“The side-lock, or ‘smart lock’ as the technology is called, allows the users to index the inserts while the tool is still clamped onto the gang tooling of a Swiss machine,” he continued. “The side access to the indexing screws allows a time reduction of up to 70 percent in insert indexing, saving valuable time on high-volume Swiss machining operations.”

Mill2Rush family With the expansion of the TaeguTec’s Mill2Rush family of cutters, the new geometry selection widens the application range of the 6NGU line with improved performance on a variety of materials and conditions.

At Horn USA, the company is offering coolant on more of its products. “This includes part-off and grooving holders and even some inserts,” Kollenbroich said. “Getting coolant to the cutting edge has many advantages. For one, having a more accurate delivery method for the coolant direction helps in cooling the work zone. It also offers the benefit of chip breaking when used with higher pressure applications.”

Suitable for machining slender bar, thin-wall components, The DNUX’s high positive, high rake and inclination angle at the cutting edge works with much less cutting force and vibration than the existing ISO-DNMG inserts.

Higher machine speeds are also a big part of the demand on tools. “As the machines get more capable of higher speeds and torques, and the demand to get more out of the same tool constantly increases, manufacturers have to respond accordingly,” said Sarang Garud, product manager at Walter USA LLC, Waukesha, Wis.

Adding Life is a + with new grade Extending the life of inserts that perform under the stress of higher cutting conditions is of the utmost importance for TaeguTec. So to further this goal the Asian metalworking giant has launched the Life+ grades for steel machining.

“Also, lower vibrations lead to less pitting of the tool pocket, increasing toolholder life,” Garud continued. “The new patented design by Walter for our DX18 inserts securely clamps the inserts on three sides.” It also has “a secure prismatic base: a V-shaped top groove for the top clamping finger and a small double-faceted groove at the back of the insert to seat it securely in the insert pocket.”

According to Garud, Walter is also adjusting design. “The need for higher volumes and reduced cycle times is always weighing down on tool manufacturers,” he said. “Walter recently introduced a new line of G4014 toolholders specifically designed for gang tooling. One of the key features of these holders is the side-access screw to clamp the insert into the toolholder.

The new “ML” geometry design on the Mill2Rush includes a high positive rake angle for reduced cutting force, minimal vibration and longer tool life. The “ML” chip former was adapted to be used on low power consumption machines and enables excellent surface finish.

Some trends in machining remain constant. Machine speeds continue to increase. Difficult-to-cut materials are used more frequently. The desire for better cooling, chip control and reliability remains.

One question is what to expect in the next few years. “I believe one thing we will see is machines equipped with sensor monitoring technology watching slight changes in the tool and adjusting accordingly,” Kollenbroich said. “Some machine manufacturers already have things like this, but they are not accurate or sensitive enough yet. Incorporating this sensor technology into the toolholder and tying directly into the machine control is a possibility.”

Improvements in machine tools have also altered the way companies design tools. “The biggest improvement in machines that I have noticed is more machines are running high-pressure coolant,” Kollenbroich of Horn said. “Even the standard offering from most manufacturers is a considerable jump in pressure from what it was just a few years ago. High-pressure coolant offers benefits in chip breaking. Coolant-through tools, with better and more focused coolant delivery, remove chips from the work zone. This helps improve tool life and overall performance.”

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Another example: “Heli Grip is a game changer due to its unique twisted geometry, enabling depths of cuts to go beyond the second edge of the insert without damaging it.” He said that results in “much deeper depths of cut—grooving and excellent groove turn capabilities.”

By emphasising productivity, the new coating guarantees longer tool life under higher cutting conditions over the currently existing ones while the improved coating surface treatment technology prevents chipping even in interrupted cutting on a wide range of applications, and simplifies both the process of predicting a tool’s life and automated machining.

The most impressive result from real-world tests happened during the strenuous conditions of interrupted cutting on an alloy steel automotive part where the feed rate was 0.15 mm/rev and a speed rate of 250 m/min. In this test, the Life+ TT8125 graded tool life blew away the competition’s tool life by 120 percent.

After extensive internal and field testing in real world machining conditions, the newly upgraded TT8115, TT8125 and TT8135 increased tool life by as much as 120 percent on a variety of machining conditions and types of alloy steel and high hardness materials.

