In a joint sales co-operation with Boehlerit, Horn Cutting Tools has introduced to the UK market an expanded 3D milling programme for the tool and mould-making industry.

The ISO 00P is a universal tool system for general mechanical engineering and mould making. As the inserts are mounted in a neutral position in the tool holder, they ensure a high level of contouring accuracy. However, despite the neutral position, the edge geometry enables a soft cut to be achieved.
Boehlerit’s RhombiTec system is a universal finishing tool for all standard materials and applications. The indexable inserts demonstrate high manufacturing precision and long tool life, says the company. Of particular note, the axial and radial wiper geometry is said to ensure high productivity, good surface quality and vibration-free finishing, even at high depths of cut.
The BallTec and TorroTec milling systems are multi-functional tools for achieving high productivity. These systems allow users to save on tool holders, as the ball-nose copying tools are suitable for semi-finishing and finishing.
Additionally, Boehlerit offers a variety of indexable inserts and tool holders. The carbide shank with brazed insert seat provides vibration damping, resulting in high levels of surface quality on the workpiece. Inserts based on ultra-fine carbide ensure high wear resistance combined with elevated fracture resistance, which increases process reliability. All variants have an internal coolant supply.
For further information www.phorn.co.uk

Kennametal has added to its Harvi line of solid-carbide end mills in the shape of its Harvi I TE. With a radical new design, the HARVI I TE is suitable for use on materials that include steel, stainless steel, high-temperature alloys and cast iron.

Furthermore, thanks to significantly reduced cutting forces, the tool can be used on any machining centre or mill-turn centre in the shop.
“The Harvi I TE consistently outperformed competing four-flute end mills in both wet and dry machining tests on a variety of materials and applications, delivering unprecedented tool life in many cases,” states Bernd Fiedler, manager – solid end milling. “It performs exceptionally well on heavy roughing and finishing cuts alike, from deep cavities and full width slots to shoulder and dynamic milling.”
Kennametal engineers designed the Harvi I TE to address four key problems that plague more than 90% of all milling applications: chip evacuation, tool deflection, corner stability, and breakage due to radial cutting forces. The result, according to the company, is a tool that is durable and versatile enough to tackle the lion´s share of milling applications.
Consider chip evacuation. The Harvi I TE has a novel flute design that helps curl and break chips into manageable pieces, while a series of chip gashes within the flute lift those chips up and away from the workpiece. Both serve to promote coolant flow, eliminate chip re-cutting and improve tool life. A twisted end face and novel gashing further promote chip evacuation but are also responsible for the Harvi I TE´s ramping and plunging capabilities.
Tool deflection is reduced thanks to the tool´s parabolic core, as well as an eccentric, faceted relief along the entire flute length that lowers cutting friction.
For further information www.kennametal.com

ActiveEdge Apex, the latest fully automated fine-boring innovation from Rigibore, is pitched at the accurate machining of small bores. Making use of Rigibore’s ActiveEdge technology, Apex is said to be a world-first in terms of fully integrated, automatically adjustable fine-boring heads, delivering precision performance on bores ranging from 0.25 to 26 mm diameter. Rigibore unveiled the Apex system at EMO 2019 last month.

The Apex boring head offers a closed-loop compensation system that automatically adjusts the diameter being cut as a result of commands sent directly from the machine tool’s control, based on values calculated by in-process measurements. Importantly, the boring head can be adjusted with micron accuracy, anywhere within the machine, completely independent of operator intervention. Compensations can be made with the head in the spindle, or even while it remains idle in the tool carousel and another operation takes place. Assurance that the correct adjustment value has been made is confirmed via direct feedback from the tool to the ActiveEdge interface.
“Typically, manufacturers experience all too familiar problems with conventional boring heads, mainly the issue of accurately setting and maintaining fine-tolerance limits, with high scrap rates impacting on bottom-line performance,” says Rigibore chairman Roger Bassett. “The requirement for operators to constantly check boring heads for accuracy, and then living in fear of backlash, and slowing production can now be eliminated.
“Our Apex boring head provides manufactures with a perfect bore, first time, every time, using macros to accurately adjust the boring head within predetermined tolerance parameters, all while reducing cycle time,” he adds.
For further information www.rigibore.com

A CVD diamond-tipped tool system, DDHM, has been introduced by Horn for the cost-effective drilling and countersinking of sintered carbides and ceramics of hardness up to 3000 Hv. DDHM is said to enable short throughput times, high surface quality, lower costs and more flexibility within the production process, as well as long tool life.

Due to the fact they allow machining to take place on conventional milling and turning centres, DDHM tools do away with costly and time-consuming grinding and eroding processes. There is also an opportunity for savings in capital plant, as investment in expensive new machinery can potentially be avoided.
Thanks to its ability to machine carbide punches and dies, the DDHM system is particularly suited to manufacturers in the tool and die-making sector. However, the tools also offer advantages in other areas, including the medical, aerospace and automotive industries, as well as in punching, forging and forming technology.
Horn CVD-D-tipped drills can be used for producing holes in solid material to a maximum depth of 10xD. The drills are of two-edged design and available in diameters ranging from 2 to 10 mm. All versions feature an internal coolant supply.
For chamfering and countersinking, Horn offers the CVD-D end mill from stock in diameters of 3 and 6 mm, and with flank angles of 15, 30 and 45°. The 3 mm version has five teeth, while the 6 mm version has six.
For further information www.phorn.co.uk

Two multi-edge tool systems have been added by Walter GB to its range of products for grooving and parting-off – the Walter Cut MX, with four cutting edges for parting-off small workpieces up to 12 mm diameter, and the two-edge Walter Cut GX34 for work up to 65 mm diameter.

These additions complement the existing Walter Cut GX24 double-edged grooving inserts for workpieces up to 46 mm diameter. The result is that Walter users can now complete 90% of all grooving applications with standard tools from its catalogue.
Walter’s Standard MX system tools feature insert widths between 0.8 and 3.25 mm for cutting depths up to 6 mm, though the company can provide special sizes and designs – grooving with chamfer, for example – on request via the Walter Xpress service. The Walter Cut GX34 has grooving inserts with widths of 3 or 4 mm for cutting depths up to 33 mm.
By developing the tools, Walter engineers say they have successfully overcome a range of important ‘accepted weaknesses’ with standard grooving tools, including poor chip breaking, chip removal, cooling and securing of the indexable inserts – which is often awkward, imprecise and insufficient.
Parting-off and deep grooving are widely considered particularly difficult processes, and such applications are generally performed with cutting values that are too low, to avoid tool breakage or other problems. According to Walter, these weaknesses have also been eliminated with the new MX and GX systems.
Walter MX tools offers a new approach to clamping, which Walter says is more user friendly and reliable. The tangentially clamped insert aligns itself independently and accurately in the machining direction, while a dowel pin in the insert seat ensures precise and secure fixing.
For further information www.walter-tools.com