“Cutting tools for aluminium should generally be very sharp - possibly even polished, utilise specialist coatings and work at very high surface speeds to prevent the aluminium from adhering. High strength aluminium, such as aluminium lithium, can be abrasive and requires sharp edges and high surface speeds. Dynamic stability is also an important consideration to prevent imbalances and vibrations while machining.

The software supports different mounting plate arrangements to allow the insert to be oriented in any of three planes, and provides a simple method for specifying parameters such as transverse and longitudinal offset values.

Until relatively recently, the inserts were soldered or cemented to the holder prior to being ground, which sometimes made it very difficult or impossible to produce or maintain such tools on a CNC tool grinding machine – due to their size and complexity. Another disadvantage of this approach is that it requires the manufacturer to define the complete assembly as a rotary tool in the CNC program, demanding time-consuming and expensive programming.

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“We will also anticipate an even greater focus around sustainability, driven by circularity. This includes identifying the carbon footprint of any tool or product end-to-end, for total transparency. This data can also be added to an overall sustainability calculator.”

“Location is important too, and almost everywhere in the world has a Sandvik Coromant. This combination of assets has made the company a success. Another important factor is staying ahead of the curve. All Sandvik Coromant’s departments are very thorough in the development of our products, ensuring they are the best they can be.”

“Over the next 3-5 years, you can expect to see a multitude of significant digital acquisitions across many departments within Sandvik Coromant. In an industry like this, where the market moves so rapidly, acquisitions are a faster and more efficient way to obtain the skills and expertise needed to develop new products, rather than creating new departments from the ground up.”

“There’s so much technology that goes into making cutting tools, and Sandvik Coromant produces large amounts of these while maintaining accuracy and consistency. Our current R&D is continuously focused on new grades, coatings and geometries for improved productivity and customer value. There is also our carbide recycling programme, where we buy-back customers’ worn-out carbide tools, recycle the carbide powder and re-use it to make brand new ones with optimal performance properties.”

“Right now, the standardisation of composites hasn’t reached the same levels of maturity as for metallics, and composites differ more from supplier to supplier. An improvement in the standards for composites would make processes easier, and this is something we are working towards. Another positive change that needs to happen more, is to increase the close collaborations we saw during the pandemic. These worked so effectively and redefined the nature of industry relationships. This would entail moving further towards integration and collaboration with customers, and away from transactional relationships.”

The expanding challenges of grinding and servicing new generations of complex-geometry drills and end mills are resolved in a new release, according to the developers of a tool grinding software package. Version 3.8 of NUM's NUMRoto software automates multi-helical and variable flute grinding, and introduces a form cutter function for profile inserts. It is available to existing NUMRoto users as an update.

Much is being discussed about improving the automation of the drilling process, with the twin goals of higher volume and lower cost production. What is Weston’s view and does the process still require a lot of hands-on manual intervention?

In terms of the kinds of technology developments in the tooling arena, Weston expects to see a lot more digitalisation, including the incorporation of Industry 4.0 concepts and services into current products.

By harnessing the speed and computational capabilities of state-of-the-art PCs, the new version of NUMRoto is able to handle the extremely complex path calculations necessary to create these sophisticated flutes. Users can define the core path geometry of flutes on end mills easily and accurately.

NUMRoto also now supports 3-D models for the production clamping system, which means it can be visualized during 3-D simulation and monitored for collisions with the grinding wheel; the insert itself is displayed as a cube-shaped blank.

Fifteen different manufacturers of CNC tool grinding machines now incorporate NUMRoto software in their products, and as a result it is used on more than 40 different types of machine.

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“We’re seeing bigger and more ambitious projects, with a demand for new and more exotic materials. Customers are focused on recovering from the effects of the pandemic and fulfilling order books, while also preparing to build more sustainable aircraft for the future. This will involve the switch to new fuel types, such as sustainable aircraft fuel (SAF) or hydrogen.

Asked why specialised cutting tools are needed when cutting aluminium, Weston points out that as the material is soft and ductile, it can often adhere to tools, which leads to a build-up edge on the insert.

