Prompted by the need of gunsmiths to have high-quality tooling — primarily chamber reamers, head-space gauges and rifling buttons — Border Ballistics Technologies Ltd (BBT) was recently established by Geoffrey Kolbe, an expert marksman and an acknowledged authority on the subject of ballistics.
Mr Kolbe says: “As a previous regular user of gunsmith tooling, not only was I unhappy about the extended delivery times quoted by suppliers, I also concluded that through the use of the best available equipment, I would be able to produce better-quality and more-efficient versions of tools such as chamber reamers.
“In the course of preparing my business plan, I researched various machine tools; I also considered the merits of several tool and cutter grinders, paying particular attention to the accuracy and the surface finish achievable
by the various options.
“Furthermore, given that I would be producing one-offs and specials, the speed of change-over and total grinding times were major considerations.”
The MX5 grinder from Coventry-based Anca (UK) Ltd (
www.anca.com) scored highly against Mr Kolbe’s selection criteria. “Once the machine was installed, I spent a great deal of development time fine-tuning my production methods, prior to embarking on full-scale manufacture.
“A major milestone was making the company’s first chamber reamer — a 308 Win finisher — in July 2016. Having chambered a barrel with the reamer, I was able to report that it worked perfectly.
“The surface finish produced by the reamer was excellent, with no rings or pick-up; the tool was also extremely stable in operation and did not promote any chatter at all.
“The assistance given by Anca’s staff was invaluable in the development stage of my business; it also helped that I can write the necessary manufacturing programs off-line, using Anca’s Cim3D.
“This easy-to-use software allows a program for the next production run to be written off-line while the current reameris being ground. We will soon be able to ramp up production and provide a quick turn-round across a comprehensive range of cartridge designs.”
Machine details
The recently launched Anca FX Linear range offers three machines that are designed to perform tasks ranging from light manufacturing through regrinding to full production.
Features include a touch-screen that is customisable with Windows, and a handheld pendant to simplify machine set-up; and in spite of the new grinders having relatively small footprints, they have large working envelopes.
Furthermore, every aspect of the new range, from the positioning of the grinding wheel on the C-axis centreline (to reduce thermal influence) to the Anca-designed linear motors, has been designed to enhance accuracy, increase productivity and make operator tasks significantly easier.
FX Linear machines use Anca’s LinX cylindrical linear motors to drive the X and Y axes; in conjunction with linear scales, a high degree of machine precision and performance is achieved, resulting in greater tool accuracy and superior surface finishes.
These linear motors have no contacting parts and have been designed for extended operation in harsh grinding environments; they are also sealed to IP67.
Moreover, because the magnetic field generated is cylindrical, there is no additional down force on the rails or machine base. Another benefit is the fact that the motors are not affected by variations in temperature.
LinX uses less energy than an equivalent flat-bed type of linear motor; in fact, it has the same power consumption as a ballscrew system, while delivering higher levels of efficiency.
In addition, LinX motors do not need a separate chiller unit, as they use the machine’s standard coolant system, further reducing both the required floor space and power consumption. The mid-range FX5 Linear model bought by BBT has been designed for users that need a degree of automation.
It has a 9.5kW spindle and an automatic two-wheel changer that gives access to a range of wheels and tool types. Together with the optional automatic headstock clamping and the FastLoad-FX loader, the FX5 accommodates unmanned operation while offering the flexibility to handle small volumes and mixed batches of tools.
FastLoad is a low-cost solution for customers seeking automation and is suitable for low-volume production runs. For those requiring extended periods of unmanned operation, there is Anca’s Robot Loader, which is located entirely within the FX Linear machine.
Meanwhile, the addition of Anca’s Micro-Plus work-holding and tool support system allows tool run-outs of less than 3µm to be achieved, while the company’s LaserPlus system provides accurate and repeatable measurement of tools while they are still in the machine — to an accuracy of ±3µm.
That said, Anca’s optional iView measuring system can measure the ground tool while it is still located in the work-holding device. The image of the ground tool taken by the iView camera is compared with an ‘ideal overlay shape generated by the software’.