Progress in various manufacturing technologies may play a role in the future for parting and grooving, Iscar’s Vanderink said. “Additive manufacturing will be a big player from here on out,” he said. “Already, new concepts are on the way due to this technology. Additive manufacturing producing near-net shaped parts will change how removing material is viewed. This concept alone will drive the innovation needed to accommodate these types of components.”

RhinoRush DNUX inserts To significantly reduce cutting forces that occur during the machining of steel and stainless steel materials during medium light to medium applications, TaeguTec has released the DNUX insert type for the RhinoRush family.

The T-Holder clamping system is just one of the new additions to the RhinoRush family, a tool that is widely known for its simplified mounting design, smaller size inserts and rigid clamping system.

Walter USA has adjusted the way it clamps its inserts. “Usually the grooving inserts are held either through a self-clamping mechanism or through a ‘top-clamp’ screw-down mechanism,” Garud said. “The more secure the insert in the pocket, the lesser the tendency of vibration and longer the insert life.

As an added benefit, the DNUX line’s four cutting edges offers better economy and guarantees the same performance as the KNUX’s two cutting edges. Furthermore, the new addition can be mounted on DNMG insert type RhinoRush tool holders, eliminating the need for separate tool holders.

“We are seeing the increased usage of Y-axis grooving and parting-off. By using this axis of the machine, we are able to increase cutting data, allowing our customers to reduce their cycle times,” he said. “Machine tool builders are adding features to their machines that allow for the use of the Y axis. Also, builders are looking at increasing the stroke of the Y axis, allowing for increased diameters where you can use Y-axis part-off tools.”

The T-Holder adds to the RhinoRush even greater stability for turning applications especially during high feed interrupted cutting rates. Its optimised clamping remarkably prolongs the tool’s life by creating double clamping forces for rigid clamping.

Iscar has had a series of product launches to address customer demands. “Cut Grip is one of the most complete and comprehensive grooving lines on the market,” Vanderink said. “Iscar promotes and champions the GTO (groove turn operation) as a cornerstone process for this line. Straight grooving and then turning side to side utilizing all edges of the insert reduces cycle time while producing excellent part finishes.”

The 6NGU line is now available in three chip former types: “M” for general machining of steel and cast iron, the new “ML” for low cutting force on difficult-to-cut materials as well as carbon steel and alloy steel and the “AL” type which was designed to machine aluminium and non-ferrous materials.

Advancements in carbide substrates are “ever changing and we are seeing new grades and coatings that are making a meaningful impact in tool life,” he added. “Industry 4.0 is expanding into tooling more and more. Tracking of tool life and wear is becoming a seamless part of the manufacturing process.”

Due to the huge success of the new RhinoRush family of tools that was released last year, TaeguTec has expanded the line with new insert designs and holders which cover a wider range of applications for various sectors.

By increasing the cutting speed to 160 m/min while keeping the feed rate at 0.35 mm/rev and a depth of cut of 1 mm, the Life+ TT8125 grade recorded an increase of 33 percent in tool life and a productivity increase of 22 percent.

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The company also looks to coating for product improvement. “We offer coatings that are capable of handling heat better, which in part-off and grooving is always a challenge,” he said.

The upgraded TT8115, TT8125 and TT8135 grades with new cutting edge coating technology out perform current grades like never before and are an excellent upgrade to TaeguTec’s highly popular GoldRush line.

“Users are always demanding the same thing,” said John Kollenbroich, head of product management at Horn USA Inc., Franklin, Tenn. “More tool life and predictability, better chip control and surface finish. These demands have not changed in many years, nor will they change anytime soon.”

Sandvik Coromant works to make its products flexible. Winter said that with CoroCut 1-2 “you can part-off, groove, face groove and do high-feed machining of hardened steel. The CoroCut QD platform can part-off in both the X and Y axis and face groove.”

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“Multi-axis, multi-spindle machine tools with Y-axis capabilities are emerging to complete parts in one setup,” Vanderink continued. “The use of robots on the shop floor is increasing and is becoming a viable operation for small to medium-sized shops now.”

Kollenbroich of Horn noted that managing centerline is critical. “Centerline can be your biggest friend and your worst enemy. All manufacturers design their tools to work on center. When a machine is off, even slightly, things become unpredictable. Customers typically experience a drop in tool life, maybe poor surface finish or, worse yet, catastrophic failure. It is critical to apply part-off and grooving tools properly, and on center.”