Currently, the cutting edges of most machine tools are ground from tungsten carbide. Small rotary tools are usually manufactured from a single piece of carbide, whereas larger rotary tools and the majority of non-rotary tools feature individual cutting blades in the form of carbide inserts, which are retained in a holder made from a less expensive material.

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In a Q&A session, Sandvik Coromant’s industry & tech centre manager – aerospace, Steve Weston casts his eye over an ever-changing cutting tool industry landscape. Aerospace Manufacturing reports. When it comes to the aerospace sector, Sandvik Coromant has been working with the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) since 2001, alongside other leading aerospace industry partners. The company has collaborated on many early-stage projects, including material development and productivity improvements, while also considering the environmental impacts. Sandvik Coromant launches a CoroPak release twice a year, introducing new products to the market that are designed to improve on previous iterations and realise new innovative concepts. They are all focused on helping customers achieve a lower cost-per-part by running faster machining processes that are more productive. Sandvik Coromant has worked with the AMRC since 2001, including material development and productivity improvements “One of our most recent product launches includes a new turning insert grade, S205, focused on machining heat-resistant super alloys (HRSA) used in aerospace,” begins Weston. “S205 is something of a gamechanger, as it can be run at faster cutting speeds while maintaining superior surface quality, without having detrimental effects on the component’s material integrity. Another recent new product is the CoroMill MH20 high feed milling cutter designed primarily for milling cavities, or pockets, in ISO S, M and P materials. The tool’s innovative insert cutting edge geometry delivers a gradual and light-cutting action to help support vibration-free production in aerospace component manufacturing. “We are always developing tooling solutions to handle the more exotic current and future aerospace materials and collaborating with companies as they recover from the impact of the pandemic, which have never been more important.” From chaotic to exotic In terms of the trends and demands, Weston says there is a continuous drive for reduced cost-per-part and an ever-growing demand for increased circularity and sustainability. “We’re seeing bigger and more ambitious projects, with a demand for new and more exotic materials. Customers are focused on recovering from the effects of the pandemic and fulfilling order books, while also preparing to build more sustainable aircraft for the future. This will involve the switch to new fuel types, such as sustainable aircraft fuel (SAF) or hydrogen. “Along with the normal demands for supporting with large projects, there’s an increased demand for digital technologies and Industry 4.0 concepts. Enhanced use of data is also becoming increasingly in demand. Customers are now able to access cutting data built into Sandvik Coromant’s digital offerings to help better inform their tooling choices.” The CoroMill MH20 high feed milling cutter delivers a gradual and light-cutting action to help support vibration-free production Asked why specialised cutting tools are needed when cutting aluminium, Weston points out that as the material is soft and ductile, it can often adhere to tools, which leads to a build-up edge on the insert. “Cutting tools for aluminium should generally be very sharp - possibly even polished, utilise specialist coatings and work at very high surface speeds to prevent the aluminium from adhering. High strength aluminium, such as aluminium lithium, can be abrasive and requires sharp edges and high surface speeds. Dynamic stability is also an important consideration to prevent imbalances and vibrations while machining. “When drilling aluminium or composites - in components such as airframes or fuselage - tool selection is key. Delamination can occur and carbon fibres can break if incorrect geometries or materials are chosen, so it’s important to choose a drill that can handle both composites, and titanium or aluminium.” When it comes to the company’s R&D focus and how tool life and consistent performance are being improved over time, Weston points to a constantly-evolving industry. “There’s so much technology that goes into making cutting tools, and Sandvik Coromant produces large amounts of these while maintaining accuracy and consistency. Our current R&D is continuously focused on new grades, coatings and geometries for improved productivity and customer value. There is also our carbide recycling programme, where we buy-back customers’ worn-out carbide tools, recycle the carbide powder and re-use it to make brand new ones with optimal performance properties.” One-hit automation Much is being discussed about improving the automation of the drilling process, with the twin goals of higher volume and lower cost production. What is Weston’s view and does the process still require a lot of hands-on manual intervention? “There is a definite trend towards drilling with robots and new machine configurations, and this has made huge steps