In terms of innovation and sheer manufacturing excellence, Rigibore is something of a hidden gem. Conceived around 30 years ago by current chairman Roger Bassett, this is a company that specialises in the design, development and manufacture of boring tools – in Cornwall of all places – and it’s an OEM.
Virtually every constituent part that goes into Rigibore’s tools is designed and manufactured at the Hayle facility. It also develops its own software. I’m trying hard to resist using clichéd phrases like ‘one of the best kept secrets in the UK’ but it’s difficult. At a sprightly 76-years of age, Mr Bassett’s enthusiasm is unwavering – this is a man that just wants to see his innovative products get the recognition they deserve.
Rigibore exports 90% of its products with the biggest single market being the US. It operates subsidiaries in Wisconsin, USA and Bangalore, India and makes effective use of a comprehensive distributor network (companies such as Fenn Tool in the UK) to ensure global coverage. We’re talking predominantly bespoke, special tooling here – with typical lead-times of three to four weeks – for a wide customer base operating in demanding sectors such as aerospace, automotive, energy (wind turbines), marine, agricultural and heavy plant. Employing around 50 people, the site in Hayle is the headquarters and main manufacturing hub.
The magic touch
Whilst Rigibore can supply a range of standard, rotating tool, boring bars for rough boring, semi- finish boring and finish boring operations (15.875mm to 142mm diameter), cartridges (including ISO) and inserts, not to mention its Smartbore system that facilitates manual adjustment through a digital readout, the real magic lies in its ActiveEdge and Zenith boring tool systems which incorporate wireless technology for micron precise adjustment.
In simplistic terms, ActiveEdge is a custom-designed, cartridge-based boring solution that allows up to seven cartridges – or cutting edges – to be mounted on a single tool and individually adjusted with micron precision, wirelessly. It works on literally any machine tool and requires no modification to the machine itself.
Rigibore’s Zenith, which incorporates ActiveEdge boring tools, is where the Industry 4.0 link comes into play because this is an all-encompassing closed loop system which integrates the machine tool – via its controller – in-process measurement and the boring tool together, enabling the controller to automatically compensate for tool wear, material inconsistencies and temperature variation autonomously and automatically, without manual intervention and without stopping the machine. Two 6V batteries power the wireless connectivity and the cartridge actuation.
Remarkably, this idea began to form in Roger Bassett’s mind around 20 years ago: “At that time, traditional adjustable Microbore-style boring tools were around which used a graduated dial to make the adjustment,” he recalls. “This was fine for experienced operators, but with skill levels slowly being eroded even back then, this was far beyond the remit of many operators that simply found them too difficult to use.
“I recall around that time the Government pioneered a campaign for businesses to ‘think digital’ and that got me thinking about developing a boring system that was remotely adjustable. Problem was, I had no idea how to do it.”
Closing the loop
Early prototypes came and went but it was all valuable R&D that would pay dividends in the long run. A breakthrough came with the development of manually adjustable cartridge that communicated with a digital readout via lower power radio. Mr Bassett now had a remote readout system that could enable micron accurate adjustments to be made. With further development, the manual adjustment component of this cartridge was replaced with a battery- powered actuation system and ActiveEdge was born.
Mr Bassett believes the Rigibore ActiveEdge system is unique in the marketplace: “There are tooling manufacturers that have developed boring systems that use mechanical methods to drive the tool to a position on the machine bed and rotate the spindle to provide the tool movement but that’s not a closed loop system because it doesn’t provide accurate feedback in terms of the tool’s position – which can be affected by the ingress of dirt and swarf.
“Our systems are different as they’re electro-mechanical under software control – and at the cutting edge their design means there’s no clamping after adjustment which introduces movement. With our boring tools, everything is pre-loaded – all cutting forces act against the adjusting mechanism itself so no clamping is required. And, there’s no tool deflection.”
ActiveEdge, when used in a Zenith closed loop application works closely with the machine control and requires just a single input/output and a 24V supply. Essentially, the ActiveEdge interface is integrated with the machine and data from in-process measurement.
Then, that data is taken and used to populate the ActiveEdge macros programmed into the control sequence which in turn makes a comparison against tolerance limits and sends any necessary adjustment instructions to the cutting edge. The tool receives the wireless instruction and carries out the compensation.
No manual intervention whatsoever is required, making it ideal for lights out operation, and also, the data collected during the process is recorded – essential for any company looking to implement Industry 4.0-based principles.
Problem solvers
“The system is already very successful around the world but the potential is huge,” Mr Bassett enthuses. It’s worth emphasising that there are two flavours of ActiveEdge systems. The first incorporates manual adjustment where precise cutting edge changes are made using a handheld remote control handset. Entering the tool’s unique ID and the required diameter change initiates a compensation of the ActiveEdge cartridge to micron accuracy.
The second variant – Zenith – is marketed as a ‘total automation system’ and is completely autonomous as previously described. Measurement, analysis and subsequent adjustment is conducted seamlessly and autonomously. Both systems use the same wireless communication method and, very importantly for optimum productivity, the tool adjustment can take place on a tool sitting in the carousel; it doesn’t have to be the current live tool in the spindle (see video: http://bit.ly/2Ms6GIx)
Another important point to emphasise is that first and foremost Rigibore is a problem solver. ActiveEdge and Zenith systems are always bespoke: the company’s underlying strength is in taking a customer’s specific machining problem and designing and manufacturing a customised tooling solution.
“One of our customers – a large aerospace manufacturer – was having serious difficulty maintaining tolerance in an internal bore on an expensive aerospace component,” Mr Bassett reveals. “The scrap costs were running at around £140,000 a year simply because the bores were coming out oversize. Zenith has effectively eradicated the problem and the ROI was justified by the elimination of scrap.
“This particular solution has resulted in the customer purchasing more tools from us – the entire boring process has been totally deskilled and automated.”
It’s clear that ActiveEdge and Zenith require a little ‘big picture’ thinking to realise their true worth. This is proof indeed that sometimes you have to speculate to accumulate. Buying the cheapest products in the marketplace is often false economy and any supplier worth its salt will always clearly explain – in plain monetary terms – the projected ROI. Rigibore certainly does.
In fact, the company is so confident of its problem solving abilities that it’s running a special offer at the moment. The company will assess a customer’s particular manufacturing conundrum, develop and produce a bespoke boring tool solution to solve the problem, and then offer it on a month’s free trial. “We’ve been running this offer for a while now and in every single instance, the end result has been the customer buying the tool,” Mr Bassett advises. “I think that speaks volumes.”
Machining accuracy that won’t break the bank
With a policy of manufacturing all its products in-house, it’s not surprising that Rigibore has a well-equipped machine shop comprising technology from a number of manufacturers such as Doosan and Matsuura. In addition, a Mitutoyo Crysta-Apex CMM and Quick Vision Elf CNC vision measuring system are sited in the company’s QC lab.
Mr Bassett reserves particular praise however for his XYZ 1060 HS VMC which he uses exclusively to demo to demo the Zenith closed loop system. One of four machines purchased from the Burlescombe, Devon supplier, the 1060 HS with its 12,000rpm spindle speed (optional 15,000rpm) punches well above its weight.
“We used NC-Checker software from Metrology Software Products (MSP) – a part Renishaw owned company – to compare the accuracy of the 1060 against a similar machine from another manufacturer with advanced features such as thermal compensation. The XYZ machine proved to be equally as accurate – and half the price.”
Rigibore www.rigibore.com
For more information, there are three short Rigibore videos on YouTube demonstrating various operational aspects of ActiveEdge/Zenith systems.
