Drilling machines and tapping machines are made with a variety of specifications and function in several ways. In modern drilling and tapping machines, the surface to be drilled is either kept on a drill press table or a drill press vise. For drilling in a round shaft, a drill press vise is used while a drill press table is used for a shaft with a planar base.

The speed of drills can be 5 to 6 m/min for high-temperature alloys that range up to 110 m/min for aluminum and magnesium alloys. A tapping machine is used for cutting inside the threads. The most commonly used tapping machine is a two-fluted, three-fluted, four-fluted, or helical-pointed. A tapping machine is used according to the material of the surface being drilled. Sizes of drilling machines and tapping machines range from 6 in. to 60 in.

Drilling and tapping machines are designed and manufactured to meet most industry specifications.