Hard-part turning strategies - carbide insert for harden steel

 2024-07-02 02:42:34

Join Mahr for an informative webinar to discover the latest advancements in precision measurement, designed to elevate your quality assurance processes and unlock peak productivity. It'll explore cutting-edge technologies — such as modern height gages and contour measuring systems — along with their applications, benefits and technical capabilities. Discover the power of height gages: Learn how intuitive and sophisticated height gages can revolutionize your measurement processes, enabling quick and accurate results in inspection and production areas. Explore the practical functions and ease of use that make height gages an ideal solution for manufacturers seeking high-performance and reliable measuring technology. Examine sample applications and industries where height gages excel, such as qualifying first parts, inspecting incoming parts and measuring series of parts in industries like aerospace, automotive and medical. Unlock efficient contour measurement: An introduction to the latest contour measuring technologies that enable fast, simple and comprehensive contour measurement in the production environment. Discover how these innovative solutions ensure reliable measurements, saving time and increasing efficiency while measuring a wide range of workpieces. Learn how to streamline your contour measuring process with speed and simplicity, achieving fast and precise measurements with incredible versatility. Register now and discover how to unlock peak productivity with new innovations in precision measurement. Agenda: Insights into the latest precision measurement technologies and their applications Understanding of how to improve quality assurance processes and increase productivity Knowledge of how to select the right measurement solutions for your specific needs Tips on how to optimize your measurement processes for maximum efficiency

Lee Wimmer invited us to tour his second-generation family-owned machine shop in Perkasie, PA. This video explores the production processes behind precision-machined parts for both Wimmer Custom Cycle and LS Wimmer Machine Co., and shows how ingenuity and determination are still at the heart of American manufacturing. Today, both companies are now managed by Wimmer’s three sons.

ANCA CNC Machines is celebrating its 50th anniversary as a global producer of CNC tool and cutter grinders.

SSP’s commitment to adopting the latest machining technology benefits not only the business, but its employees as well.

Structured light scanning is used to create a digital twin of a manufactured part, but we must understand the measurement reproducibility to best use the data.

Some machines are also fitted with vacuum workholding chucks to speed change-overs and enable tools to access five sides of a part. Vacuum plays a key role in dust removal, too. Unlike metal machining that creates manageable chips that can be conveyed out of a machine, plastic machining creates tiny chips and a good deal of dust. Therefore, all machines are connected to a central dust collection system to minimize dust build-up on machine components and maintain a clean facility.

The dust generated during plastic machining causes K&E to take machine maintenance seriously, too. The shop runs 10-hour shifts Monday through Thursday, and operators spend the last hour of each Thursday cleaning the machines. In addition, spindle and way covers are removed every six months to eliminate any dust build-up, and machine air filters are replaced on a regular basis.

Looking to automate your shop floor? The Automated Shop Conference (TASC) will connect shops with experts who can advise them through this transition.

FANUC’s IMTS 2024 booth includes real-time demonstrations that show the abilities of its equipment, including robots, controllers and machine tools.

Understanding all the things that contribute to a machine’s full potential accuracy will inform what to prioritize when fine-tuning the machine.

Legacy Precision Molds takes us on a tour of their moldbuilding facility. They've recently implemented two automated 5-axis cells for metal and graphite machining that run lights out during nights and weekends.

Heidenhain and Acu-Rite Solutions are offering several hands-on experiences at their booth this year, as well as internal components that reduce energy use.

Learn more about the variety of technology and machinery Hwacheon Machinery America, Inc. is featuring at its IMTS 2024 booth.

K&E runs only plastic jobs across its CNCs. That’s because many of the components the shop machines are used for electrical insulation applications; running only plastic eliminates the chance that a stray chip from a previous metal-machining job would contaminate the plastic workpiece. This is also why plastic vise jaws are commonly used instead of aluminum or steel jaws.

