Improving Tool Life by Turning off Coolant
Landing new projects for a machine shop often calls for capabilities that sometimes it does not have. When this happens, shop management must decide between finding another shop that can do the work or purchasing new equipment to satisfy customer demands. Okay Industries in Alajuela, Costa Rica, won two jobs around the same time that required the shop to make that decision. Looking into the future, management chose to invest in a new Swiss-type lathe. Not only were management’s expectations exceeded by the machine’s performance and efficiency, but the lathe is now included in plans for future applications.
Okay Industries launched in 2012 as a medical precision components manufacturer that uses multi-axis CNC machine tools, Swiss-type turning, die-sinking, wire EDM and general machining. Materials used include stainless steels, implantable titanium and nitinol. The company, which employs 65 people, also specializes in automotive, defense/firearms and industrial applications. The company headquarters is in New Berlin, Connecticut.
When the company won the job of producing a 1.5-by-1.5-mm medical device used in breast cancer surgery, General Manager Mario Chaves realized that he needed to take the shop’s Swiss-type capabilities to the next level. Already experienced and impressed with its Swiss GT 26 from Tornos Technologies, which had cut the shop’s cycle Cutting Tool Inserts times on specific parts by more than 50%, Mr. Chaves again turned to the manufacturer for this new acquisition.
He visited Tornos’ headquarters in Switzerland to commission a SwissNano Swiss-type and then worked with Mayprod, his local Tornos distributor in Central America, to implement the machine at Okay Industries. This investment made Okay the first manufacturer in Latin America to own a SwissNano, which machines parts 4 mm in diameter and smaller.
“The SwissNano has exceeded our expectations by demonstrating very good stability on the required part dimensions,” Mr. Chaves says. “In our first part runs on the lathe, the results were impressive, with virtually no variation between the first part and the 200th part.”
Tisis programming software, Tornos’ Industry RCGT Insert 4.0 portal, addresses and improves the human element of manufacturing, Mr. Chaves says, which is important to him. “One of the chief reasons I joined the Okay Industries family was company President Jason Howey’s focus on and interest in people,” he says. “We are keeping pace with the big trends influencing medical component manufacturing. Parts are becoming smaller and customers are requiring more solutions. We want to be the partner that can provide the best end results with the best price and technologies.”
With this goal in mind, Mr. Chaves is already imagining the machine’s potential for other applications. He also sees a bright future for Okay Industries by continuing to collaborate with Tornos. “There are a lot of opportunities for Tornos and our company. In fact, when we were at Tornos’ headquarters, I was very impressed with the MultiSwiss, a machine that combines the sliding headstock advantages of a Swiss with the production capabilities of a multi-spindle,” he says. He has been seeking a project that could justify the purchase.
Meanwhile, its new Swiss-type lathe helps keep Okay Industries’ manufacturing on track to keep pace with the medical industry’s demands for smaller parts with higher precision while still being competitively priced in the market.
The Cemented Carbide Blog: carbide wear inserts
Landing new projects for a machine shop often calls for capabilities that sometimes it does not have. When this happens, shop management must decide between finding another shop that can do the work or purchasing new equipment to satisfy customer demands. Okay Industries in Alajuela, Costa Rica, won two jobs around the same time that required the shop to make that decision. Looking into the future, management chose to invest in a new Swiss-type lathe. Not only were management’s expectations exceeded by the machine’s performance and efficiency, but the lathe is now included in plans for future applications.
Okay Industries launched in 2012 as a medical precision components manufacturer that uses multi-axis CNC machine tools, Swiss-type turning, die-sinking, wire EDM and general machining. Materials used include stainless steels, implantable titanium and nitinol. The company, which employs 65 people, also specializes in automotive, defense/firearms and industrial applications. The company headquarters is in New Berlin, Connecticut.
When the company won the job of producing a 1.5-by-1.5-mm medical device used in breast cancer surgery, General Manager Mario Chaves realized that he needed to take the shop’s Swiss-type capabilities to the next level. Already experienced and impressed with its Swiss GT 26 from Tornos Technologies, which had cut the shop’s cycle Cutting Tool Inserts times on specific parts by more than 50%, Mr. Chaves again turned to the manufacturer for this new acquisition.
