Positive Feed Drilling Machine - Automatic

A1 Series Positive Feed Drill

Nominal Capacity 1in | 25.4mm in Al

Turbine 2.95hp | 2.2kW & Vane 2.3hp | 1.7kW

Thrust 500Ib | 2200N

Base Weight 7Ib | 3.2kg

Noise Level: <=85 dBA

Air Inlet Pressure: 90 psi | 6.3 bar

Stroke Per Application

The Quackenbush A1 Series is an automatic positive feed drilling machine designed for high-production aerospace assembly environments where hole quality, cycle time, and operator consistency cannot be compromised. Built around a fully automatic drill cycle — start, feed, retract, stop — the A1 eliminates manual feed variation and delivers repeatable results across thousands of holes per shift.

The A1 uses proven Mitis chip-breaking technology to enable one-shot drill-and-countersink operations with controlled chip fragmentation. This allows operators to produce a 100% countersink in a single automatic cycle, even in demanding material stacks — reducing total cycle time and eliminating the need for separate countersinking passes. Feed rate and Mitis parameters can be changed in under 15 minutes, keeping reconfiguration time to a minimum when transitioning between applications.

Available with either a governed turbine motor (2.95 hp) or a vane motor (2.3 hp), the A1 provides up to 500 lb (2,200 N) of thrust with a nominal drilling capacity of 1" (25.4 mm) in aluminum. Both right-angle and inline configurations are offered, with a wide selection of fixturing options including twist lock bushings, concentric collets, depth-sensing twist locks, and template feet. An external shear pin protects the gear head from overload while remaining easy to replace, and the tool is designed for preventive maintenance intervals of up to 500 hours or 100,000 cycles — supported by grease ports, self-contained bearings, and captive O-rings that reduce service cost and downtime.

For aerospace manufacturers evaluating positive feed drill options alongside systems like the Desoutter Setitec ST2200 or the Lübbering L.ADU pneumatic 57, the A1 Series offers a competitive power class with easy field-serviceability — including an external shear pin for gear head protection, 15-minute feed rate changeovers, and PM intervals up to 500 hours. Contact our engineering team for configuration assistance tailored to your specific aircraft program and material requirements.