The metalworking community faces new challenges and must find the shortest way to get out of the maze. Iscar believes that new innovative solutions, which take machining to a whole new level, can become the new ‘Ariadne’s thread’. NeologIQ, a logic of development for a new range of tools, has expanded the boundaries of intelligent machining.

Competent parting Iscar began its leadership with just parting tools. That is why every company’s innovation in parting gains special interest. Adapters and holders occupy a prominent place among Iscar’s NeologIQ parting products. The concept of the LogIQFgrip family is based on a 4-pocket adapter that is clamped in a reinforced tool block. High rigidity of such an assembly in combination with an inner high-pressure coolant supply (HPC) option facilitates productive cutting with extremely high feed rates.

Helical flutes with variable helix angle in a LogIQCam drill body improve the dynamic behaviour of the drill and increase the drilling depth to eight drill diameters

A new design of the three-flute drill body is based on a variable flute helix angle. Such a concept considerably improves the dynamic behaviour of the drill and results in expanding the drilling depth boundaries. The maximum depth can now reach eight diameters.

Speaking of new turning products, one cannot pass the XNMG insert. It is a beneficial combination of two famous ISO rhombic insert shapes: CNMG and DNMG inserts with 80° and 55° including angles. This intelligent integration resulted in the XNMG 70° angle insert that features improved clearance and ramping angles, when compared to the CNMG, and strengthened cutting corners against DNMG. The advantages of the new insert are visible in efficient multi-directional turning applications. The cartridges carrying insert XNMG, which are intended for mounting on Neomodu units, are available as well.

Intelligent turning In internal turning, a boring bar is the main factor of tool rigidity. A large bar overhang to diameter ratio leads to the tool deflection and vibrations, and is the bane of machining accuracy and surface finish. WhisperLine, a family of anti-vibration boring bars, was developed to exceed the ratio bounds. These bars have a specially designed built-in absorber and a vibration-dampening mechanism that enables stable cutting with an overhang of up to 14 diameters.

Several years ago, Iscar launched a unique and innovative LogIQ product line – a campaign that brought new families of cutting tools to the world market. These families were designed to address challenges in metalworking industries, from increasing productivity to finding cost-effective indexable alternatives to small-in-diameter solid carbide tools.

As well as 3-D workpiece measuring and tension pin workpiece mounting for maximum accessibility, the machine also incorporates Ewag's Pro Grind software for user-friendly touch screen programming with functionality for: Human Machine Interface – simplified set-up and highlighting production data that can be continuously accessed Flexible programming – programs compiled from pre-defined function blocks Hardware management – clamping, measurement and grinding wheel data for each workpiece type is simply transferred across from the database to the operating program, and Robot integration – with pallet size and part flow, for example, quickly defined. Importantly, the operator can control all attributes – and access the complete machine interior – from one position, thus demonstrating the compactness of a machine that occupies a floorspace of just 7m2. SOURCE: Wildish Communications Ltd

WhisperLine bars are important elements of the new versatile modular system Neomodu, providing a rich variety of assembly options for turning tools. A combination of different system units such as shanks, anti-vibration capsules, and interchangeable heads with indexable carbide inserts result in a tool assembly, which is maximally customised to a specific application. The shanks may be cylindrical, square, or with a polygon taper interface in accordance with ISO 26623 standard.

The progress in 5-axis machining and CAD/CAM systems opens new horizons for machining 3D surfaces using barrel-shaped endmills. Although such endmills are still not common in the metalworking industry, advanced accurate metal shaping methods will dramatically increase the demand for these barrel-shaped endmills. Therefore, the development of effective “cutting barrels” is one of Iscar’s highest priorities. In the NeologIQ product range, the barrel-shaped endmills are represented by two configurations: A solid carbide design and a Multi-Master head. Combining Multi-Master advantages with the precise barrel profile of a cutting-edge will result in a cost-effective and sustainable solution for finishing complex-shape surfaces by milling with minimum machining stock. The Multi-Master family has expanded the boundaries of its product range by introducing a new threaded connection size, T21, which enables increasing the nominal diameter of an exchangeable endmill head to 32mm.

Does it mean that a few good metalworking shops, factories, or even whole branches will abandon machining? Of course not, but the requirements for machining operations in engineering processes will be changed. The role of productive and accurate cutting with a small allowance at high speeds and feeds will substantially grow, and metalworking industries will require a wide range of suitable tools that are expected to be more precise and durable.

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What are the main targets of the NeologIQ product lines? Iscar believes that NeologIQ provides the answers to typical questions that modern metalworking faces today due to the latest changes in technology. Today, we are witnessing serious upheaval with far-reaching effects on manufacturing.

A distinct course for electric and hybrid cars will lead to a gradual abandonment of traditional cars with an internal combustion engine and a lot of parts that need to be machined. A rise of accurate metal shaping methods, such as precision investment casting, precision forging, and 3D printing, which are all capable of shaping a part very close to its final profile, significantly diminishes the stock that is traditionally intended for chip-removal processes. A logical result of this is the considerably reduced share of machining operations in a part manufacturing cycle and this trend is already noticeable in the market today.

Importantly, the operator can control all attributes – and access the complete machine interior – from one position, thus demonstrating the compactness of a machine that occupies a floorspace of just 7m2.