forward. Some processes do still require manual intervention, but automation is the way forward to improve consistency and output, and complete ‘one-hit’ machining applications - particularly when machining metal-composite stacks. This frees up highly-skilled workforces for more complex or interesting tasks.” It's worth asking what industry changes he would like to see made, such as more standardised material information - similar to that employed on metallics - making composite materials easier to assess what the right tool will be? “Right now, the standardisation of composites hasn’t reached the same levels of maturity as for metallics, and composites differ more from supplier to supplier. An improvement in the standards for composites would make processes easier, and this is something we are working towards. Another positive change that needs to happen more, is to increase the close collaborations we saw during the pandemic. These worked so effectively and redefined the nature of industry relationships. This would entail moving further towards integration and collaboration with customers, and away from transactional relationships.” In terms of the kinds of technology developments in the tooling arena, Weston expects to see a lot more digitalisation, including the incorporation of Industry 4.0 concepts and services into current products. “Sandvik Coromant offers tools that can feed-back live data during the machining process, which helps to predict wear and make tools more intuitive going forward. We predict that tools will also become more self-adaptive, with data collection allowing engineers to make decisions and monitor tool performance remotely and foresee problems or breakages before the customer does. “We will also anticipate an even greater focus around sustainability, driven by circularity. This includes identifying the carbon footprint of any tool or product end-to-end, for total transparency. This data can also be added to an overall sustainability calculator.” According to Weston, what really differentiates Sandvik Coromant from the competition is its customer-focused core values: innovation, fair play and a passion to win. “We want to be the best, and to look for new opportunities for innovation beyond the cutting edge. We listen to our customers and build our business around that. Above all, Sandvik Coromant is a friendly, honest company. Our working culture and team spirit are our strengths, especially in such a globalised environment.” Protecting your assets It is always interesting to know what are the most important assets of a company. For example, a defined strategy, its people, its experience, its use of technology, its locations - or a combination of all these points? “It’s key to have a defined strategy and to ensure all employees are going in the same direction and towards the same goals. After all, people make a business. In terms of experience, we employ a diverse mix of people from all backgrounds who bring skills and experience, not only from their training, but their previous roles. We also encourage our people to gain new experience and take opportunities for new roles within the company to grow their skillset. “Location is important too, and almost everywhere in the world has a Sandvik Coromant. This combination of assets has made the company a success. Another important factor is staying ahead of the curve. All Sandvik Coromant’s departments are very thorough in the development of our products, ensuring they are the best they can be.” Finally, has Sandvik Coromant’s longstanding partnerships brought it any tangible benefits, and where to next for the company? “Our partnerships have brought huge benefits to our business, both from AMRC and our other tech centre collaborations, and from our integrators that work onsite for our larger customers,” Weston concludes. “Understanding our partners and customers’ businesses is fundamental, especially in the aerospace industry. It’s impossible to make a significant impact in a short amount of time, so these longstanding relationships are key in building trust and understanding the unique challenges all of our partners face. People buy from people, so it’s important that they know not only Sandvik Coromant, but us as individuals. “Looking ahead, I expect to see a lot more activity in terms of digitalisation and additive manufacturing, with the overarching blanket being sustainability. You can’t keep pace with the perfect storm within a normal R&D organisation. Instead, you need to harness the power of everybody inside and outside your organisation. That’s why we plan more acquisitions going forward, as part of a plan to accelerate company growth and internal R&D. “Over the next 3-5 years, you can expect to see a multitude of significant digital acquisitions across many departments within Sandvik Coromant. In an industry like this, where the market moves so rapidly, acquisitions are a faster and more efficient way to obtain the skills and expertise needed to develop new products, rather than creating new departments from the ground up.” www.sandvik.coromant.com

“We are always developing tooling solutions to handle the more exotic current and future aerospace materials and collaborating with companies as they recover from the impact of the pandemic, which have never been more important.”

