Honing Machines

Honing Machines

Honing Machines - If only a small number of parts are to be finished and the operators are skilled, the parts can De honed successfully on a drill press, or on an engine lathe, on which arrangements can be made for simultaneous rotating and reciprocating motions. Vertical drill presses have often beenused to drive honing tools.

The connection between the hone and the machine spindle is generally by means of a floating holder, so that the hone is not dependent upon the accuracy of the machine spindle. Tile machine spindle provides rotary motion 10 the honing tool, and the reciprocating motion (stroking) can be done manually or by power. Feedout of the honing stones is necessarily a manual operation.

Various types of lathe and boring mills also have been tooled for honing.If number of parts to be finished are large, the honing is done with machines built for the purpose. Honing machines may be put into two general classes:

(i) Vertical spindle machines that avoid sagging pf work pieces and tools, and

(ii) Horizontal spindle machines that give ready access and are better for manual operations and for long parts such as gun barrels.

Vertical spindle machine resembles a vertical drilling machine and is used for honing especially larger and heavier work. It has power stroking at speeds from 6 to 36 m/min. The length of the stroke is also machine controlled by stops set up by the operator.

Vertical machines are also made with multiple spindles so that several holes may be honed at one time, as in automobile cylinders. For obtaining finer finishes both a rough and a fine operation are required.

Vertical Spindle Honing Machine

Horizontalspindle honing machines for bandheld work with bores up to 150 mm are among the most widely used. The machine operator moves the work back and forth (strokes it) over the rotating hone.

Horizontal machines are also made with power  stroking. In these, the work is held in a self. aligning fixture and the speed and length of stroke are regulated by controls on the machine. The speed ratio of the spindle reciprocation, and spindle rotation affects the work finish.