Hone-All Precision Ltd

However skilled, a single engineering business can't be a master of all trades. If you need specialist services for single projects, such as boring or drilling, it can be better value to outsource. Outsourcing precision engineering can cut costs, reduce your workload, increase productivity, save you money on equipment purchase and hire, and enhance your profit margins. You don't need to move production abroad, either - Hone-All handles all of our outsourced services on British soil. Here's our guide to how outsourcing your engineering could benefit your business.

Dealing With Skill Shortages

These days, dedicated engineering companies tend to aim to become experts in one area - at the expense of everything else. Hyper-specialised courses, irregularly used skills, and incomplete apprenticeships in gun drilling, boring, and honing mean that engineers often gravitate towards developing their abilities in a handful of fields. Outsourcing precision engineering helps to overcome hyper-specialisation. It allows for diverse, rare expertise to be shared between industries, saving money, training time, and reducing downtime amongst staff who may not be constantly required to work if kept as payroll employees in-house.

Better Time Management

Outsourcing routine and one-off tasks alike will free up and focus your core staff to work on more productive jobs. Having a streamlined workflow, with designated tasks for each engineer, will speed up work and result in greater productivity. Outsourcing can also reduce stress and overload amongst employees, without the need to take on more permanent hires.

Advanced Technology

Specialist drilling and honing equipment can be prohibitively expensive for most companies to buy for permanent use. High costs and rapid advancements also mean that large initial cash outlays can rapidly depreciate, while the tools are left in the shed or on the shelf. You also have to take into account retaining the staff trained to operate the device, and sacrificing valuable floor space for storage. Good companies specialising in different types of precision engineering will always make sure their specialist equipment is cutting-edge, fully maintained, and fully staffed by qualified engineers.

Uses Of Gundrilling In The Aerospace Industry

Gundrilling, or deep hole drilling, is the process of drilling holes of precisely the required depth, diameter and position. The method has been perfected over decades, and can produce highly flexible, accurate, and reliable results. There are many applications for gundrilling within the aerospace industry, a sector which demands accurate, high quality work. Landing gear parts, for instance, often require deep hole drilling to a high standard. Components tend to be high value, necessitating accuracy to minimise errors and waste.

Gundrilling is suitable for a number of materials, including steel, aluminium, titanium, and alloys, many of which are used in the manufacture of aircraft components. There may be a requirement for holes with custom features, such as threading or grooves. Accurate gundrilling can also increase streamlining and reduce the weight of engine parts, helping to create a more efficient aircraft.

Find Out More

At Hone-All, we have a wide range of gundrilling machines and a vast selection of tooling, allowing us to offer fast, accurate, and cost effective solutions to our customers' needs, including UTC and BAE systems. We can provide a complete project management and supply chain handling service, minimising customer spend and delivering a quicker, smoother experience from start to finish. Utilising our in-house technology and drilling equipment cuts down on transport costs for parts and materials and minimises delays by not relying on third party suppliers. For more information about the services Hone-All can offer your company, and our experience within the aerospace industry, please contact us.

The Award

A fund of around £150 million per year is now available for qualifying capital investment and industrial research projects. Successful applicants could have up to 70% of their costs met. This money has been made available as part of the UK Aerospace Research and Technology Programme, a joint enterprise by government and industry designed to improve the UK's standing in the sphere of civil aerospace, and worth £3.9 billion to the economy. The award is run by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), and Innovate UK.

How To Enter

Applications are accepted from businesses and researchers. Applicants register their interest and submit a summary of the planned project. At the second stage, successful applicants will be asked to fill in an application for funding. To qualify for a grant, the project must be one that will advance the UK aerospace industry in accordance with its aims.

The Aims Of The Award

The purpose of the grants is to improve and advance the UK's standing in the civil aviation sector. The aerospace market is experiencing rapid growth, and significant advances in technology. To take advantage of the opportunities provided by this expansion, the Aerospace Technology Institute aims to create a portfolio of complimentary, cutting edge projects.

Areas of particular interest include environmentally friendly and energy efficient aircraft – for instance electric and solar powered aircraft. Connectivity and 'smart' aircraft, creating safer, more efficient flights, is another high priority. Strengthening the UK's position in whole aircraft design and system integration capability are also of high importance.

The UK Aerospace Industry

The UK is a world leader in aerospace manufacturing and services, with an annual turnover of £35 billion. The civil aerospace industry employs 123,000 staff directly, as well as nearly 4,000 apprentices. Success in the aviation sector will create more jobs in the industry and the supply chain, benefit the wider economy of the UK, and encourage multinational aviation companies to invest here.

How We Can Help

The services we offer the aerospace industry include CNC gundrilling, precision honing, and CNC machining. We are always happy to take on bespoke challenges and work with our customers to achieve the best possible results in the shortest of time frames. Get in touch to find out how we can help you with your project!

1) Achieving Perfect Cylindricity

Cylindricity isn’t always enhanced by quick honing speeds. You need to maintain low cutting pressure and velocity, removing only a little material at a time. Maintaining speeds that are slower than you’d use in grinding can greatly improve the quality of the finished part. The torque achieved by your abrasive’s pressure against the cutting surface is one of honing’s most important forces.

The back and forth action of the hone is equally critical, but your choice of grit size and abrasive type depends on your application and material. Rough honing unhardened carbon steel demands aluminium oxide, for example, while finishing cast iron or copper requires silicon carbide. Your choice of stone length is equally important - insufficient length and you might lose cylindricity.

2) Fixturing

Finish machined components can sometimes distort once removed from the restraint of the fixture, but if you focus on the right torque and push-pull-action, you should find it easier to achieve geometric perfection. Your fixture technique can prevent distortion. A spring collet can be used to improve the uniformity of your pressure, but you can also configure your fixture to stabilise the relationship between your centreline and the parameters of the finish machined part.

3) Choosing The Right Lubricant

Your lubricant is responsible for removing honing stock and heat during the honing process. Your stone wear ratio will tell you whether your lubricant is performing well. An inadequate lubricant will achieve an inconsistent bond structure and erratic abrasive grain wear. If you’re seeing metal specks in your work, your oil isn’t lubricating as it should. Of course, every industry requires its own lubricant, but in general, you should match your oil viscosity to your production volume needs and whether or not you’re using centrifuges. Petroleum-based oils last longer than organics, but new, thicker oils have been developed to improve your shelf life and results.

The Right Tooling & Expertise

Well-chosen tools can improve your accuracy by as much as 200% and even bring down your price. A worthwhile honing machine will allow you to customise your tools for each application. Horizontal machines are easier to load, but vertical ones are more suited to handling shorter components. Whether you’re choosing a manual or automatic process, if you rely on expertise and informed calculations, you’ll find it easier to choose your tools.

When outsourcing your honing operation, you need a partner with the machinery, tools and expertise to carry out your projects within the precise tolerances demanded by you and your customers. You also need one who will add their knowledge and integrity when quoting to ensure that you are advised as to the most economical form of supply to reduce your overall costs and lead times. We will always offer this advice to ensure you benefit from our machining experience and achieve the best possible quality conformance for the lowest possible price.

