Sheffield-based WNT (UK) Ltd (www.wnt.com) has developed a digital solution to the age-old problem of controlling fine adjustments on boring heads.

The new ‘digital stick’ display units remove any ambiguity when adjusting fine-boring heads, with a clear indication of the exact adjustment shown on the screen.

The display is similar in size to a USB, and the digital stick connects to the fine-boring head via a contact surface. The head is adjusted in the usual way (using an Allen key), but whereas the movement normally has either to be measured using a dial gauge or indicated by the head’s vernier scale, the exact shift is shown digitally on the stick.

The unit can display in imperial or metric units; and because all the electronics are contained within the stick and powered by a single AAA battery, the effect of any imbalance in the head is removed.

Furthermore, users only need a single stick to be able to adjust any of WNT’s new fine-boring heads offering this facility; and by putting all of the electronics in the digital stick, reliability of the boring head is improved — plus there is the advantage of left- or right-handed operation via the push of a button.

Tony Pennington, managing director of WNT (UK), said: “This new development gives control of fine boring down to increments of 0.001mm on diameter; and because the display unit is totally independent of the boring head, making adjustments is efficient, with a minimum of time spent adjusting the head to the required bore diameter.”

The system is currently available on the new WNT fine-boring heads with a modular spindle interface; these cover the diameter range 3.0-154.1mm.