Library provides instant cutting data suggestions

Seco has launched a web-based tool that provides customers with product-specific, instant cutting data recommendations based on their machine information. The Seco Machine Library simplifies the process of identifying, purchasing and optimising tools that are appropriate for specific machines.

“Machine Library is the latest addition to the Seco ‘My Pages’ portal that supports customers with a personalized digital experience at secotools.com,” says Seco product lead Simon Karlström. “Customers can quickly access detailed cutting data for a particular tool based on their specific machine characteristics, in addition to getting fast product information. Machine Library closes the loop with all the data an operator needs to get the machine cutting straight away.”

Customers can easily add, edit and delete machines, along with characteristics such as manufacturer, model, CNC, coolant, rpm, torque and power by simply logging in to their secure My Pages portal and navigating to ‘Machine Library’. Once the library is populated with machine information, customers simply add their machine in the cutting data tab on the product details page to obtain machine-specific cutting data recommendations. Additionally, users will be able to adjust machining parameters like cutting methods and number of passes to optimise their processes.

Configuring and saving their individual machines in Machine Library enables customers to integrate with future Seco digital products. Calculating cutting data based on their unique machine settings gives operators quicker and more accurate parameter recommendations to avoid costly trial and error. Machine-specific cutting data will help shops be more productive with increased throughput and decreased scrap.

Seco Machine Library recommends cutting data for any combination of machine and tool.

More information www.secotools.com

FCR end mills offer vibration-free machining

Now available in the UK from Industrial Tooling Corporation (ITC), Fullcut Mill FCR indexable end mills from Big Kaiser are said to deliver vibration-free machining. The new Big Kaiser system integrates its indexable inserts with the machine spindle via the BBT (Big-Plus BT taper) interface. FCR end mills are also available in HSK A-63 and BDV interfaces. Notably, the monoblock design helps to reduce vibration and chatter while improving system rigidity. As a result, manufacturers can achieve improved process reliability and consistency.

The Fullcut Mill FCR is an indexable insert tool that come in two variants: standard and long nose (both supplied with a BBT interface). Big Kaiser’s FCR is available in four diameters spanning 16 to 32 mm, with two or three insert seats. The long nose version is more cylindrical and thinner, resulting in a smaller interference contour for difficult-to-access work surfaces.

Compared with solid-carbide end mills, the Fullcut Mill offers enhanced performance through its increased stability and lower running costs. This is credit to users only needing to swap out inserts and not an entire solid-carbide end mill. The advantage of the Fullcut Mill is its insert geometry, which consists of a dedicated single-diameter geometry with a sharp cutting edge for both high radial and axial rake angles. The result? A smooth cut that requires less cutting effort and therefore less spindle power, leaving the surface smooth and burr-free, even when performing a strong interrupted cut.

“The Fullcut Mill FCR is a versatile tool that’s able to handle multi-functional operations such as helical milling, peck-milling, grooving and shoulder milling,” says Giampaolo Roccatello, chief sales and marketing officer for Big Kaiser Europe.

More information www.itc-ltd.co.uk

New drills suit stainless steel and titanium

Guhring has developed a new addition to its hole-making range: the new RT100 InoxPro series of solid-carbide drills. Designed for the drilling of stainless steels and titanium alloys, the new RT100 InoxPro overcomes the challenges of tool wear with its combination of tough carbide grade, new geometry and dedicated coating technology.

According to Guhring, RT100 InoxPro gives manufacturers a 50% increase in feed rates and productivity, with a 60% improvement in tool life compared to conventional stainless steel drills. Furthermore, the geometry design of the RT100 InoxPro optimises swarf control and evacuation to ensure process reliability, even when drilling up to 7xD.

