Center drilling is a machining operation often performed on a lathe or other machining equipment. The process involves creating a conical-shaped hole, known as a center hole or center drill, at the starting point of a workpiece. The primary purpose of center drilling is to provide a precise and stable reference or support point for subsequent machining operations, such as turning, milling, or grinding.
Center drilling is most commonly used to create a conical hole at the end of a long workpiece that will accommodate a live center.