Experts in the metalworking industry provided their outlook for the coming year and their insights on how manufacturers should navigate whatever challenges the industry might still have along the way to recovery.
The year 2020 had been an extraordinary one, with the COVID-19 pandemic basically putting the global manufacturing industry on a standstill—at least except those essential industries that have scrambled to create medical equipment such as ventilators, and testing kits, as well as personal protective equipment including face masks and face shields.
The pandemic put into spotlight the agility and resiliency needed in every manufacturing industry, as supply chains get stuck and manufacturers are at a loss as to how to obtain their raw materials and parts.
Nevertheless, the show must go on. And as vaccines are now being developed, it won’t be long until we see light at the end of this tunnel. In this special feature, experts in the metalworking industry provided their outlook for the coming year and their insights on how manufacturers should navigate whatever challenges the industry might still have along our way to recovery.
Creaform
Simon Côté, Product Manager
The metalworking industry will continue to undergo major transformations in 2021. As customers continue to require more complex and sophisticated parts, it is becoming even more crucial for metalworking firms to implement new strategies and technologies to monitor the quality and compliance of final products—all while accelerating throughput due to demanding timelines.
There is no doubt 2020 will be remembered by most as a year to forget due to the pandemic and the global uncertainty, but it will also be considered as a starting point by those that were able to adapt to the market challenges by implementing or accelerating innovation-focused plans.
The outlook for the global economy in 2020 deteriorated significantly primarily due to the massive economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. In 2021, we nevertheless are expecting global GDP growth to return back to the level of 2019.
Metalworking companies across all industries have been facing increasing demands for years now—albeit some levelling was and is still visible in the current pandemic. To hold their own fortress against international competition, companies need versatile and efficient solutions for a wide variety of production tasks. One solution is the digitalization and networking of production and logistics processes—the basic technologies surrounding Industry 4.0.
Eran Salmon, Executive Head of Research and Development
“Business as Usual” is constantly being redefined at ISCAR to meet the varying needs of global metalworking industries. In such a reality, innovative technologies and business opportunities emerge to meet all the challenges ahead.
2020 has seen the COVID-19 pandemic act on top of the existing geopolitical factors and on the shift to e-mobility, with the result of accelerating the evolution of the manufacturing environment. The trend of focusing on production resilience is set to continue, resulting in a more localized supply chain and a higher concentration on global players.
Despite the restrictions predicted for 2021, most businesses have not stood still. In industries where exhibitions play a major role, it was more a question of how to bring innovations to market—especially with regard to communication. Many of the people I spoke to were initially very excited about the digital possibilities, and certainly rightly so.
Boon Choon Lim, President, Korea, ASEAN, Pacific, India
The year 2020 was characterized by virtual work and learning, as individuals and businesses reinvented themselves to maintain productivity. Optimising the digital landscape will continue in 2021, as companies embrace innovation to meet their needs.
To stay competitive, manufacturers need to rely more on digitized processes and less manual interaction. To meet the new requirements, we need to continue to drive the development and digitalization of the manufacturing industry. Sandvik Coromant have a unique venture with Microsoft, combining Sandvik Coromant’s expertise in machining with Microsoft’s technical solutions.
Alex Teo, Managing Director and Vice President for South East Asia
2020 underscored two important pillars of manufacturing: adaptability and resiliency. With COVID-19 disrupting global supply chains, manufacturers need to inject their production chain with the agility to pivot and adapt to constantly changing market conditions.
“Change is the only constant in life” and this is characteristically so for 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Though businesses were disrupted, but in the same fast pace, opportunities arose for additive manufacturing (AM) in the medical frontline, responding quickly to severe restrictions in supply chains and traditional manufacturing bases.
Unusual times in 2020 have brough significant difficulties in all walks of life, and manufacturing is no exception. The downturn in industrial activity has been evident during these COVID-19 times—mandatory closures, disruptions to the supply chain, and the stringent social distancing regulations imposed a devastating impact worldwide including the ASEAN region.
The coronavirus pandemic is leaving deep scars in the German and international machine tool industry. For 2020, the VDW expects a decline in production of 30 percent. After economic data and economic indicators showed an upward trend in the third quarter, uncertainty in the economy is currently increasing in view of the second wave of the pandemic.
Advanced workpiece manufacturing technologies—such as metal injection moulding, 3D printing, investment casting and close-tolerance forging—innovative machine tools, and a quantum leap in digitizing of manufacturing will increase the needs for finishing complex surfaces with minimum machining stock. Article by Andrei Petrilin, ISCAR.
Endmills featuring a cutting edge that is actually the segment of a large-diameter arc were introduced approximately 25 years ago. As the cutting-edge shape of these endmills is reminiscent of a barrel profile, terms such as ‘barrel milling cutters’, ‘barrel endmills’ or, in shop talk, often simply ‘barrels’ soon became common when referring to these types of endmills.
At first, the use of these barrel-shape mills was limited more or less to a few specific applications, such as machining 3D surfaces of complex dies and turbomachinery components. However, advances in 5-axis machining and in CAM systems have significantly expanded the boundaries of barrel endmill applications.
At the same time, the design principle of a cutting edge as the segment of a large-diameter arc has been realized successfully in other types of milling cutter—the tools for high feed milling (HFM), also referred to as ‘fast feed’ (FF) milling. The concept provides a toroidal cutting geometry that ensures productive rough machining at extremely high feed rates due to a chip thinning effect. Unlike high feed milling tools, barrel endmills are intended not for roughing but for finish and semi-finish machining of 3D surfaces with low stock removal.
Traditionally, ball-nose and toroidal cutters perform these machining operations. However, the large-diameter arc of the endmill cutting edge results in a substantial reduction of the cusp height generated between passes machined by a ball-nose or toroidal cutter. Another advantage of this type of cutting edge versus ball-nose and toroidal cutters is a significant increase in the distance between passes (a stepover or a stepdown, depending on the direction of a cutter displacement after every pass)—at least five times more without degradation of the surface finish parameters! (Figure 1) This means that the number of passes and, subsequently, machining time can be noticeably reduced. Increasing the distance between passes also improves tool life and, therefore, diminishes tool cost per part.
The classical barrel shape in endmills has undergone some changes to make these cutters more versatile. Combining a ball-nose tip with peripheral large-arc cutting edges creates a multi-purpose ‘cutting oval,’ which facilitates the use of a barrel endmill as a ball-nose milling tool.
Has the development of new tool materials already reached its peak and is experiencing stagnation? Find out more from Andrei Petrilin and Marcel Elkouby, ISCAR.
Fig 1: CBN grade IB20H insert for hard part turning.
Building a house begins with laying the foundation. The strength and the reliability of the whole house depends on how strong the foundation is. In cutting tool engineering, this foundation is a cutting material.
