Switching from a conventional shank to the Capto quick change system means that new cutting heads can be swapped out in less than 30 seconds—a much shorter cycle interruption than would be required when changing inside the machine. Repeatability is within two microns, with the Capto “sister tool” approach keeping a machine running longer than would an insert index. This is a big help, because when turning in machining centres, the key to success from a tooling perspective is flexibility.

Keep up to date with the latest news, events, and technology for all things metal from our pair of monthly magazines written specifically for Canadian manufacturers!

Easily access valuable industry resources now with full access to the digital edition of Canadian Metalworking.

The MC5125 is an ideal grade for heavy and interrupted cutting of ductile cast iron. Featuring all the same benefits of the coating layers as the MC5115 grade but with an optimised, less thick TiCN layer.

“You can adapt in different ways,” adds Randy McEachern, product specialist for toolholding and holemaking products at Sandvik Coromant. “Machines with the correct flange holder can adapt to Coromant Capto, and any one of our toolholders can go on the end of that.”

Image

“They can run at a much larger depth of cut and greater spindle speeds,” says Geisel. “It’s often a race between us and the machine supplier, but the end result is the best tools on the best machines.”

Hundreds of British manufacturing companies opened their doors in a UK-wide open house today as part of National Manufacturing Day, giving their local communities the chance to see the highly paid careers and jobs on offer in our exciting and diverse sector.

“Coromant Capto has a unique shape at the connection,” says Dave Andrews, product manager for threading, turning, parting, and grooving at Sandvik Coromant Canada. “It’s self-locking, a tapered polygon, with lobes that don’t allow the coupling to twist. It also has face contact on the flange, so it is a very strong connection.”

The series also introduces an innovative new Sub-Grip layer that ensures a highly effective adhesion of the base TiCN coating layer to the carbide substrate. This development increases the resistance to peeling even during strong intermittent cutting when the forces exerted on the insert are at the highest level. Sub-Grip is employed to create the maximum benefit on the grades for medium speed machining (MC5115) and interrupted cutting (MC5125).

“This offers total control over the length and size of the assembly,” says McEachern. “For internal machining we have an anti-vibration product that can deliver to twelve times the length to diameter on a boring bar, with Capto as the interface.”

The advantage of turning in a multi-tasking centre is that processes are more efficient, reducing production times. However, cutting tools designed for turning within these machines have to be compatible with the technology. Often this means working with quick-change tooling systems that aren’t fully automated. One example is Coromant Capto from Sandvik Coromant, which some studies have shown is the strongest quick change system on the market.

Easily access valuable industry resources now with full access to the digital edition of Canadian Fabricating & Welding.

For high performance turning of cast iron, Mitsubishi Materials has launched the MC5100 series, a brand-new range of three different insert grades that are optimal for each type of cast iron machining application.

Mazak has a range of machining centres, with four having particular applicability to turning: the Integrex i-150 (a high speed, small footprint multi-tasking machine); the Variaxis 630-5X II T (a five axis machine that Birkle says is “the gold standard in machining centres”); the Integrex e-Ramtec (for large cylindrical workpieces); and the Integrex 1-630V (machining harder materials).

Image

One example is Iscar’s Heliturn LD (for “lay down”), a helical cutting edge with high metal removal rates. This is an advance in turning, but the process itself would not necessarily be any faster if integrated with a multi-axis machine.

Getting the right cut is always important, and no less so for a turning application within a multi-tasking machining centre. Yet these machines present unique cutting tool challenges for turning.

The balancing act has to allow for the fact that when turning in a machining centre the tool will have a heat band that it has to cut within. By applying the right cooling approach, higher cutting speeds are an option without compromise to tool life and chip control. In fact, it then makes low cost, unmanned production a real possibility. CM

Image

The MC5115 grade is ideal for ductile cast iron and displays excellent durability due to its resistance to impacts. MC5115 features the new Sub-Grip adhesion layer that effectively binds the carbide substrate to the thick TiCN layer above, thereby providing both resistance to peeling and the ability to cope with the hardness of ductile cast iron.

Graham says Jetstream Tooling can deliver coolant to the optimum position close to the cutting edge, thus lifting the chip away from the rake face and improving chip control and tool life. Working within a machining centre, Jetstream can remove heat quickly from the cutting zone, and cool chips rapidly.

The MC5100 series also features several chipbreakers to ensure peak performance can be achieved across a wide range of cast iron turning applications. This is easily achieved by matching the correct grade with the ideal chipbreaker using a simple cross reference chart.

“When it comes to turning, you will still have the same general speeds and feeds as a standard machine,” says Geisel. “But the advantage with a multi-axis machine is the upper and lower turrets—one can be rough turning and the other can be drilling the hole and threading, even finishing behind the first turret.”

Coalville, Leicestershire-based CMS Cepcor is a leading supplier of aftermarket crusher spares, manganese-steel wear liners and other equipment for the mining, aggregate production and associated industries worldwide.

The MC5105 grade is designed for high-speed cutting of grey cast iron (500 – 1,000m/minute) as it is a harder grade with excellent wear resistance. To achieve this, an ultra-thick top coating layer of Super Nano Al2O3, that is twice the thickness of conventional coatings, is used.

This combines with a TiCN layer that is bound by Mitsubishi’s patented Super Tough-Grip technology. This combination produces an overall result that prevents peeling and eliminates edge chipping that often occurs with conventional grades. Working in tandem with an enhanced carbide substrate, the result is significantly improved tool life and component surface finishes, together with greater process reliability and reduced tooling costs.