He visited Tornos’ headquarters in Switzerland to commission a SwissNano Swiss-type and then worked with Mayprod, his local Tornos distributor in Central America, to implement the machine at Okay Industries. This investment made Okay the first manufacturer in Latin America to own a SwissNano, which machines parts 4 mm in diameter and smaller.
“The SwissNano has exceeded our expectations by demonstrating very good stability on the required part dimensions,” Mr. Chaves says. “In our first part runs on the lathe, the results were impressive, with virtually no variation between the first part and the 200th part.”
Tisis programming software, Tornos’ Industry RCGT Insert 4.0 portal, addresses and improves the human element of manufacturing, Mr. Chaves says, which is important to him. “One of the chief reasons I joined the Okay Industries family was company President Jason Howey’s focus on and interest in people,” he says. “We are keeping pace with the big trends influencing medical component manufacturing. Parts are becoming smaller and customers are requiring more solutions. We want to be the partner that can provide the best end results with the best price and technologies.”
With this goal in mind, Mr. Chaves is already imagining the machine’s potential for other applications. He also sees a bright future for Okay Industries by continuing to collaborate with Tornos. “There are a lot of opportunities for Tornos and our company. In fact, when we were at Tornos’ headquarters, I was very impressed with the MultiSwiss, a machine that combines the sliding headstock advantages of a Swiss with the production capabilities of a multi-spindle,” he says. He has been seeking a project that could justify the purchase.
Meanwhile, its new Swiss-type lathe helps keep Okay Industries’ manufacturing on track to keep pace with the medical industry’s demands for smaller parts with higher precision while still being competitively priced in the market.
The Cemented Carbide Blog: carbide wear inserts
Haimer Shrink Fit Toolholders Raise Boulevard's Feed Rates
Seco Tools offers Jetstream Tooling, a line of high performance tools designed to deliver coolant directly at the insert cutting edge for better chip control and long tool life. The high cutting speed and feed rates are said to be maintained across coolant pressures ranging from 70 to 5,000 psi for materials including titanium alloys, nickel-chromium, aluminum and steel alloys, and stainless steel.
Coolant is applied through the tooling nozzle at high pressure, close to the cutting edge, cooling the work area and producing smaller, hard, brittle chips. The high-pressure jet then breaks and lifts the chips away from the cutting area without damaging components or WNMG Insert tooling, the company says. Additionally, there is less contact length of the chip on the rake fence, which helps prevent crater wear and improve surface finish.
The coolant inducer for this ISO range of the toolholders is designed to pivot, allowing access to index Coated Inserts the carbide insert while the tool is still in position. The tooling product range can be applied in combination with the company’s various inserts.
The Cemented Carbide Blog: carbide insert stock
Seco Tools offers Jetstream Tooling, a line of high performance tools designed to deliver coolant directly at the insert cutting edge for better chip control and long tool life. The high cutting speed and feed rates are said to be maintained across coolant pressures ranging from 70 to 5,000 psi for materials including titanium alloys, nickel-chromium, aluminum and steel alloys, and stainless steel.
Coolant is applied through the tooling nozzle at high pressure, close to the cutting edge, cooling the work area and producing smaller, hard, brittle chips. The high-pressure jet then breaks and lifts the chips away from the cutting area without damaging components or WNMG Insert tooling, the company says. Additionally, there is less contact length of the chip on the rake fence, which helps prevent crater wear and improve surface finish.
The coolant inducer for this ISO range of the toolholders is designed to pivot, allowing access to index Coated Inserts the carbide insert while the tool is still in position. The tooling product range can be applied in combination with the company’s various inserts.
The Cemented Carbide Blog: carbide insert stock
Redesigned CAM Engine Anticipates Mill, Lathe Evolution
With a culture that emphasizes quality and continuous improvement, McMillan Machine Company is always willing to try out new technologies and techniques, says general manager Duncan Davis. However, when Mr. Davis was offered a free, 30-day trial of Celeritive Technologies’ VoluMill toolpath engine in December 2009, he couldn’t possibly have conceived of the extensive benefits the system would provide. In addition to the promised improvements in tool life, metal-removal rates and cycle time, the CAM system add-on prolonged machine tool spindle and coolant life while reducing energy consumption, labor costs, machine wear and lost quotes. “We decided to purchase it after the first week,” Mr. Davis recalls. “The results were so dramatic that one order paid for the software. It’s been all profit after that.”
