Due to the need to manufacture weapons, hydraulically driven barrel boring machines appeared already in the 15th century. After J. Watt obtained the patent for the practical steam engine in 1769, the machining accuracy of the cylinder became a key issue for the steam engine. In 1774, the Englishman J. Wilkinson invented the gun barrel boring machine, which was used to machine cylinder blocks for the Watt steam engine the following year. In 1776 he built a more accurate cylinder boring machine. Around 1880, the production of horizontal boring machines with front and rear columns and tables began in Germany. In order to adapt to the processing of extra-large and extra-heavy workpieces, a floor boring machine was developed in the 30s of the 20th century. With the increase in the amount of milling work, floor boring mills appeared in the 50s. At the beginning of the 20th century, due to the development of the watch and instrument manufacturing industry, there was a need for equipment with a small hole spacing error, and coordinate boring machines appeared in Switzerland. In order to improve the positioning accuracy of boring machines, optical readheads or digital display devices have been widely used. Some boring machines also use a digital control system to automate coordinate positioning and machining processes.