“We used to see 100 psi to 200 psi, but Jetstream can deliver from 300 psi to 1,000 psi,” says Graham. “The implications for this high pressure coolant on turning is very dramatic. I’ve been in this business for thirty years, and this system is the most revolutionary since the advent of coatings.”

These inserts are designed especially for machining stainless steel and high temperature alloys, with cutting force reduced due to helical cutting edges and positive rake angles.

For high performance turning of cast iron, Mitsubishi Materials has launched the MC5100 series, a brand-new range of three different insert grades that are optimal for each type of cast iron machining application. The series also introduces an innovative new Sub-Grip layer that ensures a highly effective adhesion of the base TiCN coating layer to the carbide substrate. This development increases the resistance to peeling even during strong intermittent cutting when the forces exerted on the insert are at the highest level. Sub-Grip is employed to create the maximum benefit on the grades for medium speed machining (MC5115) and interrupted cutting (MC5125). The MC5105 grade is designed for high-speed cutting of grey cast iron (500 – 1,000m/minute) as it is a harder grade with excellent wear resistance. To achieve this, an ultra-thick top coating layer of Super Nano Al2O3, that is twice the thickness of conventional coatings, is used. This combines with a TiCN layer that is bound by Mitsubishi’s patented Super Tough-Grip technology. This combination produces an overall result that prevents peeling and eliminates edge chipping that often occurs with conventional grades. Working in tandem with an enhanced carbide substrate, the result is significantly improved tool life and component surface finishes, together with greater process reliability and reduced tooling costs. The MC5100 series has a comprehensive choice of insert geometries The MC5115 grade is ideal for ductile cast iron and displays excellent durability due to its resistance to impacts. MC5115 features the new Sub-Grip adhesion layer that effectively binds the carbide substrate to the thick TiCN layer above, thereby providing both resistance to peeling and the ability to cope with the hardness of ductile cast iron. This feature packed grade also has the proven Tough-Grip layer binding the Super Nano texture Al2O3 top coating layer to the thick TiCN layer below. The MC5125 is an ideal grade for heavy and interrupted cutting of ductile cast iron. Featuring all the same benefits of the coating layers as the MC5115 grade but with an optimised, less thick TiCN layer. The outer Tough-Grip layer (pink) incorporated in the MC5100 series creates extremely high levels of adhesion to prevent delamination. The inner Sub-Grip layer (yellow) greatly increases the level of adhesion between the carbide substrate and the coating layer The MC5100 series also features several chipbreakers to ensure peak performance can be achieved across a wide range of cast iron turning applications. This is easily achieved by matching the correct grade with the ideal chipbreaker using a simple cross reference chart. The chipbreakers range from the LK and MA breakers with a positive land for lower cutting resistance, the MK type for a balance between sharpness and edge strength, through to the RK, GK and flat top types with stronger geometries for interrupted heavy cutting and for the removal of scale on the surface of the cast iron material. The usability over a wide application range is enhanced with the availability of CNMG/A to WNMG/A negative rake inserts and CCMT and DCMT positive rake inserts. Mitsubishi Materialswww.mitsubishicarbide.com

“We have Jetstream Tooling, which I consider a revolutionary new coolant system,” says Don Graham, a manager at Seco Tools, Troy, MI.

For general turning applications ISO inserts function as an international standard. Iscar, which provides a full range of carbide inserts, is one company trying to look at ways of advancing tool applicability for turning in multi-axis machining centres.

If you find this article informative, consider subscribing digitally to PES Media for free. Keep up to date with the latest industry news in your inbox as well as being the first to receive our magazine in digital form.

The chipbreakers range from the LK and MA breakers with a positive land for lower cutting resistance, the MK type for a balance between sharpness and edge strength, through to the RK, GK and flat top types with stronger geometries for interrupted heavy cutting and for the removal of scale on the surface of the cast iron material.

From there, extensions can make a tool longer by putting a male Capto on one end, and a female on the other to build out the assembly and also reduce the adaptor size.

“There has been a lot of attention given to milling in turning centres, but turning on machining centres is innovative,” says Chuck Birkle, vice president, sales and marketing for Mazak Corp., Florence, KY (Mazak Canada is based in Cambridge, ON).

This feature packed grade also has the proven Tough-Grip layer binding the Super Nano texture Al2O3 top coating layer to the thick TiCN layer below.

A South West-based engineering team is aiming to transform the large-format additive manufacturing sector with the launch of its latest product.

“We want to look at how to enhance ISO,” says Steve Geisel, senior product manager at Iscar in Toronto. “Our CNMX and DMNX lines are ISO inserts on steroids.”

To get the most out of a turning application within a multi-tasking machine, however, the revolution may be more relevant to coolants than inserts. As cutting methods have improved, heat control has remained a major challenge.

The usability over a wide application range is enhanced with the availability of CNMG/A to WNMG/A negative rake inserts and CCMT and DCMT positive rake inserts.

The result is increased cutting speeds for all materials, from hard Inconels at 50 per cent faster, to aluminium at 30 per cent, which Graham says is “easily possible.” The only risk? If you increase the speeds in the machining centre too aggressively you might throw a part, and downtime in a multi-tasking machine can be expensive. “The newer machines change everything you do,” says Graham. “You have to be conscious of the set-up, because a long, slender shaft with greater depth of cut may require cutting back on spindle speed due to vibration.”