TYPES OF BORING MILLS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS

The process of boring is widely applied in manufacturing industries whenever the diameter of a hole needs to be enlarged. Common examples are in the automobile industry during the manufacture of engine cylinders and during the manufacture of gun barrels. In most of the applications, boring has to be done with utmost accuracy and precision. Boring mills are used to achieve this effect. It is also important to note that most materials that require boring are made of metal hence the process requires heavy sophisticated machines. There are two major types of boring machines used in most industries. These are the horizontal type and vertical type.

The horizontal boring mills usually have a horizontal rotary spindle. The work piece is held in a vertical position so that the spindle can be directed into the horizontally aligned hole. Most boring machines operate using this principle. The vertical type usually has a vertically aligned spindle. The work piece is made to rotate horizontally round a vertical axis. The spindle is directed towards the work piece for the purpose of boring. Other types of machines used for boring in various industries include lathes and jig borers among others.

The horizontal and vertical boring mills come in two main versions depending on the type of work they are meant to handle. Whenever large bulky pieces are involved, floor type borers are used. The floor type is usually large and has great boring capabilities. They can bore holes as large as 5 meters in diameter. Smaller pieces can be operated on perfectly using the table type boring machines. The table type is versatile in nature and can be used to perform a wide variety of boring processes. They can handle a wide variety of diameters and are the most commonly used in industries.

Due to various inventions in the manufacturing industry, manufacturers of boring mills have come up with computer numeric control systems. The CNC systems have been incorporated in boring machines for purposes of automation. Unlike in the old models where there were many interactions between the machine and machine operators, recent models require minimal supervision. They are able to work with pre-set instructions hence making the process easier and faster. CNC technology has also made the boring process more accurate and precise hence suitable for complex designs. Consistency has also been improved since one is able to save settings for repetitive processes. Manufacturers are still making great improvements on boring machines and coming up with better models for better output.