High-feed helical milling is 14 times faster

Carbide insert and cutting tool manufacturer Horn reports an application at Jörg Bamann Mechanische Werkstatt, a job shop in Geretsried, Germany, where a Horn DAH high-feed, indexable-insert milling cutter in a B-axis lathe is able to helically interpolate a circular groove into a round steel workpiece 14 times faster than a toroidal mill.

The 42CrMo4 (1.7225) alloy steel billet, quenched and tempered to 1000 N/mm², requires the rough machining of a 40 mm wide groove with a 240 mm outside diameter and a depth of just less than 90 mm. This component is a key part of a hydraulic rotator, used in construction and forestry for rotating attachments carried by excavators.

Seeking to optimise the groove machining process, owner Jörg Bamann approached Horn application engineer Korbinian Niedermeier, who recommended a high-feed milling solution. The subcontractor has been using Horn products for two decades.

Bamaan says: “Before switching to milling, we tried to produce the recess in the component by axial turning. We also tried a five-flute toroidal milling cutter with indexable inserts in the B-axis tool spindle. Neither were sufficiently successful.”

Niedermeier instead proposed a 40 mm diameter, high-feed DAH mill with five triple-edged inserts. At a cutting speed of 150 m/min, the tool is helically interpolated into the rotating workpiece with a continuous infeed depth of 1 mm and 0.8 mm feed per tooth. The new machining time for the recess is now just seven minutes per component, more than 14 times faster, while the life of the indexable inserts has increased threefold to 90 components per edge.

Bamann confirms: “Using the high-feed milling cutter has reduced the cycle time considerably and the load on the machine has also decreased, as cutting pressure and vibration are lower.”
For further information www.phorn.co.uk

Floyd is a star with new Alesa line

For the precision cutting of components and slots, Floyd Automatic Tooling is introducing the Alesa Nutex Star Mini system to complement the existing line of Nutex saws. The latest addition to the Nutex system incorporates a powerful interface with small shank diameters that helps to extend the application possibilities.

Available with a complete range of saw blade diameters and widths complemented by a comprehensive selection of tool holders, Floyd Automatic says that the Nutex Star Mini system is suitable for all machine shops.

Precision cutting is derived from the saw and holder having an identically ground seven-cam interface. This design makes the mounting of blades a self-centring proposition that is backlash-free. Furthermore, the saws can be supplied hollow-ground or in the proven ‘Plus’ design with side relief angle. The mounting process is rapid and precise credit to a central screw system that enables fast and easy fitting on the long solid-carbide holders.

Notably, the seven-cam design also ensures that cutting forces transmit evenly and tangentially, which enables the transmission of significantly higher cutting forces through the system, especially when compared with rival systems that offer two, three or four driving cams. The benefit for the end user is two-fold with improved precision and process reliability, particularly when cutting challenging materials such as aerospace or medical-grade alloys that demand increased torque.

To enhance swarf removal and prolong tool life, Alesa has developed the Nutex Star Mini system with through-coolant supply. The internal coolant supply delivers coolant directly to the saw surface via internal cooling channels in the tool shanks. These tool shanks are manufactured from steel or, optionally, solid carbide to enhance rigidity, performance, vibration dampening and tool life.
For further information www.floydautomatic.co.uk

Subi Performance opts for Big Kaiser tools

With meticulous attention to detail, the team at Subi Performance is technically ahead of the curve as it applies its creativity to set new standards in the tuning, assembly and repair of high-performance combustion engines. To support the company’s growth trajectory, it has invested in Big Kaiser spindle tools that are available in the UK from Industrial Tooling Corporation (ITC).

“I had to rebuild the end bearing on a Subaru boxer engine, which required a boring head,” says Andre Wojtkowski, founder and owner of Subi-Performance. “I came across the spindle tools from Big Kaiser, a company belonging to the Big Daishowa Group. In an e-mail, I described my problem to Jochen Renz, the technical manager at Big Daishowa and later we spoke on the phone. He applied his extensive know-how and suggested the Big Kaiser SW 53 tool might be the perfect fit for reverse machining.

“What can I say – the tool turned out super and the final result exceeded all my expectations,” he adds. “And since my business revolves around special tasks related to engines, I then made an appointment with Stefan Lenhart, a Big Kaiser application engineer to talk about future projects and possible uses of other tools in the range.”

Utilising fine-boring heads from Big Kaiser, Subi-Performance now covers the entire diameter range from 20 to 203 mm, starting with the EWN 20 and EWN 32 for machining camshaft lanes, as well as the EWN 41 for crankshaft bearing lanes and the EWN 68 for cylinder fits.

At Subi-Performance, the Smart Damper is used in combination with complete spindle tools. The special feature of the Smart Damper is its dynamic damping system that eliminates vibration when using long tools.
For further information www.itc-ltd.co.uk

Robotics sales team expands

With demand for RARUK Automation’s automation solutions continuing to grow, the company has expanded its team of robotics and systems sales engineers. The most recent appointment is Tony Bailes, the new robotics sales engineer for the northeast of England.
In his new role, Bailes will be responsible for the sale of Universal Robots (UR) collaborative robots (cobots) in his region. RARUK Automation is UR’s sole UK Platinum Partner. Bailes joins RARUK Automation with passion and enthusiasm for the automation industry, as well as a keen interest in engineering and manufacturing.
For further information www.rarukautomation.com

More tool reconditioning

As one of the fastest growing end mill and drill areas in the Seco Tools portfolio, the company’s solid-round tool reconditioning service has witnessed an increase in use of over 30% this year. In addition to significant cost savings for customers, a Seco reconditioned tool regains 85% to 95% of its original performance compared with tools that are re-ground or re-sharpened. Without having to readjust parameters or sacrifice performance, the reconditioned tool performance delivers for advanced machining strategies, such as in dynamic milling where only a small portion of a tool’s diameter engages in-cut.
For further information www.secotools.com/reconditioning