“Along with the normal demands for supporting with large projects, there’s an increased demand for digital technologies and Industry 4.0 concepts. Enhanced use of data is also becoming increasingly in demand. Customers are now able to access cutting data built into Sandvik Coromant’s digital offerings to help better inform their tooling choices.”

NUM contends that the level of control flexibility provided by NUMRoto’s new update for creating flutes will be a key enabling factor for manufacturers seeking to develop the next generations of machine tools.

For example, to help prevent vibration, each of a tool’s cutting edges is twisted at a different angle – and with differential helix designs, the twist angle of each individual cutting edge also changes along the length of its body, from the tip of the tool to the shaft. Furthermore, the width of the flute area of these tools can vary considerably, demanding precise positioning of the grinding wheel to ensure that the land width on the back of the tooth is correct.

Sandvik Coromant launches a CoroPak release twice a year, introducing new products to the market that are designed to improve on previous iterations and realise new innovative concepts. They are all focused on helping customers achieve a lower cost-per-part by running faster machining processes that are more productive.

In a Q&A session, Sandvik Coromant’s industry & tech centre manager – aerospace, Steve Weston casts his eye over an ever-changing cutting tool industry landscape. Aerospace Manufacturing reports.

It is always interesting to know what are the most important assets of a company. For example, a defined strategy, its people, its experience, its use of technology, its locations - or a combination of all these points?

“Sandvik Coromant offers tools that can feed-back live data during the machining process, which helps to predict wear and make tools more intuitive going forward. We predict that tools will also become more self-adaptive, with data collection allowing engineers to make decisions and monitor tool performance remotely and foresee problems or breakages before the customer does.

In celebration of World Space Week, Space-Comm Expo has announced visitor registration is now officially live and open for the London ExCeL, event, running 11-12 March 2025.

When it comes to the company’s R&D focus and how tool life and consistent performance are being improved over time, Weston points to a constantly-evolving industry.

“We want to be the best, and to look for new opportunities for innovation beyond the cutting edge. We listen to our customers and build our business around that. Above all, Sandvik Coromant is a friendly, honest company. Our working culture and team spirit are our strengths, especially in such a globalised environment.”

Finally, has Sandvik Coromant’s longstanding partnerships brought it any tangible benefits, and where to next for the company?

By allowing the core path of each flute to be defined individually, NUMRoto makes it possible for tool designers to compensate for any potential imbalance caused by irregular helices or asymmetric cutting blades. Additionally, by enabling the entry point of the grinding wheel to follow the corner radius of the cutting edge, the software facilitates grinding of a defined rake angle on complex body forms and on cutting edges which pass from the body of the tool to its tip – a task that was previously extremely difficult to achieve.

Working with several tool manufacturers and tool sharpening companies, NUM has developed NUMRoto's form cutter function to simplify insert grinding significantly. Users can define a form cutter as a rotary tool or as a standalone profile insert. Holders with soldered or cemented inserts can still be defined as rotary tools, and the position of each insert can be probed individually, allowing any mounting inaccuracies to be detected and compensated for automatically during the grinding process.

Flexium+ supports all the current standard safety functions of today’s high-performance CNC machines, and can be operated easily using the same type of ‘dual touch’ gestures that are employed with modern smartphones.

“One of our most recent product launches includes a new turning insert grade, S205, focused on machining heat-resistant super alloys (HRSA) used in aerospace,” begins Weston. “S205 is something of a gamechanger, as it can be run at faster cutting speeds while maintaining superior surface quality, without having detrimental effects on the component’s material integrity. Another recent new product is the CoroMill MH20 high feed milling cutter designed primarily for milling cavities, or pockets, in ISO S, M and P materials. The tool’s innovative insert cutting edge geometry delivers a gradual and light-cutting action to help support vibration-free production in aerospace component manufacturing.

“It’s key to have a defined strategy and to ensure all employees are going in the same direction and towards the same goals. After all, people make a business. In terms of experience, we employ a diverse mix of people from all backgrounds who bring skills and experience, not only from their training, but their previous roles. We also encourage our people to gain new experience and take opportunities for new roles within the company to grow their skillset.

