FEATURE ON TOOLING

Diversity draws the crowds for Floyd

The recent MACH 2018 exhibition proved to be “a roaring success” for Floyd Automatic, with the sliding-head tooling expert claiming that it was the diversity of its collets, guide bushes, indexable tooling ranges and applications expertise, which sent small turned parts manufacturers directly to the distinctive orange stand.

Providing his feedback on yet another successful MACH exhibition, Floyd Automatic’s managing director Richard Floyd says: “We generated more enquiries at MACH 2018 than at many of the previous events, and what stood-out for us was the high enquiry level from both new customers and overseas clients.
“The high level of new enquiries is partially down to more subcontractors embracing the benefits of sliding-head technology, while overseas lead generation can be largely attributed to language barriers and a reluctance to engage in technical dialogue when English isn’t your first language,” he adds.
“We also invested in the Pokem technology at MACH with eight contact points that enabled us to identify what product lines generated the greatest interest at the show.”
From the Pokem technology utilised at MACH, Floyd Automatic noted a high level of interest in the new Masa Microconic sub-spindle collets. Microconic over-grip collet systems consist of a cartridge and precision collet. The over-grip collet fits inside a cartridge and is adjusted before it is fitted into the existing collet sleeve with no machine adaptations required.
The second most popular product line, according to Pokem, was the new Colibri Slim Jet solution for increasing the spindle speed of driven tool units on sliding-head turning centres
For further information www.floydautomatic.co.uk

Tungaloy at Made in the Midlands

The annual Made in the Midlands manufacturing exhibition will be returning to the Ricoh Arena in Coventry on 21 June, promising to be the largest show in its nine year history. Among those supporting the event will be cutting tool manufacturer Tungaloy. On Stand D3, Tungaloy will be showcasing a host of cutting tool innovations, as well as demonstrating how its ‘Dr Carbide’ app can prescribe the right tool for any machining requirement.

Being the first Japanese company to develop cemented carbide, Tungaloy is known for its ISO turning grades. This range has been continually extended with the recent addition of the company’s latest AH8005, AH8015 and T9215 grades.
The AH8005 and AH8015 grades have been designed for machining super alloys such as Inconel 909, 718 and 625, as well as Hastelloy C-4 and TiAl6V4 titanium, to list but as few. To support its claim, full test reports are available on request.
Alongside the super-alloy grades will be the T9215. Designed for machining ISO P15 steel, this grade was only released in March. When tested against other grades, Tungaloy says that T9215 can more than double tool life on materials such as S55C, SCM440, S32750 and SNCM430. Free-of-charge samples of all of these grades, as well as many others, will be available on the stand, so visitors can witness the benefits for themselves.
With over 300 exhibitors and 2500 decision makers expected at the event, the floor space for the 2018 show is treble its previous size.
For further information www.tungaloy.com/uk

Versatile milling cutter unveiled

Dormer Pramet’s Econ LN has been designed as a cost-effective, versatile milling option that is capable of supporting numerous operations in most materials while still producing high levels of surface finish.

Positive axial geometry on this universal 90° cutter allows for lower cutting forces and smoother machining in steel, cast iron, stainless steel, non-ferrous metals and hardened materials.
Econ LN cutters offer internal cooling capability close to the cutting edges, a combination of wiper inserts, secure clamping and reduced power consumption. Compatible with the cutter are Dormer Pramet’s LNGX 12 and LNMU 16 inserts, which provide four cutting edges. LNGX 12 inserts support helical interpolation, ramping and progressive plunging, while LNMU 16 inserts are said to deliver long tool life when machining steel and cast iron.
In a recent example in North America, an end user was face milling gas turbine end caps made of stainless steel on a large horizontal mill. An Econ LN 80 mm face mill with LNGX 12 insert allowed the customer to use a feed rate that was 44% higher than the previous option. The improved cutting data meant that the company ran the equivalent of three finished parts on the first edge, with the insert showing little-to-no wear. Furthermore, the Econ LN reduced cycle time by 18 minutes in this operation alone.
For further information www.dormerpramet.com

Chuck provides best pull-out security

Sandvik Coromant has released the CoroChuck 935 high-precision hydraulic chuck for turning operations that is said to offer the market’s best pull-out security.

With CoroChuck 935, Sandvik Coromant says that machine shops can confidently perform demanding turning operations, including those with long overhangs. In fact, CoroChuck 935 ensures that a clamping length of four times the bar diameter can be achieved. Developed for use on lathes, turning centres and multi-task turn-mill machines, the chuck covers most common machine interfaces.
The design principle behind the high level of security offered by CoroChuck 935 is based upon fulcrum technology. A thin, brazed membrane offers an optimised clamping function whereby expansion creates two distinct clamping points on each side (fulcrums). The concept is said to ensure that the clamping force repeats for every use.
Additional benefits of the new chuck include the use of EasyFix sleeves to provide the correct centre height and help reduce set-up time. EasyFix sleeves are a solution for cylindrical boring bars that sees a spring plunger (mounted in the sleeve) click into a groove on the bar to guarantee the correct centre height. In addition, the metallic sealing offers good performance in applications that require high-pressure coolant.
CoroChuck 935 is available in 20 and 25 mm bore sizes to suit Coromant Capto, HSK-A/C/T, cylindrical shank and VDI machine interfaces.
For further information www.sandvik.coromant.com

Internal grooving systems feature coolant

Horn Cutting Tools has launched two grooving systems for the internal machining of bores. System 209 is intended for bores of diameter 16 mm and above, while system 216 machines bores greater than or equal to 20 mm diameter.

The two systems make use of tool holders with internal cooling. A robust shank with elliptical cross-section of the boring-bar neck ensures high-performance damping, says the company. The ground shanks, of g6 quality, are available in left- or right-hand design.
Coolant flows from a nozzle in the clamping finger and from the side of the tool holder. The two jets cool the cutting zone and remove chips from the inside of the workpiece.
Precision-sintered, indexable, two-edged inserts with cutting widths from 2 to 6 mm are available in geometries .5, .1A and .KF for cutting medium-strength materials. All three geometries are said to offer good chip control and targeted chip breaking, even on long-chipping materials.
System 209 tool holders with a shank diameter of 16 mm allow retraction distances of up to 30 mm in conjunction with a grooving depth of 3.5 mm. For bores with a diameter of 18 mm or above, a more stable shank diameter of 20 mm, also with a retraction distance of 30 mm, can be used to achieve a grooving depth of 5 mm. The 216 system tool holders, with a shank diameter of 20 or 25 mm, enable grooving depths down to 7 mm at a projection length of 2xD.
For further information www.phorn.co.uk