TOOLING & WORKHOLDING
tooling system supply strategy for some time – sourcing milling cutters, drills and taps. These are used in the one-off and low batch manufacture of workpiece feed and storage systems, pallet change and pallet clamping systems, and spindle and milling head change systems, for instance, that it supplies to a raft of customers. An associate company also produces machines and conveyor systems for the tunnelling and mining sectors.
On the double
Walter’s Tiger.tec Silver CVD coated tooling inserts are extending tool life by at least twofold – and consequently reducing machine downtime for insert changes, as well as cycle times – for a company that specialises in the manufacture of mechanical engineering workpieces.
Indeed, not only is the use of WKP35S inserts in a 125mm diameter Walter F2010 milling cutter boosting insert edge life from 18m to 36m as a
minimum, but the tooling is also
said to be enabling MSB GmbH in Bavaria to increase cutting speeds on its large, 65kW portal milling machine by 20% from 236m/minute to 283m/minute and hoist feed rates from 1,584mm/minute to 2,000mm/minute. The machine processes workpieces that traditionally spend 50 to 100 hours having tonnes of swarf removed.
Capable of fabricating components weighing 30 tonnes and undertaking milling routines on workpieces 14m long, MSB has utilised Walter’s
"This customer profile puts us in a relatively comfortable position commercially," says MSB’s technical manager Wolfgang Faust, "and, despite tough operating conditions, we have not experienced redundancies nor even short time working.
“But keen price competition is an issue,” he emphasises, “and the only response is increased productivity – which is where Tiger.tec Silver comes into the equation.” Available from Walter GB of Bromsgrove, Tiger.tec Silver features a totally new surface treatment that is reported to significantly reduce the in-cycle machining stresses of both wet and dry applications due to its balanced combination of high
levels of toughness and maximised hardness. The result is an insert that will
compensate for any brittleness that may develop as a result of the CVD coating process. In addition, the CVD-Al2O3 grade coating counters any influence from thermal shock that can lead to cracking at the cutting edge and minimises tribochemical wear on the flank face. These are key areas that can lead to premature insert failure. The Tiger.tec Silver
designation reflects the insert’s two tone finish of glossy silver on its flank face and black on the rake angle face. Not only is this colour combination distinctive, but it also provides a practical indication of wear. Mr Faust concludes: “We used the previous version of the Walter tool because it was one of the best products on the market – and Tiger.tec Silver represents a further quantum leap. The higher cutting efficiency ultimately enables us to reduce the costs of the end product.”
Hold everything
Although more widely known for its comprehensive range of cutting tools, WNT (UK) also offers a number of
>WALTER GB
www.walter-tools.com
Drilling boost
The innovative Beyond platform of high performance tool grades from Kennametal has garnered exceptional reviews from customers worldwide, the company claims.
Now the global tooling solutions provider is introducing the first Beyond inserts for holemaking applications. Three new grades are available: KCPK10, KCU25, and KCU40 and the product portfolio covers SPPX/SPGX Drill Fix Square (DFS) outboard inserts, available in HP, FP, and MD geometries. Together with the DFS drill bodies, diameters range from 24mm to 55mm. Kennametal’s DFS indexable drill platform offers the economy of a square insert having four edges in the outside pocket combined with the centring and high feed ability of a DFT trigon insert. The DFS indexable drill can be used in virtually any short
hole applications and materials performed on CNC lathes or machining centres.
Achieving up to 20% or higher material removal rate (MRR) at the same tool life as standard inserts, the KCPK10 grade offers excellent abrasion and crater wear resistance for the high speed machining of steels and cast irons. With up to 20% or higher MRR and a 30% extended tool life, KCU25 is an ideal choice for processes at high speeds and feeds, delivering high reliability in steels, stainless steels, and cast irons. Featuring a multi-layered PVD
TiN-TiAlN coating and a tough substrate, the KCU40 grade is said to deliver double the tool life at equivalent material removal rates for standard inserts. This grade withstands interruptions and provides high wear resistance for long tool life. “Three new Beyond grades
cover holemaking in steel, stainless steel, and cast iron, and provide
outstanding results both in highly stable, high speed conditions and difficult, unstable environments,” says Thilo Mueller, senior product manager. “With four high productivity cutting
edges where they are needed, the DFS drills with new Beyond inserts enable higher speeds and, as there is simply more tool body material between the two inboard and outboard inserts, higher feed rates than competitive tooling based on squared inserts only.
“It would have been very easy to simply take a squared insert outboard and inboard,” Mr Mueller continues. “By using a trigon-shaped insert inside, we
simply have more material in between, and the tool does not get fragile like tooling with squared inserts only. This feed advantage plus chip flutes that enable better chip evacuation gives users better hole quality at higher MRR – a real competitive advantage.”
>KENNAMETAL
www.kennametal.com
workholding solutions that offer quick changeover, versatility and simplicity. Typical of this is the ZSG 2 range of multi-function vices, which are capable of clamping a wide range of component shapes with the minimum of changeover time due to the modular design and variety of clamping methods employed. A good example is the ZSG 2’s carrier jaws fitted with revolving jaw inserts. Users can machine different profiles on each of the four jaw faces, then quickly rotate the jaw, ready to clamp for the next operation. For further adaptability the ZSG 2 vice can also be fitted with a universal adaptor plate. These plates have ten M12 holes on their surface that allow a range of clamping elements to located, making gripping of the most awkward of shapes a simple task.
A cost saving feature is the five function indexable clamping
element, which offers a smooth surface for delicate components, serrated surface secure gripping, a carbide coated surface for added friction, allowing reduced gripping pressure, a ‘pyramid’ profile for strong clamping of blanks and finally a clamping point with built in reference point for clamping blanks.
The final piece in the ZSG 2 jigsaw is its ability to be changed from a fixed jaw vice to a centric vice, enabling either prismatic or round parts to be clamped accurately and quickly. With the ZSG 2 vice system, WNT says it is delivering workholding solutions that are quick, simple and cost-effective, eliminating the need for expensive, customised fixturing for irregular shaped components.
>WNT
www.wnt.com
20 August 2010 • Production Engineering Solutions
To register for your free copy of Production Engineering Solutions, please go to
www.pesmag.co.uk
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