There are various types of cutting materials: cemented carbide, polycrystalline diamond, high speed steel, and ceramics, to name a few. Each type contains different grades. At various stages in metal cutting history, the introduction of each cutting material and its use has led to a significant change in the level of cutting speeds and, consequently, productivity. However, if the previous century, especially its second half, was marked by the rapid progress of tool materials, today we do not see any significant new solutions in this field. Does this mean that the development of new tool materials has already reached its peak and is experiencing stagnation?
Of course not. It is simply that the new developments are deep within the cutting material and are focused on its structure, and can be observed only with the help of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron backscatter diffraction (EBCD), and other sophisticated methods. They cover a tremendously complicated world of coatings that is extremely diverse despite its very small thickness, measured only by microns.
The most commonly available cutting material today is cemented carbide (primarily coated), also known as ‘hard metal’, ‘tungsten carbide’ or simply, carbide. In terms of performance, it represents a reasonable balance between efficiency, tool life and cost. A combination of cemented carbide, coating, and post-coating treatment produces a carbide grade. Only one of these components—the cemented carbide—is an essential element in the grade. The others are optional.
Cemented carbide is a composite material comprising hard carbide particles that are cemented together by binding metal (mainly cobalt). Most cemented carbides used for producing cutting tools integrate wear-resistant coatings. There are also various treatment processes that are applied to already coated cemented carbide (for example, the rake surface of an indexable insert). New developments in cemented carbide, as a tool material, are concentrated in three directions: carbide production technologies, advanced coating methods, and innovative post-coating techniques. Considerable success has been achieved in each of these directions; this is reflected in the wealth of new products introduced to the market by leading cutting tool manufacturers.
Cutting tool customers might analyze the grades using parameters such as productivity, tool life, and performance. Indeed, the question of how a new product was created to meet customer requirements fades into the background as applicability and efficiency form the main measure of progress from the customer’s point of view.
Upgrading Carbide Grades
In upgrading carbide grades, ISCAR is very sensitive to a challenge faced by the metalworking industries. In this context, ISCAR’s tool material solutions—developed considering the trends of modern metalworking—can be quite indicative. Take, for example, difficult-to-cut materials such as titanium and heat-resistant steels and exotic superalloys. Recently, the share of their application in industry has increased significantly. Along with the aircraft industry, a traditional consumer of these materials, they may be increasingly found in power engineering, automotive, and oil and gas branches. The growing usage of the materials demands technological solutions, including machinery and cutting tools. The new tools require an appropriate foundation, made of advanced cutting tool materials, to achieve the desired cutting geometry. And for the construction of this foundation, ISCAR offers its new effective ‘bricks’—upgraded carbide grades.
ISCAR is upgrading the ISCARMILL F75 family of 75 deg indexable face milling cutters, which carry single-sided square inserts SP , by introducing new milling cutters that are intended for mounting the same inserts
The new cutters, designated as F75…-M, are available in a shell mill configuration and feature an advanced design for better productivity. In accordance with the new design, the inserts that are mounted in the cutters F75…-M are clamped with the use of a wedge system, providing high clamping reliability and high repeatability for positioning an insert active cutting edge. In addition, the wedge clamping principle enables quick and easy mounting of the inserts and their indexing.
The main features of the new cutters are as follows:
50 – 125 mm cutter diameter range
Shell mill design configuration
Clamping inserts by wedge for reliable, quick and easy securing of the inserts and their indexing
Coolant holes directed to each active cutting edge of the mounted inserts for effective coolant supply through the cutter body
Silver-grayish protective plating is applied to the cutter bodies, ensuring increased body tool life due to improved anti-scratch and abrasive-resistance properties and high anti-corrosion protection
Applications
Machining main engineering materials such as carbon and alloy steel, cast iron and stainless steel
Wide range of face milling operations
Broad range of usage in various industrial branches
How to say no to vibrations in machining? Find out more in this article by Andrei Petrilin, Technical Manager at ISCAR.
Figure 2: The FINISHRED series of solid carbide endmills features chip-splitting geometry coupled with variable pitch flutes.
Vibrations in machining are generally an unavoidable part of the metal cutting process. They have a forced or self-excited nature and always accompany a cutting action. Machining vibrations are referred to as “chatter,” highlighting their specific nature, which inheres in every processing where chips are formed. Even if cutting is considered as stable, it does not mean that vibrations do not take place. In this case, the vibrations simply remain on a level that provides the required machining results, and is considered as a “no vibration” operation.
In fact, vibrations in cutting are a damaging factor that reduces performance. Manufacturers make every effort to diminish vibration and, ideally, bring them to a level that does not affect machining results. Chatter is a subject of serious research that has already provided manufacturers with ways to model vibrations in machining which, despite their complexity, can be very effective in finding a way to reduce chatter. However, this modelling takes time and requires various input data, including sometimes additional measurements. In most cases, when manufacturers face vibrations during machining, they only have a few tools at their disposal for a real-time response to decrease the chatter. The most common practice is to vary cutting speed and feed, which usually leads to productivity reduction. Therefore, any effective method of diminishing vibrations that does not adversely affect machining operation productivity will be attractive to manufacturers.
Vibration reduction in machining requires consideration of a manufacturing unit as a system comprising the following interrelated elements: a machine, a workpiece, a work-holding device, and a cutting tool. While the influence of each element on total vibration reduction is different, improving a vibration characteristic of one element may have a significant impact on the system’s overall dynamic behaviour. Most efforts to protect against vibrations focus on developing more rigid machines with intelligent sensors and computer control, and advanced vibration-dampening tooling. Can a cutting tool, the smallest – and probably the simplest – system component, dramatically change the vibration strength of a manufacturing unit? Even though producers might not have great hopes for the role of cutting tools in decreasing chatter, in certain cases a correctly selected tool can simply stop vibration without any adverse effect on productivity.
Cutting Geometry
Figure 3: The SUMOCHAM-IQ family of HCP exchangeable carbide heads.
The right tool geometry makes cutting action smooth and stable. The geometry strongly influences cutting force fluctuations, chip evacuation and other factors, which are connected directly with vibration modes. ISCAR’s tool design engineers believe that the cutting geometry can considerably strengthen vibration dampening of a tool and have developed interesting solutions accordingly.
ISCAR’s various indexable inserts, exchangeable heads, and solid carbide tools feature chip-splitting cutting edges. Such an edge may be serrated or have chip-splitting grooves. The chip splitting action causes a wide chip to be divided into small segments, resulting in better dynamic behaviour of a tool during machining, and vibration is stabilised. In rough machining, extended flute milling cutters remove a large material stock and work in heavy conditions. Significant cutting forces acting cyclically generate vibration problems. When using chip-splitting indexable inserts, it is possible to tackle these difficulties. Mills with round inserts, a real workhorse in machining cavities and pockets, particularly in die and mold making, are often operated at high overhang that affects rigidity and vibration resistance of a tool. Problems with cutting stability occur when the overhang already exceeds 3 tool diameters. Applying serrated round inserts with a chip-splitting effect redresses this situation and substantially improves robustness (Figure 1).