Mr. Davis’ shop is one of seven companies in the McMillan corporate family. The group traces its roots to 1973, when founder Gale McMillan began producing his own firearm stocks for competitive bench-rest shooting matches. Other shooters, always in search of a competitive edge, began asking him to produce stocks for their rifles as well. The brand’s reputation continued to grow during the next few decades, and today, its products are the weapons of choice for the Navy Seals and other elite American troops.
McMillan Machine Company was born in 1987 when Mr. McMillan decided that producing firearms in-house, as opposed to buying, dismantling and rebuilding components from Remington, would improve quality while saving time and money. Although the company has produced aftermarket parts for Harley-Davidson and components for Cessna, its primary focus is weapons systems. Barrels, firing components, housings, chassis, mounts, adapters and couplers comprise the majority of its workload.
Mr. Davis was prompted to try VoluMill by his Gibbscam CAM software reseller, John Gulstad of Technical Manufacturing Information (TMI). Mr. Gulstad, a firm believer in VoluMill, says every one of his Gibbscam customers that has tried the plug-in—including McMillan Machine—ended up buying it. “It’s probably the most dynamic and important CAM development in many years,” he says.
The plug-in toolpath engine is designed to replace traditional roughing methods in applications that require prioritizing ease of programming, reduced cycle times, extended tool life and reduced stress on machine tools. According to developer Celeritive Technologies (Cave Creek, Arizona), the software plans tool paths based on the capabilities of the machine and cutting tool, regardless of the shape being cut. In contrast, traditional toolpath strategies are derived from the geometry being machined.
The software’s benefits stem primarily from its ability to maintain a consistent metal-removal rate, which is determined by the user according to the particular combination of machine, cutting tool, geometry and workpiece material. It does this by dynamically adjusting feeds and speeds and by using smooth, flowing tool paths that avoid sharp corners and other features that can subject the cutter and Cutting Inserts spindle to extra stress from cutting forces. Managing material-removal rates in this way keeps the load on the tool constant, avoiding premature wear while enabling the use of more aggressive machining parameters, regardless of workpiece geometry. The result is prolonged tool life and reduced cycle time, the developer says.
The first McMillan job to benefit from VoluMill—an order that brought in sufficient revenue to pay for the software—was a 6Al4V titanium mount component that required a great deal of machining and was hard on tools. Originally, the part took 80 minutes to rough at 1,225 rpm, 6.25 ipm, a 0.315-inch axial cutting depth and an 0.22-inch radial cutting depth. With VoluMill tool paths, the shop reduced radial cutting depth to 0.35 inch and increased axial cutting depth to 1.18 inch, spindle speed CNMG Insert to 3,056 rpm and the feed rate to 100 ipm. Both strategies employed the same cutter, a ½-inch-diameter, five-flute, solid carbide end mill.
Using the new parameters—which, the company says, would not be remotely possible with traditional tool paths—produced a nearly tenfold increase in material removal rate. As a result, roughing time was reduced to 30 minutes per part. Tool life also improved by a factor of 10, from four parts per tool previously to 40 parts per tool with VoluMill.
As another example of efficiency gains gleaned from VoluMill, Mr. Davis cites a part that required machining a 28-pound block of 17-4 stainless steel down to a 2.8-pound finished part. Based on the shop’s established practices before implementing the plug-in, Mr. Davis estimates that each part would have required machining with a series of five indexable tools. Operations with the first tool alone would have taken 2 hours and 20 minutes. With VoluMill, however, the shop could complete the whole job in 2 hours, with the bulk of the material removal taking 1 hour and 15 minutes. As a result, the shop was able to save an estimated $4,800 in machining time and $2,400 in tooling costs.
The company has also applied VoluMill tool paths on jobs that it had already accepted and for which it had already established prices. “We reprogrammed some jobs that were not so profitable in the past, and I can now manufacture them more efficiently and get a good margin,” Mr. Davis says. In fact, recent savings from reprogramming three different parts using the toolpath engine added up to $8,400.
Mr. Davis estimates that in the first four months of using the toolpath engine, the company has saved $5,000 in programming time and 200 hours—or $16,000—in cycle time. Moreover, increased tool life has saved the company $3,000 in tool costs. However, while significant, these cycle time and tool life improvements constitute only a portion of VoluMill’s impact on the bottom line.
