10 Gun Drilling Machine Manufacturers Worldwide

Ten gun drilling machine manufacturers to consider are UNISIG, RuidCNC, TBT Tiefbohrtechnik, TIBO, Kays Engineering, Precihole Machine Tools, HTT, IMSA, Bourn & Koch with the Mollart machine line, and WIDMA. Their published machines serve different tasks: mold cooling channels, off-center holes, shaft center bores, small components and repetitive production. A useful shortlist matches the machine arrangement to those tasks before comparing capacity figures.

Gun drilling uses coolant delivered through the tool, with chips returning along its external flute. TIBO’s single-lip drilling description explains that route. “Gundrilling” and “gun drilling” refer to the same process here; German publications commonly call it Einlippenbohren or ELB. For the machine’s functional arrangement, see gun drilling machine configuration.

What this global list covers

The ten entries are a selected cross-market list of machine manufacturers with published gun-drilling products. Entry numbers identify the order of presentation; they are not a ranking of quality, market share or machining performance. Specifications refer to the cited manufacturer publications available on October 12, 2026 and remain subject to the proposed machine configuration and part conditions.

Tool manufacturers and subcontract drilling shops are outside this list. Kays Engineering’s machine brands are counted together. Mollart’s machine line is listed under its current producer, Bourn & Koch, rather than assuming that its former UK machine-production location remains current.

Gun drilling machine manufacturers at a glance

1. UNISIG

UNISIG’s UNE Series includes single- and twin-spindle gundrilling machines. Its published table separates the normal diameter limit from the single-spindle-mode limit on applicable twin-spindle models.

For example, UNE20-2 is listed at 20 mm maximum drilling diameter, or 25 mm in single-spindle mode. That makes operating mode part of the comparison. The family’s rated workpiece-length options should also be distinguished from the usable drilling depth of the proposed setup.

2. RuidCNC

RuidCNC’s RD1010-10H product specification describes a three-axis horizontal machine for molds, box-type parts and other components. It lists 3–35 mm drilling diameter, 1,000 mm drilling depth and a 1,200 × 900 mm table with a 5-tonne maximum load. The current technical-sheet reference specifies an 11 kW spindle motor.

The larger RD2012-16H lists a 1,600 mm drilling depth and optional BTA equipment separately. Compare table travel, part access and the supplied spindle configuration against the actual mold or block. Published surface-finish and hole-deviation references retain their stated tool and material conditions; they should not become blanket guarantees for every part.

3. TBT Tiefbohrtechnik

TBT’s ML Series product page identifies ML200 and ML250 as ELB machines with one to four spindles. It also includes larger ML models using different process combinations.

Do not read the full ML family’s diameter envelope as a single gun-drilling specification: some larger machines are BTA/STS variants. For a production application, identify the ELB model and spindle arrangement first, then compare its depth and handling configuration.

4. TIBO

TIBO’s single-lip machine description publishes an ELB range of 2–40 mm and depths up to 4,500 mm. Its modular system includes multiple spindles and a TWIN arrangement for drilling from both sides.

Ask which spindle count, active-spindle mode and part-loading arrangement applies to the proposed machine. Two-sided drilling also needs an agreed meeting-point and bore-inspection requirement; the family description alone does not establish the result for a particular component.

5. Kays Engineering — Eldorado

Kays Engineering’s Eldorado product page distinguishes the M75 job-shop machine from the KM75 three-axis CNC machine. It states that Eldorado machines are built to order at Kays Engineering’s Marshall, Missouri facility.

That gives a useful first split between a centerline drilling task and work requiring positional axes. DeHoff and TechniDrill are other Kays brands, not additional manufacturers. Compare the chosen machine’s clamping, fluid package and control options rather than counting brand names as separate alternatives.

6. Precihole Machine Tools

Precihole’s GVN Series describes gun-drilling machines with component counter-rotation, cone or chuck clamping, tool steadies, coolant filtration and oil chilling. Its named models cover different diameter ranges rather than one uniform capacity.

For example, the GVN0208C drilling range is 2–8 mm, while the GVN1040C range is 10–40 mm. For shaft production, compare the specified part diameter, clamping arrangement and spindle count alongside the hole requirement.

7. HTT

HTT’s K Series gun-drilling publication lists machines from K4 to K40, with different diameter, depth and spindle specifications. It describes counter-rotation, high-pressure coolant and an oil chiller, with manual or automatic loading arrangements.

The K12 table lists a 3–12 mm drilling range and 500/800 mm depth options. Choose the named configuration before comparing throughput. A multi-spindle offer also needs the loading sequence, available fluid delivery and treatment of a stopped or inactive spindle.

8. IMSA

IMSA’s MF1000/2C product page describes separate units for gun drilling and auxiliary machining. The manufacturer lists an optimal solid-drilling range of 4–25 mm, depths up to 1,000 mm, and 2- or 4-tonne table configurations.

Here, “dual spindle” means different machining units, not two gun drills making two holes simultaneously. For molds with auxiliary milling or tapping, compare the selected table’s rotation/tilt geometry and the changeover arrangement as well as drilling capacity.

9. Bourn & Koch — Mollart machine line

Bourn & Koch’s Mollart machine publication states that machine production moved from Chessington, UK to Rockford, Illinois in 2024. Its current description separates single-axis Drillsprint machines from three-axis Omnisprint machines and dedicated pellet-die equipment.

This distinction helps separate repetitive axial holes from off-center work and ring-die hole patterns. For an existing Mollart installation, identify the machine model and support scope; the historical brand name alone does not describe the current production or service arrangement.

10. WIDMA

WIDMA’s deep-hole machine brochure distinguishes SG shaft-oriented machines, MG microdrilling equipment and UGC column-type machines. Pages 4–7 explain these different arrangements; the MG specification lists 1–6 mm drilling diameter and 200 mm depth.

Select the family by component geometry and production task. The UGC description includes gun drilling with milling, drilling and tapping, whereas the MG range addresses a different small-hole application. A shared manufacturer’s name does not make those configurations interchangeable.

Compare the workpiece arrangement before capacity

For a mold or block, compare the table load and dimensions, positional travel, entry access and any required angled holes. For a shaft, compare clamping, workpiece rotation, guide support and loading. For small repetitive parts, compare the complete production cycle and handling of tool changes or interrupted operation. These questions follow from the different arrangements in the manufacturer publications above.

Prepare one part definition for all candidates using the drilling RFQ worksheet. The following comparison can keep offers on the same basis.

The whip-guide explanation and gun-drilling coolant guide help examine two parts of that configuration. Compare demonstrated results on an agreed part before turning the manufacturer list into a purchasing decision.