Tooling manufacturer Paul Horn is expanding the range of products it supplies to manufacturers of equipment for machining pipes and sleeves used in oil and gas production, as well as to end users. The cost-effective OCTG (oil country tubular goods) machining solutions for use in API- and GOST-compliant – as well as premium joint applications – focus on ease of use. According to Horn, standard and customer-specific tools deliver a productive edge over other tools in the areas of handling, service life and cost per threaded connection.

The tool systems are available with standard machine interfaces including VDI, polygonal shank and round shank holders, and as solutions that are flange-mounted on turrets. They are adapted to suit the production process, from manual loading through to full automation. Both the screw clamp and ground geometries of Horn’s S117 and 315 systems, together with carefully matched tool holders, enable effective chip management.

There are no expensive parts such as chip breakers or shims to install, allowing customers to make savings when procuring tools. The two systems use substrates and coatings for the inserts that are tailored to the machining conditions, resulting in significant improvements in both cutting performance and tool life. Accurate interchangeability provided by the precision insert seats reduces the number of tool adjustments needed after changing inserts.

During thread cutting in API- and GOST-compliant applications, the S117’s numerous teeth enable the number of cuts to be minimised. The 315 system has three usable cutting edges, leading to cost optimisation. Horn says it is a good choice for premium joints that permit no more than one to three teeth per cutting edge.

For further information
www.phorn.co.uk

As Seco’s patented insert coating technology Duratomic enters its second decade, the company has released three new grades specifically for stainless steel turning. Among other things, the new TM grades offer customers used-edge detection technology, resulting in increased productivity.

More than a decade ago, Seco R&D specialists realised that it was possible to harness nanoscience and develop highly sophisticated coatings with thermal and chemical resistance properties that could be extremely strong and durable – at an atomically thin level. The result of their work was a patented insert coating technology that brought a combination of wear resistance and edge toughness to maximise insert grades in the prevention of cracks and breakage. Seco called it Duratomic.

“There are different ways to manipulate the various parts of the coating, and different translations of upper, bottom and centre layers for various usages. Knowing when and how to do it is what I would call the essence of Duratomic,” explains Mikael Lindholm, product manager – general ISO turning.

Today Duratomic has gone from strength to strength and is present in turning, drilling and milling applications.

“Seco Tools has always been expected to provide exceptional grade performance,” says Lindholm. “We recently released our Duratomic MP2501 and MP1501 milling grades, as well as three new grades within turning – TM1501, TM2501 and TM3501 — which are specifically for stainless steel turning.”

All these new Duratomic grades feature the company’s most recent generation of the technologies, with the possibility of access to chrome used-edge detection. The Duratomic TM turning grades improve productivity in a range of materials, from easy, often austenitic stainless steel to demanding high-alloy super-duplex stainless steels.

For further information
www.secotools.com

Walter has launched its MD377 Supreme and MC377 Advance solid-carbide milling cutters for the machining of titanium. Developed as high-end tools for the aerospace, motorsport and medical industries, the new arrivals are universal cutters for roughing, semi-finishing and finishing operations.

Incorporating a corner radius and central through-coolant supply, the new MD377 Supreme utilises Walter’s proven HPC Ti40 titanium geometry and new WTZ coating that makes it suitable for full slotting up to 1xD, ramping, shoulder milling and plunging. Also, the MD377 Supreme is suitable for dynamic milling processes.

The MD377 Supreme allows for tight tolerance machining and stands out thanks to its high metal removal rate. This high material removal rate is a credit to optimised cutting geometry and five cutting edges that can improve productivity levels and reduce vibration due to its differential pitch design.

Walter’s MD377 Supreme is available with a range of corner radii in diameters of 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20 and 25 mm, with a flute length of 13 mm on the 6 mm diameter tool ranging up to 45 mm on the 25 mm tool.

In contrast, the MC377 Advance is a four-flute titanium end mill that is also suitable for ISO P and M material designations. This diversity is credit to a tough AlCrN coating that works with Walter’s WK40EA substrate that makes the MC377 suitable for steel, stainless steel and titanium alloys.

The new MC377 Advance end mill without corner radii is available in diameters of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10 and 12 mm, while the MC377 Advance with corner radii comes with a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20 and 25 mm diameter.

For further information
www.walter-tools.com

French precision machining company Mecaprec has found that working closely with Seco has helped it to grow tenfold in a decade while supplying parts to the world’s biggest aerospace companies.

Company CEO Jean-Marc Gomez acquired the company in 2008 when it employed 12 people and had annual sales of €780,000. Shortly after, when Mecaprec invested in a series of Makino machining centres, it brought Seco Tools to the company’s attention.

“They had the tools we needed for a big contract that we landed in 2011 for Aubert & Duval, a world leader in upscale metallurgy,” says Gomez. “The distributor was too expensive, so we were happy to work directly with Seco, and the rest is history.”

Since then, the two companies have worked together closely, adopting new tools as they have been developed, which has helped Mecaprec to further expand its product range while reducing unit costs. Seco is now the company’s biggest supplier of cutting tools.

Today, Mecaprec employs 75 people and has annual sales of €10.5m, providing parts for customers such as Airbus, Boeing, Dassault, Embraer and Airbus Helicopter, along with tier-one suppliers like Figeac Aero, Aubert & Duval, PCC France, Artus and Mecachrome. Some 98% of Mecaprec’s work is in the aerospace industry, working mainly in titanium, Inconel and stainless steel. The company mills parts in dimensions ranging from 10 x 10 mm up to 1500 x 1500 mm, producing some 80,000 components every year.

“We want cutting tool specialists who will bring us their new technologies, supply us seamlessly, train our people, listen to our needs and keep us at the cutting edge – in Seco’s case, literally,” says Gomez. “We have a great relationship with Seco, and we look forward to that continuing long into the future.”

For further information
www.secotools.com

The manufacturing and internal machining of small parts requires precise quality tools, such as Kyocera’s EZ Bar series, which now includes a new item: the EZBF is able to undertake a one-shot boring process including a 90° step.

According to Kyocera, the EZ Bar series is suitable for high-quality products due to its minimal deviation, longer tool life and advanced machining efficiency when compared with conventional tools. Especially with its proprietary EZ adjust function, high-precision indexing is said to be easier than ever: a wide variety of ID processes is possible – boring, back turning, grooving, facing and even threading – just by changing one tool. The latest addition to the line-up even allows for hole bottom face-finishing processes.

For an even better finish, the EZ Bar can combine with the new PR1725, a PVD-coated carbide grade. This original development of Kyocera – named MegaCoat Nano Plus – tackles several customer challenges at once: producing a better surface finish; providing a cost-effective solution with a long tool life; and integrating tools for steel and stainless steel. With its wear and adhesion resistance, the tool also results in reduced cracking while machining.

To give customers more and better machining possibilities, the EZ Bar line-up is constantly expanding. For instance, EZ Bar 45° Chamfering and EZ Bar Copying types are in the pipeline for release this summer to help address an even wider variety of applications.

For further information
www.kyocera.co.uk