Hamar is a US based technology leader in innovative laser alignment systems, with over 55 years experience designing and supplying high precision lasers for a vast array of demanding industrial alignment tasks.
Line Boring Application Requirements
Line-boring is a specialised machining process that addresses a wide range of industry needs to achieve precisely machined in-line bores in equipment in the field that cannot be put on a fixed CNC machining system. Whether it is for initial installation of large in-situ plant or for the rectification of critical equipment in service, line-boring is a practical solution that solves the problem of creating high quality machined bores that are controlled for both bore quality, diametral accuracy and alignment. The correct setup of a line-boring bar is critical to obtaining high quality results, and line-boring operators apply years of practical experience to be able to address problems of mounting rigidity, boring bar deflection, multiple bore alignment and cutter performance in often difficult to machine reclaimed materials. As the risk of not achieving good line-bring results has severe consequences, possibly resulting in extensive additional reclamation work, meticulous attention to the boring setup is an essential part of the job.
Especially when more than two bores need to be machine to be in-line, a method of accurately aligning all the boring bar support bearings is needed. Many operators utilise a time-honoured tight wire system for this task, which is relatively inexpensive and simple to set up, but it is widely agreed that this method has accuracy limitations and requires slow and steady work, repeatedly measuring the bore to wire distances and making adjustments. In addition, this type of measurement has been found to be subject to the “feel” of each operator who may interpret the alignment error significantly differently.
Hamar Lasers for Line Boring Alignment
The Hamar L-705 and L-706 laser systems are designed to provide an alternative alignment method that is faster, easier to use, and significantly more accurate that tight wire systems. The Hamar system has also been carefully conceived to provide the simplest laser solution to boring bar alignment, through the clever application of Hamar’s unique self-centring tooling concept.
The Hamar system allows the laser and receiver to be mounted directly to boring bar guide bearings without intermediate tooling, and automatically compensating for the angular errors of the spherical bearings. This allows the line-boring technician to simply mount the laser in one end bearing, then mount the receiver at each of the other bearings to adjust their position to be very accurately in-line by reading live vertical and horizontal alignment values displayed on a handheld readout.
Extended Functions of the Laser System
The Hamar laser system is able to be extended to include adjustable self-centring tooling to measure the alignment of the machined bearings both before and after alignment, and the handheld readout is able to wirelessly transmit live laser readings to a remote computer readout, where the bore positions can be recorded and charted against the alignment tolerances to create a detailed alignment report.
For more information on Hamar L-705 and L-706 bore alignment laser systems, please call ISTecnik on 1399 699 176 or send an email to info@istecnik.com.au. We look forward to talking with you.