There are a number of reasons why this is. The glass filler is highly abrasive, which can cause cutting tools and inserts to wear quickly. Plus, not many cutting tool manufacturers offer tools specifically designed for the non-metallic materials K&E machines (although that’s starting to change). This means some experimentation is typically required to establish effective cutting parameters for new plastic materials. (Speeds and feeds recommended for machining metals with a given cutting tool are typically too high for plastic.) Laminate thermosets are prone to delamination during machining, too, meaning toolpath changes or wholesale design changes might be necessary. Finally, machining these materials creates a significant amount of abrasive dust that must be managed to maintain a clean working environment and keep machines running reliably.

Across a range of technical presentations aimed at small and mid-sized job shops, the first-ever Automated Shop Conference (TASC) offered insights into several automated technologies, implementation strategies, shopfloor training tips, and even the untapped power of automated coolant delivery.

Chiron Group combines the best of both worlds at IMTS 2024, featuring live demonstrations of their Micro5 and Mill 2000 machines, alongside a cutting-edge virtual showroom. This innovative approach allows visitors to explore Chiron’s full product lineup without the logistical challenges of transporting large equipment.

New U.S.-based event announced in 2021 finally debuts next year: focuses on complete additive manufacturing value chain. More at formnextchicago.com.

This 6-inch-diameter face mill from Kennametal uses inserts with a titanium diboride (TiB2) coating. Because the coating is thin, it won’t dull the insert’s sharp cutting edges. However, it still offers the wear resistance needed for glass-filled plastics.

The Walter Turn toolholder features rake-face cooling to help break and control chips, and double flank-face cooling directly at the cutting edge to extend tool life.

The process K&E has established for glass-fiber-filled plastic machining enables it to overcome these challenges. But as any other short-run operation strives to do, it has also found ways to become more effective at minimizing non-value-adding activities, which I learned about during a recent visit to K&E’s new facility near the foothills of Vermont’s Green Mountains.

JD Machine, 2024’s Top Shops Honoree in Human Resources, embodies its “Education for Life” core value with a robust apprenticeship program and significant continuous improvement efforts.

In this webinar, industry-leading experts will demonstrate how additive manufacturing can revolutionize your operations and answer the question: Can you afford not to? From rapid prototyping to robust fixturing and specialized custom tooling, it’ll showcase the diverse applications that can drive your business forward in a time where cost and time saving can be crucial. Discover how to reduce costs, accelerate production cycles and achieve unparalleled design freedom through the strategic integration of 3D printing technology. Phillip’s panel of seasoned professionals will share real-world examples and practical insights to help you understand the potential of additive manufacturing. Learn how to overcome production challenges, improve product quality and gain a competitive advantage. It will explore the cost-benefit analysis of 3D printing — including material and labor savings — as well as the potential for increased revenue. Join this webinar to discover why additive manufacturing is no longer a luxury, but a necessity for success. Agenda: Prototyping example: quick-change prototype Custom tooling real-world example: press brake, tube bending die CMM fixturing and workholding example: CMM fixture and soft jaw

Sunnen Products Co. is celebrating its 100th anniversary, highlighting the history of its line of honing and precision solutions.

K&E previously used a traditional bag-type dust collection system. That system wasn’t able to keep up as more machines were added, however, and machine operators spent too much time manually vacuuming the machines. Therefore, K&E recently installed a cartridge filter system from United Air Specialists with a modular design that enables the shop to add plenums as dust-control demands increase. Plus, the cartridges typically last two years before replacement is needed compared with bag clean-out every few months. The system also returns clean, warm air into the facility when the weather is cold, which lowers heating costs.

Entrepreneur Scott Colosimo found early success in China producing parts for his Cleveland-based motorcycle company in the mid-2000s. This is the story of how IP theft issues overwhelmed the business, prompting Colosimo and his team to start over from scratch — and move production back to the United States.

Ceratizit USA announces it has appointed Carlos Garza as its business development leader for the oil and gas industry sector.

