At the heart of Hollingworth Design’s subcontract capability in Stockport are two Index bar-fed turn-mill centres, a G200-2 and a C100. These machines, especially the G200-2 with its powerful B-axis and capability of simultaneous cutting with up to four tools, consistently open up many possibilities.
“Any job that can be machined from bar is classed as a turning job, and goes on these machines, even if there is no actual turning involved,” states director Paul Hollingworth.

Applying this philosophy allows cycle times to be drastically reduced, with help from cutting tool supplier Ceratizit UK & Ireland. A good example is one particular component destined for use on superyachts. Initially, Hollingworth Design was using a four-flute 6 mm diameter milling cutter on these 303 stainless steel components. Ceratizit recommended changing this to a five-flute Silverline solid-carbide cutter. Running at 6250 rpm spindle speed, 120 m/min cutting speed and 0.1 mm/rev feed rate with a 1.5 mm step down every rev, the Silverline cutter completed the entire batch of 4000 components without being changed.

“The performance of this cutter simply blew me away,” says Hollingworth. “We achieved a cycle time of 3.5 minutes per component, running the machine 24/7 and meeting all of our customer’s expectations.”

This job is a typical example of the approach that Hollingworth Design takes, to look at every aspect of the application and engineer a process to make improvements. To maximise the benefit for customers, the company looks at batch quantities from 500 upwards, recently completing a single order for 72,000 components. Machining these volumes demands support from Ceratizit in the form of regular visits, along with daily management of tooling through use of a Ceratizit TOM 840 tool-vending system.

For further information
www.ceratizit.com

With the WPP10G, WPP20G and WPP30G grades, Walter presents its new Tiger·tec Gold indexable inserts for turning operations. During development, Walter set out to reduce flank face wear by 30 to 60%.

In reality, tool life increased by an average of 50% according to the results of over 130 customer tests. The primary application is steel with a tensile strength of 600 to 900 N/mm². However, Walter’s new grades can also machine lightweight components made of steel with high tensile strength of 1000 to 1400 N/mm², which are on-trend at the moment.

The indexable inserts are of particular interest to mass producers in the automotive, energy and general engineering sectors, where they significantly reduce cost per component, says Walter. The company is launching the grades with nine geometries across the programme for applications such as optimised chip breaking on long-chipping, low-carbon materials (MP3) and interrupted cutting (RP7).

According to Walter, another key feature of the Tiger·tec Gold inserts for turning is their process reliability. This characteristic, alongside the performance and tool life of the inserts, is the result of their layer structure. A patent-pending, highly textured MT-TiCN layer reduces flank face wear, increases toughness and optimises elasticity. Additionally, a highly textured Al2O3 layer increases the product’s resistance to crater wear, while the gold-coloured top layer improves wear detection.

The final multi-stage post-treatment of the inserts ensures a smooth rake face, less friction and a high level of toughness, reports Walter. Individual alignment of the grades makes the indexable inserts highly versatile: WPP10G for continuous cuts and light interrupted cuts; WPP20G as a universal grade for 50% of applications; and the tough WPP30G grade for interrupted cuts as well as unstable or unfavourable conditions.

For further information
www.walter-tools.com

Now available in the UK from Floyd Automatic Tooling is the latest cutting tool innovation from Mikron Tool. The new CrazyMill Cool P&S square and corner radius series end mill is a new three-flute tool with patented coolant supply ducts integrated into the shank. This feature is specifically to aid the rough and finish milling of stainless steels, titanium and aluminium based superalloys, as well as nickel-chromium based superalloys.

The versatility and geometry of the new CrazyMill Cool P&S also make it very adapted to application on materials such as steels (up to 40 HRc), cast iron, non-ferrous metals and plastics. Based on its ability to plunge vertically to 1xD and ramp at 45° angles, the new CrazyMill Cool P&S becomes a ‘plunge mill’ capable of milling and drilling applications, making it especially suitable for milling grooves, pockets, face and side milling in the smallest of spaces, as well as linear ramp milling.

