Think of Sandvik Coromant’s multidirectional turning as the complete package; a system developed to consolidate insert inventory, enhance productivity, and improve tool life while using unique software.

This rail design, called Y-PRISM, has a rail on the shim/toolholder and matching slot on the insert for tight interlocking and secure clamping. It helps prevent cutting forces from affecting the tool position in any direction and ensures high stability.

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!

“With multidirectional tools, the common function is to perform both back turning (roughing) and front turning (finishing),” said Gill.

It plays a crucial role in chip formation, tool life, cutting forces, and surface finish. Understanding the influence of the relief angle and selecting the appropriate one can greatly enhance machining performance, productivity, and the quality of the finished product.

Multidirectional tool can perform roughing and finishing. Because there are two separate cutting edges, tool life of the entire tool is high. Tungaloy Canada

Sandvik Coromant’s multidirectional platform, CoroTurn Prime, is more than just a tool and insert. CoroTurn Prime comprises specific tooling and software that allow for higher material removal rates, longer tool life, and better machine utilization, according to the company. CoroTurn Prime is a family of multidirectional turning tools that have a combination of small entering angles and over and under coolant capability. Currently, the company offers two types of CoroTurn Prime tools: A-type and B-type inserts. A-type inserts have three corners designed for light roughing, finishing, and profiling. B-type inserts are double-sided negative inserts with four cutting edges (eight total edges) designed for roughing and finishing.

Joe Thompson has been covering the Canadian manufacturing sector for more than two decades. He is responsible for the day-to-day editorial direction of the magazine, providing a uniquely Canadian look at the world of metal manufacturing.

Increasing your material removal rate. Reducing the number of tool changes. Lowering cycle times. Creating a 90-degree shoulder. Profiling and facing with one tool. Roughing and finishing with one tool. Does any of this sound good to you?

Image

OSG’s HY-PRO® VGM variable geometry end mill series is available in 5-, 6- and 7-flute line-ups with multiple lengths of cut, with both square and corner radius variations. Featuring geometry and coating that reduces vibration, maintains edge sharpness and tool rigidity, all while providing exceptional wear resistance.

So that is one difference from a regular insert. The other difference is the ability of these tools to perform high-feed pull turning. The insert is inclined, and, at the same DOC, the chip is wider and thinner, which allows for a faster feed to be used.

The relief angle for a milling insert is of paramount importance in achieving efficient and successful machining operations.

Another option is the 3C-TCMT, a single-sided, three-corner insert. It also enables higher feeds during pull turning when compared to ISO tools and also performs push turning.

For insert shapes such as round, square, triangle & trigon, this would then indicate the diameter of the inscribed circle (IC).

“We do understand that most people have already made an investment in a large CAM package, and that’s why Sandvik Coromant has partnered with CAM providers to program CoroTurn Prime inside of their systems,” said Brake.

“All-directional turning is not necessarily new, but the tools that we would customarily use for all-directional turning were round inserts or neutral-handed inserts, and you can’t create square corners with those shapes. The newer inserts may look similar to ISO inserts in some regard, but geometries and technologies are put in place for chip breaking,” explained Keith Brake, regional product manager, turning - Americas for Sandvik Coromant. “For the multidirectional process to work, with chip control in mind, they are now their own specific shape, at least for Sandvik Coromant.”

It is a 2-digit number that generally indicates the width or length, however this is only applicable to insert shapes with no IC (inscribed circle), such as rectangular and parallelograms.

“This insert, although it's a triangular-shape insert, has 12 cutting edges instead of six that you would expect from a TNMG-style insert because you can cut from each side of each cutting edge,” said Gill. “When you are push turning and pull turning, you're using different sides of the insert, effectively increasing tool life.”

Image

According to Brake, roughing cycle times can be reduced by as much as 30 per cent with proper implementation of the CoroTurn Prime tooling and methodology. This is achieved with the higher productivity that the high feed side is capable of.

Each member brings with them their own experience and know-how to add to our growing pool of technical knowledge. That’s why our services are known for being the best in the business!

“For example, a CNMG 120408 may commonly run a 3 mm depth of cut in the range of 0.4 mm per revolution (MPR) feed rate whereas the Prime B insert has the capability of reaching 0.75 to 0.95 MPR feed rate at that same depth of cut. Of course, horsepower and quality of setup play a very large role in the overall success of the application,” said Brake. “It’s a combination of the way the program is created to properly enter the workpiece, and the way the inserts are designed. It’s just physics. We are leveraging physics to thin the chip with a shallow entering angle.”

Multidirectional turning tools (a.k.a. all-directional tools) have been around for a few years now. As more tooling suppliers enter the space, it’s important to get an understanding of how these tools can help you turn parts better. And it all starts where the carbide meets the metal.

The nose radius of an insert can affect the performance. A larger nose radius can result in the use of higher feed rates, and larger depths of cut, and they can handle more pressure, making them much better for heavier metal removal. Whereas a turning insert with a smaller nose radius can only take smaller depths of cut, they also have weaker cutting edges, and they can only handle a small amount of vibration but are much better for finishing as they are sharper and have less surface contact.

It’s easy to wrap your head around the fact that cubic inches of material removed per hour is the gold standard of metrics. However, many other factors play a role in the success of a machine operation. Some of them will contribute more than others, but they all help. These tools can stack benefits.

“The other major difference is that this insert is held differently,” said Gill. “This insert is held by a top clamp, but it also includes a rail design. When you are cutting at a higher feed rate, you now have much more effective clamping.”

CoroPlus Tool Path is a cloud-based software that can be purchased by annual subscription. This software allows feature-based programming of CoroTurn Prime tooling. Other systems capable of creating similar code for CoroTurn Prime tools include Gibbscam, Mastercam, Siemens NX, CamWorks, and TopSolid.