In short, the process is highly specialised and complex, requiring the organisation of many moving parts. Costs, schedules, and quality are all variable, so if you’re working in a highly regulated and sensitive industry like aerospace or defence, you need to communicate your requirements in great detail. Offshore machining companies cannot always offer that for four core reasons: -

1) Time Isn’t A Luxury

Communication allows your machining company to arrive at the right set of design features and specifications for your unique project. To complicate the matter further, deep hole drilling often needs to include both BTA drilling and other processes. Set up and tools must be selected to suit component symmetry, cutting speeds, and concentricity. Once the drilling process is over, extra machining methods may be needed to improve results or add complex features inside the hole. Time is needed to accommodate this process, and when you’re dealing with an off-shore machinist, this can be treated as a luxury rather than the necessity it is.

2) Consultations Are Better Face-to-face

Local outsourcing puts you within driving distance of your machining company, letting you engage in in-person consultations. This way, everything from your drawings to your budgets and organisational plans can be arranged rigorously as a team.

3) Offshore Services Are Expensive

If you need to save on costs or manage tight turnaround times, local outsourcing will help you meet that goal. You’ll be able to review your strategy first-hand while cutting the precious time and costs involved in transporting your components- particularly if returns are required due to poor quality.

4) Quality Control Is Needed

Gun and BTA drilling both require expertise and close control. Hole quality parameters must be strictly managed. Manufacturing processes can differ depending on hole dimensions, processing times, and repeatability, which can entail further consultations and readjustments. An off-shore machining company gives you less room to identify problems before it’s too late and costs escalate.

To create the perfect component, you need an effective and efficient relationship with your machining company. Your precision machining process can be derailed by miscommunications over even the tiniest part, so communication is integral. The machining sector has become increasingly flexible, with bespoke solutions making clear expectations even more important. Relationships are only as healthy as both sides of the customer / supplier connection, and there’s much you can do to improve your results.

1) Have Realistic Expectations Of Your Price

A good machining company will talk you through the solutions on offer, including the quality and durability of the parts they can produce within your budget. Your price will be determined by the tools required for the job, the machining and inspection processes utilised as well as the degree of customisation required.

While it’s your machining partner’s responsibility to give you honest and transparent quotes, it’s also your responsibility to accept the limitations of budget restrictions which can sometimes impact the overall quality of the finished component. Rare skills like deep hole drilling take many years to learn and a significant investment to build, so they come at a price. The extent of the planning required for your project will also impact your budget.

2) Transparency Is A Two-way Practice

Price transparency is one of the most important ethics in our industry. Materials and metal prices vary as supply and demand evolve. An unethical company will exploit price swings, so the trust that transparency achieves is key. You can assist the planning process by being equally transparent about your budget and expectations. Your machining company can’t meet your needs unless you express them clearly. To guarantee transparency and fairness, Hone-All have a bespoke manufacturing control system which ensures consistent pricing irrelevant of demand or the size of the customer ensuring you can rely upon, and trust in, the prices quoted.

3) Versatility And Precision

A good CNC machining company will have a broad range of the latest technologies so it can handle a versatile collection of services and work with diverse materials. To arrive at just the right approach for your needs, it needs you to calculate the technical specifications for the job at hand precisely. If you’re providing technical drawings, ensure they’re precise so that your CNC company can get the planning and the numbers just right. Communication failures can slow down your production process, so provide all relevant data as early as possible. Versatility also needs to be key in terms of the planning of the production process as recommendations from Hone-All at the beginning of a project can save many operations, and cost, further down the line.

4) Preparing For The Future

When you choose your budget and the quality it affords, think of the price you pay in terms of return on investment rather than an expense. When offshoring became the trend, it took years for companies to finally assess the true cost of logistics and poor quality and prices which seemed competitive in the beginning became a much more expensive option overall. To achieve the most economical option over time, you need quality work and excellent parts working alongside a partner who understands your needs.

CNC honing takes many years and plenty of skill to perfect. Hone-All offers these traits, and our experience has allowed us to expand to include other equally challenging services, from gun drilling to deep hole boring and finally, CNC Turning.

Our CNC honing speciality allowed us to gain experience with security clearance and develop the supplier relationships needed to find hard-to-source supplies. These niche experiences have informed our expansion outside the boundaries of honing. 
Hone All relies on the most technologically advanced equipment, but our reputation is built on more than mere tools. We have the training and experience to support the highest quality standards, having invested in our team for over 25 years.

We serve clients in several challenging industries, including:

• Aerospace and defence
• Hydraulics
• Packaging and printing
• Oil and gas
• Medical equipment manufacturing
• Motorsport

Accreditation & Experience

Hone-All is a preferred Rolls Royce Nuclear partner who has worked with nuclear submarine projects and other military supplies and has recently gained BAE Systems – Air approval. We have a current BSI certification to BS EN 9100 Rev D & ISO9001:2015, which is awarded to businesses that meet the organisation’s stiff standards and pass its battery of assessments.

Versatility

The medical manufacturing and aerospace industries are particularly challenging, but the honing process is becoming increasingly automated, with high-volume precision bore production achieving sub-micron accuracy. Hone-All offers a range of the latest equipment to meet industry challenges, improve performance, and achieve high process capabilities. We recently added four more CNC lathes to our capacity to shorten lead times as our core focus is on tubular components.

Our honing reputation has attracted a range of material suppliers who’ve created customised products offering tolerances that many other market leaders can’t offer. This has let us expand into CNC turning, deep hole boring, deep hole drilling, and CNC gun drilling. Hone-All also offers precision rollers and dynamic balancing.

Some industries require a wide range of diverse components with, for example, cross hatch finishes or bespoke requirements which require Hone-All to use their R&D expertise to design a method of achieving the impossible. Traditional machinery isn’t always enough to meet their needs, so we have developed a huge range of tools large enough to handle bespoke tasks.

Many of the best specialists in CNC honing evolved from small family-run shops, and that’s no coincidence. Such companies are able to dedicate time to their passions. Those who’ve focused on honing for many years have faced the industry’s challenges as they’ve risen and have watched it evolve. They’re intimately acquainted with the current technological landscape. Hone-All’s extensive understanding of its niche enables us to provide accurate and detailed quotations and custom approaches to every job, formed on the basis of an efficient, focused supply chain.

Gun drilling is the ideal process for drilling small diameter holes without losing straightness and precision. It creates close tolerance holes in high-temperature alloys and a range of steels. Machines must be configured to precise specifications, then operated using precision tooling, high-pressure coolant, and an interrupted feed. Some applications require a sub-micron finish that a gun drill can’t achieve, so extra processes and customisation are often needed such as honing.

In short, the process is highly specialised and complex, requiring the organisation of many moving parts. Costs, schedules, and quality are all variable, so if you’re working in a highly regulated and sensitive industry like aerospace or defence, you need to communicate your requirements in great detail. Offshore machining companies cannot always offer that for four core reasons: -

1) Time Isn’t A Luxury

Communication allows your machining company to arrive at the right set of design features and specifications for your unique project. To complicate the matter further, deep hole drilling often needs to include both BTA drilling and other processes. Set up and tools must be selected to suit component symmetry, cutting speeds, and concentricity. Once the drilling process is over, extra machining methods may be needed to improve results or add complex features inside the hole. Time is needed to accommodate this process, and when you’re dealing with an off-shore machinist, this can be treated as a luxury rather than the necessity it is.

2) Consultations Are Better Face-to-face

Local outsourcing puts you within driving distance of your machining company, letting you engage in in-person consultations. This way, everything from your drawings to your budgets and organisational plans can be arranged rigorously as a team.

3) Offshore Services Are Expensive

If you need to save on costs or manage tight turnaround times, local outsourcing will help you meet that goal. You’ll be able to review your strategy first-hand while cutting the precious time and costs involved in transporting your components- particularly if returns are required due to poor quality.