Although difficult to quantify, the most obvious benefit is VoluMill’s impact on machine tool wear. Mr. Davis says that tool paths generated by the plug-in reach a maximum spindle load of 18 percent in titanium, compared to 70 or 80 percent with traditional tool paths. “Common sense tells me that it’s saving wear and tear on our machines,” he notes. In a sense, the software places less “wear and tear” on operators as well. Ease of programming means more jobs can be completed in less time, freeing employees to attend to other duties. In fact, Mr. Davis says the company saves $900 to $1,000 per week on labor costs.
These time savings have also facilitated more accurate quotes. “It’s safe to say that we’ve seen a 5- to 10-percent savings in lost quotes,” he says. “I’ll generate a couple of simple geometries in Gibbscam and run VoluMill on it just to look at the run time. So, I’ve already got part of the job programmed before I even get it, and it only takes 30 minutes to give me a ballpark of where I’m going to be on run time. If the customer gives me a model on which to base my quote, it’s even better.”
The company also realized a 65-percent savings in energy costs because machines run more efficiently with the new tool paths and take less time to complete a job. Coolant costs have decreased by an estimated 20 to 25 percent, thanks to consistent tool loads and shallower radial cutting depths. “The solvent isn’t breaking down as fast and is lasting a lot longer,” Mr. Davis notes.
“VoluMill impressed us enough right off the bat that I didn’t even bother looking at other options,” he concludes. “It did more than I expected it would do.”
The Cemented Carbide Blog: parting tool Inserts
With a culture that emphasizes quality and continuous improvement, McMillan Machine Company is always willing to try out new technologies and techniques, says general manager Duncan Davis. However, when Mr. Davis was offered a free, 30-day trial of Celeritive Technologies’ VoluMill toolpath engine in December 2009, he couldn’t possibly have conceived of the extensive benefits the system would provide. In addition to the promised improvements in tool life, metal-removal rates and cycle time, the CAM system add-on prolonged machine tool spindle and coolant life while reducing energy consumption, labor costs, machine wear and lost quotes. “We decided to purchase it after the first week,” Mr. Davis recalls. “The results were so dramatic that one order paid for the software. It’s been all profit after that.”
Mr. Davis’ shop is one of seven companies in the McMillan corporate family. The group traces its roots to 1973, when founder Gale McMillan began producing his own firearm stocks for competitive bench-rest shooting matches. Other shooters, always in search of a competitive edge, began asking him to produce stocks for their rifles as well. The brand’s reputation continued to grow during the next few decades, and today, its products are the weapons of choice for the Navy Seals and other elite American troops.
McMillan Machine Company was born in 1987 when Mr. McMillan decided that producing firearms in-house, as opposed to buying, dismantling and rebuilding components from Remington, would improve quality while saving time and money. Although the company has produced aftermarket parts for Harley-Davidson and components for Cessna, its primary focus is weapons systems. Barrels, firing components, housings, chassis, mounts, adapters and couplers comprise the majority of its workload.
Mr. Davis was prompted to try VoluMill by his Gibbscam CAM software reseller, John Gulstad of Technical Manufacturing Information (TMI). Mr. Gulstad, a firm believer in VoluMill, says every one of his Gibbscam customers that has tried the plug-in—including McMillan Machine—ended up buying it. “It’s probably the most dynamic and important CAM development in many years,” he says.
The plug-in toolpath engine is designed to replace traditional roughing methods in applications that require prioritizing ease of programming, reduced cycle times, extended tool life and reduced stress on machine tools. According to developer Celeritive Technologies (Cave Creek, Arizona), the software plans tool paths based on the capabilities of the machine and cutting tool, regardless of the shape being cut. In contrast, traditional toolpath strategies are derived from the geometry being machined.
The software’s benefits stem primarily from its ability to maintain a consistent metal-removal rate, which is determined by the user according to the particular combination of machine, cutting tool, geometry and workpiece material. It does this by dynamically adjusting feeds and speeds and by using smooth, flowing tool paths that avoid sharp corners and other features that can subject the cutter and Cutting Inserts spindle to extra stress from cutting forces. Managing material-removal rates in this way keeps the load on the tool constant, avoiding premature wear while enabling the use of more aggressive machining parameters, regardless of workpiece geometry. The result is prolonged tool life and reduced cycle time, the developer says.