This performance level is achieved with an optimised sickle-shaped cutting edge that forms and evacuates swarf, a smooth Perrox coating which increases wear protection and polished flute surfaces that remove swarf from the cutting area at speed to prevent built-up edge. Available in 3xD, 5xD and 7xD lengths, the RT100 InoxPro comes with a 140° point angle and coolant channels to support swarf removal and extend tool life

Guhring’s RT100 InoxPro is available from 3 to 20 mm diameter in 0.1 mm increments, with all imperial dimensions supported. The 3xD series has an overall length of 62 to 131 mm and a flute length of 20 to 79 mm, depending on the chosen diameter. In contrast, the 7xD range of drills has an overall length from 70 to 244 mm with a cutting length from 30 to 190 mm.

Complementing the new RT100 InoxPro is the new InoxPro fluteless taps, which offer synced macro and micro geometry with an optimised lubricating flute geometry and polygon shape. Guhring says this ensures reliable fluteless tapping in stainless and other high-grade austenitic steels.

More information www.guhring.co.uk

Notable cycle time savings with Ceratizit tools

Lancashire-based subcontract manufacturing specialist Woodbrook Precision continually invests in the latest machine tools, supported by cutting tool solutions from Ceratizit UK. 

Indeed, Woodbrook’s managing director Stephen Hogg says that Ceratizit has been instrumental in enhancing the productivity of the company’s new machinery.

Stephen’s father founded the second-generation business more than 35 years ago.

Initially investing in three-axis Mazak VMCs with rotary tables and turning centres with live tooling, more recent acquisitions have included two 3.5-m bed Mazak VTC800/30SR five-axis machining centres and a five-axis Mazak CV5-500. As the business has shifted from machining steel and aluminium to stainless, super duplex, titanium, Inconel, carbon fibre and Hastelloy, Ceratizit UK has risen through the ranks to be the cutting tool partner of choice.

“Over 10 years ago, Ceratizit was one of many suppliers but, as I took control of the business, it became evident that Ceratizit had the best-performing tools and their service was far beyond anything else,” says Hogg, who can cite many successful examples.

“We recently implemented Ceratizit facing and parting-off tools, and it reduced the component cycle time on 400-off job from 1 minute 58 seconds to 1 minute 26 seconds. Furthermore, Dragonskin CircularLine DLC-coated solid-carbide end mills have cut cycle times on an aluminium part from 3 minutes to 1 minute 20 seconds, while more than doubling tool life.”

On another 100-off repeat order for stainless steel aerospace fixtures, the company needed to reduce its cycle times to maximise margins and reduce costs. Ceratizit introduced a high-feed indexable end mill, reducing our cycle times from 38 to 26 minutes per part, with a tool life improvement of more than 20%.

More information www.ceratizit.com

MITSUBISHI WIRE EDM FROM ETG DELIVERS LIGHTS-OUT MACHINING FOR BELCLIFFE ENGINEERING

With more than 40 years of manufacturing tube and roll forming machinery, as well as equipment and consumables, Bellcliffe Engineering is an expert in extending the service life and uptime of rolling mills and extrusion plant. To service its long-standing customer base, the West Bromwich manufacturer has a modern machine shop enhanced recently by the arrival of a Mitsubishi MV 2400S wire EDM from the Engineering Technology Group (ETG). Installed in September last year, the new Mitsubishi MV 2400S replaced an ageing EDM machine.

The West Bromwich subcontractor serves customers in the automotive, offshore, energy and agriculture sectors, among others. With a wide portfolio of high-end machine tools, the company made its first foray into wire EDM cutting around eight years ago.

Recalling why the company initially invested in EDM technology, Bellcliffe Engineering’s manufacturing director John Sutcliffe recalls: “We were manufacturing a lot of roll tooling for cold forming and extrusion dies, and the electricity generation sector and the parts we were machining required keyway cutting. With many parts machined from H13, D2 and Inconel, we were using a lot of indexable inserts and solid-carbide tools. The cost of inserts was £55 per part, and we tried several different tooling solutions without tangible benefits. As this cost was unsustainable, we looked at ‘dipping our toe’ in the water with EDM. My wife lent the business £4000 and we bought a second-hand EDM machine.”