4) Quality Control Is Needed

Gun and BTA drilling both require expertise and close control. Hole quality parameters must be strictly managed. Manufacturing processes can differ depending on hole dimensions, processing times, and repeatability, which can entail further consultations and readjustments. An off-shore machining company gives you less room to identify problems before it’s too late and costs escalate.

To create the perfect component, you need an effective and efficient relationship with your machining company. Your precision machining process can be derailed by miscommunications over even the tiniest part, so communication is integral. The machining sector has become increasingly flexible, with bespoke solutions making clear expectations even more important. Relationships are only as healthy as both sides of the customer / supplier connection, and there’s much you can do to improve your results.

1) Have Realistic Expectations Of Your Price

A good machining company will talk you through the solutions on offer, including the quality and durability of the parts they can produce within your budget. Your price will be determined by the tools required for the job, the machining and inspection processes utilised as well as the degree of customisation required.

While it’s your machining partner’s responsibility to give you honest and transparent quotes, it’s also your responsibility to accept the limitations of budget restrictions which can sometimes impact the overall quality of the finished component. Rare skills like deep hole drilling take many years to learn and a significant investment to build, so they come at a price. The extent of the planning required for your project will also impact your budget.

2) Transparency Is A Two-way Practice

Price transparency is one of the most important ethics in our industry. Materials and metal prices vary as supply and demand evolve. An unethical company will exploit price swings, so the trust that transparency achieves is key. You can assist the planning process by being equally transparent about your budget and expectations. Your machining company can’t meet your needs unless you express them clearly. To guarantee transparency and fairness, Hone-All have a bespoke manufacturing control system which ensures consistent pricing irrelevant of demand or the size of the customer ensuring you can rely upon, and trust in, the prices quoted.

3) Versatility And Precision

A good CNC machining company will have a broad range of the latest technologies so it can handle a versatile collection of services and work with diverse materials. To arrive at just the right approach for your needs, it needs you to calculate the technical specifications for the job at hand precisely. If you’re providing technical drawings, ensure they’re precise so that your CNC company can get the planning and the numbers just right. Communication failures can slow down your production process, so provide all relevant data as early as possible. Versatility also needs to be key in terms of the planning of the production process as recommendations from Hone-All at the beginning of a project can save many operations, and cost, further down the line.

4) Preparing For The Future

When you choose your budget and the quality it affords, think of the price you pay in terms of return on investment rather than an expense. When offshoring became the trend, it took years for companies to finally assess the true cost of logistics and poor quality and prices which seemed competitive in the beginning became a much more expensive option overall. To achieve the most economical option over time, you need quality work and excellent parts working alongside a partner who understands your needs.

Hone-All was founded on a passion for excellence in the area of specialist honing. The company began as a family business that focused on developing the skills to manage tough projects. Since its launch, we have relocated to larger premises that support an effective large-scale production environment with the best technology for every task.

CNC honing takes many years and plenty of skill to perfect. Hone-All offers these traits, and our experience has allowed us to expand to include other equally challenging services, from gun drilling to deep hole boring and finally, CNC Turning.

Our CNC honing speciality allowed us to gain experience with security clearance and develop the supplier relationships needed to find hard-to-source supplies. These niche experiences have informed our expansion outside the boundaries of honing. 
Hone All relies on the most technologically advanced equipment, but our reputation is built on more than mere tools. We have the training and experience to support the highest quality standards, having invested in our team for over 25 years.

We serve clients in several challenging industries, including:

• Aerospace and defence
• Hydraulics
• Packaging and printing
• Oil and gas
• Medical equipment manufacturing
• Motorsport

Accreditation & Experience

Hone-All is a preferred Rolls Royce Nuclear partner who has worked with nuclear submarine projects and other military supplies and has recently gained BAE Systems – Air approval. We have a current BSI certification to BS EN 9100 Rev D & ISO9001:2015, which is awarded to businesses that meet the organisation’s stiff standards and pass its battery of assessments.

Versatility

The medical manufacturing and aerospace industries are particularly challenging, but the honing process is becoming increasingly automated, with high-volume precision bore production achieving sub-micron accuracy. Hone-All offers a range of the latest equipment to meet industry challenges, improve performance, and achieve high process capabilities. We recently added four more CNC lathes to our capacity to shorten lead times as our core focus is on tubular components.

Our honing reputation has attracted a range of material suppliers who’ve created customised products offering tolerances that many other market leaders can’t offer. This has let us expand into CNC turning, deep hole boring, deep hole drilling, and CNC gun drilling. Hone-All also offers precision rollers and dynamic balancing.

Some industries require a wide range of diverse components with, for example, cross hatch finishes or bespoke requirements which require Hone-All to use their R&D expertise to design a method of achieving the impossible. Traditional machinery isn’t always enough to meet their needs, so we have developed a huge range of tools large enough to handle bespoke tasks.

Many of the best specialists in CNC honing evolved from small family-run shops, and that’s no coincidence. Such companies are able to dedicate time to their passions. Those who’ve focused on honing for many years have faced the industry’s challenges as they’ve risen and have watched it evolve. They’re intimately acquainted with the current technological landscape. Hone-All’s extensive understanding of its niche enables us to provide accurate and detailed quotations and custom approaches to every job, formed on the basis of an efficient, focused supply chain.

Are you looking for ways to improve your productivity? Your choice of CNC Turning and machining specialist may have more of an influence than you realise. In a world of choice, here are some of the reasons that going local can make a difference.

1) Accurate Consultation

When it comes to productivity, accuracy is everything. This begins at the planning and design phase, and nothing beats being able to discuss your requirements in person. This is true for all work, but is particularly the case for:

• One-off projects
• Complex assemblies
• High integrity (defence, aerospace, and medical) projects
• Unusual and urgent repair or replacement requirements

Never be tempted to rush the consulting and design phase. It is the best opportunity to take a thorough look at the specifications and trouble-shoot potential problems whilst they’re safely on the paper. Finding a local specialist means that you are likely to:

• Get the desired result, error-free
• Avoid costly delays
• Plan time and budget accurately

2) Faster Turnaround

Minutes matter when it comes to productivity. Shopping local reduces the time and cost of transportation, getting you up and running quickly. Location does not guarantee that a machining service provider will be quick off the mark. Always check that:

• They offer a rapid response service
• They have the expertise to assess the viability of the whole job, not just the specific operation you are requesting
• They are carrying out all your processes in house

If your local company is going to sub-contract your order to another supplier – and you’d be surprised how common that can be – your ‘local’ may not be quite as local as it seems. It’s a good idea to visit the premises yourself and see the equipment and ask about timescales.

3) Fast Emergency Repairs

Downtime is a major contributor to productivity loss. As soon as a machine is taken out of service, costs start to mount whilst productivity plunges. A good local provider will be able to guarantee that they can assist you with the replacement part on an urgent basis. This means that they can:

• Quickly review your requirements in full
• Suggest the most accurate and efficient route for production, repair or replacement
• Offer support throughout

4) On-Going Communication

All the benefits listed above have one important factor in common: a personalised approach. It’s something that we at Hone-All have always valued. Communication is excellent for productivity and means that potential problems are spotted sooner, customers are confident about asking questions, and everybody has a clear understanding of project requirements, deadlines, and values.

Clarity means that mistakes are few and far between, and customers walk away with all their unique requirements met.