A skilfully defined tooth pitch is an effective way of taking the dynamic behaviour of a cutting tool to the next level. ISCAR’s CHATTERFREE family of solid carbide endmills (SCEM) was designed on the basis of a pitch control method. The family features a variable angle pitch in combination with a different helix angle. This concept ensures chatter free milling in a broad range of applications.
The FINISHRED series of solid carbide endmills features chip-splitting geometry coupled with variable pitch flutes (Figure 2) that provide surface finish when machined according to rough machining data.
The principles of vibration-proof cutting geometry, which demonstrated their effectiveness in solid carbide endmills , have been applied to the design of exchangeable multi-flute milling heads made from cemented carbides in the MULTI-MASTER family.
Chatter-Free Drilling
Figure 4: ISCAR’s ISOTURN WHISPERLINE family of anti-vibration cylindrical bars.
Chatter in drilling leads to poor surface finish and accuracy problems. In ISCAR’s SUMOCHAM family of assembled drills with exchangeable carbide heads, the double margin design of QCP/ICP-2M heads substantially increases tool dynamic stability.
If vibration occurs when a drill enters material, it may cause serious damage and even breakage of the drill. The SUMOCHAM-IQ family of HCP exchangeable carbide heads (Figure 3), intended for mounting in the bodies of standard SUMOCHAM tools, can ensure reliable self-centring capabilities. The key is an unusual concave profile for the head cutting edge reminiscent of a pagoda shape. This original cutting geometry enables high-quality drilling holes of depths of up to twelve hole diameters, directly into solid material without pre-drilling a pilot hole.
The “magic pagoda” features another ISCAR innovation: the LOGIQ3CHAM family of latest-generation drills carrying exchangeable carbide heads with 3 teeth to ensure higher productivity. The steel drill bodies have 3 helical flute that weaken the body structure when compared with a 2-flute assembled drill of the same diameter. In order to improve the dynamic rigidity, the flute helix angle is variable. This design principle in combination with the pagoda-shaped cutting edge provides a durable chatter-proof solution for stable high-efficiency drilling.
Tool Body Material
An assembled cutting tool comprises a body with mounted cutting elements such as indexable inserts or exchangeable heads. Choosing the right body material presents an additional option for forming a chatter-free tool structure. Most tool bodies are made from high-quality tool steel grades, for which the material stress-strain behavior is similar. However, in some cases tool design engineers have identified successful material alternatives to improve vibration strength.
The MULTI-MASTER, an ISCAR family of rotating tools with exchangeable heads, provides a range of tool bodies, referred to as shanks, produced from steel, tungsten carbide or heavy metal. A steel shank is the most versatile. Tungsten carbide with its substantial Young’s modulus provides an extremely rigid design, so carbide shanks are used mainly when milling at high overhang and machining internal circumferential grooves. Heavy metal, an alloy containing around 90 percent tungsten, is characterised by its vibration-absorbing properties, and heavy metal shanks are most advantageous for light to medium cutting operations in unstable conditions.
Anti-vibration Tools for Deep Turning
A typical tool for internal turning or boring operations comprises a boring bar with a mounted insert or a cartridge carrying an insert. The bar is the main factor in the dynamic behaviour of a tool. Stiffness of a bar is the function of the bar overhang to diameter ratio, and large ratios may be a reason of tool deflection and vibrations, affecting dimensional accuracy and surface finish during machining.
ISCAR has developed three types of boring bar to cover a wide range of boring applications: two integral (from steel and solid carbide) and one assembled, having a vibration dampening system inside.
The steel bars enable stable machining with the overhang up to four diameters. Exceeding this value can induce vibrations due to steel’s elasticity characteristics. Changing the bar material from steel to a more rigid solid carbide ensures efficient vibration-free boring with the overhang of up to seven diameters. However, further increasing the boring depth is also limited by the material stress-strain behaviour. In order to clear this overhang barrier, ISCAR developed the ISOTURN WHISPERLINE family of anti-vibration cylindrical bars. The bars carry interchangeable boring heads for indexable inserts of different geometries and have inner coolant supply capability. The main element of the bar design is a built-in vibration-dampening mechanism to provide “live” vibration damping during machining. This enables effective boring with the overhang from seven to 14 diameters (Figure 4).
A vibration-dampening unit is used also in ISCAR deep grooving and parting tools. The unit is in a tool blade under the insert pocket. Each blade is pre-calibrated by ISCAR for optimal performance for a wide range of overhangs, but end-users can complete fine tuning calibration themselves if needed.
Cutting tool manufacturers have a limited choice of means in the abatement of machining vibrations, with only tool cutting geometry, tool body material, and maybe a cutting tool with built-in vibration-damping device at their disposition. Considerable skill and ingenuity are required to make a chatter-free tool with these limited resources. It is feasible, however, and ISCAR’s solutions highlighted in the above examples affirm the possibilities.
The aerospace industry is one of the most important driving factors for cutting tool development. Here are the recent tool developments to address the challenges in aerospace parts manufacturing. Article by Andrei Petrilin, ISCAR.
The aerospace industry is not only one of the largest consumers of cutting tools but also one of the most important driving factors for cutting tool development. The aerospace industry features continuous efforts aimed at improving aircraft component manufacturing efficiency, increasing flight safety, and reducing potential environmental damage.
To achieve these goals, the aerospace industry must constantly improve the design of aircraft engines and airframe structural elements, to increase the protection of the aircraft from the damaging action of such dangerous factors as lightening and icing. This, in turn, has resulted in a series of industry demands, including the introduction of engineering materials that require new production technologies, developing appropriate machinery and cutting tools. The aircraft manufacturer has to deal with complex parts, which are produced from various materials with the use of different machining strategies. This is why the aerospace industry is considered as a powerful and leading force for progress in cutting tool development.
Many materials used for manufacturing aircraft components have poor machinability. Titanium with its impressive strength-to-weight ratio, high-temperature superalloys (HTSA) that do not lose their strength under high thermal load, and composites, are difficult-to-cut materials. In order to increase output rate and improve productivity, aerospace component manufacturers must use machine tools capable of implementing advanced machining operations. In such conditions, the role of cutting tools is significantly increased; however, cutting tools can represent the weakest link in the whole manufacturing system due to their low durability as a system element, which can decrease productivity. Customers from the aerospace sector expect higher levels of performance and reliability from cutting tools. Tool manufacturers now are being challenged and inspired, in terms of developing and integrating sometimes unconventional solutions into their products, to meet these expectations.
Figure 2: ISCAR’s F3S chipformer was designed specifically for finish turning high-temperature nickel-based alloys and exotic materials.
