TPT July 2012

Technology News

Delapena’s E-series demystifies honing

E2000S-XL, and are attracting interest from customers that recognise the ability of the machines to add capacity to their operations through the automation of what was a very ‘hands-on’ process for medium and high volume batch sizes. In fact the operator now just has to set up the fixturing and tooling, select the correct program from the control and the machine will do the rest. The controller even features a stone wear compensation feature to ensure repeated size control across the batch of components. Other features within the control’s software ensure precision cutting leading to extended tool life. The recently developed E2000S-XL further extends the capability of the E-series providing a platform to hone bores between 6mmand 80mmdiameter up to 1m in length with the ability to extend these size ranges depending on specific applications. This extended small bore precision honing machine is the first purpose-built, precision, NC controlled, long-bore, horizontal honing machine available. As with its sister machines the E2000S-XL makes use of the Siemens control to provide precise control of the honing process, including programmable stock removal rates from 0.0001mm per second. By working closely with Siemens, Delapena has optimised the design and operation of these E-series machines in order to replicate the traditional manual inputs found on conventional honing equipment. By using the installed routines the operator can produce pre-determined small and extended diameters, control stock removal rates and monitor tool pressures, which means that the high skill levels once needed are no longer required. Delapena Honing Equipment – UK Website: www.delapena.co.uk

THE three honing machines in the Delapena E-series are adding a level of simplicity, combined with accuracy, through controllability, that has not been seen before in the area of small bore horizontal honing. Honing has always been seen as a highly skilled, labour intensive process and one that is vulnerable to the threat of operators taking their knowledge away with them if they change jobs, or even in situations of sickness, retirement, or holidays. Removing this process vulnerability was the driving force behind Delapena Honing Equipment’s decision to invest in the development of a series of machines that would help to de-skill a highly skilled process. The resulting E-series machines have the capability to mimic the ‘human touch’ and automatically recreate the hands-on stroking, feathering the hone expansion, increasing speed to polish, stroking slowly to improve surface finish, that would normally be the domain of highly experienced machine operators, all at the push of a button. Not only that, they will accurately repeat the process day in and day out. Targeting small to large sized batches, the E-series honing machines produce bores ranging in diameter from 1.14mm to 120mm, with the XL version achieving bore lengths up to 1,000mm. E-series machines, through clever use of the Siemens touch-screen control and bespoke application software, have

Delapena honing machines

converted what was a highly skill-based process into an engineered process. The results are machines that deliver accuracy, consistency and simplicity to what was a complex process. A key feature is the controlled honing time, which gives predictable production rates with consistent quality. Programs are stored on an external hard drive, which can be easily downloaded for secure data storage. The machines target a wide range of industries and applications including aerospace, nuclear, medical, automotive and defence, and are capable of producing components from the smallest batch sizes through to large volume batch sizes. The ease of changeover is achieved through a combination of the fixturing and tooling that Delapena designs and manufactures in-house for the E-series machines and the simplicity of the machine user interface. The E-series comes in three variations, the E1000S, E2000S and

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July 2012