When it comes to industrial rollers, it pays to get it right. With the digital revolution causing changes to printing, packaging techniques, and machinery, many of the traditional norms have vanished. This means manufacturers of industrial rollers need to really know what they are doing. Here’s a quick guide to what a decent manufacturer will offer.

1) A Thorough Examination Of Technical Drawings

This is a fairly unique requirement of industrial rollers. For decades, nothing ever changed in the industrial roller universe, with the result that the same basic blueprints have been in circulation since time immemorial. When tweaks and alterations have been made, they are often not recorded, presenting a major problem when:

• Engineers retire
• Equipment is updated
• A company changes hands

It can be a very nasty surprise when the finished rollers look nothing like they should do or don’t fit the machine. However, it is a surprisingly common problem when antiquated drawings are used. Expect your manufacturer to:

• Examine your designs very carefully
• Start with the end requirements and work backwards to troubleshoot design problems
• Offer thorough planning rather than promising lightning-fast turnarounds

2) Equate Quality With Productivity

When it comes to industrial rollers, the higher the roller quality, the better the productivity. Despite this basic rule, it is very easy to fall into the false economy trap. Saving a few pence can look good on paper, but shoddy parts cost a fortune in productivity loss. As a general rule, some manufacturers will look to save money by corner cutting and using low-grade materials. This has a range of negative outcomes, including:

• Poor quality printing and packaging
• Increased downtime due to breakages
• Inefficiencies

Good manufacturers will:

• Ask lots of questions about the design and manufacturing process
• Take the design phase seriously
• Discuss your requirements in detail (the most expensive industrial roller might not be best for your needs.)

Transparency is crucial. If your supplier is not prepared to sit down and discuss your requirements in detail, walk away.

3) Experience

Industrial rollers look straightforward, but are far from it. Rollers have a tough job to do, and creating a roller that is up to the task requires high levels of industry knowledge. Guarantees that your manufacturer knows what they are doing include:

• A proven history and experience in this type of machining
• Time taken to discuss drawings and requirements
• Additional in-depth information, such as detailed guides

4) Support

Any reasonable manufacturer of high-quality equipment will offer extensive support and aftercare. Machine downtime is very expensive, so the type of service offered for repairs or refurbishment is a major consideration when budgeting. If you opt for an off-the-peg part and something goes wrong, you’re on your own. In terms of your reputation and productivity, it’s never worth taking that risk. Expect adequate support and a willingness to assist with any problem which may arise.

Manufacturing enterprises within the engineering footprint remain the largest economic contributor of the engineering-based industries, generating £156.1 billion GVA (or 9.3% of the GVA for all industries) in 2015. Indeed, in 2016 almost half of the engineering footprint turnover came from manufacturing (46.5%).

Just over a quarter of the 2.55 million registered enterprises in the UK are in the Engineering sector.

And yet, in comparison, there are only a handful of companies providing specialist services, and even fewer who carry out all those specialist services in house.

Hone-All – Why So Special?

Hone-All has always responded to customer demand which has resulted in them progressing and expanding from simply offering a sub-contract honing service in the beginning to now offering a fully managed, outsource solution to businesses requiring tubular components including material supply.

The services they supply are uncommon and demand a high level of knowledge and technical expertise which is simply not taught in colleges due to the high cost of the equipment and lower demand than for other more familiar services like CNC Milling.

So, let’s take a look at the specialist services:

Deep Hole Drilling

Technically, a hole becomes a deep hole when the depth or thickness of the material is ten times greater than the hole’s diameter. One of the major concerns during deep hole drilling is ‘drill wander’, where the drill wanders off-centre. Drill wander of 1mm per metre length is the accepted industry standard, but at Hone-All Precision we try to keep any wander to a minimum. There are several ways this can be achieved - for example, we use contra-rotation of the billet to the chuck. In discussions with the client, we can drill from both ends, whereby any drill wander is in the centre of the piece. This is usually acceptable if the bore is for weight reduction, fluid or air flow.

Deep Hole Boring

Although a dictionary might give you a similar definition for drilling and boring, in the machining world they are not the same and use completely different tooling systems. Deep hole drilling uses a carbide tip on the end of a fluted shaft whereas deep hole boring requires a tube and head assembly with bearing pads and indexable cutting tips. Deep hole boring usually starts where deep hole drilling leaves off at about ø25mm and the lengths that can be drilled are much longer – in some companies up to 12 metres in length although at Hone-All, we can deep hole bore up to 3 metres in length.

CNC Honing

CNC honing is used to finish the size and form of a machined surface by the use of abrasive machining technology when tolerances and surface finishes cannot be achieved by conventional machining methods. Some of the specialist applications undertaken using CNC honing are the finishing and polishing of cylinders for petrol and diesel engines, hydraulic cylinders, drilling collars for oil and gas rigs, and air bearing gears and spindles.

CNC Turning

Modern CNC turning is a highly specialised area of precision engineering development. Where 50 years ago, a single lathe operator could spend hours with a micrometer and callipers to produce a single piece of work, CNC lathes can produce large numbers to extremely high tolerances in a fraction of the time. This service is more common within the engineering sector with many companies utilising a wide range of lathes with varying degrees of complexity and capacity. For Hone-All, CNC Turning enables them to finish machine the components on which they have produced high quality bores through their other specialist machining services.

The Wonky Clock

When you’ve been working with a machine for a long time, it’s easy to let its quirks become part of the normal pattern of life. A bit like mentally adjusting for a clock that always runs five minutes slow, it is straightforward to forgive a machine or part for having a few oddities.

When you and your supplier have a long-standing relationship, these quirks are often understood. There’s no need to write things down on paper. At least, not until a new engineer arrives, or a new buyer enters the picture.

Without a clear paper trail, valuable knowledge can easily become lost. Keeping accurate, up-to-date drawings can easily ensure that this knowledge is safely preserved.

Pinpoint Accuracy

One-size-fits-all solutions can be good, but they are rarely a perfect match for a precision job. Detailed technical drawings can avoid holes that are honed a point of a millimetre too wide, or a point of a millimetre too narrow.

This detail is important for several reasons. Metals can expand and contract under stress, and have different characteristics of fatigue. The correct dimensions and depth mean that elements such as fatigue can be more precisely predicted. These calculations rely upon technical drawings with pinpoint accuracy.

Getting The Full Picture

Accurate drawings are a two-way means of communication. They allow you to tell the engineer what you want, and they also give the engineer a chance to offer feedback.

After all, people who have spent decades looking at technical drawings tend to develop quite accurate hunches for what works and what doesn’t. Today’s software capabilities also mean that plans can often be digitally visualised in advance.

Although analogue skills are still important in the world of honing and boring, digital visualisation is valuable, and relies upon precise information. Accurate drawings are therefore a crucial point of communication. This can boost productivity by saving time, and reducing the risk of errors.

Saving Time & Money

Sometimes in life, it’s the little things that matter. When it comes to precision engineering, those little things are often accurate drawings.

If you want to make sure that your drawings are accurate, we can help. Whether it’s a bespoke build, a precision part, or on-going maintenance, we’re ready to chat about it. You can get in touch by calling 

0845 5555 111, or you can use our new instant chat service which will connect you with an expert in moments.

Gundrilling is a specialised art, so there can be a lot of confusion about basic variables such as time, cost, and quality. This can create a headache for buyers, especially as clients – who arrive from a variety of demanding sectors, such as aerospace, defence, and automotive – need to know that the finished product will meet their specifications with absolute precision. Let’s take a look at gundrilling timings.