Most cutting tools continue to be manufactured from cemented carbide. Over recent years, ISCAR has introduced several carbide grades designed specifically for aerospace materials, including
IC 5820. The grade combines the advantages of a new submicron substrate, a progressive hard CVD coating, and a post-coating treatment to substantially increase impact strength and heat resistance. The inserts from this grade are intended mostly for milling titanium. Pinpointed wet cooling and especially high-pressure coolant (HPC) significantly improve grade performance.
Ceramics, another tool material, possess considerably higher hot hardness and chemical inertness than cemented carbides. This means that ceramics ensure much greater cutting speeds and eliminate diffusion wear. One of ISCAR’s recent developments, a family of solid ceramic endmills, is intended for machining HTSA. These endmills are made from SiAlON, a type of silicon-nitride-based ceramic comprising silicon (Si), aluminium (Al), oxygen (O) and nitrogen (N). When compared with solid carbide tools, these endmills enable up to 50 times increase in cutting speed, which can drastically save machining hours.
For turning applications, the company expanded its line of indexable SiAlON inserts for machining HTSA materials. The new products (Figure 1) have already proven their effectiveness in turning aero engine parts from super alloys such as Waspaloy and different Inconel and Rene grades. In contrast to other silicon nitride ceramics, SiAlON possesses higher oxidation resistance but less toughness. Therefore, a key of a SiAlON insert reliability is additional edge preparation. ISCAR’s new TE edge geometry has been developed to increase tool life in heavy load conditions during rough operations and interrupted cuts.
Advanced Geometry
Figure 3: The recently launched modular drills for multi-spindle and Swiss-type machines combine the SUMOCHAM design with a FLEXFIT threaded connection.
Improving a cutting geometry is an important direction in the development of cutting tools. Cutting geometry is a subject of theoretical and experimental researches, and advances in science and technology have brought a new powerful instrument to aid in tool design: 3D computer modelling of chip formation. ISCAR’s R&D team actively uses modelling to find optimal cutting geometries and form the rake face of indexable inserts and exchangeable heads.
The F3S chipformer for the most popular ISO inserts, such as CNMG, WNMG and SNMG, was designed specifically for finish turning high-temperature nickel-based alloys and exotic materials (Figure 2). It ensures a smooth and easy cut with notable chip breaking results. The remarkable working capability of the designed cutting geometry is a direct result of chip flow modelling.
In hole making, applying modelling to the design process significantly contributed to creating a chip splitting geometry of SUMOCHAM exchangeable carbide heads for drilling holes with depth up to 12-hole diameters in hard-to-cut austenitic and duplex stainless steel.
Flexible Customisation
Figure 4: The need to increase productivity and boost metal removal rates for milling aluminium workpieces, especially large parts of aerospace structural components, has led machine tool builders to develop milling machines with a powerful main drive—up to 150 kW—with high spindle speeds of up to 33,000 rpm.
Aerospace products can vary immensely in material, dimensions, shape , complexity, and more. To make such a diverse range of products, the product manufacturer needs dozens of machine tools and technological processes. Not every standard cutting tool is optimal for performing certain machining operations with maximum productivity and, consequently, the aerospace industry is a leading consumer of customized tools.
A customer producing titanium parts might be interested in solutions comprising indexable shell mills and arbors from the standard line; while another customer producing similar parts might prefer special milling cutters with an integral body, for direct mounting in a machine spindle.
ISCAR developed the MULTI-MASTER and SUMOCHAM families of rotating tools with exchangeable heads and different body configurations to ensure various tool assembly options that simplify customization and decrease the need for costly tailormade products.
A further example of simplified customisation can be found in ISCAR’s recently-launched modular drills for multi-spindle and Swiss-type machines. The drills combine the SUMOCHAM design with a FLEXFIT threaded connection (Figure 3). Multi-spindle and Swiss-type machines typically have a limited space for tooling, which means that the tools in operation need to be as short as possible to avoid collisions and facilitate easy set up. A wide range of FLEXFIT threaded adaptors and flatted shanks has been designed precisely to fit the drills and maximally shorten an overhang.
Responding to demands from the aerospace sector, the company also expanded the MULTI-MASTER family by introducing a new thread connection to increase the diameter range for the exchangeable endmill heads to 32 mm (1.25″).
Aluminium Machining
Although machining aluminium might appear to be an extremely simple process, effective cutting of aluminium actually represents a whole field of technology with its own laws and challenges.
The need to increase productivity and boost metal removal rates for milling aluminium workpieces, especially large parts of aerospace structural components, has led machine tool builders to develop milling machines with a powerful main drive—up to 150 kW—with high spindle speeds of up to 33,000 rpm. To meet this demand, ISCAR has expanded its family of 90° indexable milling cutters by introducing new tools carrying large-size inserts that enable up to 22 mm (.870″) depth of cut (Figure 4). The tools have been designed to eliminate insert radial displacement, which might occur due to high centrifugal forces during very high rotational speed. This concept facilitates reliable milling in a rotational speed range of up to 31,000 rpm.
In hole making, the company developed new inserts for drilling aluminium with indexable drills from the DR-TWIST drilling tool range. The inserts are peripherally ground and feature sharp cutting edges and polished rake face for light cut, preventing adhesion.
ISCAR’s cutting tool program for the aerospace sector is based on several principles: the complex needs of this industry, taking into consideration trends in metalworking, and the drive to strengthen partnerships with tool consumers. ISCAR believes that such a tri-pronged approach ensures the successful realization of innovative ideas for efficient machining of the difficult-to-cut materials that characterize this challenging and dynamic field.
Increase Your Productivity Through Knowledge
Connect to ISCAR WORLD is the virtual ‘one stop shop’ app that features all ISCAR’s online apps, interfaces, and product catalogues in a single space. Discover ISCAR WORLD and its added value in providing you a rich experience to review, compare, check, and select the tooling solutions that are right for your needs.
ISCAR WORLD is simple to use and can easily be downloaded for IOS and Android platforms from the online stores.
Although seemingly simple, the design of effective chamfering tools needs to take into consideration various factors, including whether the chamfers are external or internal, breaking sharp edges and removing burrs, chamfers in holes, productivity, and versatility. Article by Andrei Petrilin, ISCAR.
Figure 1: MULTI MASTER HCD head.
Chamfering is perhaps the most common operation in metal cutting. It may be found practically in every machining process. Chamfers and, to a lesser degree, fillets feature on almost all external and internal corners of parts. Chamfers are simpler to manufacture than fillets, which explains why they prevail. We are so accustomed to the presence of chamfers at the edges of various products that sometimes we do not think about the importance of these relatively small sloped surfaces. They prevent hand injuries, make assembly easy, reduce stress concentration, and constitute necessary elements of a product design.
Traditionally, chamfering is considered as a simple operation. Usually, it is performed by different cutting tools, which are not very sophisticated. A straight-turning tool or a milling cutter featuring a 45-deg cutting edge angle or a drill with a 90-deg-point angle are typical representatives of such tools.