Manufacturers continue to feel the pressure to reduce costs, increase efficiencies and meet their sustainability strategies. As the industry evolves to keep pace with these priorities, there are opportunities within metalworking processes to use less resources with advanced lubricants and technical expertise. Agenda: An overview of metalworking lubrication Evolutions in metalworking lubrication Experience on the shop floor Key takeaways

You know how to machine metals, but what about plastic machining? More specifically, glass-fiber-reinforced plastic? This machine shop has it figured out.

FANUC’s IMTS 2024 booth includes real-time demonstrations that show the abilities of its equipment, including robots, controllers and machine tools.

The Automated Shop Conference (TASC) will give shops of all sizes and production volumes key insights and practical guidance on how to implement automation.

Mr. Broderson’s father, Peter, started K&E in New Jersey after leaving his position as a salesman for a vulcanized fiber components manufacturer. In 1986, he moved the company to Vermont. Eric took over running the business 20 years ago with the goal of pursuing non-electrical plastic applications, primarily in the aerospace and medical industries, to diversify the company and realize higher margins. Although K&E originally had only manual machines, the 24-person shop now has all CNC production equipment in the new 30,000 square-foot facility it moved into in May. The vast majority of these CNC machines are Haas models, including VMCs, gantry routers and turning centers.

Incremental mode can be more advantageous when programming sculptured surfaces or for certain hole-machining canned cycle applications.

Mitsui Seiki USA Inc. appoints Joseph Farkas as its director of sales West and Terry Ritterbush as its director of sales East.

Horn USA’s new booth concept is designed to enable attendees to (literally) get a better feel for its various tooling offerings.

Weldon Solutions is demonstrating three grinders at IMTS 2024. Though they differ in size and use case, all feature the company’s hallmark customizations.

Though most frequently used for diameter measurements, an air plug and platen can be readily configured to measure perpendicularity.

K&E plans to continue to experiment with new cutting tool options and will soon replace the few non-Haas VMCs it infrequently uses. It is also looking to add to its quality control capabilities. The shop currently has a video measurement machine (which is especially good for parts with many holes), but will soon purchase a Metris CMM. K&E is also considering upgrading its machine tools’ touch-trigger probing software to enable in-process part inspection. Mr. Broderson says the work for medical and aerospace customers is driving the shop in this direction, because these jobs tend to be more complex than electrical components, making inspection more challenging. Plus, performing measurements with the part still on the machine means there’s less handling as well as reduced machine downtime because operators don’t have to wait extended periods of time while a part is sent to the quality department for measurement.

The only metal machining K&E performs is to create fixture plates for vacuum workholding chucks. This machining is performed on toolroom mills, not the CNC plastic production machines. Fixture plates can also be machined from G-10 thermoset laminate material.

FANUC’s IMTS 2024 booth includes real-time demonstrations that show the abilities of its equipment, including robots, controllers and machine tools.

Automation is no longer a luxury in manufacturing today – it’s a necessity. The Automated Shop Conference (TASC) will connect job shops with experts who offer advice and considerations for this process.

Part of Major Tool’s 52,000 square-foot building expansion includes the installation of this new Waldrich Coburg Taurus 30 vertical machining center.

Most jobs start from plastic sheet, tube or rod material, but some work is performed on customer-supplied molded components. Typical batch sizes range from 35 to 70 pieces, so, like any other job shop, K&E takes strides to minimize setup and change-over time. For instance, all VMCs have been purchased new or retrofitted with a Renishaw touch-tigger probing package. This enables machinists to quickly locate vises or fixtures during setups, reducing set up time from a couple of hours to just 20 minutes in many cases. Similarly, the shop stores its most commonly used tools in known positions in each machine’s toolchanger carousel to minimize the frequency of tool change-outs. And when possible, it runs similar parts or part families together to minimize the number of times one type of workholding device must be swapped out for another.

