The drill depth sensor
Set the depth. The machine stops there. Every time.
What it does
The VACDRILL carries a drill depth sensor. You set the depth you want and the system stops the advance at that point, up to the maximum drill depth of 145 mm. GRABO's own product copy for the feature is blunt: drill precise holes that automatically stop where you set it.
Why embedment depth is not a suggestion
Mechanical and adhesive anchors are qualified at a stated embedment. Too shallow and the anchor cannot develop its rated load. Too deep wastes adhesive, can punch through in thin slabs, and in a post-installed rebar application can leave you short of cover.
Depth is normally controlled with a piece of tape on the bit and an operator's judgement. That is fine for one hole and unreliable for eighty.
Where it changes the job
- Repetitive anchor patterns — strut, cable tray, seismic bracing, curtain wall brackets.
- Overhead work, where reading a tape mark on a bit above your head is genuinely difficult.
- Thin or hollow substrates where over-drilling breaks through the far face.
Questions about this
How accurate is a depth stop in practice?
Set it, drill one hole, then verify with a depth gauge before running a pattern. The value of a machine-set stop is repeatability across many holes rather than a single perfect measurement.
Does the render or tile count toward embedment?
No. Effective embedment is measured into the structural base material. Finishes must be added on top of the required embedment when you set depth.