At the same time, the application field of rotating chamfering tools is not limited by typical operations but also includes deburring and bevelling, countersinking and undercutting, back chamfering in holes and along edges, undercutting and V-cutting, spot drilling and centre drilling. A rotating chamfering tool is extremely versatile and, in an ideal scenario, should be capable of performing all the mentioned machining operations effectively and efficiently.
However, various objective limitations, primarily dimensional, place serious obstacles in creating this perfect tool and the existing solutions tend to be far from ideal. Understanding the most preferable features of the tool from the customer’s point of view is critical for designing modern chamfering tools to overcome these challenges. Especially here, which seems so simple as to be sometimes disregarded, manufacturers look to cutting tool producers for a simple, productive, cost-effective, and versatile solution.
Such an approach resonates with ISCAR’s concept of advanced intelligent tools. Following this principle, the company has developed various rotating chamfering tools.
Figure 2: MULTI MASTER GRIT 28K-45D-6T10 head
MULTI-MASTER, ISCAR’s family of assembled tools with exchangeable cutting heads, provides several options. The economical two-flute MM H heads and fully ground multi-flute MM E heads ensure effective chamfering and removing burrs, particularly when applied to cutting relatively small-size areas or workpieces. One of the heads, the multi-functional MM HCD (Figure 1), is suitable for efficient machining external and internal chamfers, burrs, centre- and spot-drilling, and countersinking. The secret of the head success is a cutting geometry that features combining negative and positive axial rakes. Together with a positive radial rake, the design principle results in a strong cutting edge and excellent chip former to guarantee a smooth and light cut—even in hard machining conditions—and reliable chip flow.
The dovetail-shape heads (Figure 2), another MULTI-MASTER product, are available with 45 deg, 60 deg and 75 deg entering angles. They are capable of both generating dovetail groove or slots and perform back chamfering; the multi-tooth design of the heads ensures high productivity when performing this operation.
Drilling a hole with a chamfer by one single pass, for example in pre-thread drilling, is a preferable option for every manufacturer. The operation can be performed by applying a combined hole making tool that combines drilling and countersinking features (Figure 3). However, an almost endless number of hole depths significantly limits tool capabilities and technically necessitates the manufacture of many special tool versions, each adapted to a specific hole size. This problem is overcome by mounting a chamfering ring in the body of a standard ISCAR CHAMDRILL drill, in the desired position according to the drill tip, to configure a tool that can perform drilling and chamfering in one operation.
Figure 3: DCNT combined drill
One tool design is intended especially for small manufacturers and maintenance departments. This is a versatile chamfering endmill with an adjustable cutting edge angle. The endmill features a rotatable cartridge that carries an indexable insert. Due to adjustability of the cutting edge, the tool enables milling chamfers with various angles and eliminates the need for different tools for different chamfer angles. The angle scale, engraved on the cartridge, makes adjusting simple and friendly. Nevertheless, the ‘cost’ of high versatility is a single chamfering edge—the multi-functional adjustable design provides only one cutting tooth.
ISCAR’s recently launched CHAMFMILL family of indexable milling cutters is designed for front and back chamfering (Figure 4), with applications including machining small outer and inner chamfers and removing burrs. The key element of the family is a pentagonal insert carried by the cutters. The star-like shape features 10 cutting edges: five for front and five for back chamfering.
Although seemingly simple, the design of effective chamfering tools needs to take into consideration various factors, including whether the chamfers are external or internal, breaking sharp edges and removing burrs, chamfers in holes, productivity, versatility, and more. To the question of which tool would be considered as a five-star product, one could answer that the best tool is the one that the customer has chosen according to their needs.
Increase Your Productivity Through Knowledge
Connect to ISCAR WORLD is the virtual ‘one stop shop’ app that features all ISCAR’s online apps, interfaces, and product catalogues in a single space. Discover ISCAR WORLD and its added value in providing you a rich experience to review, compare, check, and select the tooling solutions that are right for your needs.
ISCAR WORLD is simple to use and can easily be downloaded for IOS and Android platforms from the online stores.
Market outlook 2020: The year 2019 has been quite a challenging year for the manufacturing industry, with geopolitical tensions impacting investment decisions and shifts in manufacturing centres, and trends such as e-mobility, Industry 4.0, and additive manufacturing creating industrial transformation. In this Outlook 2020 special, six industry leaders share their thoughts on what to expect in 2020, how the industry will develop, new opportunities and market drivers, and how to navigate through the challenges and issues from these dynamics.
HEXAGON MANUFACTURING INTELLIGENCE
Lim Boon Choon, President, Asia Pacific, Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence
The year 2019 was a time of economic uncertainty in global manufacturing. But the Asia Pacific region is well placed to capitalise on new opportunities in 2020, as increasing adoption of disruptive technologies shows organisations are facing market challenges by pursuing innovation-driven competitiveness. The growing recognition of the efficiency and operational excellence to be gained from digitised metrology offers long-term, sustainable investment and expansion in the Asia Pacific market.
The Growth of the Smart Factory
Increasingly connected enterprises will be a continuing trend throughout 2020 and beyond. The digital transformation of quality is a central part of this smart factory vision. Approaches to metrology data are maturing, and companies are focused on gaining actionable insights from real-time data. Growing demand for data analysis software is expected, and the adoption of platforms offering advanced big data and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) capabilities will enable far more predictive and proactive manufacturing.
Across the region, new business models will emerge with the prevalence of cloud computing, connecting quality systems to machines throughout end-to-end processes and across factories. Streamlining the analysis and communication of metrology data is essential to breakdown operational silos and drive growth by enhancing product customisation capabilities and throughput.
The trend of automating metrology operations will continue to grow with the increasing adoption of robotics, measuring cells, and automated part loading, enabling manufacturers to scale up their autonomous capabilities. And as manufacturers look to increase their application flexibility, demand for non-contact 3D scanning technology will increase.
Driving Additive Manufacturing Capabilities
Additive manufacturing, also known as industrial 3D printing, is still emerging in sectors such as medical, transportation and logistics, construction, aviation, automotive, and shipping. But according to research from Thyssenkrupp, 3D printing is expected to create $100 billion in value in the ASEAN region by 2025. Quality will play a central role in expanding this developing process, with technologies such as 3D scanning and computed tomography (CT) for measuring internal geometries. Additive manufacturing is a key area of strategic importance for Hexagon. The recent acquisition of CT software provider Volume Graphics adds advanced measurement capabilities to Hexagon’s already comprehensive solution portfolio in the additive space, which also includes software for generative design and additive process simulation.
The expected widespread adoption of smart technologies suggests 2020 will mark a major step forward on the industry 4.0 journey.
ISCAR
Meir Noybauer, Business Development Manager, ISCAR
Throughout the year 2020, the industry as we know it will shift towards smart factories with IoT (Internet of Things) cyber connectivity, and AI (artificial intelligence) and robotics technologies, that will most likely be developed in the main industrial hubs as part of the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0).
