FEATURE ON TOOLING

Marking line improves aerospace traceability

Floyd Automatic Tooling says that it now offers the latest Hommel + Keller brand of Zeus marking systems.
A manufacturer of aerospace industry connectors has recently chosen marking technology from Hommel + Keller as a means of clearly identifying components. The connectors vary in terms of diameter and material. For example, parts identical in design are made from nickel with a diameter of 3.33 mm and from brass with a much smaller diameter of 1.52 mm. To optimise production and further reduce set-up times, the aerospace manufacturer was also looking for an alternative to marking with the production number.

The solution was the Zeus spring return marking method. Explaining the situation, Hommel + Keller International technical sales engineer, José Cruz, says: “The customer was already using our tools for marking. However, the revolving method that depends on diameter was being employed. That meant there was a separate marking roll for each connector diameter and the customer often had to swap tools with production changes. Since the workpieces have very small diameters, the marking rolls also had an unfavourable ratio of 6:1 to ensure precise marking in multiple rotations. This increased the amount of set-ups required, particularly in the case of small and medium-sized production volumes. With our spring return system, we were able to offer the customer an even more cost-effective method of machining. Now, different connectors need only one roll for marking.”
In contrast to the revolving method, the spring return method ensures the embossing process takes place over just one partial rotation of the marking roll. This permits processing at high speeds.
For further information www.floydautomatic.co.uk

A tool for all applications from ITC

When a machinist with extensive motorsport expertise had ambitions of starting his own business, the first step was a five-axis machining centre, high-end CAM software and cutting tools from Industrial Tooling Corporation (ITC).

“When I started the business I recalled how the technical expertise of ITC aided previous employers with special tools,” says managing director Allan Carabine. “ITC also gave advice on maximising tool life and performance while reducing costs and consumption. When we started, I trialled ITC’s 6 mm diameter 3081 series on aluminium parts. It blew the previous tools out of the water.
“We then had a family of three aluminium parts that were required in a quantity of 500 for each component,” he continues. “The parts were set on a jig that could machine four components in a single set-up with a cycle time of 25 minutes. Only a few days into the new project, the previous cutting tools generated inconsistent tool life and poor surface finishes. Engineers from ITC recommended an ITC 16 mm diameter 3081 series solid carbide end mill. It completed the whole project of 1500 parts with minimal tool wear, exceptional surface finishes and was 30% cheaper than the previous cutting tool.”
Following the success of ITC’s aluminium end mills, MK Precision trialled the Widia VariMill 4777 series of four-flute solid carbide end mills on titanium components. A specific project of 90 components required a 50 by 50 mm pocket at a depth of 6 mm on each part. Here, the Widia VariMill 4777 Series immediately cut the
cycle time from 15 to 10 minutes per part.
For further information www.itc-ltd.co.uk

Button insert milling grades introduced

Sumitomo Electric Hardmetal has released five different grades of RDMT button-style indexable inserts for carbon, alloy and stainless steels, as well as cast iron. The inserts are said to be advantageous in applications where high resistance to wear and insert fracturing is required.
Available in sizes of 8, 10, 12 and 16 mm inscribed circle, the five grades cover PVD-coated ACP100, 200 and 300, and CVD-coated ACK200 and 300 variants.
The ACP100 grade for milling steel and ACK200 for cast iron incorporate Sumitomo’s Super FF coating that the company says enables up to 1.5 times greater efficiency in machining and provides more than double the tool life of conventional grades under normal cutting conditions. Chipping resistance and adhesion strength are also said to be enhanced.
Similarly, the ACP200 and 300 grades for milling steel and ACK300 for cast iron employ Sumitomo’s Super ZX multi-layer nano-technology coating, which combines alternating 10nm thin layers of TiAN and AlCrN to deliver benefits matching those of Super FF.
The ACP200 is suitable for general milling in steel and die steels, while ACP300 is recommended for interrupted machining in stainless steel workpieces. Meanwhile, ACK300 has been developed for the general and interrupted milling of cast and ductile irons.
In a recent milling demonstration on die steel, the Sumitomo ACP200 grade increased the number of workpieces completed from 300 to 400, says the company. The machine was run at 150 m/min with 0.3 mm/tooth feed rate and 3 mm depth of cut.
For further information
www.sumitomotool.com

High-feed milling boosts productivity

Seco says that its high-feed range of milling tools is always being upgraded and improved. As part of this continuous improvement programme, the company has introduced two new ranges to its high-feed milling tool portfolio.
The Jabro JHF181 solid carbide end mill range provides specific high-feed geometry for machining hardened steel, super alloys and titanium. It is available in diameters ranging from 2-16mm and is suitable for machining small workpieces and cavities.
Also new is the High Feed 6 (HF6) with double-sided, six-edged inserts. The HF6 range consists of shell end mill bodies featuring fixed pockets and strong negative inserts with six cutting edges. HF6 tools have a wide application range and are suitable for the machining of ISO P and K classification materials.
“By working with Seco, manufacturers can incorporate and integrate high-feed milling into their operations and, by doing so, achieve part process times between 3 to 10 times faster than when using conventional methods,” says Mike Fleming, Seco’s sales and marketing manager.
Seco’s high-feed milling range covers a diameter range from 1 to 208 mm. Brands include Jabro, Combimaster,
Minimaster, Easy Shrink and Highfeed 2, 4 and 6.
In essence, high-feed milling involves employing shallow depths of cut using tools with large cutting radii and/or small lead angles to ensure that cutting forces, created during the machining process, are directed back towards the machine tool spindle in an axial direction. Axially-directed cutting forces provide increased tool and machining stability which, in turn, allows higher feed rates to be employed – up to 10 times the normal rate, says Seco.
For further information
www.secotools.com

Alfa-Sys tool pre-setters released in UK

YMT’s Tooling &Workholding Division has launched the range of Alfa-Sys products for assembling and pre-setting cutting tools into the UK market. The company is now the exclusive agent for the complete Alfa-Sys portfolio, which is manufactured in Liechtenstein.
The range starts with the Alfa-Clamp tool device for the assembly of tool-holders, cutting-tool bodies and indexable inserts. This unit can be specified with 90 or 45° incremental locking points, and is secured to a bench or work surface to provide a stable tooling assembly station. Quick-change holders are matched with commonly-available spindle tapers that include BT/CAT, Capto, HSK-A, VDI and KM.
Once assembled, the cutting tool can be pre-set using one of the Alfa-Set units. The pre-setters can be bench-top or free-standing, and feature contact-free vision systems to measure the exact location of each insert, as well as the tip geometry. A TFT touch-screen provides measurement options, feedback and graphical confirmation.
“From experience, we know a tool can be pre-set in around 3 minutes using the Alfa-Set units,” says Jason Short, manager of the Tooling &Workholding Division. “Based on this, we can demonstrate savings of between £10,000 and £30,000 per year for shops running four or six machines.”
For benchtop users, the Alfa-Set 33- and 35-Swift can measure tools up to 250 mm diameter by 380 mm long for the 33-Swift, and 500 mm long for the 35-Swift. Offering additional functionality, the free-standing Alfa-Set 23/44/64 units can measure a range of tool assemblies up to 600 mm diameter and up to 900mm long.
For further information
www.ymtltd.co.uk