…was designed so that incoming dust and solid materials pulled from machines like the router above first enter an empty plenum. This enables turning “bird nests” and other heavier pieces to fall to the bottom of that plenum without damaging any cartridges. The airstream with dust then enters cartridge-filled plenums on either side of the empty one, and clean air is returned to the facility.

When it comes to utilizing the spindle’s power, there is a lot of headroom at the upper limits, provided it’s in short bursts. Be mindful of your time at these loads so you don’t stall out.

Job shops are implementing automation and digitalization into workflows to eliminate set up time and increase repeatability in production.

User-friendly inspection software for CNC machining centers is shown monitoring measurements between and after machining while performing SPC based on recorded measurement values.

When it comes to utilizing the spindle’s power, there is a lot of headroom at the upper limits, provided it’s in short bursts. Be mindful of your time at these loads so you don’t stall out.

In this episode of Made in the USA, several executives and senior staff at Hardinge give their first-person account of how they formulated the plan to shift the manufacturing of its milling and turning product lines from its Taiwan plant to its plant in Elmira, New York, the major challenges they encountered and the rewards that made it worth the effort.

Take a look inside James Engineering, a high-end CNC Deburring OEM that became a job shop when they decided to produce their own parts in-house.

Though most frequently used for diameter measurements, an air plug and platen can be readily configured to measure perpendicularity.

Formnext Chicago is an industrial additive manufacturing expo taking place April 8-10, 2025 at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois. Formnext Chicago is the second in a series of Formnext events in the U.S. being produced by Mesago Messe Frankfurt, AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, and Gardner Business Media (our publisher).

Thousands of people visit our Supplier Guide every day to source equipment and materials. Get in front of them with a free company profile.

Each tool setting technique has merit, and it depends on where you are as a shop and the type of work you do, as cost and efficiency all come into play.

FANUC’s IMTS 2024 booth includes real-time demonstrations that show the abilities of its equipment, including robots, controllers and machine tools.

Forget “additive versus subtractive.” Machining and metal additive manufacturing are interconnected, and enhance the possibilities for one another. Here is a look at just some of the ways additive and machining interrelate right now.

New tech center is serving as a cutting-edge showroom and a technological hub for advanced machining applications.

There are usually better solutions to chatter than just reducing the feed rate. Through vibration analysis, the chatter problem can be solved, enabling much higher metal removal rates, better quality and longer tool life.

Drilling and tapping can also be problematic. It’s best to enter perpendicular to the laminations; entering parallel to them can cause delamination. But when threaded holes are required parallel to the laminations, peck drilling should be performed, followed by thread milling. A thread mill is much less likely to split the material compared to a conventional tap, largely because there’s less tool pressure. Another alternative is to drill a hole and install a threaded metal insert.

Standards for surface finishes and profiles are not static; they change as technology changes or new processes come along that need to be considered.

Fryer Machine Systems Inc. presents its TC Series of CNC machining centers for high-performance cutting, accuracy, reliability and ease of use.

Working closely with customers and making careful investments has enabled this Wisconsin machine shop to tackle difficult jobs with tight deadlines as a core part of its business.

Modern Machine Shop is the leading publication and media brand in North America devoted to CNC machining. MMS combines unprecedented editorial access to manufacturing facilities with decades of experience to provide long-form content that is both insightful and impactful. About Us

Walter USA has acquired PDQ Workholding, intending to strengthen its offering of workholding products and develop future cutting tool sales.

Women in Manufacturing is excited to announce that the 2024 SUMMIT will be a hybrid event — both an in-person and virtual experience. Both program offerings will enable you to grow through education and connections that are insightful, meaningful and actionable. Join Women in Manufacturing Oct. 6-9, 2024, in Boston or digitally for an event filled with plant tours at leading manufacturing facilities, professional development sessions, roundtable discussions on important topics, and inspiring keynotes. All while engaging and interacting with peers through social and networking events! __PRESENT __PRESENT

In the latest episode of our View From My Shop series, MMS Editor-in-Chief Brent Donaldson visited the JN Shapiro Watches headquarters and production facility where Founder Joshua Shapiro—a history teacher turned watchmaker—realized his dream of "making a watch from scratch and everything in it."