3D Printing
Additive Manufacturing and other advanced manufacturing technologies will continue to grow and replace conventional methods for machining automotive, aerospace and energy parts, and facilitate new opportunities for complicated part designs that were previously unrealizable.
Clean Energy
The global search for clean energy and low-emission mobility is leaning towards newer and harder materials, which challenge ISCAR to develop advanced machining technologies, such as SiAlON ceramics and super alloy materials, while using high and ultra-high coolant pressure to boost productivities to higher levels never seen before.
Medical
The medical sector will be one of the emerging industry segments, with sophisticated implants using advanced materials and machining technologies jointly developed by ISCAR engineers and leading medical implant companies throughout Europe, the US and Eastern Asia.
Automotive
The automotive segment will continue to be a global industry leader, while transitioning from conventional combustion to small hybrid-high efficiency engines and electric e-drive cars and implementing other clean mobile technologies, specifically for electric charging infrastructures which have not yet been applied in many countries.
MARPOSS
Stefano Corradini, Group Director, Sales & Marketing, Marposs
The year 2020 appears to be one of the most challenging years of the last decade, both in the Asia Pacific and worldwide.
The combination of trade wars and their impact on several geographic areas and market sectors, social turmoil in various countries, and many technological changes as consequence of increased environmental concerns, may have a significant negative effect on the general economic situation.
Automotive Manufacturing Evolution
Being a significant part of Marposs business somehow related to the automotive sector, we see the evolution from internal combustion engine (ICE) to electromobility as one of the biggest driver of the economic uncertainty. We prefer, anyway, to see this as an opportunity to offer our existing and new customers an extended panel of solutions, which are moving from our traditional measuring sector to a broader concept including several type of testing equipment (mainly leak test using different type of tracer gas extended also to fuel cells), as well as inspection applications (non-destructive, vision, and similar), and control systems to monitor the whole manufacturing process of the core components of the NEVs/BEVs (new/battery energy vehicles), such as battery cells, modules and packs, battery trays, and electric drive units (EDU) including electric motors; and end of line testing.
We are willing to become a preferred partner of BEV manufacturers and suppliers as we have been for decades for traditional combustion engines, offering them our technical know-how, our innovation culture, and our worldwide organization for sales and after sales.
RENISHAW
Steve Bell, General Manager, ASEAN, Renishaw (Singapore) Pte Ltd
Smart manufacturing technologies increase visibility and transparency to manufacturing operations, allowing manufacturers to get the overall picture of their productivity and competitiveness, to make faster changes in response to market-based threats or opportunities. This requires a range of intelligent process control solutions throughout the factory, to ensure high standards of repeatability. The key is going digital—connecting physical manufacturing processes with the digital technology to make decisions about process improvement on the shop floor, or on mobile devices.
Flexible and Customised
Additive manufacturing plays a major role in the Industry 4.0 revolution, allowing manufacturers the flexibility to build highly customised parts. Renishaw’s additive manufacturing technologies continue to evolve, aiming to provide users the flexibility to use, change and manage different metal materials, enables users to adapt to meet market demand and configure processes to achieve optimal performance.
Focus on Automotive Industry
Ensuring businesses are equipped and ready to navigate the evolving automotive manufacturing landscape, Renishaw’s manufacturing solutions provide the speed, flexibility, and ease of use to help companies adapt their production capabilities for the evolving electric future. From multi-sensor rapid scanning of machined castings to material analysis of fuel cells, we will continue to support customers on the road from internal combustion engine (ICE) to electric vehicles (EV).
SIEMENS DIGITAL INDUSTRIES SOFTWARE
Alex Teo, Managing Director, Southeast Asia, Siemens Digital Industries Software
The maturity of manufacturing supply chains in Asia has undoubtedly exerted pressure on the metalworking industry to be more competitive than ever. Demand for steel in Asia is expected to rise by an average of 1.5 percent in 2020, and will likely see effects such as rising operating costs necessitating the move for businesses to look for technology driven solutions to relieve some of these operational strains. In particular, Southeast Asia is an exciting region for growth, with markets such as Malaysia, Vietnam, and Singapore making strides in realising their Industry 4.0 visions through digitalisation. In 2020, we also launched a Technical Competency Hub in Penang, the first in the region, which serves as a platform for Siemens to help companies, especially SMEs, begin their digitalisation journey in order to meet the needs of the new economy.
Digital Twins
Using digital twins, manufacturers will be able to explore more economical and structurally enhanced materials. By leveraging physics-based simulations, supported by data analytics in an entirely virtual environment, the expansion of production capacity in Asia can be further encouraged. This means that manufacturers can optimise their choice of materials by testing and analysing combinations of different metals and alloys digitally before using additive manufacturing technologies such as powder bed fusion to produce these components faster and more reliably, reducing the need and cost for real prototypes.
Additive Manufacturing
Siemens’ end-to-end additive manufacturing solutions cover CAD/CAM/CAE models that enable product design and simulation of production processes and planning, preparation, and verification of the print jobs. Simulation and 3D modelling allow for advanced complexity of design and quality, ultimately resulting in fewer distortions and errors. The goal is flawless execution when parts come out of a factory, ready for certification. The full additive challenge covers the entire value chain: product design, production process, and performance.
Using customisable solutions for pressing, transporting, positioning and press safety, in combination with simulation for the entire spectrum of metal forming, businesses can proactively advance with components working seamlessly together. This collaboration increases the cost-effectiveness of all production processes in all sectors, reducing energy costs.
The economic environment for the international and German machine tool industry remains difficult now and in the coming months. After eight years of high economic activity in the international machine tool industry, global demand for capital goods has calmed considerably after the fourth quarter of 2018. The reasons for this have already been identified and discussed many times. The economic distortions, in particular the trade war between the United States and China, are boosting the already sharp drop in demand. The increasing protectionism at all levels is affecting world trade and international supply chains. Finally, the structural shift in the automotive industry towards new drive technologies is causing further problems. It is still questionable at what pace and extent development is progressing and which technologies will be used in the future. The entire scenario is unsettling the industry worldwide. Companies have become very cautious, and they are shifting their investments.
Because of these, incoming orders in the international machine tool industry fell sharply in all regions in the first nine months of 2019. According to initial estimates, orders worldwide fell by 21 percent. Asia declined by 24 percent, while Europe lost 19 percent of its orders. Contracts in America, which is particularly the United States, held up best, if we can say so. They went down 18 percent in comparison to the previous year. In Germany, with its high dependence on exports, incoming orders fell by 23 percent by October in 2019, the most recent available data. This applies equally to domestic and foreign orders.
Markets to Stabilise
Oxford Economics, the VDW’s forecasting partner, expects this trend to stabilise in the best case scenario for 2020. At 2.5 percent, global economic output is expected to be slightly below the increase in 2019. With 2.1 percent, industrial production will grow more strongly than the current year. This also applies to investments. Stabilisation is also expected for the whole German economy. Industrial production, which is expected to shrink in 2019, is likely to turn slightly up again. This means that incoming orders in the machine tool industry will probably go through the bottom in the course of the coming year.