When it comes to the aerospace sector, Sandvik Coromant has been working with the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) since 2001, alongside other leading aerospace industry partners. The company has collaborated on many early-stage projects, including material development and productivity improvements, while also considering the environmental impacts.

According to Weston, what really differentiates Sandvik Coromant from the competition is its customer-focused core values: innovation, fair play and a passion to win.

NUMRoto’s new profile insert function simplifies the programming of the new types of ultra high-efficiency CNC tool grinding machines now coming into service. After selecting the profile insert form cutter, users are presented with an easy-to-understand menu from which to specify whether the part to be ground is held in a fixed or adjustable collet, or by clamping plates.

Image

The Boeing X-37B spaceplane is to begin executing a series of novel manoeuvres, called aerobraking, to change its orbit around Earth, the US Space Force has announced.

Many of the high-performance end mills now used for precision machining applications (e.g., producing aerospace and aircraft parts in specialty alloys or composites) are multi-helix tools designed for use at speeds up to 30,000 RPM. Producing these types of tools cost-effectively is demanding, requiring increasingly complex grinding capabilities.

Launched by NUM in 1987, NUMRoto has been updated frequently according to the many improvements and innovations in machine tool design. The software runs on NUM’s Flexium+ CNC system, which has some specific advantages, including the use of sub-nano interpolation to ensure high quality surfaces, with short cycle times to allow fast 5-axis movement – even if the part program contains a high density of ISO sequences.

“Looking ahead, I expect to see a lot more activity in terms of digitalisation and additive manufacturing, with the overarching blanket being sustainability. You can’t keep pace with the perfect storm within a normal R&D organisation. Instead, you need to harness the power of everybody inside and outside your organisation. That’s why we plan more acquisitions going forward, as part of a plan to accelerate company growth and internal R&D.

“When drilling aluminium or composites - in components such as airframes or fuselage - tool selection is key. Delamination can occur and carbon fibres can break if incorrect geometries or materials are chosen, so it’s important to choose a drill that can handle both composites, and titanium or aluminium.”

“There is a definite trend towards drilling with robots and new machine configurations, and this has made huge steps forward. Some processes do still require manual intervention, but automation is the way forward to improve consistency and output, and complete ‘one-hit’ machining applications - particularly when machining metal-composite stacks. This frees up highly-skilled workforces for more complex or interesting tasks.”

Babcock International Group (Babcock), the defence company, has been awarded a two-year contract extension by the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) to continue to provide technical support services across the UK armed forces.

Designers and manufacturers also seek this functionality when optimizing the chip transport characteristics of high-performance machine tools, because the rate at which chips are removed from the cutting face has a major bearing on the tool’s cutting speed and efficiency.

Many of the latest cutting tools employ user-replaceable profile inserts, which are ground as physically separate blades on a CNC grinding machine. Instead of being fixed to a holder during grinding, the insert is held in a production clamping system that has an optimized geometry for efficient grinding, with unobstructed working space for the grinding wheel.

“Our partnerships have brought huge benefits to our business, both from AMRC and our other tech centre collaborations, and from our integrators that work onsite for our larger customers,” Weston concludes. “Understanding our partners and customers’ businesses is fundamental, especially in the aerospace industry. It’s impossible to make a significant impact in a short amount of time, so these longstanding relationships are key in building trust and understanding the unique challenges all of our partners face. People buy from people, so it’s important that they know not only Sandvik Coromant, but us as individuals.

It's worth asking what industry changes he would like to see made, such as more standardised material information - similar to that employed on metallics - making composite materials easier to assess what the right tool will be?

Robert Brooks has been a business-to-business reporter, writer, editor, and columnist for more than 20 years, specializing in the primary metal and basic manufacturing industries.

In terms of the trends and demands, Weston says there is a continuous drive for reduced cost-per-part and an ever-growing demand for increased circularity and sustainability.