Thoughtful considerations will set you on a shortened path to the most optimized solution once cutter meets metal.

FABTECH 2024 will be held October 15-17, 2024, in Orlando, Florida, at the Orange County Convention Center. FABTECH provides a convenient ‘one-stop shop’ venue where you can meet with world-class suppliers, discover innovative solutions, and find the tools to improve productivity and increase profits. There is no better opportunity to network, share knowledge and explore the latest technology, all here in one place. Future U.S. Show Dates and Locations 2025 – September 8-11 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL 2026 – October 21-23 at Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV 2027 – September 13-16 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL

Effective team collaboration is a critical component of success in today’s manufacturing world. With cloud-based technologies that make it easy for team members to brainstorm and problem solve remotely from various locations, design-to-manufacturing processes can become faster and more efficient. This webinar will demonstrate how fully integrated CAM software can be utilized with 3DExperience SolidWorks in a seamless work environment to accelerate product development. Agenda: See how HCL CAMWorks can be used as an add-in for all SolidWorks applications working with the cloud-based 3DExperience platform Learn how fully integrated CAD/CAM saves significant amounts of time during the design to manufacturing process Gain a new understanding of how software can connect users worldwide to accelerate product development Watch a demonstration of team collaboration using platform tools in the CAD/CAM software environment

Eric Broderson, K&E’s president, says that glass-fiber-filled plastic materials are the trickiest the shop machines. These include nylon extruded with reinforcing glass fibers and thermoset laminates such as NEMA-rated G7 and G10 that combine layers of glass fabric with resin binder. These materials offer excellent electrical insulating properties, dimensional stability and mechanical strength, and are commonly used for electrical housing components as well as an increasing number of medical and aerospace parts. Although they are attractive from a designer’s perspective, they can be ugly to machine.

Are AMRs the next big trend in job shop automation? System 3R’s IMTS booth will emphasize both its specialty EDM tooling and its automation products, including an autonomous moving robot.

Pairing automation with air-driven motors that push cutting tool speeds up to 65,000 RPM with no duty cycle can dramatically improve throughput and improve finishing.

Take a look inside James Engineering, a high-end CNC Deburring OEM that became a job shop when they decided to produce their own parts in-house.

Thread milling creates less heat and pressure, and is less likely to delaminate the material when threaded holes run parallel to the laminations.

The shop maintains a close relationship with its tooling distributor, Abrasives and Tools of New Hampshire (ATNH), to stay abreast of new indexable insert cutters that might be well-suited for its plastic materials. Its primary contact at ATNH is Nate Despins, sales engineer. One of his recent projects with K&E was to identify a new 6-inch face mill to replace an existing model that could achieve a feed rate of just 9 ipm for a glass-fiber-filled nylon component. Mr. Despins suggested a Kennametal Dodeka 45-degree face mill using KC410m-grade inserts, which have a titanium diboride (TiB2) coating. This coating offers the wear resistance needed for the material’s abrasive glass filler but is relatively thin so as not to dull the insert cutting edges (which is what a thick coating effectively does). These inserts have the sharpness that’s needed to cleanly cut glass-filled nylon while not burning the resin. This new tool increased cutting performance to 30 ipm/500 rpm for roughing and 20 ipm/500 rpm for finishing.

Ever wonder what sets Top Shops apart from the competition? Dive into their award-winning practices and explore behind-the-scenes strategies for operational excellence.

In general, the best cutters for glass-fiber-filled plastic materials have positive rake angles and very sharp cutting edges. K&E has traditionally used solid carbide cutters, but it is transitioning to indexable carbide insert tooling, because, ultimately, indexable-insert tooling is less expensive and requires less inventory space, Mr. Broderson notes. Plus, he says it enables higher positive rake angles.

Misapplication of these important CNC features will result in wasted time, wasted or duplicated effort and/or wasted material.

