Together with its customers, Seco, part of Sandvik Group, says it is redefining the management and use of cutting tools, driving greater efficiency and sustainability throughout the product lifecycle.

A key contributor is Seco’s reconditioning programme for solid-carbide tools, helping customers to reduce both environmental impact and tooling costs. Through its reconditioning services, the company is not only extending tool life but also paving the way for smarter, more efficient and sustainable manufacturing.

Traditionally, machine shops discard worn solid-carbide tools, contributing to high operational costs and environmental impact. The Seco reconditioning programme offers an alternative: restoring original tool quality and prolonging life while guaranteeing new tool performance. By bringing the tools back to their original geometry and coating, and extending their lifecycle, machines shops gain from reduced raw material consumption, environmental impact and cutting tool costs.

But the benefits go further. Ongoing geopolitical risks continue to disrupt global supply chains, highlighting the importance of proximity to manufacturers. A more local reconditioning resource not only shortens lead times but also supports broader sustainability goals by enhancing environmental and operational efficiency. Seco continues to grow its global reconditioning presence, with full capabilities across key regions.

In addition to remanufacturing services, Seco also has its own recycling programme for carbide tools. When tools are so worn out that remanufacturing is no longer possible, the company brings them back and ensures responsible recycling into new products.

A key enabler in transforming Seco’s solid-carbide tool offering is digital traceability, powered by data matrix codes. A laser-etched matrix code allows the tracking of each individual tool from production to reconditioning, and eventually recycling. Digital traceability gives real time insight into the status of every tool in the reconditioning loop.

More information www.secotools.com

As ‘lightweighting’ components for e-mobility, aviation and transport need to be manufactured more efficiently, the requirement for advanced aluminium machining solutions has never been greater. Materials in the ISO-N group are becoming increasingly prevalent and, to support this trend, Guhring has introduced its RF 100 AL range of end mills.

The company says this new family of high-end solid-carbide milling cutters in diameters from 1 to 25 mm meets the exacting requirements of modern non-ferrous metal and plastic machining. Of particular note is the new Guhring RF 100 AL Micro, which sits at the micro end of the spectrum. Available in all popular diameter increments from 0.5 to 3.0 mm with cutting lengths of 2.5xD and 5xD, this micro-precision milling cutter delivers high performance even in demanding or intricate applications.

According to Guhring, the RF 100 AL Micro impresses with material removal rates that can reduce cycle times by up to 76% compared with conventional small end mills. Smooth surface finish and effective burr control complement this productivity improvement, while process reliability concerns are eliminated through the tool’s intelligent design.

Key to the RF 100 AL Micro’s performance is a combination of advanced technologies. An ultra-thin Carbo+ coating reduces wear, increases machining performance and extends tool life, which is crucial for the integrity of micro-diameter tools.

The new round bevel chamfer delivers smooth surface finishes, while strengthening the cutting edge to prevent edge chipping and tool breakage, which is critical when machining with small tools. With four or six through-coolant channels incorporated as part of the GühroJet internal cooling system, chip removal is reliable, efficient and prevents the re-cutting of swarf, even in deep cavities. 

More information www.guhring.co.uk

With the upgrade of its ConeFit milling cutters, Walter is presenting the latest version of the tooling manufacturer’s interchangeable head system. Now, 17 milling cutter families have been merged into eight and provided with new ordering codes adapted to the current nomenclature.

For customers, this development means simplified order handling. At the same time, applications benefit from a technical upgrade thanks to the new coating with Walter’s wear-resistant WJ30TP grade. The universal TiAlN coating featuring gold-coloured ZrN top layer not only extends tool life, it also allows rapid wear detection. Like all ConeFit replaceable heads, the enhanced milling cutters are characterised by their high-precision, self-centring interface that consists of a thread, cone and contact surface. This design enables tool changes with speed, precision and stability.  

