A new generation of grades developed by Boehlerit for rough-turning stainless steels is available from Horn under a joint sales co-operation agreement between the two tool manufacturers. The tools are the result of innovations in carbide manufacture, insert coating and chip flow, with parameters finely tuned to create the new grades: BCP10T, BCP15T, BCP20T and BCP25T.

Horn says that all grades offer high performance and reliability throughout the entire turning process. Designated MRM, a special chip breaker with a modified chamfer suppresses a significant proportion of the vibration generated by the machining process to ensure reliable chip flow.

According to Horn, the new AlTiN PVD coating meets demanding temperature and toughness requirements, while its golden colour allows easy wear detection. The coating allows the machining of small diameter components, as it is capable of operating at low cutting speeds. In addition, the coating makes the grades suitable for turning when the tool is required to enter the material frequently.

With the new MRM chip breaker, Boehlerit has extended its ISO turning portfolio for medium to heavy roughing of stainless steels and can now offer indexable insert geometry for virtually any application. The chip breaker is an extension of the established BMRS geometry. Although the feed rate ranges are similar, MRM boasts a deeper rake angle, resulting in significant differences in micro-geometry. Boehlerit says this development reduces the cutting force, increases process safety and extends cutter life when machining hard stainless steels.

For further information
www.phorn.co.uk

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