How Long Does Specification Take?

The design and specification phase is absolutely crucial to successful gundrilling. This is where a little time investment should be allocated, as checking all of the finer detail on technical drawings makes all the difference to a successful outcome. The crucial determining factors are the bore and concentricity tolerances, as these affect the requirements for additional honing or turning and, therefore, the lead time.

A good manufacturer will need to review and invest a little time into this part of the process. Some orders are very easy to calculate; others may be more complex. As such, the specification can be highly variable! On average, expect around an hour or so depending on the complexity.

Receiving the best quality rollers from a roller manufacturer largely depends on an effective contract review and process planning activity. Having a clear design brief shortens the manufacturing process and reduces the risk of problems occurring with the components. What questions should you ask and what information do you need to provide to be assured of the best result?

Questions To Ask A Supplier

There are two main questions we feel you should ask a supplier, relating to the standards they apply to their work and how they deal with their customers.

What Manufacturing Standards Do You Follow?

The quality benchmark for engineering and manufacturing is ISO 9001. This sets out minimum standards for production quality, materials and testing in most industries. The Aerospace Industry, however, follows even stricter standards, as set out in EN 9100. It is not obligatory for a supplier to apply EN 9100 unless they are working for an aerospace customer. At Hone-All our opinion is that the enhanced EN 9100 standards make a huge difference in both quality and performance, and so all our rollers comply with aerospace standards, regardless of the sector.

What Is Your Approach To Working With Customers?

Many people share the opinion that the most important element of a supplier relationship is the end product. How they get to that point and the relationship they have with the supplier is a secondary matter. This is true in so far as a high-quality product is the ultimate goal, but we believe that an openhanded relationship is the key to getting there. In common with all reputable suppliers, we pride ourselves on our flexible and honest service. We liaise extensively with our customers at the beginning of the relationship in order to understand their business and their applications.

This enables us to collaborate with customers to ensure all their drawings and parameters are accurate and achievable. This may take a bit of time to get right, but it is ensures that the parts are manufactured correctly. It also saves a significant amount of time on repeat orders.

Supplying Complete Drawings

Probably the most important factor in ensuring an accurate and high-quality product is for your roller manufacturer to work from accurate and complete drawings. Without complete drawings, there is very little chance that the end product will meet your specifications, so it is worth taking time to iron out the design phase before commencing a project.

Why are incomplete drawings a problem? The print roller industry uses a lot of advanced manufacturing technology, but the actual designs for rollers stay fairly constant. Many manufacturers use the same kind of roller that they have used for decades. The result can be that drawings are not updated regularly, especially in companies that have been in business for a long time where the knowledge of the component and it’s required process is more extensive than the drawing reflects.

The problem is that when using old drawings, in practice the manufacturing process depends on a lot of acquired knowledge held by various engineers. When a company changes hands or these engineers leave, the knowledge is frequently not added to the drawings and is subsequently lost. The result is that the manufactured product, although faithful to the old drawing, does not reflect the customer specifications which may have improved and developed over the years. This is understandably a source of frustration for both manufacturer and any new supplier.

Our approach is to address potential technical inaccuracies in design drawings before we start building your parts, working with you to overcome points of error and discussing your actual requirements. This may lead us to amend the drawings, adjust your specifications, surface finishes, fits etc. We work closely with you throughout this process to iron out all the details. It is worth getting this right, as doing so ensures your finished products perform the way they are supposed to, avoiding frustrating delays at the testing stage.

Getting The Best Quality Print Rollers

When looking for an industrial precision roller manufacturer, you need to find one that meets yours and your customers’ requirements. The purpose of outsourcing your industrial rollers is to save you the time and expense of investing in your own equipment and to allow you to meet customer demand on short turnaround projects. Working with a third party should therefore make things easier at all levels and not cause further difficulties. When looking for a supplier you should seek out the following five characteristics in a roller manufacturer.

1) Reliable Delivery

Possibly the most important feature of a supplier is their ability to deliver on their agreed timescales. A supplier might manufacture the best quality rollers in the world, but if they can’t deliver quickly enough, or they renege on their delivery promises, then it creates problems throughout the supply chain. A lot of the problems with delivery come from suppliers not understanding a manufacturer’s project requirements adequately, or from not having the right initial drawings. The order therefore takes longer than anticipated and runs into problems at the testing stage. To have the best chance of reliability, therefore, a customer should demand…

2) Clear Communication

Your industrial precision roller manufacturer should be keen to communicate clearly with you from day one. Take a note of the questions the supplier asks you and their level of understanding of your application and your delivery requirements. A supplier with clear communication and good industry knowledge will be able to proactively suggest solutions based on a knowledge of your timescale and budget. Getting the project requirements right, with complete product drawings and a full brief, is the best way to avoid a project going over budget or being delivered late.

3) Industry Experience

The chances of a successful customer / supplier relationship are increased when that business has direct experience of working within your industry. Broad experience is also a good sign, as it indicates flexibility and an established reputation. Suppliers that have worked for a range of different clients, e.g. within the aerospace, motorsport, petrochemical and automotive industries, will have the breadth of knowledge and expertise necessary to rise to any challenge and make a great job of it.

4) Production Quality

Substandard components are worth nothing, but there is more to high quality than a component simply being able to function. Ideally you should choose a supplier that not only meets the minimum standards for the industry, but that aims for the highest possible levels of quality. Using ourselves as an example, at Hone-All we are ISO 9001 and EN9100 accredited but we apply EN9100 aerospace standards for all our components, irrespective of sector. This entails additional traceability, testing and production standards that many non-aerospace suppliers do not follow. The result is a superior product that gives a longer life cycle and greater efficiency.

5) Competitive Price

We are firm believers that price isn’t everything – you should never compromise on quality to get a low price – but it is extremely important nevertheless! As a manufacturer, we understand that many jobs hinge on price, so we will always strive to offer the lowest and most competitive prices possible, within the realistic constraints of delivering the highest quality and timely delivery.

At the end of the day, you want repeat business from your customers and we want repeat business from you, so we try and set a price level that allows us all to be competitive. At the same time, your customers expect reliability and a high quality product, which isn’t always achievable at the lowest prices. There comes a lower limit beyond which it isn’t possible to complete a product without compromising on timescale or resources. We will never do this, and we will always be transparent about our prices; about what things cost, where savings can be made and why we charge the price we do.

What difference does it really make to choose cheaper, lower quality industrial rollers over higher-priced, higher quality alternatives? Manufacturers are under two pressures: Firstly, you need to complete your project to your customer’s satisfaction, meaning that every component must meet the required standard of function and composition. Secondly, you need to complete the project as quickly and as cheaply as possible, in order to deliver within timescale and budget.

There is sometimes a direct conflict between the two requirements, so it makes sense to look for areas where savings can be made. Industrial rollers are a candidate for this. Cheaper rollers frequently look the same as higher-priced components, have the same function and are made of the same material. Furthermore, they are often available in high volumes on a faster turnaround.

What then is the dilemma?

Enhanced Standards For The Aerospace Industry

Unfortunately, not all of the cheaper rollers out there meet the highest manufacturing and quality standards. This does make a difference when it comes to performance and the life of your components and machinery. It isn’t that cheaper rollers aren’t compliant with manufacturing standards, but often they don’t attain the highest possible levels of quality or longevity.

