A drilling system includes a single robotic drilling unit having a drill end effector positioned inside a barrel section configured as a composite sandwich structure having an inner face sheet. The robotic drilling unit is operable to drill a plurality of perforations into the inner face sheet using the drill end effector. The robotic drilling unit is configured to index a hole pattern of the perforations to one or more cell walls of a honeycomb core of the composite sandwich structure. The robotic drilling unit is configured to form the hole pattern in the inner face sheet such that the perforations are located at a spaced distance from the cell walls of the honeycomb core.

A core drill bit 1 includes a tubular shaft 12, a mounting platform 34 provided on a proximal end of the tubular shaft 12 for mounting the core drill bit on a power tool 35, and an annular cutting section 2 provided with abrasive cutting segments 3 arranged at a distal end of the tubular shaft 12. The core drill bit 1 further includes a transponder 24 and a slit 27 in the tubular shaft 12. The slit 27 forms a slit antenna 26 for the transponder 24.

A system and method for drilling a hole in a vehicle structure and installing a fastener in the hole. A drill plate having openings and associated machine-readable elements is positioned on the structure. A drill gun is positioned in a particular opening and reads hole information from the associated element, and a computer determines whether the drill gun is properly set-up to drill the hole. A fastener insertion gun is positioned in the particular opening and reads fastener information from the element, and the computer determines whether the hole has been drilled and, if so, whether the fastener insertion gun is properly set-up to insert the fastener. A fastener delivery subsystem stores, tracks, and delivers fasteners to the fastener insertion gun. A system computer monitors the drilling of every hole, the insertion of every fastener, and the overall operation of the fastener delivery subsystem.

A control method for using a core drilling system is disclosed. In an embodiment the method includes detecting a predetermined drilling situation on the basis of the attainment of a predetermined threshold value for at least one predetermined corresponding drilling parameter and ending the core drilling operation by selecting a reverse-travel mode for removing the drilling tool from the borehole if the advancing device does not reach a predetermined threshold value for a predetermined corresponding distance value in a direction and the core drilling machine does not reach a predetermined threshold value for at least one predetermined corresponding drilling parameter or continuing the core drilling operation by selecting a predetermined operating mode if the advancing device reaches a predetermined threshold value for a predetermined corresponding distance value in a direction and the core drilling machine reaches a predetermined threshold value for at least one predetermined corresponding drilling parameter.

Various embodiments of power tool and method of operating same are described. The power tool may include a first position sensor, a second position sensor, a third position sensor, and a controller. The first, second, and third position sensors may each generate a signal indicative of a distance between the respective position sensor and a workpiece. The controller may determine one or more angles of the power tool with respect to the workpiece based on the first, second, and third signal and present an indication as to whether the one or more angles are within a predetermined range. The controller may further obtain a depth measurement based on the first signal, the second signal, and the third signal and generate, based on the obtained depth measurement, one or more control signals that control operation of the power tool.

Tool bodies, tools and machines for operating the tool include electronic circuits for providing data, collecting data, analyzing data and for controlling machines based on such data. Tool bodies and tools may include electronic circuits having data collecting sensors, which may be embedded in a housing with the electronic circuit and/or positioned outside of such a housing. Sensors include temperature sensors, motion sensors, strain sensors, moisture sensors, electrical resistance sensors, position sensors, antennas, and other components.

A drilling tool includes: a drive source; a bit attachment portion to which an end bit is attachable; a power transmission portion configured to apply a motive force to the end bit attached to the bit attachment portion; an operation portion switchable between an ON-state and an OFF-state by a manual operation and configured to receive a setting operation for setting a stop condition; and a controller configured to set the stop condition based on the setting operation, and to start driving of the drive source in response to a first switching operation for switching the operation portion from the OFF-state to the ON-state. In a state where the stop condition is set, even when the operation portion is in the ON-state, the controller stops driving of the drive source in response to the stop condition being met while the drive source is being driven.

A rail drill drive train can include a common drive end between a single drive motor and a common gear. A speed train end can extend from the common gear to rotate the drill spindle. A feed train end can independently extend from the common gear to advance and retract the drill spindle. The speed train end can include a sprag gear so that, without unmeshing any gears, the drill spindle is not unnecessarily rotated in the reverse direction when the drive motor is reversed to retract the drill spindle. A rail drill control circuit and related sensors can enable automatic operation throughout the complete drilling cycle without any manual input from the user other than starting the cycle. Such a fully automatic drilling cycle can minimize overall cycle time to preserve battery life and can free the user to perform other tasks between drill moving and clamping operations.

A controller for controlling a motor of a drill comprising an output of a signal for controlling a speed of rotation of the motor, a processor for producing the signal, wherein the signal is automatically varied according to a waveform, wherein one or more characteristics of the waveform is determined by a material to be drilled and a diameter of the bit.

A core drill bit 1 includes a tubular shaft 12, a mounting platform 31 provided on a proximal end of the tubular shaft 12 for mounting the core drill bit on a power tool 26, and an annular cutting section 2 provided with abrasive cutting segments 3 arranged at a distal end of the tubular shaft 12. A first transponder 24 is provided at the distal end of the tubular shaft 12. A repeater 28 is provided comprising a second transponder 29 at the proximal end of the tubular shaft 12, an antenna 33 facing the first transponder 24, and a wired connection 34 between the antenna 33 and the repeater 28.