Kennametal has added to its Harvi line of solid-carbide end mills in the shape of its Harvi I TE. With a radical new design, the HARVI I TE is suitable for use on materials that include steel, stainless steel, high-temperature alloys and cast iron.

Furthermore, thanks to significantly reduced cutting forces, the tool can be used on any machining centre or mill-turn centre in the shop.
“The Harvi I TE consistently outperformed competing four-flute end mills in both wet and dry machining tests on a variety of materials and applications, delivering unprecedented tool life in many cases,” states Bernd Fiedler, manager – solid end milling. “It performs exceptionally well on heavy roughing and finishing cuts alike, from deep cavities and full width slots to shoulder and dynamic milling.”
Kennametal engineers designed the Harvi I TE to address four key problems that plague more than 90% of all milling applications: chip evacuation, tool deflection, corner stability, and breakage due to radial cutting forces. The result, according to the company, is a tool that is durable and versatile enough to tackle the lion´s share of milling applications.
Consider chip evacuation. The Harvi I TE has a novel flute design that helps curl and break chips into manageable pieces, while a series of chip gashes within the flute lift those chips up and away from the workpiece. Both serve to promote coolant flow, eliminate chip re-cutting and improve tool life. A twisted end face and novel gashing further promote chip evacuation but are also responsible for the Harvi I TE´s ramping and plunging capabilities.
Tool deflection is reduced thanks to the tool´s parabolic core, as well as an eccentric, faceted relief along the entire flute length that lowers cutting friction.
For further information www.kennametal.com

ActiveEdge Apex, the latest fully automated fine-boring innovation from Rigibore, is pitched at the accurate machining of small bores. Making use of Rigibore’s ActiveEdge technology, Apex is said to be a world-first in terms of fully integrated, automatically adjustable fine-boring heads, delivering precision performance on bores ranging from 0.25 to 26 mm diameter. Rigibore unveiled the Apex system at EMO 2019 last month.

The Apex boring head offers a closed-loop compensation system that automatically adjusts the diameter being cut as a result of commands sent directly from the machine tool’s control, based on values calculated by in-process measurements. Importantly, the boring head can be adjusted with micron accuracy, anywhere within the machine, completely independent of operator intervention. Compensations can be made with the head in the spindle, or even while it remains idle in the tool carousel and another operation takes place. Assurance that the correct adjustment value has been made is confirmed via direct feedback from the tool to the ActiveEdge interface.
“Typically, manufacturers experience all too familiar problems with conventional boring heads, mainly the issue of accurately setting and maintaining fine-tolerance limits, with high scrap rates impacting on bottom-line performance,” says Rigibore chairman Roger Bassett. “The requirement for operators to constantly check boring heads for accuracy, and then living in fear of backlash, and slowing production can now be eliminated.
“Our Apex boring head provides manufactures with a perfect bore, first time, every time, using macros to accurately adjust the boring head within predetermined tolerance parameters, all while reducing cycle time,” he adds.
For further information www.rigibore.com