POWERFUL HORIZONTAL BORERS FROM SHIBAURA MACHINE

Over many years, the Japanese manufacturer Shibaura Machine has built up a large presence in the U.K. manufacturing scene with many machines being involved in producing components for the oil & gas, defence, aerospace and automotive sectors all over the country. Current users, machining sophisticated large components, have proved reliability and quality, with machines installed over thirty years ago still in production.

With a wide choice available from Shibaura’s horizontal boring machine range, we take a closer look at each of them.

Starting with the BF-130B which is a moving column horizontal borer, this is available with spindles up to Ø150mm and can be equipped with a combination or selection of floor plates, rotary tables and pallet changers, dependent on the application. Automatic attachment changers are available, capable of storing and loading a number of facing and universal heads.

There are also five machine tools in the BTD series – BTD-100.R10, BTD-100.R12, BTD-200QH, BTD-130H.R22 and BTD-100.R13/R16. All of these horizontal boring machines are designed around a full rotary B axis table and a moving column, enabling the spindle/quill to reach all points within the work envelope from the centre line of index to the outer periphery of the component, often making this type of machine more adaptable than a horizontal machining centre.

The BTH-100.R18 and BTH-130.R24 are two impressive models within the BTH series. They have been developed to combine the advantages of a horizontal boring machine with the flexibility of a machining centre. The compact BTH models, taking up only 6M x 6M of floor area, can process large and heavy components. With high rapids, high spindle speed and full contouring capability, they’re ideal for mould and die work.

The BTU-14 model is fitted with a rotary B table and an A-axis swivelling head enabling 5-axis machining to be carried out. Components 2M x 1.5M x 1.5M in size and weighing 6,300kg can be accommodated.

The BP-130/150.R22 are moving column borers with large rotary tables moving 4M in the X axis and capable of handing loads up to 20 tons. For extreme accuracy, 1 micron linear and rotary scales are fitted.

Shibaura also manufacture very large BF/BSF moving column borers with up to 18M in the X axis and 5M in the Y axis. Spindles of 200mm in diameter can be supplied and the BR rotary tables, capable of handling 100 ton loads, move along V axes up to 4M in length.

For more information on the Shibaura Machine range visit – www.leadercnc.co.uk/Shibaura