Reinforcing EMO’s 2019’s initiative of ‘Smart technologies driving tomorrow’s production’ Rigibore Tooling’s innovative product-portfolio emphasised how automation can be the driving force to advancing your manufacturing process in a dynamic manufacturing marketplace.
Using the theme of “Advantage Through Automation”, Rigibore unveiled the ActiveEdge Apex to the fine boring market at EMO. The Apex is the world’s first, fully integrated, automatically adjustable fine boring head, compensating with micron accuracy as part of a closed-loop control system in conjunction with in-process measurement and the machine control.
“EMO provided the perfect platform to showcase our new product release, reaching an International audience readily searching for solutions to advance production capabilities” commented Director Suzanne Bennett “Innovations like the ActiveEdge Apex boring head can provide a continuous return on investment, allowing customers to be more productive and competitive, which bares even more importance in the face of uncertain times”.
The Rigibore team interacting with customers at EMO Hannover 2019
Rigibore’s ActiveEdge technology has the ability to control bore sizes as part of a closed-loop process over a range of diameters, making cutting tool automation totally flexible and autonomous. In addition to The Apex boring head visitors were also captivated by Rigibore’s ActiveEdge line boring tool, possessing the unique ability to independently adjust multiple cutting edges automatically, with micron accuracy. This competence is extremely valuable to automotive manufacturers, many of those visiting the stand outlining their frustration with existing systems that require individual adjustment of boring cartridges, or limited automated adjustment by the same amount for each cartridge when machining crankshafts; a time consuming task that is totally eliminated using ActiveEdge system.
Rigibore has backed up its development of advanced setting and control of fine boring tools with a further innovation in the form of Smartbore, a digital cutting-edge adjustment system. This patented technology electronically measures incremental movements of the insert slide, providing a diameter adjustment reading after confirming the movement. Rigibore employees demonstrated the speed, simplicity and accuracy of this digital system, using a dial indicator to confirm movement displayed on the Smartbore adjuster screen was accurate to within one micron . Visitors were particularly impressed with this digital fine boring system’s no-clamp design, allowing diameter changes to be made without any clamping or unclamping, eliminating the risk of offsetting precision adjustment via movement through release and clamping of the tool.
Throughout the duration of EMO, Rigibore’s industry specialists from the UK and India were on-hand to provide decades of industry expertise, helping visitors select the right tooling solution for their applications in order to meet the growing challenges faced, especially in the automotive sector. Rigibore’s special tooling capabilities allows customers to benefit from bespoke solutions that perform multiple machining functions on a single tool, at the same time. Application of roughing and finishing elements machine simultaneously create significant and continuous benefits, such as a minimised cycle time and reduced cost of overall tooling package.
While some may see clouds of uncertainty and negativity over the future of the manufacturing industry, Rigibore’s experience at EMO was one of blue skies with extremely positive feedback from visitors who highlighted a notable shift towards automation and digitalisation in order to address the challenges of the future. Suzanne Bennett concludes: “EMO 2019 gave us the opportunity to connect with existing customers as well as discuss exciting opportunities for projects with new customers from all over the world”.