Machine tool consumption, a late indicator, will remain negative in all regions. Asia is the exception. Manufacturers can draw new hope from the fact that the election results in Great Britain have now provided certainty about the island’s exit date from the European Union. Then, the negotiations on a tariff agreement can begin and hopefully lead to a good end. There is also movement in the trade conflict between the United States and China. Should a consensus be reached, the world economy will reach new momentum as well.
Erich Timons, CTO of ISCAR Germany GmbH, speaks with Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News about tooling trends and challenges, and how the industry should move forward by improving productivity. Article by Stephen Las Marias.
Erich Timons
From its humble establishment in 1952, ISCAR has grown to become one of the biggest tool manufacturers in the world, operating in more than 50 countries and having over 50 global subsidiaries. Based in Israel, the company—a part of the IMC Group—provides innovative cutting tools for the metalworking industry.
At the recent EMO Hannover 2019 event in Germany, Erich Timons, CTO of ISCAR Germany GmbH, the second biggest subsidiary of ISCAR worldwide, speaks with Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News about tooling trends and challenges, and how ISCAR is helping their customers improve their productivity.
What are the biggest tooling challenges for your customers?
Erich Timons (ET): Our customers are always asking for more productivity; how they can produce as quickly as possible. They are also concerned with how they can make their manufacturing process safer and more efficient.
Where does ISCAR come in? How are you helping your customers in their manufacturing challenges?
ET: What we do is analyse the company’s processes. What we like to do is not just to look for one tool, but to build up a new and complete process—finding out how we can save time by increasing the speed or the feed, or using a combination of tools, to reduce the number of total tools and to make the production faster.
What industries are driving the tool market right now?
ET: Germany is driven by the automotive industry. Overall in Europe, I think it is nearly the same. Fifty percent of our total revenue comes from the automotive industry, so we are highly driven by the changes in the automotive sector. Having said that, we see that automotive customers are going to be even more flexible because they must deal with a wide variety of engines right now, unlike in the past where we had only one kind. Some automotive OEMs in Germany even have four of five different engines that they are producing in one line—therefore our tooling needs to be more flexible than in the past.
Asia is quite similar to Europe. Looking at markets like China, for example, you will see a big automotive industry. Volkswagen, for instance, had opened a lot of subsidiaries and a lot of plants in China; and we are working really closely with them. I think this is one of our biggest advantages, because we are in close contact with our partners in China.
Meanwhile, Thailand is a big and growing market; the same as Vietnam, which is also growing. We also see the Philippines as a potential market. We are really strong in South Korea, not only with ISCAR but another IMC partner, Taegutec, where we have a big production unit there. Overall, we are supporting all of Asia from Germany.
As much as you want the tools to be long lasting, you still have to sell a lot of it. how do you manage that compromise, ensuring tool life but selling more?
ET: Sometimes, what I tell the customer is that we are providing a long tool life, but at the end, you have to break a tool to make some money. Besides productivity on the machine, we also see a big change in the tool setup. This is a big issue in a lot of companies—they have to invest a lot of time in making the tool setup. The reason for this is to not only to see what happens inside the machine, but also to ensure that the customer can make changes easily with the inserts or the drill, for example. So, it is really important to make the setup not too complicated.
What are some of your product highlights at the show?
ET: ISCAR is well known in parting because our roots come from this application. We have a brand-new tool here, the MULTIFGRIP. Parting is still the bottleneck in the production, so with this tool, the customer can go each feed they want in parting. With this tool, we can also measure the forces and the vibration, you can connect it to the machine, and you can adapt the influence of the feed and the speed to have a production without any vibration at all.
What is your strategy towards Industry 4.0?
ET: There are different ways to support Industry 4.0. First of all, we have an app, ISCAR World, which includes many features. For example, you can go to the electronic catalogue and build a 3D model of the assembly of the tools to use in your CAM system. You can have a recommendation on the cutting speed and feed for your application by using the ITA (ISCAR Tool Advisor). With Industry 4.0, it is not only the hardware but also the digital twin of the tool. That is one point.
Another Tool is our MATRIX System. MATRIX is not only a vending machine. Its connected to any ERP System at our customer and help to balance inventories to an optimum ratio.
With these solutions including intelligent tools we support our customers in all areas of their production.
Industry 4.0 is not one feature—it is everything working together, from the beginning until the end of production.
What is your outlook for the metalworking industry over the next year?
ET: In the automotive side, we will see a lot of changes within five to 10 years because everybody is talking about e-mobility. But I think we also have to look on new materials, as well as develop tools that are more user friendly. We also have to look for production and productivity improvement, as well as flexibility. There are a lot of things we have to cover. It will also be very interesting to see the development of Industry 4.0. Overall, it will be a challenge.
Do you have any final comments?
ET: I am very excited to see what will happen at EMO because we’ve seen a slowdown in the industry. Everybody is looking at the negative trends, but I am looking to the positive side, because I believe the metalworking industry is not going to die. Don’t look at the bad side. I think this is the year of positive things, because now, the customers have time to evaluate their production. Now is the time to be really agile, to be fast and flexible, and to look how to improve.
Don’t wait for the industry to get better; now is the time to start improving your production.
High cutting speed is a natural attribute of high-speed machining. Understandably, a tool should be also precise; it is required not only by machining accuracy but also by the mechanics of a fast-rotating body. However, in the last years, the issue of tool accuracy has become an additional point to consider. What is the reason? Why is high speed machining penetrating more and more into rough processing? How do cutting tool producers formulate their solutions to meet these new industrial demands? Read on to find out. Article by Andrei Petrilin.
The metalworking industry adopted high speed machining (HSM) in the 1990s. This method was engrained in various industrial branches and caused serious changes in technology and machine tool engineering. The well-known advantages of HSM are repeatedly cited in various books, guides, magazines and other sources of information. Recently, there has been a significant interest in accurate HSM and, more specifically, in precision and other characteristics of cutting tools and toolholding devices intended for this purpose.
Accurate (or precise) machining means maintaining repeatable strict tolerances during cutting operations. The level of such a “strictness” depends on the machining method, for example: milling, turning, or drilling, and the type of operation: rough, semi-finish or finish. Technological advances, especially in producing workpieces that are preformed half-finished products, place special emphasis on accurate HSM.
Precise casting, metal injection molding and 3D printing ensure that the production of workpieces is very close to the final shape of a part. As a result, the need to remove a high volume of material by means of rough cutting decreases. In die and mold making, utilizing HSM as a means of reducing production time has brought a real alternative to traditional methods. In the aerospace industry, machining difficult-to-cut heat-resisting superalloys by ceramic tools at extremely high cutting speeds, in combination with a small stock to be removed, is now common. As for manufacturing aluminum components, here HSM has simply become a daily reality.