Most reputable industrial roller suppliers will meet ISO 9001. However, for the Aerospace Industry, additional quality standards are needed. In Europe and the UK, these standards are enshrined in regulation EN9100, harmonised with the equivalent AS9100 in the USA and JISQ9100 in Japan. These take 9001 standards as their base and enhance their requirements for manufacturing quality, safety and reliability in all areas. The enhanced standards affect every step along the supply chain, from sourcing of materials through to manufacturing and testing. There is no margin for error when manufacturing aerospace components, and these are the unrelenting standards demanded by big aerospace manufacturers such as Rolls-Royce, Boeing and BAE.

For other industries, these standards aren’t a legal requirement, but at Hone-All we believe they make all the difference in ensuring the best quality products. We manufacture all our industrial rollers to EN9100 standards, as well as ISO 9001.

What Difference Does Enhanced Quality Make?

You may ask why this is necessary and whether it simply doesn’t add additional expense to our manufacturing process. Our answer is; yes, it is necessary and the additional quality creates enhanced value by extending the life-cycle of each component. This is why: As a roller turns it generates vibration and heat energy. This is reduced and contained through dynamic balancing and product inspection. This stage is important, because when a component becomes unbalanced, the additional vibration reduces the efficiency of the application, while increasing the risk of component failure. Not only does it make faults and replacements more likely, but it also increases the chance of secondary damage to other components in the equipment.

EN9100 enforces extremely rigorous testing, traceability and inspection protocols for all components, to eliminate the risk of failure. 9001 compliant products also need testing, but the process is not as demanding. We choose to follow EN9100 procedures for all components, irrespective of the sector. This accounts for the quality difference you see when using Hone-All components in your application.

Due to our quality requirements and standards, they have a longer working life, need replacing less frequently and work more efficiently, thus costing you less over the long term.

At Hone-All Precision, we specialise in precision rollers for a wide range of industrial applications. Our products are manufactured precisely to your design and machined for optimum efficiency and cost effectiveness. Whether you need 20 identical parts or a single, custom roller for a one-off project, our roller manufacturing process is geared up to provide the highest quality components available on the market.

We have a wide range of CNC equipment at our facility which we use to fulfil our customer orders. Each project is different and we apply the most appropriate techniques in every case, but when you work with Hone All the following seven elements each play a part in the roller manufacturing process.

1) Send us A Quote Request

We price each of our projects individually, so the first thing to do is request a quote. You can do this online by clicking here. Tell us a little bit about your requirements, including any project deadlines, and attach your drawings. Working from complete design drawings is crucial to successful manufacturing, so please provide the most accurate and up-to-date versions. We’ll take a look through and call you back if we have any questions. Or you can drop by and see us in person with your drawings.

2) Contract Review & Feasibility

Once we’ve received your drawings we will assess them for manufacturing feasibility. This is an important part of the process, as it allows us to identify any potential challenges and suggest alternations to your specs if necessary. We aim to ensure your drawings reflect exactly what you need and also ensure all your parameters are achievable. The result is accurate drawings that you can use time and again on your projects – whether with us or with another manufacturer. A thorough analysis at this stage saves a lot of time further down the line.

3) Quotation Sent

We will send you a written quote for your approval. We can review and adjust this based on budgetary constraints or changed requirements.

4) Manufacturing

Our CNC machines allow us to produce precision rollers to our customer’s exact requirements. We have the flexibility to create custom parts for applications in any industry, including motorsport, pharmaceutical, printing, medical manufacturing and the automotive sector. Tolerances can be carefully defined through additional finishing processes.

5) Dynamic Balancing (if required)

To optimise rotational speed and reduce unwanted heat wastage and vibrations. 

6) Inspection

We undertake a full dimensional inspection to ensure your parts exactly meet specifications. We carry this out in house with our own CMM machines and trained operatives.

7) Despatch & Delivery

On completion, we can deliver your parts by courier to any address in the UK.

The Ultimate Free Guide to Industrial Rollers

More information about industrial rollers can be found in our new Industrial Rollers Guide. This free resource can be downloaded directly from our website and contains useful information about how to source the best industrial rollers.

Packaging rollers are often required to perform at high temperatures and in challenging environments. This is no surprise, as industrial rollers are used to process and manufacture every conceivable type of material, from textiles and plastics to paper and thin gauge steel.

Heat Transfer Rollers

Commonly, rollers are used to apply adhesives or coatings to packaging materials, such as plastics, paper or laminated foil. These are the so-called heat transfer rollers used by many different packaging applications. Depending on the type of coating, these can be expected to operate at temperatures of 260°C or higher.

Hot rollers are the most commonly used type of heat transfer roller. The adhesive is preheated and then applied to the roller through dipping or spraying. The roller then transfers the adhesive to the packaging material. However, many textile businesses use Cold Rollers, which require the roller itself to heat a cold adhesive up to its operating temperature. This is a more effective means of applying waterproof coatings or working with porous materials.

Getting The Design Right

The purpose and operational criteria are crucial to the performance of a heat transfer roller. With very specific adhesives, temperature ranges, packaging materials and line speeds, every industrial roller has to be precision engineered for exact performance. Even a small discrepancy can affect your rollers line speed and cause increased vibrations, thus changing its operating temperature. This can affect the adhesive quality of your coating and even cause damage to your component.

Clearly, it pays to get the design right.

At Hone–All Precision, we pay very close attention to all the variables you need to get a heat transfer roller suitable for your application. Our engineers have a thorough working knowledge of computational fluid dynamics, which lets us understand all the variables involved when operating at high temperatures.

Modern adhesives and packaging coatings leave very little wiggle room when it comes to their temperature ranges. Our goal is to design your rollers with the optimal rotation speed, line speed and flow rate so that your application produces reliable results over every production run.

The three most important variables when designing heat transfer rollers are the inner chamber dimensions, the metallic plating, and covering.

Inner chamber: The angle and dimensions of your inner chamber are extremely important, especially for hot rollers. The design needs to be accurate to within a fraction of a degree, as even a slight variance can cause large discrepancies in flow rate and temperature.

Coatings: Some of our heat transfer rollers are chrome plated for their chemical resistance and heat transfer properties. When working with plastic packaging, we recommend polished chrome plating to a low RA level. An RA between 4 and 8 will give you a mirror finish, with an RA of less than 1 providing an optical mirror finish. For high temperature or corrosive chemical environments, you may wish to use nickel plating or a sprayed tungsten carbide coating.

Covering: To cope with extreme temperatures and to maintain uniformity of fluid release, many heat transfer rollers use silicon coating. When working with coatings it is essential you use a high quality roller manufacturer, is the roller must be balanced both before and after the coating is applied, to ensure it works at the correct weight.

Professional Maintenance

Heat transfer rollers require occasional maintenance to avoid temperature -related problems. If you notice clogging on your application, with reduced flow rates or poor thermal transfer, rebalancing may be required to restore performance to the correct parameters. Annual acid flushing may be required to read your internal chambers of coagulated adhesive and other debris. In some cases, chrome or silicon coating needs to be replaced or repaired. Maintaining your rollers in this way is frequently cheaper than purchasing new units, and will extend the life-cycle of your application.

There are dozens of different variables involved when manufacturing precision rollers for the printing and packaging industry. This is due to the diversity of materials used in packaging, from coiled steel to aluminium foil, and the temperatures and rotational speeds needed to process adhesives.