The first McMillan job to benefit from VoluMill—an order that brought in sufficient revenue to pay for the software—was a 6Al4V titanium mount component that required a great deal of machining and was hard on tools. Originally, the part took 80 minutes to rough at 1,225 rpm, 6.25 ipm, a 0.315-inch axial cutting depth and an 0.22-inch radial cutting depth. With VoluMill tool paths, the shop reduced radial cutting depth to 0.35 inch and increased axial cutting depth to 1.18 inch, spindle speed CNMG Insert to 3,056 rpm and the feed rate to 100 ipm. Both strategies employed the same cutter, a ½-inch-diameter, five-flute, solid carbide end mill.
Using the new parameters—which, the company says, would not be remotely possible with traditional tool paths—produced a nearly tenfold increase in material removal rate. As a result, roughing time was reduced to 30 minutes per part. Tool life also improved by a factor of 10, from four parts per tool previously to 40 parts per tool with VoluMill.
As another example of efficiency gains gleaned from VoluMill, Mr. Davis cites a part that required machining a 28-pound block of 17-4 stainless steel down to a 2.8-pound finished part. Based on the shop’s established practices before implementing the plug-in, Mr. Davis estimates that each part would have required machining with a series of five indexable tools. Operations with the first tool alone would have taken 2 hours and 20 minutes. With VoluMill, however, the shop could complete the whole job in 2 hours, with the bulk of the material removal taking 1 hour and 15 minutes. As a result, the shop was able to save an estimated $4,800 in machining time and $2,400 in tooling costs.
The company has also applied VoluMill tool paths on jobs that it had already accepted and for which it had already established prices. “We reprogrammed some jobs that were not so profitable in the past, and I can now manufacture them more efficiently and get a good margin,” Mr. Davis says. In fact, recent savings from reprogramming three different parts using the toolpath engine added up to $8,400.
Mr. Davis estimates that in the first four months of using the toolpath engine, the company has saved $5,000 in programming time and 200 hours—or $16,000—in cycle time. Moreover, increased tool life has saved the company $3,000 in tool costs. However, while significant, these cycle time and tool life improvements constitute only a portion of VoluMill’s impact on the bottom line.
Although difficult to quantify, the most obvious benefit is VoluMill’s impact on machine tool wear. Mr. Davis says that tool paths generated by the plug-in reach a maximum spindle load of 18 percent in titanium, compared to 70 or 80 percent with traditional tool paths. “Common sense tells me that it’s saving wear and tear on our machines,” he notes. In a sense, the software places less “wear and tear” on operators as well. Ease of programming means more jobs can be completed in less time, freeing employees to attend to other duties. In fact, Mr. Davis says the company saves $900 to $1,000 per week on labor costs.
These time savings have also facilitated more accurate quotes. “It’s safe to say that we’ve seen a 5- to 10-percent savings in lost quotes,” he says. “I’ll generate a couple of simple geometries in Gibbscam and run VoluMill on it just to look at the run time. So, I’ve already got part of the job programmed before I even get it, and it only takes 30 minutes to give me a ballpark of where I’m going to be on run time. If the customer gives me a model on which to base my quote, it’s even better.”
The company also realized a 65-percent savings in energy costs because machines run more efficiently with the new tool paths and take less time to complete a job. Coolant costs have decreased by an estimated 20 to 25 percent, thanks to consistent tool loads and shallower radial cutting depths. “The solvent isn’t breaking down as fast and is lasting a lot longer,” Mr. Davis notes.
“VoluMill impressed us enough right off the bat that I didn’t even bother looking at other options,” he concludes. “It did more than I expected it would do.”
The Cemented Carbide Blog: parting tool Inserts
What is cemented carbide_2
Tungaloy has expanded its TetraMini-Cut, a 4-edged grooving insert line to include TCL18 inserts in 1.75 mm and 2.5 mm thicknesses.
TetraMini-Cut features a small grooving insert with four economical cutting edges. Its innovative insert clamping design ensures secure insert retention and high repeatability, promising machining accuracy and tool life predictability.