Growing capabilities of modern multitasking machines and turning centers pushed the common boundaries of cutting strategies. Particularly, they brought the method of efficient turning along Y-axis. In quite a few cases, it is a worthy alternative to the traditional X-axis machining. In Y-axis turning, the dissipation of cutting force components is more favourable, and the main load is directed to a holder. The cutting process becomes more stable, and this facilitates increasing cutting data to improve productivity. Therefore, providing appropriate cutting tools for turning operations along the Y-axis is one of the central points of NeologIQ.

According to Sandvik production engineer Kevin Bate, the new five-axis machine with integrated robot handling will be used to replace an ageing Ewag Ewamatic grinder in the production of a wide range of inserts. "In particular," he says, "the machine will prove invaluable in the effective and efficient processing of a variety of special-purpose inserts."

Efficient holemaking One of the more impressive product lines introduced in the LogIQ campaign is LogIQCham, a family of drills with replaceable carbide heads and three cutting edges, providing an effective tool for significantly increasing productivity for drilling depths up to five drill diameters.

LogIQYgrip, a new Y-axis parting modular system enables vibration-free machining with high-efficiency. A wide range of exchangeable Tagpad-T adapters for inserts ensures the exceptional versatility of the system.

Digitised manufacturing, which is dictated by Industry 4.0 momentum, has its own demand and expects a new level of a cutting tool intellect to be suitable for smart manufacturing. In preparing for the upcoming changes, Iscar considers NeologIQ as the next logical step to the cutting tool for the smart factory. ‘Machining with no Boundaries’ is the motto of Iscar’s NeologIQ products.

LogIQFeed, a family of high feed milling cutters carrying specific bone-shaped inserts, was enriched by new tools with greater insert sizes. These new tools have several features that substantially improve performance in high feed milling, especially when machining big cavities and pockets in steel parts.

How do we overstep the customary boundaries of metal cutting? A short overview of some of the new products will help you understand how this is viewed by Iscar.

Anti-vibration boring bars WhisperLine enable stable cutting with the overhang up to fourteen diameters

With resolutions of 0.0001 mm in the X, Y and Z axes that have travels of 450 mm by 180 mm by 150 mm, and a similar resolution in the B axis, the machine's grinding head (A axis) has a movement range of – 15deg to + 25deg and the 5.5 kW spindle produces up to 10,000 revs/min.

World-leading tooling manufacturer Sandvik Tooling Supply has ordered a new Ewag CNC Compact Line tool grinder from WALTER Machines UK of Honiley, near Kenilworth, to enhance insert production at its Featherstone site in Wolverhampton.

In drilling, especially in drilling deep holes, efficient chip evacuation is extremely important. It is not enough to optimise chip control by an advanced design of the head geometry. The flute shape should ensure seamless chip flow. Undoubtedly, the need to organise three grooves weakens the body when comparing a two-helical-flute drill of the same diameter, the three-flute body is less rigid. When the depth grows, longitudinal vibrations may occur, and this reduces tool life and adversely affects the accuracy and roughness of a machined hole. It was the decrease in stiffness that determined the barrier for the drilling depth and limiting it by five diameters maximum.

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Able to process carbide, cermet, ceramic and CBN/PCD tools, the Ewag Compact Line grinder has a number of in-built features designed to reduce non-productive cycle times as complementary to its six-axis Fanuc robot. For example: Three in-one wheel sharpening unit – dressing, regenerating and crushing Universal workpiece clamping systems located identically on the B axis and quickly identified using the Ewag Plug & Play interface for reduced changeover times Fast pushbutton wheel change (one or two wheels of 250 mm diameter) via the HSK-E 50 system. With resolutions of 0.0001 mm in the X, Y and Z axes that have travels of 450 mm by 180 mm by 150 mm, and a similar resolution in the B axis, the machine's grinding head (A axis) has a movement range of – 15deg to + 25deg and the 5.5 kW spindle produces up to 10,000 revs/min. As well as 3-D workpiece measuring and tension pin workpiece mounting for maximum accessibility, the machine also incorporates Ewag's Pro Grind software for user-friendly touch screen programming with functionality for: Human Machine Interface – simplified set-up and highlighting production data that can be continuously accessed Flexible programming – programs compiled from pre-defined function blocks Hardware management – clamping, measurement and grinding wheel data for each workpiece type is simply transferred across from the database to the operating program, and Robot integration – with pallet size and part flow, for example, quickly defined. Importantly, the operator can control all attributes – and access the complete machine interior – from one position, thus demonstrating the compactness of a machine that occupies a floorspace of just 7m2. SOURCE: Wildish Communications Ltd

Iscar has introduced NeologIQ, a logical extension to the previous campaign comprising of an entire range of advanced products and technological solutions for metal cutting tools – a quantum leap in the field.

Another HFM product that provides the customer with a reasonable cost saving solution is NeoFeed, a family of mills with square, double-sided inserts. This insert has 8 indexable cutting edges to use on cemented carbide and a dovetail-shaped insert pocket that ensures reliable mounting to withstand heavy loads to enable higher cutting data and increased productivity.

In parting, one of the secrets to success is well-directed high-pressure cooling. If an adaptor has no HPC channels, mounting a specially designed crown-shaped accessory pushes the boundaries of application limits and enables effective pinpointed coolant flow to the active cutting edge of an insert.

Logical milling High feed milling (HFM), also referred to as fast feed milling, is considered a commonly used effective method for rough machining both complex and plane surfaces. Iscar has an extremely wide range of HFM products to meet the requirements of a customer. However, even in this niche of products, there is place for new innovations.