Without careful planning and attention at the design stage there is a lot that can go wrong. Even slight variances outside the optimum temperature range, for example, can cause problems with your adhesive binding to the packaging material. Slightly increased vibrations or a reduced line speed can alter your flow rate, causing clogging in the roller and spoilage in your materials.

These are the two most common mistakes that lead to these errors:

1) Incomplete Drawings

When manufacturing industrial rollers, it is critical that your manufacturer has complete, accurate technical drawings to work from. This is more difficult than it sounds, with problems occurring because of how manufacturers and print businesses traditionally work with technical drawings. 

For decades, print and packaging roller technology was fairly static. This means that technical drawings were used over and again for decades, from supplier to supplier. Invariably, changes were made to the specifications over time but this was often ‘retained knowledge’ held by individual engineers. The drawings themselves weren’t often updated. This is fine, so long as the personnel and company ownership remain the same. 

It becomes an issue when staff move on or retire, or when a company changes hands. As the retained knowledge is not added to the technical drawings, the next time they come to be used, inaccuracies are detected.

For a supplier inheriting technical drawings in this way, the learning curve is steep. The customer quite rightly expects parts to be produced as they always have been and is frustrated when discrepancies occur in the end product.

Solution:

To avoid incomplete drawings, we place great emphasis on the consulting and design phase. When working with a customer’s existing drawings, we have found it avoids problems down the line to take a ‘belt and braces’ approach to technical specifications. We assume there will be some inherited inaccuracies and go through a thorough process to detect and address them.

This involves discussing your actual requirements and working backwards from there. This enables us to amend the drawings, specifications, surface finishes, interference fits etc. to ensure your drawings are accurate going forward. This means the design and on-boarding phase takes a bit longer, but in our experience it saves a lot of time during manufacturing and inspection. It also avoids the risk of performance issues when your rollers are installed in your application.

2) Prioritising Low Prices Over Quality

Packaging and print rollers are high-stakes equipment; meaning that when something goes wrong, the impact is likely to be far-reaching. Unfortunately, businesses are also under intense pressure to keep their manufacturing costs as low as possible. With a limited budget, it can be tempting to go for the lower priced of two quotes, without paying full attention to long-term life-cycle costs. With industrial rollers, lower quality components cost more than higher quality alternatives.

You may pay less upfront, but a low quality component is far more likely to develop performance issues, requiring more frequent replacement and maintenance. You may also experience increased spoilage and downtime as a result of equipment errors.

Why should you be wary of lower-priced components? The short answer is that manufacturers have to make the savings somewhere. They can either save money on materials by using lower grade alternatives, or they can try and save time and money on the manufacturing process itself.

Most low-priced manufacturers go for the second option, saving money by skimping on the balancing and inspection phase. This is a recipe for problems, as an imbalanced roller may not perform well under stress, losing rotational speed or developing excessive heat due to vibration.

Solution:

The solution isn’t always to choose the highest priced unit, but when looking for quotes, pay attention to the process your supplier uses. Seek out transparent suppliers who explain exactly what is involved and what everything costs. This puts you in a position to understand a supplier’s prices, letting you assess the option that gives you true value for money.

Industrial rollers work hard under challenging conditions. There are any number of things that could go wrong during their working life. Therefore, it is almost always more cost-effective to pay for the best quality and best design, with a thorough inspection process, rather than take the risk of something going wrong with a lower quality component.

Avoid Costly Mistakes When Buying Industrial Rollers

At Hone All Precision we provide a dynamic balancing service as part of the roller manufacturing services we offer our customers. Dynamic balancing is an important and frequently misunderstood part of the process, so we would like to spend this article briefly outlining what is involved and when you might need it.

What Is Dynamic Balancing?

Dynamic balancing uses purpose designed equipment to analyse the rotational speed and vibration level of an industrial roller. These measurements are compared to the desired operational parameters and changes made to the roller so that it is optimised to perform as expected.

A ‘balanced’ roller is one that can operate at any line speed, smoothly and without vibrations. Any roller can be balanced using the right equipment, with larger machines being used for larger rollers.

Types Of Roller Balancing

Dynamic balancing is one of two types of balancing service, the other being static balancing. The two approaches are used for different reasons. Static balancing takes place when the roller is stationary and is designed to address errors leading to rollover and loping. Dynamic balancing, on the other hand, takes place while the roller is working at its full operational line speed. The process quickly picks up signs that could point to major errors, such as excessive heat wastage, variable speeds or high vibration levels. If left unaddressed, these factors could seriously impact the application and lead to mechanical faults.

When Is Dynamic Balancing Needed?

For many manufacturers, dynamic balancing forms part of the inspection process at the final stage of manufacture. Older rollers can also be subjected to dynamic balancing to address any issues and refurbish. Also, some companies opt for a third party dynamic balancing service when they have purchased cheaper industrial rollers from a supplier overseas, to double check their quality and fitness for purpose. You should also consider dynamic balancing when re-covering a rubber coated roller. Packaging rollers are always balanced at their original weight, so when a new urethane coating is added, they should be rebalanced to operate correctly at line speed with their new weight.

Essentially, dynamic balancing is a fault fixing service and not a routine inspection. High quality rollers do not normally need dynamic balancing. Complete and accurate design drawings and a pre-balancing process normally ensure that rollers perform as expected. Furthermore, high quality rollers will maintain their performance over time, without the need for correction.

We only need to undertake dynamic balancing on about 5% of our precision rollers, but we do offer the service on request and have all the equipment on site to carry out a thorough job.

How It Works

Dynamic balancing takes place within a large balancing roller, linked to a balancing unit display screen. The roller is digitally scanned to show the precise angles and weights that cause the imbalance. Photocells in the balancing machine allow accurate measurements to be made at any line speed. From this data, simulations can be run that show the exact adjustments that need to be made for the roller to meet customer specifications. These new parameters can then be programmed into the balancing machine and the changes carried out under computer guidance, resulting in a rebalanced and extremely accurate roller.

In this article we would like to talk about quotes; specifically, why specialist CNC engineering companies charge what they do. There is a cost versus quality debate in every industry we can think of. The argument possibly goes that the lower the quote, the more corners must need to be cut at the suppliers’ side in order to achieve the price while still returning a reasonable profit. This usually leaves a fairly wide margin for flexibility, but it also means that a race to the bottom towards ever lower prices is rarely beneficial for either customers or suppliers in the long run.

In the field of precision machining, the price versus quality debate can, fortunately, be quite accurately quantified in terms of what is included in the quote. Unfortunately, being highly specialist services, Deep Hole Boring and Drilling are not too widely understood, even within the manufacturing sector. Of course, no company in the world is going to suggest that they don’t provide a quality service, no matter how low the quote. It is therefore easy to misunderstand the real term value delivered by a quote, relative to the price charged.

A Question Of Tolerance

Tolerance is a major variable when carrying out Deep Hole Boring and Drilling. A skilled machinist can use a Gundrilling machine to drill to a tolerance of +/- 0.05mm for a standard 10 mm diameter bore. As the diameter increases, so does the safe margin of tolerance. A bore above 15 mm, for instance, should aim for a tolerance of no more than +/- 0.1mm. For deep hole drilling in excess of 20 mm diameter or more, the standard industry tolerance for a drilled or bored hole only is +/- 0.25mm.
If the tolerance required is tighter than these margins, honing will be required. This is an additional process which adds to the cost of the project. However, many low-priced quotes include drilling or boring only and not honing.

