Drills for inclined and curved surfaces

Sumitomo Electric Hardmetal has extended its range of Flat MultiDrill series (MDF) high-rigidity, coated carbide drills for spot-facing and counter-boring features on horizontal, curved or inclined surfaces.

MDF now includes overall length tools up to 10:1 length-to-diameter ratio, a long shank, external coolant supply (L2D Type) and through-coolant feed (H3D/H5D type) variants.
The MDF series of tools benefit prime applications such as when cross drilling, expanding hole sizes and deep spot facing. With its 180° point angle, true flat bottoming can be achieved; in order to create a seating, for example. Pre-tapped holes can also be produced in thinner plate or sheet material. Now with the up to 10:1 overall length ratio, tools can be used to access component features that are deeper within housings, for instance.
Significant in the series is Sumitomo’s ‘RS’ thinning development, which creates a greater wall thickness at the tip of the drill. Swarf evacuation is effective due to wider pockets that accommodate chips with high orders of flute finishing and a specific shape applied to the rake face. A special high-strength cutting edge helps resist impact damage when features involve interrupted cuts, while also maximising the overall stability of the tool. Due to the design of the tool, minimal burr formation is said to be a further benefit.
The extended line up of MDF drills can be used on general, stainless, alloy and hardened steels up to 50 HRc.
For further information www.sumitomotool.com

Kyocera premieres products at AMB

Japanese ceramics specialist Kyocera presented a number of new products at the AMB trade fair in Stuttgart last month.

The debutants included the MEAS series for high-speed and high-performance aluminium machining, and the JCT (Jet Coolant Through) series of tool holders with a high-pressure coolant supply.
Milling cutters in the Kyocera MEAS series impress thanks to their long service lives and low cutting forces, says the company. The stable clamping system ensures the form-locking fit of the cutting plate in the plate seat. What’s more, a stable tool-holder design guarantees the durability and reliability of the cutter.
The JCT series of tool holders are optimised for a high-pressure coolant supply. For turning, there is the double clamp JCT variant, which allows a coolant supply from three directions, while for parting-off and external grooving, Kyocera has designed the KGD-JCT variation, which directs the coolant on to the rake and frank surfaces of the indexable insert. The KTN-JCT variation was developed for threading. In this variation, two cooling holes reduce the tendency for plate breakages and therefore facilitate an extension of service life.
In addition, the JCT series includes smaller tools with internal coolant supplies that can operate at a pressure of up to 200 bar. And again there are variations for turning, with screw clamping; these variations have two cooling holes that deliver coolant supply to the cutting edge surfaces of the indexable insert. For external grooving, there is the KGBF-JCT design, which directs the coolant towards the cutting edge of the insert. And for parting-off operations there is the KTKF-JCT variation, which directs the coolant towards the cutting surface from three directions.
For further information www.kyocera.com

Parting tools for small lathes

Horn has introduced a grooving and parting-off system, 32T, for Swiss-type lathes and smaller fixed-head lathes. With a precision-sintered grooving insert and central clamping screw, the system offers easy insert indexing and direct entry into the seat of the tool carrier.

Importantly, there is no need for clamping elements, which may have a detrimental effect on chip flow. The screw head of the clamping bolt does not introduce interference and therefore permits grooving and parting-off directly at the spindle. Inserts can be used in a neutral position or as left-hand or right-hand configurations.
By adding the new system to complete its triple-edge insert range, Horn is responding to customer solution requests for Swiss-type lathes and other smaller turning machines, in particular for applications where space is at a premium.
The maximum groove depth using 32T is 4 mm with a width of 2 or 2.5 mm. For grooving, the inserts are available with both straight and full radius cutting edges. Horn offers the insert
with a 15° chamfer for parting-off. A cylindrically ground chip-breaker geometry makes for reliable chip removal. The tool carrier is designed as a square shank of 10 x 10 mm or 12 x 12 mm cross section. Each version features internal coolant supply.
For further information www.phorn.co.uk

Top grades for hard-part turning

Sandvik Coromant is releasing two grades for interrupted hard-turning operations: CB7125 and CB7135. Available immediately, the grades complete the company’s offer for hard turning, complementing the existing CB7105 and CB7115 grades.

The latest Sandvik Coromant grades provide the ability to perform medium-to-heavy interrupted cuts and remove the hardened layer (depth of cut up to 2 mm) in case- and induction-hardened steel components, typically for the automotive industry. Here, CB7125 and CB7135 offer longer and more consistent tool life, good levels of surface finish and consistent dimensional tolerances, says the company.
CB7125 and CB7135 are optimised for turning steel materials with a hardness of 58-62 HRc. Designed for medium intermittent cutting, CB7125 features a newly developed PVD coating that provides improved wear and fracture resistance for extended tool life. This grade, which contains medium CBN content, is suitable for the turning of shaft splines and shafts with chamfered oil holes or pockets. Further applications include the facing of gears, the hard-to-soft turning of crown wheels, and the removal of hardened layers.
The CB7135 grade is pitched at the longitudinal turning of gears and shafts with un-chamfered keyways or pockets, as well as CV joint components such as the inner/outer race and cage. Featuring a high CBN content, the grade is said to offer high fracture resistance and predictable machining results.
Available for T-Max P, CoroTurn 107 and CoroTurn TR tooling systems, the grades come in both positive and negative basic shapes, with various edge preparations.
For further information www.sandvik.coromant.com

Creaform opens in Spain

Creaform, a specialist in portable 3D measurement solutions and engineering services, has opened a new office in Barcelona, Spain.

Local staff have been in place since July, responding to increasing demand for metrology systems and services from the Spanish market, especially the automotive and aerospace sectors. Spain is the world’s eighth largest automobile producer and the second largest European car manufacturer. As for its buoyant aerospace industry, the country ranks eighth in the world and fifth in Europe in terms of turnover.
For further information www.creaform3d.com