Difficult milling made easier

Dormer Pramet’s family of solid-carbide milling cutters for difficult to machine materials offers a variety of options from roughing through to finishing. The S2 assortment includes a range of neck options for deep milling and multi-flute designs to support numerous applications in tough steels, titanium and nickel.

Differential pitch cutters (S260, S262, S264), for example, reduce chatter and offer fewer tool offset adjustments, providing effective chip removal at high feed rates. The trio of cutters – available in diameters from 3 to 20 mm – feature an optimised cutting edge to reduce chipping and prolong tool life. All have an AlCrN coating for improved wear and oxidation resistance.
In addition, the S264 milling cutter has a robust corner chamfer on the end teeth to further reduce chipping, and a roughing profile for greater removal rates, says Dormer Pramet. The S262’s corner radius provides a more precise finish and optimises performance, especially in ramping operations.
Meanwhile, Dormer Pramet’s six to eight-flute cutters (S225, S226, S227) feature a high helix angle to keep the cutting edges constantly engaged with the workpiece and deliver a high-quality surface finish.
Several neck options are available to support pocket milling, up to 8.8xD, by preventing contact between the shank and workpiece, and eliminating the risk of vibration and scouring. To support general milling applications, the company’s range of four-flute cutters (S216, S217, S218, S219) offer a reach up to 9xD. This series also features an optimised cutting-edge design and an AlTiN coating for high hot hardness and oxidation resistance.
For further information www.dormerpramet.com

Zenith closes loop on boring adjustments

The development of Zenith by Rigibore has eliminated any manual intervention or machine downtime to achieve micron-level automatic adjustments on fine boring tools.

Industry 4.0 compliant Zenith is a closed-loop system providing a practical solution that works with in-process gauging and the machine tool’s control system.
Making minute adjustments to fine boring tools has, in the past, required the tool to be removed from the machine and adjusted manually in a pre-setter, a process which interrupts production, is time consuming and demands a skilled person to be involved. Having developed its ActiveEdge wirelessly adjustable boring bars, the next step for Rigibore was to “close the loop” on this semi-automatic system, and make it fully autonomous. The result is Zenith, which can automatically compensate for insert wear, temperature drift and material inconsistency without the necessity of removing the tool to a presetting station.
Zenith makes use of Rigibore’s ActiveEdge boring tools, which feature boring cartridges that can be wirelessly adjusted. This wireless capability is powered by batteries in the tool’s ‘yoke’, which means that the system can make adjustments to the boring tools wherever they are in the machine, either in the spindle or the tool carousel.
So confident is Rigibore that Zenith will deliver on its promises that, subject to carrying out a survey and analysis of current manufacturing requirements, Rigibore will install and make all necessary changes to the machine’s control free of charge. Customers can then take one of two options to pay for the system, either in full after one-month’s trial period or, over six-monthly instalments.
For further information www.rigibore.com

Boeing contract seals record year for MetLase

A mechanical engineering specialist is celebrating a record-breaking year after securing a landmark contract with Boeing.

MetLase, which is a joint venture between Rolls-Royce and Unipart, has been announced as the tooling and fixture partner for Boeing’s new Sheffield facility in a deal that will initially increase the workforce by 15%.
The company will use its 3D design capabilities, laser-cutting technology, and patented assembly and joining systems to create lightweight, optimised machining fixtures that will hold 11 different castings used in the production of actuation system components for the 737, 767 and 777 passenger jets. This contract is the latest in a line of new business wins that mark a 70% annual increase in sales for the Sheffield-based firm.
For further information www.metlase.com

F1 team extends DMG Mori partnership

Formula One team Aston Martin Red Bull Racing has extended its innovation partnership with machine tool builder DMG Mori.

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The relationship between the pair has been in place since 2004, with DMG Mori becoming an ‘Innovation Partner’ in 2012. By the end of 2018 Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s Milton Keynes manufacturing facility will feature 19 DMG Mori machines, with the addition of a DMU 40 eVo linear and a DMU 60 eVo linear this year.
The five-axis capability of the DMG Mori machines plays a crucial role in the efficient and accurate milling necessary to meet the demands of Formula One competition.
For further information www.dmgmori.com

Colchester appoints sales manager for south

Colchester Machine Tool Solutions has expanded its growing sales and support team by appointing Sean Luck as the company’s new southern area sales manager.

Luck will sell a full range of machine tools, including Colchester and Harrison lathes, and Clausing mills, drills, saws and grinders. Based out of Portsmouth, Luck is a time-served engineer, starting as a toolmaking apprentice in the subcontract industry and working his way up to works management. He now has around 25 years of both machine and cutting tool sales experience, and is very well known within the industry.
Paul Rushworth, sales director at Colchester Machine Tool Solutions, says: “We’ve known Sean for a number of years and he has huge experience of machine and cutting tools, which already includes a great knowledge of Colchester and Harrison lathes. As we continue to introduce innovations to the market, Sean’s recruitment underpins this continued expansion and further bolsters our UK sales, applications and service effort, supporting our customers’ needs for Colchester, Harrison and Clausing products.”
For further information www.colchester.co.uk