This allows the supplier to reduce the cost of the quote upfront and maybe secure additional business. However, by excluding honing, a quality result is not always guaranteed. If the final bore falls short or wide of industry-standard tolerances, the customer may need to undertake further honing at extra expense. This is frustrating and can cause additional costs and delays.

For projects on a ‘Deep Hole Boring or Drilling only’ quotation, this will blow the agreed price out of the water, as the quote suddenly no longer reflects the full cost of the project. The customer will find themselves faced with escalating costs and missed delivery deadlines, with no control over the final outcome.

This is not a good situation for either the machinist or the customer; and is why we always choose to be cautious, carefully review the complete requirements of the component and place quality controls and the possible requirement for honing at the heart of every project we undertake. We also request that our customers carefully check the tolerances quoted on alternative quotes as they can often be omitted or quoted at a different tolerance to that stated on the drawing but is indeed, the standard offered tolerance from the company quoting. 

Standardised & Quality-Based Quotes

As you can see, simply quoting for Deep Hole Boring or Drilling without honing does not consider the full scope of work involved in a project. A company that quotes only for boring will undoubtedly be able to offer a lower price upfront. However, this places the customer in a risky position, as honing is not included.

We don’t believe in this method as we feel it does not benefit anyone in the long term and simply jeopardises quality and the long-term success and reputation of both companies, so instead of giving you a standard ‘nuts and bolts’ quote covering specific actions only, we quote according to the amount of work required to not only meet, but also exceed, the desired finished quality.

‘Quoting for quality’ is therefore a more accurate assessment of the cost and lead time of the project. This is why we don’t generate quotes using standardised spreadsheets and why we won’t give a quote without fully reviewing your technical drawings and conducting a full contract review at the quotation stage mapping out the implications of the job, not just at our first or second stage of machining but taking into consideration the final requirements of the project after further machining and treatments.

It is also why our quotes are not always the lowest on the market: they take into account the possible preparation work required on the material (such as facing or straightening when required) in addition to any honing work that may be required to get you the results you need. On the other hand, our quotes do give you enhanced peace of mind, as you can be assured of the accuracy of the final result and that you will not be saddled with additional expenses or potential delays you, or your end customer, hadn’t accounted for.

Our thorough approach allows us to identify potential issues at the quotation stage, equipping us to provide a more cost-effective, high-quality solution than a standard ‘price per inch’ quote could ever do.

To find out more about our approach to quoting Deep Hole Boring & Deep Hole Drilling for industrial rollers, take a look at our Industrial Rollers Guide. This free e-book contains valuable information about the machining process; including how to establish accurate technical drawings, avoiding drilling errors and achieving the best value for money. The parameters mentioned and information included within the guide can be applied to the machining of any precision, tubular component so even if you’re not involved in the Roller Manufacturing industry, it may still be worth downloading and a few minutes of your time.

Tubular based components are used in tens of thousands of applications by manufacturers in a wide range of sectors. These components vary enormously in size, capacity and use, but the method by which each is made is broadly similar.

The precision engineering methods used to make industrial tubes and shafts include deep hole drilling, deep hole boring, gun drilling, CNC turning and CNC honing.

We have written a new Guide to Deep Hole Drilling, Boring & Honing Costs for two reasons:

• Firstly, to explain what these things are and why they’re important, and
• Secondly, to explain why you may get two or more very different quotes from different suppliers for the same job!

When approaching a supplier, how do you make sure you end up with the right specs AND get the best value for money?

Quoting for deep hole drilling, boring and honing is not always straightforward but it isn’t a dark art either. Some companies may provide standard quotations raised on a standard spreadsheet, but this isn’t always an accurate reflection of costs. The project could end up overshooting the agreed timescale, accruing additional costs or not measuring up to your technical specifications. To avoid this, we always quote on a bespoke basis and only after fully understanding the technical requirements of your product, application and the timeframe you are working to.

In our guide we explain our reasons for doing so, by revealing the factors that affect your quote and the overall quality of your product.

Sections cover topics such as:

• The manufacturing process
• Engineering quality standards and why they matter
• Why complete technical drawings and a thorough understanding of the application are important

We also try and clear up some common misunderstandings/misconceptions and provide solutions to some of the frustrating issues faced by manufacturers when dealing with suppliers. For example:

• What is ‘wander’ and how does it affect your end product?
• How do you achieve the right balance of cost versus quality?
• What is the best way to work with your supplier to guarantee consistent results and on-time delivery?

How To Claim Your Copy Of Our E-Book

You can access a complimentary copy of our guide by filling in the simple form on this website. Click here to visit the page. The Guide is a useful resource for any business considering contracting out deep hole drilling, honing or boring – and comes with no obligation to use our services. The same principles of accuracy, engineering standards and customer communication apply regardless of the supplier you choose to work with.

About Hone All

At Hone All Precision we are a family run engineering firm with extensive experience serving clients in the petrochemical, medical, packaging, printing, aerospace, motorsport, hydraulics and automotive manufacturing sectors. Our full range of services are carried out in-house at our Leighton Buzzard (UK) workshop by a team of experienced, qualified CNC engineers. If you’d like to chat with one of our engineers about a project you’re working on, or request a bespoke quote, please call us on 

0845 5555 111 or 01525 370666.

We would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who was able to join us at the SPE Offshore Europe Exhibition in Aberdeen two weeks ago. It was great to renew old acquaintances and make some new contacts, and we have been busily following up leads and opportunities made at the exhibition. If you were at the exhibition but didn’t get a chance to chat, please accept our apologies. Do give us a call and it will be good to catch up in person either at our offices or at one of the trade exhibitions next year. The exhibition was a busy few days with some fantastic exhibitors and in most cases, an upbeat perspective on the future.

A Proactive Attitude To Global Challenges

The overall message we took home from Offshore this year was: yes, things have been tough out there for the oil and gas industry, but there are some great new technologies, new start-up businesses and  new talent coming on board that are even now providing tomorrow’s solutions to whenever problems come up. The reduction in oil prices has been a severe blow for a lot of businesses, but the positive is that in some cases, this has spurred productivity and innovation in new areas, as businesses have been forced to think outside the box to maintain their profits. The cautious optimism was clear from most people we spoke with, especially in relation to a more consistent barrel price and hoping this leads to a more stable market for the future.

Confronting Cyber Threats

It was also good to see the cybercrime threat to the oil and gas sector being tackled head-on at the exhibition. Cyber-attacks have increased in both severity and regularity over the past 12 months, causing malicious damage not only to infrastructure and businesses, but also to the environment and worker’s lives. It was great to hear about a range of new cyber security solutions from leading researchers in the industry.

Improved Decommissioning Technologies

Another highlight for us was the ‘Decommissioning Zone’ themed exhibition, showcasing a range of new decommissioning technologies and practices. As these become more widely implemented in the industry over the coming years, the monetary and time savings are sure to open up new opportunities for innovation and inward investment in other areas.

SPE Offshore Europe in Aberdeen bought our exhibition season to a close for this year. We look forward to taking part as exhibitors again next year, so keep checking back on this blog for regular updates.

Deep Hole Drilling, Boring & Honing Services From Hone All

To find out more about our services and how we can help your business, please get in touch with one of our team for a chat today. You can call us on 0845 5555 111, or send us a message through our online contact form. We also have a free e-book you can download. The Guide to Deep Hole Drilling, Boring & Honing Costs explains the factors that affect cost and quality, as well as the causes behind common mechanical problems. Claim your copy today by clicking here.