Although cutting tool manufacturer Mapal has handled tool management at automotive supplier Schabmüller Automobiltechnik for some time, the company has now also taken over CADCAM programming for components, including simulations. With growing requirements for aluminium machining, Schabmüller says it values this full-service solution.

Schabmüller near Ingolstadt has been an automotive supplier since 1988, specialising increasingly in the efficient manufacture of large series. The parts are installed in vehicles made by Mercedes, Porsche, Audi, BMW and Jaguar, among others. SMI operates predominantly as a tier-two supplier. Major clients include Aludyne and Strojmetal, which directly supply the automotive industry as an aluminium foundry and forge.

When recently becoming involved in the production of suspension parts, Schabmüller had a whole new experience. A good example was a hub carrier, where issues with stiffness arose during test drives. Almost at the last minute, another surface required machining and a stiffening rib was added.

To get a better grip on these short-term changes and continue optimising overall production, Schabmüller decided to bring Mapal on board at the CADCAM programming phase.

“We have a very co-operative partnership with Mapal and appreciate their rapid response times,” explains Schabmüller’s managing director Helmut Häckl. “So we felt good about expanding our co-operation to CNC programming and simulation.”

NC programming, simulation and tool management are today perfectly intertwined. For instance, simulation data is included in tool planning, which helps detect potential collisions at an early stage. Simulation also plays a key role, showing approach angles that can be used to improve material removal, for example.

More information www.mapal.com

At its recent Technology Days open house in Tübingen, Germany, cutting tool and insert manufacturer Paul Horn GmbH explained the measures it is taking when producing its latest products to mitigate the difficulties that its customers face due to the phasing out of lead as an alloying element.

The main problem when machining lead-free alloys, whether steel or brass, is a lack of reliable chip breaking. Horn engineers remedied this for grooving and longitudinal turning by taking laser-cut chip-breaker geometries normally reserved for cutting steels, adapting them and applying them not only to those materials but also to lead-free brass and other non-ferrous alloys that no longer have their free-machining properties. Extensive investigations showed this works very well.

For boring, geometries were again adapted to ensure reliable chip breaking. One of the biggest challenges in internal machining is the generation of long swarf that wraps around the tool, clogs the hole or, in the worst case, leads to tool breakage. Previously, laser-cut or ground chip breaker geometries were employed but such carbide inserts tend to be expensive.

With Horn’s new Type 105 Supermini and now the Type Mini with I geometry, Horn has succeeded in developing boring tools with a chip breaker form that is pressed into the insert’s rake face as the green tungsten-carbide blank is being manufactured. After the blank has gone through the high-temperature sintering process, the chip-breaker shape is permanently fused into the final, hard insert. Such geometries are cost-effective, can be used universally for different material groups, and are suitable for internal, face, copy and back turning. Horn reports that chip control is good, even when the infeed rate is low.

More information www.horn-group.com

Tooling manufacturer Seco says its new generation of Round 20 copy mills and inserts offers excellent performance in a wide range of applications, including face, side, slot, plunge and ramp milling. Round 20 inserts are compatible with cutter bodies from previous generations and provide additional performance in challenging materials.

The new Seco Round 20 cutters and inserts are suitable for productive medium-to-rough milling in steel, stainless steels and heat-resistant superalloys, as well as cast iron and hardened steels. According to the company, the large-diameter inserts maximise material removal rates and offer a cost-effective means to generate an R10 mm radii with 20 mm round inserts.

“The new generation of Round 20 represents a significant step forward from its predecessors,” says Seco product manager Benoit Patriarca. “With today’s Round 20, inserts can be indexed to four, six or eight positions, allowing users to match the insert consumption to the depth of cut being taken. This flexibility also means the new inserts integrate with existing cutter bodies that index to four or eight positions.”

Through the use of insert shims and cassettes, users can maximise the life of Round 20 cutter bodies. With these options, manufacturers reduce the risk of damaging an insert pocket and eliminate the replacement cost and potential downtime that accompany unexpected tool breakage.

Round 20 features 16 available cutter bodies with four shim options and three cassette options, as well as 30 indexable cutting inserts.
More information www.secotools.com

With the arrival of the new UE6 and RE6, Walter is expanding its GD26 grooving portfolio with two indexable insert geometries for medium machining. The cutting tool manufacturer now offers a total of 12 geometries in seven wear-resistant Tiger-tec Gold grades for parting-off, grooving, groove-turning and copy turning.

According to Walter, the new UE6 geometry is characterised by its ability to generate low cutting forces and effective chip control, particularly when grooving and groove-turning. Alongside the UE6 is the new RE6 full-radius range of inserts which Walter says has been designed to generate excellent surface finishes and optimum chip control, especially during dynamic turning.

Thanks to its large chip-breaking range, UE6 geometry enables reliable chip evacuation in all grooving operations. Complementing this capability, RE6 geometry offers the best conditions for copy and relief turning. Both variants are suitable for use with the Groov-tec GD grooving system, the stability of which further enhances the potential of the inserts.

Fitted with Tiger-tec Gold Indexable inserts, the Groov-tec GD can be used universally for all ISO material groups. The patent-pending double serration profile is central to the high stability of the system. It prevents the cutting insert from being pushed out of the insert seat from the side. A raised centre tooth serration also secures the insert against incorrect engagement into the pocket.

In addition to the increased stability compared with standard prism clamps, the serrations on the Groov-tec system minimise wear and dampen micro-vibrations during the cut. This capability increases tool life by up to 50%. When combined with the optional precision cooling system, machining applications can benefit from shorter cycle times, higher productivity levels and improved process reliability, reports Walter. Further to the advantages gained during demanding machining operations, Groov-tec GD offers conditions conducive to unmanned and high-volume production.

More information www.walter-tools.com