Technology in Action
performs a lot of plunge milling, high-feed mill- ing, trochoidal milling and other techniques that help maintain constant chip engagement for maximum tool performance. “After we’ve figured
out how to machine a part, we need tooling that will hold up to our materials,” explained Reno May, vice president at MTM. “If we’ve been working on a part for six hours, the last thing we need is a cutter to break and scrap out the part.” At MTM, part-machin-
Aerospace duct component made from a solid aluminum billet. The cylindrical arms are hollow, with wall thicknesses measuring only 0.71-mm thick.
MTM diligently strives to always optimize machining
speeds and feeds, but half the time, the real battle is just figur- ing out how to actually machine the parts and reach all their required features with the necessary cutting tools. For this, the shop relies heavily on machine tools with multitasking and five-axis capabilities so it can complete more part-machining operations in fewer, simpler setups. Te latest machine tools bring shorter overall part-cycle
times to MTM, but the shop understands the technology must be paired with advanced material-specific tooling. Such tooling not only contributes to faster machining and accurate complex part features, it also provides the longest working lives obtain- able. For the tooling aspect of its complete-part-processing approach, MTM depends on Seco Tools LLC, which helps the shop continue to meet its ever-shortening lead times and produce the highest quality parts delivered on time, while also growing profitability and enhancing competitiveness. Te majority of MTM’s Seco tooling is for milling opera-
tions. About 80% of the shop’s inserted tooling is Seco, as are 70% of its solid-carbide end mills. Seco tooling at MTM in- cludes Super Turbo 12 and 18 square shoulder milling cutters, QuattroMill face milling cutters, aluminum cavity spar mills, plunge mill cutters, Seco Feedmax drills, Duratomic turning and threading inserts and Niagara solid-carbide end mills. Common face mill cutter sizes at the shop are 3, 4, 6 and 8" (76, 102, 152, and 203 mm) in diameter, saw-type cut- ters are up to 12" (305 mm) in diameter, small-diameter solid end mills are in sizes to 0.75" (19 mm) in diameter and Niagara cutters are up to 1" (25.4 mm) in diameter. Te shop
66 Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing 2014
ing times can run from several minutes to as much as 70 hours and involve roughing operations,
heat treating and finish machining. And according to May, raw part material for some components—before even being touched with a cutting tool—can cost thousands of dollars and take as long as a year to acquire replacement material if the part is scrapped. Te shop operates 5 1/2 days per week, 24 hours per day
and provides work for practically all of the major commercial aircraſt OEMs. May pointed out that in the past, a lot of the shop’s earlier aerospace components were simple—basically prismatic in geometry—and 2D in nature. Tey were very easy to program and machine. Ten the aerospace industry started combining formerly multiple-piece assemblies into single highly complex and monolithic components. Some of these more recent challenging aerospace parts
at MTM include a wing fitting part made from 13-8 stain- less steel, a complicated duct part produced from a solid 8" (203-mm) diameter aluminum billet, a 15-5 stainless steel bell crank, a 186" (4724-mm) long aluminum spar, a titanium clevis assembly and several others. Te aerospace wing fitting requires the use of Seco Niagara
solid-carbide endmills and Minimaster cutters paired with long tool extensions—4.5" (114 mm) and greater—to cut slots measuring only 0.7" wide. Tools for this part must be tough because any breakage could mar the slot walls. Once that happens, the part is scrap, and the shop has wasted the several hours of machining already invested in it as well as the cost of the very expensive 13-8 stainless steel material. Resembling an octopus, MTM’s aerospace duct compo- nent made from a solid aluminum billet features multiple
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