As a technical highlight, the MD340 ConeFit Milling cutter is a specialist for ISO P materials. Its variable 39°/41° helix reduces vibration, which increases operational smoothness, performance, surface finish and tool life. The z4 milling cutter is available in a diameter range from 10 to 20mm, with and without a corner radius.

In addition to the current highlights, the MC430 and MC500 incorporate the  WJ30TP grade, while the internally cooled MD070 has been WJ30RA coated. This revised Walter ConeFit programme also includes other milling cutters upgrades.

The wide selection of high-performance re-grindable milling heads also provides machine shops with flexibility. The range enables users to utilise different milling heads in one adaptor. Milling cutters can be changed in seconds without re-tooling or resetting, and with minimal downtime. Manufacturers from the mechanical engineering, energy and automotive industries are among those set to benefit.

More information www.walter-tools.com

TaeguTec has expanded its DIA-RUSH product family with new diamond-coated grades engineered for machining composite materials and non-ferrous metals. This strategic product line expansion directly addresses rising market demand for effective ways to machine lightweight materials.

The three new grades feature TaeguTec’s advanced nano-diamond coating technology, which introduces numerous nano-diamond structures with strong adhesion to the substrate layer. This approach delivers hardness exceeding HV8000, as well as high thermal stability, impact resistance and machining stability.

TaeguTec’s expanded product line-up includes three specialised grades. The new TTD610 is for composite materials such as CFRP and GFRP. Compared with competitive solutions, the company says the nano-diamond coating reduces delamination and achieves high hole accuracy in CFRP machining.

The TTD610 grade is applied to TaeguTec’s RCME, RCDE, RRFE, RCOM and RDCF solid-carbide end mills, as well as the CDF, AES and NHD series of drills, providing solutions for aircraft frame, car chassis and wind turbine blade applications.

Complementing the TTD610, the new TTD620 grade has been optimised for graphite machining applications. This grade demonstrates thermal stability during high-speed operations and delivers wear resistance for electrode and industrial part production. It replaces the previous TT6050 diamond-coated grade. The TTD620 is available in TaeguTec’s DMB, DEB, DMR and DER ranges of two-flute ball-nose, short-ball, corner radius, and three-flute corner radius solid-carbide end mills, as well as the APCT, 3PHT and CCGT insert geometries.

The third new grade, TTD630, is for machining ceramic and zirconium dioxide. It offers wear and thermal shock resistance, and strong coating adhesion for demanding applications such as the machining of dental crowns. The TTD630 grade enables effective machining with HSB and HSF solid-carbide end mills, as well as NHD solid drills for industrial and dental applications.

More information www.taegutec.com

With the new 66T grooving system, Horn is expanding its cutting tool portfolio in the area of six-edged indexable inserts, which are said to offer a competitive price per cutting edge. The maximum grooving depth is 9.5 mm, which is about 4 mm more than is possible with the sister system, 64T. The cutting width is either 2.5 or 3 mm, while the corner radius is 0.2 mm.

Depending on the application, Horn offers 66T grooving inserts with a choice of two chip-breaker geometries, 1A or DL, to ensure reliable chip management during machining, plus a further version without geometry for maximum edge strength. The IG65 carbide grade is used for machining stainless steels and difficult-to-cut materials. For general steels, Horn recommends the EG55 carbide grade.

The 1A geometry is suitable for groove turning operations only, while the DL geometry is suitable for longitudinal turning as well as grooving. For the former operation, the inserts are available with a corner radius of 0.4 mm. According to Horn, the variants with chip-breaking geometry ensure excellent surface quality on the groove flanks, while the straight main cutting edge produces a cleanly finished base. 

Designed as neutral grooving inserts, they can be clamped in square shanks, with internal coolant delivery to either the left or right-hand side. Shank cross section is 20 x 20 mm or 25 x 25 mm. A clamping screw fixes the grooving insert precisely and securely in the central insert seat. The inserts are also compatible with Horn’s modular type 220 clamping cassette holder system.

More information www.horn-group.com