With limited experience and an old EDM machine, the company managed to machine the external profiles and then finish the parts on a wire machine, reducing cycle times from 2.25 hours for machining to 1.75 hours using EDM, as well as reducing the tooling bill. The company subsequently invested in an additional second-hand wire EDM five years ago. However, as the business has evolved, the requirement for EDM has increased exponentially.

“The extrusion die tools incorporate an aperture and a sweep and these are consumable items that we are now producing in quantities of more than 100 per month,” explains Sutcliffe. “Our ageing EDM machines can process six apertures and four sweeps in a single set-up. However, with old machines that have reliability issues – as well as no automatic wire re-threading facility – we were losing many lights-out production hours.”

With the parts requiring pre-EDM block and face machining, when transferred to the EDM machines, an aperture would take 1 hour 10 minutes to wire, while the sweep parts would take over 2 hours 45 minutes. With the potential for up to 18+ hours of unmanned wire cutting, Bellcliffe was losing significant machine hours due to the reliability of its machines and the lack of auto wire re-threading. A new solution was required and the Mitsubishi MV2400S fitted the bill perfectly.

“We’re a subcontract machine shop with expertise in machining – not EDM,” says Sutcliffe. “So, when it came to finding a suitable solution, we investigated the market and spoke with the major manufacturers. We found a lot of high-end technology with all the ’bells and whistles’, but we needed a reliable, productive, precision EDM solution that would meet our needs. The Mitsubishi MV2400S was the perfect machine.”

He continues: “We were sold on Mitsubishi for two factors. Firstly, it was the discussions with ETG’s Andrew Dolan and Scott Elsmere. They were extremely knowledgeable, discussing the comprehensive training packages and how ETG would be at our side from the installation and training to the daily operation of the machine. As EDM novices, this was of critical importance. Secondly, it was the performance of the machine. With auto wire re-threading, automatic clocking-up and datum setting of the jobs – and a programming suite with remarkable ease of use – we were confident we could hit the ground running. And we did.”

Looking at some of the productivity benefits of the Mitsubishi machine over the existing EDM technology at Bellcliffe, EDM machinist Conor Deakin says: “The cutting speed of the Mitsubishi MV2400S is 10-20% faster than our existing machines. On jobs upward of 200 mm thick, we are cutting through D2 at more than 0.4 mm/min compared to 0.2 mm/min on our other machine, giving us a 50% cycle time improvement.”

Another major benefit is the ability to set more parts on the machine. The Mitsubishi can accommodate 15 apertures and eight sweeps, which is a major improvement on the six apertures and four sweeps using Belcliffe’s other machine. The company can now run for more than 18+ hours unmanned.

“We are also about to introduce new fixturing that will allow us to clamp up to 30 plates, which will give us an unmanned running time of 60+ hours,” reveals Deakin. “This means we can set the machine at the end of the week and it’ll run most of the weekend unmanned. Considering we cannot leave our other EDM machine unattended without the concern of a wire breakage, tank refill time-out or paddle breakage, having 60+ hours of unmanned production is fantastic.”

Concluding on the machine, Deakin says: “We have a lot more to come from this machine as we’re still in the early stages. For example, when we fully understand how to optimise the flushing cups, we expect to increase productivity by an additional 20%. There are benefits everywhere with this machine. We have reduced clocking up from 20+ minutes to 2-3 minutes due to the Mitsubishi’s ability to set the datum points automatically. Furthermore, the CNC system is easy to operate and navigate, which further streamlines programming and setting up.”

Adding his final thoughts, Sutcliffe says: “We are delighted with the Mitsubishi machine and, although it was purchased for a specific type of work, we’re now applying it to other components. This is absorbing capacity from some of our other machine tools by giving us lights-out machining while reducing the costs of cutting tools and machining. We’re also being asked by new and existing customers to quote for additional work that is perfectly tailored to EDM cutting.”

More information www.engtechgroup.com