TCL18 is designed to ensure light cutting action as well as good chip control when fed at low feed rates.
This expansion includes two new TCL18 inserts with TNMG Insert 1.75 mm and 2.5 mm thicknesses, expanding the existing line of 1.5 mm, 2.0 mm, and 3.0 mm inserts. The inserts are available in grade AH7025, a nano-multilayer PVD coating with high-aluminum content that provides hardness and adhesion to the grade for better process security during grooving operations. Along with TCS18, TCG18, and TCP18 style inserts, the new TCL18 inserts provide an ideal solution for a vast array of grooving applications for general to miniature parts Thread Cutting Insert machining.
At a Glance
- TCL18 ensures consistent chip formation at low feed rates
- Available in AH7025
- Suitable for various materials including alloy steel, stainless steel, and heat-resistant superalloys
The Cemented Carbide Blog: turning Inserts
Tungaloy has expanded its TetraMini-Cut, a 4-edged grooving insert line to include TCL18 inserts in 1.75 mm and 2.5 mm thicknesses.
TetraMini-Cut features a small grooving insert with four economical cutting edges. Its innovative insert clamping design ensures secure insert retention and high repeatability, promising machining accuracy and tool life predictability.
TCL18 is designed to ensure light cutting action as well as good chip control when fed at low feed rates.
This expansion includes two new TCL18 inserts with TNMG Insert 1.75 mm and 2.5 mm thicknesses, expanding the existing line of 1.5 mm, 2.0 mm, and 3.0 mm inserts. The inserts are available in grade AH7025, a nano-multilayer PVD coating with high-aluminum content that provides hardness and adhesion to the grade for better process security during grooving operations. Along with TCS18, TCG18, and TCP18 style inserts, the new TCL18 inserts provide an ideal solution for a vast array of grooving applications for general to miniature parts Thread Cutting Insert machining.
At a Glance
- TCL18 ensures consistent chip formation at low feed rates
- Available in AH7025
- Suitable for various materials including alloy steel, stainless steel, and heat-resistant superalloys
The Cemented Carbide Blog: turning Inserts
High Feed Milling Cutter Fills Application Gap
Inovatools’ Speedmax twist drill is designed for drilling in stainless steel, titanium and alloy steels at higher feed rates and with longer service life. The Speedmax HA, HB and HE shanks Carbide Grooving Inserts with h6 tolerance combine geometry, chip control and high-performance coating properties to meet the demands of these metals, the company says. The drill is made of tough, micro-grain carbide and has chamfered cutting edges. This chamfer preparation eliminates any tiny nicks and anomalies at the micron scale, which makes the cutting edges more stable and therefore more resistant to premature wear due to edge breakouts and micro cracks, the company says. The tool also features a high-performance coating that also has a positive impact on wear behavior and service life.
The lifting frontal polished section and the six-surface point thinning also are said to increase the tool’s performance, providing not only self-centering capabilities but also optimal chip shape generation. A special groovechip space with extremely flat surfaces TNMG Insert helps to remove chips from the contact zone quickly. This controlled-speed chip removal is aided by the drill’s precise internal cooling.
The Cemented Carbide Blog: tungsten long inserts
Inovatools’ Speedmax twist drill is designed for drilling in stainless steel, titanium and alloy steels at higher feed rates and with longer service life. The Speedmax HA, HB and HE shanks Carbide Grooving Inserts with h6 tolerance combine geometry, chip control and high-performance coating properties to meet the demands of these metals, the company says. The drill is made of tough, micro-grain carbide and has chamfered cutting edges. This chamfer preparation eliminates any tiny nicks and anomalies at the micron scale, which makes the cutting edges more stable and therefore more resistant to premature wear due to edge breakouts and micro cracks, the company says. The tool also features a high-performance coating that also has a positive impact on wear behavior and service life.
The lifting frontal polished section and the six-surface point thinning also are said to increase the tool’s performance, providing not only self-centering capabilities but also optimal chip shape generation. A special groovechip space with extremely flat surfaces TNMG Insert helps to remove chips from the contact zone quickly. This controlled-speed chip removal is aided by the drill’s precise internal cooling.