The solid-carbide end mills are available in diameters from 1 to 3 mm, in 0.1 mm increments. Mikron’s new series is available as a Type A and Type C variant. Type A end mills are manufactured with an optimised 2.5xD geometry for the robust machining of challenging materials and high metal removal rates. The Type C end mills provide a 5xD geometry for reaching into cavities and machining complex profiles.

CrazyMill Cool P&S is manufactured from a micro-grain carbide that, according to Floyd Automatic, demonstrates the perfect hardness to toughness ratio. This robust platform is coated with Mikron Tool’s eXedur SNP coating technology, which is a high-performance heat and wear-resistant coating that also assists the chip removal process. Complementing eXedur SNP is a customised flute and relief angle design that demonstrates a stable cutting-edge angle to prevent the lateral hooking-up and edge chipping which is often caused by excess vibration.

For further information
www.floydautomatic.co.uk

Kennametal has introduced its next-generation 3D-printed stator bore tool for the machining of aluminium engine housings for electric vehicles. This latest version of the tool features a newly designed arm structure, a larger centre tube made of carbon fibre and a further weight reduction of greater than 20% over the original design. The complex tool is capable of machining three large diameters in just one operation, saving set-up time and machining time for automotive component manufacturers, while delivering high accuracy and surface qualities.

The newly redesigned tool recently won MM MaschinenMarkt’s Best of Industry Award in the Production and Manufacturing category based on votes by readers and industry experts.

“As our automotive customers expand their offerings of hybrid and electric vehicles, we continue to respond to their need for lighter weight tooling solutions,” says Ingo Grillenberger, product manager at Kennametal. “By leveraging advanced manufacturing techniques like 3D printing, we’ve reduced weight a further 20% over the first-generation tool, while improving chip control and increasing tool rigidity – innovations that help our customers machine faster and more efficiently.”

Machining three diameters in one operation, the stator bore tool ensures the alignment and concentricity of the machined surfaces, while reducing cycle time significantly. The lightweight 3D printed combination tool enables a faster tool change and spin-up even on less powerful machines. According to Kennametal, the surface specifications and component tolerances are achieved without constraints.

Hassle-free chip removal arrives by means of aerofoil-shaped arms with through-coolant to ensure precise and powerful coolant supply to the cutting edges and guide pads. This capability would be difficult or impossible to produce economically with traditional manufacturing, but 3D printing enables Kennametal to realise even complex internal features.

For further information
www.kennametal.com

Tungaloy has extended its Tung-Tri indexable square shoulder milling system with the new size 04 insert. The 04 size has a 3.5 mm cutting edge length that makes this new arrival compatible with tool body diameters as small as 8 mm. With the 04 inserts available for tool bodies from 8 to 25 mm diameter, the extremely small Tung-Tri 04 insert has a 4 mm inscribed circle, yet it delivers the same benefits of light cutting and long tool life that existing Tung-Tri inserts have been providing for manufacturers. This capability enables the Tung-Tri 04 to generate up to double the tooth density when compared with alternate tools, and subsequently increase feed rates. The compact configuration enables a 16 mm diameter Tung-Tri 04 cutter to offer four inserts per cutter, whereas the 25 mm diameter cutter can facilitate six teeth. This insert density is common throughout the Tung-Tri series, ensuring that all tool body diameters and insert designations can offer maximum productivity levels and feed rates for end users.

Complementing the new compact size 04 inserts are tool bodies for size 06, 10 and 15 inserts. The 06 inserts are suitable for 12 to 50 mm diameter tool bodies, with 25 to 100 mm bodies for the size 10 inserts and 40 to 160 mm diameter bodies for the size 15 inserts.

The new Tung-Tri series uses three-edged inserts developed specifically to deliver precision, productivity and cost efficiency for shoulder milling applications. According to Vargus, this allows users to choose an optimal tool set-up according to the given part sizes and the required material removal volume.

For further information
www.tungaloy.com