Tolerance dimensions are indicated by a letter ranging from A - U. Dimension A relates to the inscribed circle (IC), dimension B relates to the insert height (for pentagon, triangle, and trigon shapes – for other polygons, the dimension B relates to the distance that is measured along the bisector of the corner angle) and dimension T relates to the thickness of the insert.

Each multidirectional tool can perform roughing and finishing. Because there are two separate cutting edges, tool life of the entire tool is high.

Both inserts create thin, wide chips, which spread the load away from the nose radius. This results in increased tool life or allows for increasing the cutting data.

“It should maybe be thought about as two different tools, one to rough and one to finish,” said Gill. “In this case, you're using this backside as a roughing edge and the frontside as a finishing edge. This reduces the number of tools you need.”

The advice from Gill is to roll-in to the workpiece when entering the cut and feed the tool at 0.008 in. per revolution (IPR). When turning away from the main chuck, the cutting edge’s contact with the workpiece becomes larger, generating a pull greater cutting force, as compared to a push force when turning towards the chuck. He also advises that tailstock support should be used.

Sandvik Coromant’s B-type inserts are double-sided negative inserts with four cutting edges (eight total edges) designed for roughing and finishing. Sandvik Coromant

Choosing the right insert shape for your turning tool is essential. The shape of the insert can affect the vibration during operation, the ability to turn complex contours, the strength of the insert and its ability to take bigger and heavier cuts.

Image

This leads to fewer tools needed in the turret but also fewer tools needed in your tool crib. The multifunctional nature of these tools also eliminates tool changes, so cycle time is affected as well.

“Our second generation of CoroTurn Prime is a true eight-edged system. So, if it's properly programmed and properly implemented, you can use the chip thinning side or the high-efficiency side for your roughing application, and then you can turn right around with the same tool and you can use the other side for finishing operations without ever making a tool change,” said Brake.

Some of the below chipbreakers are available on both negative and positive inserts but the min-max depths of cut may vary.

“Because you can use the same insert to rough and finish, you can free up a slot in the turret for another turning tool,” Brake.

Tungaloy has two tools in this space, if you don’t include its multidirectional Y-axis insert. One mimics a traditional CNMG insert, and one mimics a VNMG insert for undercuts and profiles.

“The front of the insert is like a regular CNMG insert with 80-degree angle and five degrees of clearance. It behaves like a regular CNMG insert because it has the same shape as that type of insert,” said Gill.

In this blog, we will discuss how to identify all these key dimensions, so you will never need to check for part numbers again.

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

All turning inserts have a unique ISO code that contains various letters and numbers – believe it or not, these actually mean something! From just looking at the ISO code you can figure out the insert’s shape, relief angle, tolerance, cross-section type, cutting-edge length, thickness, radius, and chip breaker!

Multidirectional tools are an obvious fit for complex turning applications that require multiple kinds of turning operations to be performed. However, that’s not all they are good for.

Multidirectional turning tools can work in both directions (away from and toward the chuck) and perform roughing and finishing (with the top and bottom of the insert) with a single tool. They also perform multiple turning operations like profiling and facing.

“Multidirectional tools can be implemented easily,” said Hartej Gill, product manager for Tungaloy Canada. “We give manufacturers a piece of code with the special program required.”

The cross-section highlights the differences in the design of the insert, such as the fixing holes, countersinks, and special features. This dictates what clamping method would be used to fix the insert on to the tool holder.

The tool families of 6C-TOMG and 6V-TOMG are double-sided, six-corner inserts with 80-degree or 35-degree corner angles. For pull turning, they can be used at high feeds to improve productivity by roughly 200 per cent when compared to traditional turning ISO tools. The same tool also performs push turning using the same cutting edge angle as standard ISO tools.

The system can perform traditional facing and turning paths, like a CNMG 432 insert (end forward and side forward turning). Additionally, it can also perform side backward or face backward turning when engaged on the high productivity or chip thinning side.

This leads to both better machine utilization, because fewer tool changes are needed, and faster cycle times. It starts with the tool itself and is aided by advanced programming, unique insert geometry, and machine movement.

An award-winning writer and graduate of the Sheridan College journalism program, he has published articles worldwide in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, pharmaceutical, medical, infrastructure, and entertainment.

The chip breaker is represented as 2 letters in the ISO code. The chip breaker affects the cutting resistance, if the cutting resistance is low, it can avoid chipping and fracturing of the cutting edges. Reduced cutting resistance can also decrease the tool load and heat built up. The chip breaker also determines the depth of cut the insert can take, if you are not applying the correct depth of cut then you won’t be activating the chip breaker, this can cause the swarf to build up and become stringy, some people refer to this as a bird’s nest.

When used properly, it can perform both roughing and finishing applications without changing the tool. This feature helps to reduce carbide usage and conserves turret real estate.

The thickness of a turning insert is measured from the bottom of the insert to the top of the cutting edge. This will be shown as a 2-digit number except where the insert features a T and then a single digit number eg T3. This is due to the fact that there are more than one increment within each mm. eg 03 is 3.18mm whereas T3 is thickest at 3.97mm.

“If you’re currently running a CNMG insert with 3-mm depth of cut or less, you can use this system in an existing program. Nothing has to change, and you can get the benefit of chip control that these insert geometries offer,” said Brake. “This can be very important for customers who are running P1 or long-chipping steel. It’s a really simple way to gain chip control if properly applied.”

Multidirectional tooling improves machine utilization, because fewer tool changes are needed, and enables faster cycle times. Tungaloy Canada