The Cemented Carbide Blog: tungsten long inserts
Chip Free Drilling Process Creates Holes And Bushings
PCD inserts, also known as Polycrystalline Diamond inserts, are cutting tools used in machining applications. They are designed to enhance cutting performance and tool life in various machining processes, especially in industries like automotive, aerospace, and precision manufacturing. PCD inserts are known for their exceptional hardness, wear resistance, and thermal conductivity.Key features of PCD inserts include:Polycrystalline Diamond Material: PCD inserts are made from synthetic diamond particles that are sintered together at high temperatures and pressures. This process creates a strong, uniform material with excellent hardness and wear resistance.Cutting Performance: PCD VBMT Insert inserts are used for cutting and machining non-ferrous metals, composite materials, and other abrasive materials. They excel in applications where traditional cutting tools like carbide inserts might wear down quickly.High Wear Resistance: The hardness and wear resistance of PCD inserts allow them to maintain their cutting edge for a longer time compared to traditional cutting tools. This results in longer tool life and reduced downtime for tool changes.Thermal Conductivity: PCD inserts have high thermal conductivity, which helps dissipate heat generated during the cutting process. This characteristic is particularly beneficial in high-speed machining applications, as it reduces the risk of tool overheating and premature failure.Smooth Surface Finish: PCD inserts can produce a smoother surface finish on the workpiece due to their sharp Carbide Milling Insert cutting edges and minimal tool wear.PCD inserts are a valuable choice for precision machining applications that require high-quality surface finishes, extended tool life, and enhanced productivity. They have the potential to significantly improve machining processes in industries where maintaining tight tolerances and efficient production are critical.Related search keywords:PCD inserts, pcd inserts for aluminum, cbn vs pcd inserts, CBN inserts, round pcd inserts, pcd diamond inserts, pcd diamond turning inserts, pcd insert, pcd grooving inserts, pcd lathe inserts, pcd milling inserts, pcd turning inserts, pcbn inserts
The Cemented Carbide Blog: carbide insert stock PCD inserts, also known as Polycrystalline Diamond inserts, are cutting tools used in machining applications. They are designed to enhance cutting performance and tool life in various machining processes, especially in industries like automotive, aerospace, and precision manufacturing. PCD inserts are known for their exceptional hardness, wear resistance, and thermal conductivity.Key features of PCD inserts include:Polycrystalline Diamond Material: PCD inserts are made from synthetic diamond particles that are sintered together at high temperatures and pressures. This process creates a strong, uniform material with excellent hardness and wear resistance.Cutting Performance: PCD VBMT Insert inserts are used for cutting and machining non-ferrous metals, composite materials, and other abrasive materials. They excel in applications where traditional cutting tools like carbide inserts might wear down quickly.High Wear Resistance: The hardness and wear resistance of PCD inserts allow them to maintain their cutting edge for a longer time compared to traditional cutting tools. This results in longer tool life and reduced downtime for tool changes.Thermal Conductivity: PCD inserts have high thermal conductivity, which helps dissipate heat generated during the cutting process. This characteristic is particularly beneficial in high-speed machining applications, as it reduces the risk of tool overheating and premature failure.Smooth Surface Finish: PCD inserts can produce a smoother surface finish on the workpiece due to their sharp Carbide Milling Insert cutting edges and minimal tool wear.PCD inserts are a valuable choice for precision machining applications that require high-quality surface finishes, extended tool life, and enhanced productivity. They have the potential to significantly improve machining processes in industries where maintaining tight tolerances and efficient production are critical.Related search keywords:PCD inserts, pcd inserts for aluminum, cbn vs pcd inserts, CBN inserts, round pcd inserts, pcd diamond inserts, pcd diamond turning inserts, pcd insert, pcd grooving inserts, pcd lathe inserts, pcd milling inserts, pcd turning inserts, pcbn inserts
The Cemented Carbide Blog: carbide insert stock
Exploring factories and expanding skill horizons
Since the advent of automatic tool changers, a spring pack actuated by a drawbar has been the standard mechanism for clamping toolholders into a machine tool spindle. A spring pack consists of a stack of Belleville washers—specialized types of spring washers that provide substantial gripping force when compressed. Like any spring mechanism, however, a conventional spindle cartridge loses a significant portion of its strength after repeated use. Depending on the total number of tool-change cycles, this reduction in clamping force may be 30 percent or more.
