Joe AutoDrill wrote:

If this is a dedicated tapping setup there is certainly no need for a
manual reverse. It would not be difficult to rig up a limit switch depth
stop to kick the spindle into reverse.

I agree, but many of the customers considering this type of set-up don't
have the expertise to do that... Such as the skateboard manufacturer in CA
that does a thousand boards a week and wants to drill 4 holes at a time.
It's a bunch of woodworkers with basic mechanical skills building boards for
online sales... They don't even have three phase power in their shop. They
simply want to buy a drill press and a multi-head and be done with it.

Yes, but you indicated tapping w/ reverse, not drilling. I'd agree that
drilling would be fine on a simple drill press.


Setup appropriately with your air
drive? stroke control this could be a simple load part, press the pair
of hand buttons and watch the automatic tap cycle complete, change
parts, press buttons, etc.

We absolutely offer that - but again, to higher end customers with a need
and ability to use a machine like that. We will even gang drill multiple
machines controlled by PLCs do perform as many as a hundred tapped holes per
cycle... This is the exact opposite end of the spectrum I'm trying to cater
to.

For tapping you have something like three options:

- Use multiple regular tapping heads on the front end of your
multi-spindle rig

- Control plug reversing of a three phase motor driving the entire rig

- Build your own tapping head type reversing clutch mechanism to put on
the input side of your multi-spindle rig