
For engine rebuilders · Rottler Manufacturing
Rottler Manufacturing's H85 Series is designed for CNC cylinder and liner honing in engine rebuilding and related production work. The H85A provides the core CNC honing functions, while the H85AX adds programmable hole-to-hole movement for shops that need more automation across multi-cylinder blocks.
Use the published machine range and your actual workpiece requirements as the first screening step. Final equipment selection should be confirmed against the block, tooling, abrasive, stock allowance and required finish.
Device capabilities and manufacturer support requirements vary from business to business, differing for precision components, large components and heavy industry, and component repair and processing.
We have carefully selected the honing machines that are best suited to companies based on the features and challenges of their varied businesses, freeing them from needing to rely on specific operators. Please use the information on this site in your comparisons and deliberations.
The H85A is the more direct starting point when the shop needs CNC control over the honing process but does not require automatic machine positioning from one cylinder to the next.
Core CNC honing model
Rottler specifies the H85A for both cylinder honing and liner honing. The machine uses CNC servo control for spindle rotation and stroking, while horizontal X-axis positioning is performed manually on linear slideways.
The H85AX retains the core H85 honing functions and adds servo-driven X-axis movement so the hone head can move between programmed cylinder positions automatically.
Hole-to-hole automation
Rottler describes the H85AX as a CNC automatic vertical honing machine with hole-to-hole automation. Its X axis travels 965 mm on linear slideways and is driven by a servo motor.
The key difference is not basic bore capacity. It is whether horizontal positioning between cylinder bores is manual or programmable.
H85 Series selection overview
| Model | Published bore range | Positioning | Best starting use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| H85A | 48.16–187 mm | Manual X-axis positioning | CNC-controlled cylinder or liner honing where manual bore-to-bore movement is acceptable |
| H85AX | 48.16–186 mm | Servo-driven programmable X axis | Repeated multi-cylinder work requiring automatic hole-to-hole movement |
Both models have a published maximum cylinder length of 432 mm and a stroke length of 483 mm. Selecting the H85AX primarily changes the positioning workflow rather than extending the basic bore envelope.
The H85A and H85AX combine several programmable functions that control crosshatch, stone loading and finishing sequences. Actual results still depend on the workpiece, tooling, abrasive and process settings.
The Automatic Cross Hatch Angle System adjusts machine parameters to the programmed crosshatch angle, coordinating spindle rotation and stroking through the CNC process.
The machine can short-stroke or dwell where it senses a tight area during roughing or finishing instead of applying one identical motion across the entire bore.
The honing stones are expanded after the hone head is positioned, and the machine retracts the stones during the final stroke to reduce the risk of unwanted marks at cycle completion.
The automatic plateau brush program applies the programmed brush load and stroke count, then retracts the brushes to the clearance position.
Before normal rotation and stroking begin, the machine checks for interference in the lower bore area to protect honing stones and holders from unexpected contact.
Rottler's conversational software allows operators to create a program for a block, save it and recall it for later repeat work.
These functions should not be read as a guaranteed roundness, cylindricity, surface-roughness or cycle-time result for an untested workpiece.
Reference: Rottler service resources
| Company name | Rottler Manufacturing, LLC |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1923 |
| Headquarters | 8029 South 200th Street, Kent, Washington 98032, USA |
| Main honing operations | Cylinder honing and liner honing |
| Website | https://www.rottlermfg.com/ |
BS-VI standards and growing EV demand are driving unprecedented needs for precision machining.
While the "overseas components + local assembly" model keeps initial costs low, design mismatches and unclear accountability create long-term risks.
Integrated management from design to assembly ensures consistent machining accuracy regardless of operator, minimizing material loss, accelerating ROI, and building the foundation for global trust.

This honing machine synchronizes stroke and stone expansion in 0.01 μm increments, enabling precision honing of holes as small as 3 mm in diameter and 80 mm deep, even in hard materials.
Automatic electronic control and made-to-order jigs reproduce the techniques of veteran operators.
These honing machines eliminate deviations in the manufacturing of precision components such as control valves while also reducing personnel costs.
| Bore Diameter |
⌀3~⌀100 |
|---|---|
| Workpiece Length |
130mm |
| Spindle Stroke Length |
Max. 300mm |
Gears / Connecting rods / Hydraulic valves, etc.

Machine height can be reduced through pit installation, reducing the footprint and using less volumetric space. It also makes it easy to mount and unmounts heavy objects such as engine blocks, reducing the operation workload.
They can even cut the large machining allowances unique to heavy industry in short amounts of time.
| Bore Diameter |
~⌀350 |
|---|---|
| Workpiece Length |
3,800mm |
| Spindle Stroke Length |
Not specified on official website |
Long pipes and tubes / Piston rods / Heavy workpieces / Exterior diameter processing, etc.

A graph showing the status of the hole being honed is displayed on-screen, in real time. This makes it easy to visually understand where the workpiece is and how it is warped, accelerating repair decisions.
These systems can store up to 100 processing settings at any time. They can also be backed up via USB, so even for small-lot, high-mix jobs, you can instantly reproduce the same processing as in previous jobs. They also shorten set-up times.
| Bore Diameter |
~⌀203 |
|---|---|
| Workpiece Length |
279mm |
| Spindle Stroke Length |
~225mm |
Engine blocks, etc.