Higher spindle speeds have increased the importance of accurate balancing for cutting tools, toolholders and related components. The Belleville washers in mechanical spring packs can present problems in this regard, because they shift away from the center axis of the cartridge during clamping and unclamping. This characteristic can affect the balance of the cartridge, and the spring pack’s weight amplifies the effect of any imbalance.
After 3 years RCMX Insert of lab tests, Sandvik Coromant has developed an entirely new type of spindle cartridge that addresses some drawbacks of the conventional design. The company’s gas spring clamping system uses gas pressure to exert gripping force on the toolholder. It incorporates a rod-and-piston structure that is connected to the drawbar. The cylinder bore contains high-pressure nitrogen gas, and the internal gas pressure is equal on either side of the piston. This pressure serves the same purpose as the spring pack in a conventional spindle cartridge. As the piston rod is compressed, gas is displaced inside the cylinder. This stores additional energy that generates the clamping forces.
Compared to a conventional spring-pack cartridge with equivalent clamping force, a gas spring is more compact in size and lighter in weight. Furthermore, the SNMG Insert cartridge’s symmetrical design eliminates balancing variations. In terms of durability, the gas spring will lose only 5 percent of its original clamping force after 1 million cycles. In contrast, spring-pack mechanisms can lose up to 50 percent of their clamping force at the same stage of use. For machine tool builders, a gas spring is easier to assemble into a spindle cartridge than a spring pack.
Extensive testing by the Sandvik Coromant lab has shown that, regardless of spindle speeds or machining conditions, the gas spring cylinder has not experienced any significant failures. The company has offered this product to all of the principal machine tool builders, and some of these firms have used their machining centers to conduct field-tests. One some of their multi-tasking machines, builders such as Index Corporation (Shelton, Connecticut) and Daewoo Heavy Industries (West Caldwell, New Jersey) already offer Coromant Capto spindles with gas spring clamping systems.
The Cemented Carbide Blog: Milling Inserts
Since the advent of automatic tool changers, a spring pack actuated by a drawbar has been the standard mechanism for clamping toolholders into a machine tool spindle. A spring pack consists of a stack of Belleville washers—specialized types of spring washers that provide substantial gripping force when compressed. Like any spring mechanism, however, a conventional spindle cartridge loses a significant portion of its strength after repeated use. Depending on the total number of tool-change cycles, this reduction in clamping force may be 30 percent or more.
Higher spindle speeds have increased the importance of accurate balancing for cutting tools, toolholders and related components. The Belleville washers in mechanical spring packs can present problems in this regard, because they shift away from the center axis of the cartridge during clamping and unclamping. This characteristic can affect the balance of the cartridge, and the spring pack’s weight amplifies the effect of any imbalance.
After 3 years RCMX Insert of lab tests, Sandvik Coromant has developed an entirely new type of spindle cartridge that addresses some drawbacks of the conventional design. The company’s gas spring clamping system uses gas pressure to exert gripping force on the toolholder. It incorporates a rod-and-piston structure that is connected to the drawbar. The cylinder bore contains high-pressure nitrogen gas, and the internal gas pressure is equal on either side of the piston. This pressure serves the same purpose as the spring pack in a conventional spindle cartridge. As the piston rod is compressed, gas is displaced inside the cylinder. This stores additional energy that generates the clamping forces.
Compared to a conventional spring-pack cartridge with equivalent clamping force, a gas spring is more compact in size and lighter in weight. Furthermore, the SNMG Insert cartridge’s symmetrical design eliminates balancing variations. In terms of durability, the gas spring will lose only 5 percent of its original clamping force after 1 million cycles. In contrast, spring-pack mechanisms can lose up to 50 percent of their clamping force at the same stage of use. For machine tool builders, a gas spring is easier to assemble into a spindle cartridge than a spring pack.
Extensive testing by the Sandvik Coromant lab has shown that, regardless of spindle speeds or machining conditions, the gas spring cylinder has not experienced any significant failures. The company has offered this product to all of the principal machine tool builders, and some of these firms have used their machining centers to conduct field-tests. One some of their multi-tasking machines, builders such as Index Corporation (Shelton, Connecticut) and Daewoo Heavy Industries (West Caldwell, New Jersey) already offer Coromant Capto spindles with gas spring clamping systems.
The Cemented Carbide Blog: Milling Inserts
