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A drill plate is a template used to guide the location of a hole. Drill plates are usually held and positioned while the drill bit is driven through a hole. The drill plate is often repositioned on the same surface to create a series of uniform holes. Plastic, acrylic, and aluminum are materials commonly used in the manufacture of low-cost construction drill plates. Steel drill plates are commonly used in automotive and industrial drilling applications.
Hard surface mounting requires precision drilling. Screws and other mounting hardware sit more evenly and hold the assembled item more securely when positioned correctly and the hole is straight. The perforated plate works as a template to avoid costly mistakes when drilling holes to mount hardware. Drilling straight through a drill plate keeps the point straight. When the drill tip is inserted straight in, the sides of the hole will be perpendicular to the surface for the best possible mount.
Broken screws can be drilled out with a drill plate to prevent damage to the socket. A screw with no exposed end can be difficult to remove without drilling through its center first. The drilling plates guide the bit through the center of the screw until they gain enough friction to turn it. Drill plates used to remove fasteners are often designed for a commonly damaged bolt location on an engine.
Perforation plates are used in many mechanical and construction applications where repetition is essential to the design. Some industrial drill plates are attached to a drilling machine or surface prior to use. Drill plate protection prevents the bit from drifting and creating an oversized hole. The location of the hole is often marked with the board in place using a marker or piece of chalk. The plate can then be pulled back to assess and re-measure the hole location before drilling.
Many universal punch plates are designed to cut a variety of hole sizes. A saw or cutter bit is attached to the bit and guided through the corresponding hole size in the bit plate. Holes in hard objects may take several minutes to completely remove. The perforation plates grip the teeth of the hollow circular cutting blades during the perforation process. Woodworking drill boards are usually held in place by hand or with tape until drilling is complete.