Achieving the precise and consistent adjustment of fine-boring tools has long been a challenge; with manual adjustment, individual operators can interpret data differently, resulting in incorrect adjustments, scrap parts and lost time.

The Smartbore solution from Hayle-based Rigibore Ltd (www.rigibore.com) de-skills the whole process to guarantee the accurate and consistent fine adjustment of boring bars.

Smartbore, which electronically measures the real-time movement of the insert to an accuracy of 1µm on diameter, can operate over a wide range of diameters: Smartbore Nano covers bore diameters from 0.5 to 16mm; Smartbore Plus currently covers bores from 15 to 31mm; and Smartbore Cartridges take care of bores from 28mm upwards.

Smartbore is a combination of the cutting tool (boring bar or cartridge) and the hand-held Smartbore Adjuster, which contains a rechargeable power source (plus the electronics necessary to display the adjustment reading on the LCD screen).

This allows boring tools to be adjusted in the spindle, without the need to unclamp and clamp the cutting edge; the large digital read-out on the adjuster confirms the new size, allowing production to carry on with minimal disruption.

Moreover, the swivel design of the Smartbore Adjuster allows it to be used on both horizontal- and vertical-spindle machines.

Rigibore says that eliminating the potential for human error is a major advantage when working with fine tolerances, and this is particularly important where small-diameter bores are concerned.

“Here, the Smartbore Nano boring head plays a vital role. Unlike with other digital boring heads, the delicate and bulky display electronics are kept out of the machining environment, with all these elements contained within the Smartbore Adjuster rather than the boring head itself. Moreover, only one adjuster is required for multiple Smartbore installations.”

Smartbore Cartridges provide a similar level of micron adjustment as the other two Smartbore systems while offering additional versatility, as they can be integrated into special tooling solutions.

Furthermore, in-house design software allows Rigibore to create multiple cutting-edge solutions for machining multiple bores simultaneously.