Machining operations with low stocks per pass have distinct advantages such as lower power consumption, less heat generation, and better surface finish. Accurate HSM, which features low stock removal, is a logical extension of producing workpieces by precise modern methods. Usually, HSM relates to cutting by rotating tools—mainly milling cutters. In many cases, when a part featuring complex profiles and slots is produced from a solid material, HSM provides productive low-loaded roughing by trochoidal milling. According to this technique, a rapidly rotating milling cutter moves along a complicated trajectory and slices thin but wide layers of the material. This results in pre-shaping the part very close to a final form. The remaining small allowance is removed in the next stage: high speed finish milling. Producing blisks (bladed discs) and impellers is a typical example of the mentioned process that may be defined by the rather oxymoronic term: “accurate roughing”.
Successful HSM relies on a key element chain comprising a machine tool, an effective machining strategy, proper toolholding, and a cutting tool. The low-power multi-axis machine tools designed especially for HSM feature high-torque characteristics, high-velocity drives, effective controllers and intelligent software. They are capable of realizing various machining strategies which were developed for ensuring maximum efficiency. Today, metalworking has in its arsenal highly reliable tool holders designed for secure tool mounting in an expanded range of rotational speeds. Under such conditions the cutting tool—the element that directly contacts a machined part during a cutting operation – can be a limiting factor in maximizing the potential of advanced machine tools. This element is much smaller and less complicated compared to machine tools and holders. Each improvement in the last chain element—the cutting tool—may be crucial. The cutting tool industry is far from stagnation; the branch is on the constant move in developing new solutions to meet the demands of changing metalworking technologies.
Time has not radically changed principal tool requirements: it is expected to be more durable and more efficient when cutting at considerably increased cutting speeds and feed rates. Lowering machining allowances leads to additional tightening tool accuracy parameters. An ideal product is a precise and high-balanced tool that ensures high performance in combination with excellent tool life when cutting at high rotational speeds. ISCAR, staying true to its motto “Where innovation never stops!”, has developed a range of solutions that give new momentum to HSM concepts, and many proposed designs relate to the field of solid carbide tools.
More Flutes, Less Vibrations
Multi-flute solid carbide endmills from ISCAR’s “CHATTERFREE” line were developed especially for vibration-free HSM operations. Their design features a varying helix angle, variable tooth pitch and a specially shaped chip gullet, intended for applications such as semi-finish and finish high speed milling, as well as roughing by trochoidal technique. The CHATTERFREE range comprises several endmill families for different applications. Seven-flute endmills, produced from an ultra-fine carbide grade, are designed for machining hard materials and finish operations. General-purpose multi-flute endmills incorporate an interesting concept, according to which the number of teeth is equal to a nominal diameter in mm. Seven- and nine-flute endmills were designed originally for trochoidal milling complex parts from titanium and today they form the Ti-TURBO family—this name reflects a real “turbo” metal removal rate when milling titanium.
The latest step of the line development integrates chip-splitting grooves (Figure 1) in the endmill design. The new geometry has an unusual appearance because HSM forms thin chips that do not appear to need an additional chip-splitting action. However, the grooves increase vibration resistance and reduce cutting forces, significantly improving trochoidal milling and machining performance at high overhangs. In trochoidal milling, the produced chips are thin but wide. Splitting the chips into narrower segments contributes to better chip evacuation and surface finish, which increases accuracy and effectiveness in rough HSM.
Ceramics that Cut Fast
Milling difficult-to-cut high temperature superalloys (HTSA) by carbide tools necessitates low cutting speeds, normally 20-40 m/min (65-130 sfm). HSM with a small radial engagement, when the width of cut is up to 10 percent of a mill diameter, usually features cutting speeds of 70-80 m/min (230-265 sfm). The metalworking industry is always seeking ways to increase productivity when manufacturing parts from HTSA; and low cutting speed is one of the existing barriers to this goal. A solution may be found in applying cutting ceramics as a tool material for HSM. ISCAR has developed solid ceramic endmills that enable a dramatic increase in cutting speeds of up to 1000 m/min (3280 sfm) when compared to tools made from cemented carbide. The new endmills have a diameter range of 6-20 mm (0.236-0.787 in) and are designed with 3 or 7 flutes. (Fig. 2). Introducing the ceramic endmills in rough milling operations has proved to decrease machining time drastically and to enable fast pre-shaping of a part for further finish operations.
High Speed Master
Long-reach high speed milling operations require tools with long overall length. A solid tool concept is not an economically attractive option. An assembled cutter comprising a body carrying a carbide cutting head is a solution that makes economic sense. Such an approach is at the core of ISCAR MULTI-MASTER—a family of tools with exchangeable heads. A rich variety of tool bodies, heads, extensions and reducers ensures various tool configurations and fundamentally reduces a need for special tools. An important advantage of the MULTI-MASTER line is its no setup time principle, whereby replacing a worn head does not require additional tool measuring or appropriate CNC program adjustment—the insert can be replaced without withdrawing the tool from a machine spindle.
High assembly rigidity, a balanced structure and high geometrical accuracy make MULTI-MASTER suitable for HSM. A typical example of this application is finish milling 3D surfaces of parts produced from hard materials. ISCAR’s “MM HBR” bulb-shape head (Figure 3), featuring a 240°-spherical cutting edge, center cutting ability and strict ISO h7 grade tolerance limits for the head diameter, was developed for this type of operation.
Reliable Toolholding
HSM is impossible to perform without the use of reliable, high-grade balanced and accurate tool holders. Thermal shrink chucks are one of the most popular types of tool holder. ISCAR’s line of SHRINKIN chucks includes the X-STREAM family of thermal chucks, featuring coolant jet channels along the shank bore. The new design provides coolant flow directed to the tool’s cutting edges. In the high-speed milling of aerospace components (the aforementioned blisks, for example), a well-directed coolant significantly enhances performance. For deep pockets and cavities, the new chucks with pin-pointed coolant flow have resulted in preventing re-cutting, thereby improving chip evacuation and increasing tool life.
A wet coolant may be a means for upgrading machine tools from low velocity to high speed. SPINJET, a family of compact coolant-driven high-speed spindles (Figure 4), is capable of maintaining rotational velocity up to 55,000rpm and facilitate high speed machining even on the low-speed machines that are still so common in the shop floor.
Changing technologies require new machining concepts: more productive, more economical, more sustainable. High speed machining has already proved itself as a method that meets today’s industrial needs. The progress in producing workpieces by non-machining processes brings in focus low-power high speed roughing. Accordingly, cutting tool manufacturers already feel the growing demands for appropriate products. It is a definite trend, which, no doubt, should be considered.
As much as you want the tools to be long lasting, you still have to sell a lot of it. how do you manage that compromise, ensuring tool life but selling more?
What is your outlook for the metalworking industry over the next year?
