Boring Mills (Horizontal & Vertical)

What is a horizontal boring mill used for?

A horizontal boring mill is a machine tool that drills holes in a horizontal direction, and there are three types including floor, table, and planer. Boring mills allow for extremely large parts to be easily machined and allows end-users to reach small cavities.

Horizontal boring machines also known as a horizontal boring mills have the spindle mounted horizontally with the workpiece stationary and the tool turning for high precision heavy-duty cutting. This allows for boring of much larger workpieces than a vertical boring machine. Traditional horizontal machining centers are not built for the larger pieces. On horizontal boring machines, the spindle advances out from the headstock which allows the end user to reach into small cavities. Horizontal boring machines are built to support the boring of very large parts for a wide range of industries.

What is a vertical boring mill?  

Vertical boring mills are a specialized type of industrial machinery used for specific functions or tasks. This product is often large in size and uses a rotating piece attached to a horizontal table. The borer is able to travel upwards or downwards depending on the operator.

Boring mills, either vertical boring mills or horizontal boring mills, work similarly to turning lathes. Vertical boring mills work to widen or finish an existing drilled hole in metal. They operate similarly to a milling machine, in which the workpiece remains stationary and the milling cutter rotates at high speed. The basic function and uses of the vertical boring mill machine are highly specialized within industrial machinery.

The key difference between traditional boring and milling machines and a vertical boring mills turret lathe is the indexable turret. Both machine designs have a rotating table that supports the workpiece and uses a bridge-like structure with an X-axis. The ram crosses the X-axis guide rail and sends out the cutter, useful for handling large, heavy, or short workpieces. A vertical boring mills tools a bit with supporting boring bars. It also arbors to enlarge and accurately finish a large bore previously formed by casting.  

Vertical boring mills can be adjusted to any diameter within the machine’s work envelope. Usually, this envelope is far larger than can be worked on by other machines’ tools. Vertical boring mills ensure concentricity between the inside and outside parts. Vertical boring mills and milling cutters primarily drill or machine cylinders.

Additionally, vertical boring mills are capable of spinning, boring, end nose, taper, and cutting internal and external threads.

Top brands of horizontal & vertical boring mills are:

• Doosan 
• Giddings & Lewis
• Bullard
• Kuraki
• Tos/Tos Varnsdorf
• Ceruti
• Toshiba/Shibura 
• SNK
• Nomura
• WMW
• Scharmann 
• Hyundai
• Hyundai Wia/Hyundai Kia
• Cincinnati Gilbert/Cincinnati
• Awea 
• Mazak
• Femco 
• Hankook
• Wotan
• Summit
• Lucas
• Fermat
• Vanguard
• Union
• Johnford 
• Ikegai
• O-M/Omega
• Schiess Froriep
• Olympia
• Birthiez
• King
• Phoenix 
• Ex-Cell-o
• Youji
• Honor Seiki
• Gray
• Webster Bennet 
• Supermill
• Kent
• Kobe
• Dorries
• HNK
• Betts
• Farrel
• Froriep
• Rafamet 
• Danco
• Craven
• Sacem
• Defum
• Carnaghi