Diamond tooling system for precision ring machining
Horn develops a coordinated tooling system with Benzinger machines to enable high-precision and high-polish ring manufacturing across precious metals.
www.phorn.de
With its newly developed ring production programme, Horn offers a range of diamond tools for roughing and finishing of jewellery rings, as well as the appropriate holder systems for external and internal machining.
Source: HORN/Sauermann
Horn has introduced a tooling programme for jewellery ring production, combining polycrystalline and monocrystalline diamond tools with dedicated holder systems for internal and external machining processes.
Context and industrial application
Jewellery manufacturing, particularly ring production, requires high surface quality, tight dimensional tolerances, and efficient processing of difficult-to-machine materials such as platinum and iridium. Achieving mirror-like finishes typically involves multiple machining and polishing steps, increasing production time and variability.
The developed tooling system targets these constraints by integrating roughing and finishing operations within a controlled machining workflow. The solution is designed for use in precision turning environments, including dedicated ring production machines.
Technical solution and tooling architecture
The system combines polycrystalline diamond (PCD) tools for roughing with monocrystalline diamond tools for finishing. Horn has re-engineered the geometry and structure of the roughing tools to ensure consistent pre-finishing conditions, enabling subsequent high-polish finishing without additional manual intervention.
Key technical characteristics include:
- compatibility with all common precious metals, including high-density materials such as platinum and iridium,
- controlled material removal during roughing to minimise surface irregularities,
- finishing capability with monocrystalline diamond tools to achieve high surface quality.
The tooling system includes holder configurations for both external and internal machining. The integration of the Horn 11P interface allows combined machining operations, enabling a single tool setup to perform multiple process steps.
In addition to the standard programme, Horn offers numerous special solutions tailored to specific requirements.
Source: Horn/Sauermann
Machine integration and cooperation
The tooling concept was developed in cooperation with Benzinger, with specific optimisation for the GoRing machine series. This integration aligns tool geometry, machine kinematics, and process parameters to ensure stable machining conditions.
The system remains compatible with other machine tools, as the interfaces are based on existing Horn standards. This ensures adaptability across different production environments without requiring major equipment modifications.
Deployment and operational benefits
The coordinated tool and holder system reduces setup complexity through a standardised changeover mechanism. This contributes to shorter setup times and improved repeatability in production.
Combining internal and external machining in a single tool reduces the number of tool changes and process interruptions. This supports consistent machining quality and improves cycle time efficiency.
Applications and impact
The system is designed for precision ring production in jewellery manufacturing, covering:
- roughing and finishing of ring geometries,
- machining of high-value precious metals,
- production environments requiring high surface quality and dimensional accuracy.
By aligning tool design with machine capabilities and material properties, the system enables more predictable machining outcomes and reduces reliance on manual finishing processes.
Edited by an industrial journalist, Lekshman Ramdas, with AI assistance.
www.horn-group.com