Industry changes also create other considerations for toolmakers and their customers. “Geometry always plays a critical role in grooving operations,” Walter’s Garud said. “But parting-off operations typically tend to need the inserts to go all the way to the center of the bar, so cutting speeds are zero at the center, which means tougher grades are always going to be better than the harder grades. Also, chip-crimping is quite important. Not only do the chips need to curl into ‘sixes and nines’ shapes, they also need to be folded axially, so the chip breakers need to be aggressive to fold the chips.”

RhinoRush WNMX line Designed for stability, the WNMX’s widened contact area doubles that of the existing ISO-WNMG 06 millimeter series. Also, the WNMX 06 mm series demonstrates enhanced reliability over the ISO version as well as increased tool life under interrupted machining conditions.

During the machining of a gear ring made from bearing steel, the internal turning procedure recorded a 66 percent increase in tool life, which equated to a 13 percent increase in productivity, while also using the Life+ TT8125 grade.

The 8 mm insert thickness enables stable, powerful machining while the angled screw clamping design, already a feature of the current Mill2Rush line, promotes rigid clamping.

“As tool designers, we need to increase the pocket security of our grooving platforms to allow customers the freedom (to) turn in all directions,” said John Winter, turning specialist at Sandvik Coromant, Fair Lawn, N.J.

In another test, the life of a tool treated with the Life+ TT8125 was increased by 100 percent while machining cast metal at speeds of 310 m/min and a feed rate of 0.3 mm/rev.

The Life+ new grades have excellent wear resistance, are stable in high-feed and speed machining conditions, and are an ideal choice for professional and amateur machinists who aim to achieve excellent surface roughness while minimizing build-up-edges.

Another case study, but this time on stainless steel, discovered that TaeguTec’s new “ML” chip former on the 6NGU Mill2Rush line increased tool life by a whopping 176 percent against a leading competitor’s similar tool when all the machining conditions were the same.

Maximum stability is achieved through its strong clamping which is made possible by two different types of holders, a hook lever type and a T-Holder Type clamping mechanism, which both offer optimised tool life.

Kollenbroich described how Horn addressed that challenge with its 960 part-off system. “This is a cassette-based, coolant-through design that offers a major upgrade in blade stability,” he said. “This additional stability results in great improvement in tool life. Customers can realize gains of double or triple the tool life while showing dimensional improvements in flatness and surface finish.”

Said Winter of Sandvik Coromant, “We will see machines turning in all directions and the requirement for part-off and grooving tools is to do the same.”

Horn also offers a Y-axis part-off system. “This system uses the Y axis of certain lathes as feed direction,” Kollenbroich said. “This switch in axis feed directs forces back into the holder instead of against the holder. The improved strength allows for feed rate increases of two or three times that of standard X-axis part-off applications.”

“Jet cut tooling is vital today,” he said. “Iscar has taken great care in making sure coolant is introduced to the cutting edge of the insert even when high pressure is not accessible. Data has shown that in all cases this makes a difference in tool life and part quality.

A case study on the leading competitors offering found that tool life was increased by 50 percent while machining a work piece made from alloy steel at 200 m/min cutting speed, 0.12 feed rate, 45 mm width of cut and 3 mm depth of cut.

He also said clamping is an issue. “Using torque wrenches when clamping inserts in all parting and grooving tools is essential to maintain clamping force, tool integrity and finally part quality.”

New concept – Mill2Rush TNMX 18 inserts and cutters TaeguTec has also introduced the Mill2Rush TNMX 18 inserts and cutters, a new 90 degree angle entering angle with a 13 mm depth of cut machining solution. The new Mill2Rush TNMX 18 is a triangular, double-sided six cutting edges insert that focuses on economy. Furthermore, the TNMX 18’s high positive cutting edges geometry reduces cutting loads.

Added Steve Vanderink, national product specialist for grip products at Iscar USA, Arlington, Texas, “Users are demanding ease of indexing of the insert with accurate repeatability while increasing productivity with rigid support and strength in the pockets—all while keeping an eye on the economics. The market wants it all. Innovation is the driving force for solutions to the market’s needs.”

Added Vanderink of Iscar, “Technically, center-height position of the tool is critical. The process of a square tool plunging into a round part is very abusive. The centerline dynamic is not fiction. It is real and essential for success in these applications.”

Specifically under alloy steel and high hardness material machining where high temperature and pressure are a challenge, the special coating technology efficiently mitigates the impact to achieve higher productivity over conventional cutting tool grades.