock, the hole is usually not made by a circular cutting motion, although the bit is usually rotated. Instead, the hole is usually made by hammering a drill bit into the hole using rapidly repeated short strokes.