Customised deep hole drilling solutions from Germany

Tibo has been actively involved with deep drilling technology since 1994 and has established itself in the marketplace as a leading German manufacturer of high-precision, high-performance single-lip and BTA deep drilling machines. The recent relocation to new premises was the logical consequence of the company’s rising sales figures and increasing market share. 2016 saw the business invest in new production and office areas as well as a new company logo and website.

“Constant expansion of our product range is opening up more and more markets,” explains Benjamin Röcker, sales manager at Tibo Tiefbohrtechnik GmbH. “We have developed deep hole drilling solutions for all industries and applications using drill diameters from 2 - 400mm at drilling depths of up to 12m. That fulfils nearly all the requirements of today’s demanding markets. High-precision component manufacture and close proximity to our regional partners and suppliers ensures the high build quality of our machines.”

Modular by design

Tibo’s machines incorporate modular, standardised system components allowing for flexible machine designs tailored to the customer’s needs. According to Mr Röcker, through the modular system, even special machines can be developed quickly – one example being machines for eccentric deep drilling on pitch circles.

He says that target customers are, for example, crude oil companies requiring extreme drill-depth-to-drill-diameter ratios and eccentric drilling in high-strength materials such as Inconel. “Our standard machine in this area of application can drill a pitch circle of 30mm to a depth of up to 4,500 mm,” he says.

“Other designs are also easily accommodated; our Type B80 deep-drilling machine for example combines up to six different cutting processes and has proven very popular with customers over a number of years.”

In all, up to six processing techniques can be combined with the B80 machine: single-lip drilling; BTA deep drilling (ramming); BTA drilling-out (ramming and pulling); reducing the drill centring that results from ramming drilling; skiving; and smooth rolling. These can be handled individually or in combination such as with the manufacture of hydraulic cylinder tubes.

Other technologies, such as bottle boring (for manufacturing any desired interior contours for landing gear for aircraft) are also possible: “These technologies are primarily used in our larger series: the B125, B160, and B250,” Mr Röcker explains.

Target customers for the B80 series with combined single-lip/BTA processes are, on the one hand, wage drillers with a wide variance of drill diameters and batch sizes, but also OEMs with a large variety of parts, or even customers with limited space who want to apply both deep-drilling methods.

Safety in numbers

Tibo designates its machines with a code letter (E = single-lip deep-drilling machine; B = BTA deep-drilling machine) in combination with a number that indicates the maximum solid drill diameter, followed by a code for the number of drill spindles, and finally an indication of drilling depth. A machine of design size B80-1-3000 can therefore perform solid drilling of 80mm diameter with one drill spindle to a depth of 3000mm.

“The B80 series is popular because it combines single-lip and BTA deep-drilling cutting methods in a single machine, thus covering a solid-drill diameter range of 4 - 80mm and boring-out of up to 100mm,” Mr Röcker says. “The required drilling depth can be selected according to customer requirements.”

Tibo has developed a solution for retooling B80 machines from single-lip to BTA drilling applications through the use of standardised, common parts such as drill socket mounts, Boza pressure heads and drill oil feed. Changing from one process to another is relatively simple and can be completed in just a few steps.

Chips and controls

In terms of machine electronics, Tibo equips its machines with PLCs in conjunction with 9 or 12-inch high resolution touch panels which operationally are similar to a smartphone. The control software – developed by Tibo – is both functional and user-friendly.

“With conventional deep-drilling machines, usually only the Z-axis (drill axis) is controlled, so it would be overkill for us to use more programming-intensive, oversized and expensive CNC controls,” Mr Röcker states. “We only incorporate these features when the number of machine axes requires it or when the customers specifically requests them.”

Tibo’s deep-drilling machines guarantee a high degree of process safety not only through the monitoring of all important process parameters, but also via its programmable chip break monitor that facilitates the formation of short chips.

“For materials that are difficult to machine, and especially those that are long-chipping, this is indispensable for reliably avoiding long thread or spiral chips that can trigger chip jams and other process-critical effects, ultimately leading to tool and machine damage,” Mr Röcker says. “The Tibo beds’ rigid welded construction and the optional mineral casting filling also contribute to process safety when processing difficult to machine materials because they reinforce the vibration-damping properties of the machines.”

Full service

The use of standardised components, which can be used on a wide number of different machine types, means that machines and spares can be delivered within short lead-times and cost savings can be passed on to customers.

“We always aim to react quickly to customer queries and complete projects in a timely fashion Mr Röcker says. “Machines are usually ready for operation within four to six months of receipt of order on average but if customers need their machines even quicker, I would recommend using our express delivery program – details of which can be found on our website. There, customers can find a number of deep-drilling machines that are pre-assembled for common applications, some of which can be adapted to their intended purpose in a very short time.

“Flexibility and reliability not only applies to our machines – it’s also central to the aftersales service we provide,” he concludes. “We have more than 20 highly qualified service technicians available which means we can be onsite with a customer within hours.

“Also, depending on the machine model, we can offer drill data storage so that recurring processes can be recalled easily. Remote access capability means that process data can be analysed at a PC workstation, cutting data can be uploaded to the machine and maintenance and service tasks can be carried out without having to visit the customer’s site.”

Tibo Tiefbohrtechnik www.tibo.com/en