When Puneet and Neelam Neotia moved from India to the United States several years ago, they brought with them a family background in manufacturing and CNC machining. Now the couple is working to get their startup machine shop off the ground, sourcing new customers and getting the word out about their shop in Clarksville, Indiana. The couple — proud to publicize their "Made in the USA" parts — is leveraging family connections and manufacturing capabilities back in India, but not in the way that some people assume.

Working closely with customers and making careful investments has enabled this Wisconsin machine shop to tackle difficult jobs with tight deadlines as a core part of its business.

When revising part designs, investigate the 3D CAD, the 2D drawing and the part’s functional requirements to determine which details should be tightened up.

Job shops are implementing automation and digitalization into workflows to eliminate set up time and increase repeatability in production.

Are AMRs the next big trend in job shop automation? System 3R’s IMTS booth will emphasize both its specialty EDM tooling and its automation products, including an autonomous moving robot.

These components were machined from G-10 thermoset laminate material. Care must be taken not to delaminate the layers of glass fiber or burn the epoxy resin during machining.

New tech center is serving as a cutting-edge showroom and a technological hub for advanced machining applications.

Rob Guiao, Chris Hall and Bassanio Peters will demonstrate relatable situations to equip you with data to improve predictability, future-proof operations and maximize ROI. Agenda: Explore the importance of data in decision-making, especially for facility upgrades or new projects Learn how comprehensive solutions for manufacturing and construction projects can improve predictability and ROI See real demonstrations of machine integrations, facility layouts and automations to ensure proper throughput and integration

Each tool setting technique has merit, and it depends on where you are as a shop and the type of work you do, as cost and efficiency all come into play.

The latest episode “Made in the USA” podcast explores a company that uses collaborative robots, one of the key tools helping US machine shops and other manufacturers compete with lower cost countries by automating production.

Instead of taps, thread mills are used to create threads in thermoset laminate material such as G-10.

The choice between buying a new machine or refurbishing the current one will become clear after a thorough assessment of the machine.

Part of Major Tool’s 52,000 square-foot building expansion includes the installation of this new Waldrich Coburg Taurus 30 vertical machining center.

Attend TASC, The Automated Shop Conference, in Novi, Mich on Oct. 11, 2023 for a comprehensive look into how to use automation to transform your machine shop.

The Haas VMCs and routers have a grease-pack spindle design rather than oil-lube, which Mr. Broderson says is important for plastic machining because the lubricant remains sealed within the spindle and can’t contaminate the plastic workpieces. Similarly, nearly all K&E’s thermoset laminate jobs are performed dry or with cold-air guns, although synthetic coolants are used for some thermoplastics. (The shop currently uses Koolrite 2510 from JTM Products, which contains no sulfur or chlorine.) Petroleum-based coolants can’t be used because they often degrade plastic workpieces.

Refined machines at EROWA are handling heavier loads, while its precision workholding enhances stability and rigidity.

Thoughtful considerations will set you on a shortened path to the most optimized solution once cutter meets metal.

The L.S. Starrett Co. has been manufacturing precision measurement tools in Athol, Massachusetts, since 1880. Attention to U.S. manufacturing often focuses on reshoring manufacturing from other countries, but Starrett never left. The facility in Athol employs hundreds and produces thousands of tools that remain vital for measurement in machining and other fields.

…with one line positioned near the spindle and another one available to enable operators to further clean the workzone.

Ball end mills are typically used for surface profiling of G7 and G10, and the tool stepover used depends on the material and surface finish requirements. When a very smooth finish is needed, stepovers are generally in the 0.0005- to 0.001-inch range compared to 0.005 inch for applications in which surface finish isn’t that critical. That said, because G7 has lower resin bond strength, custom, precision-ground tool may be necessary to prevent delamination from occurring.

Ever wonder what sets Top Shops apart from the competition? Dive into their award-winning practices and explore behind-the-scenes strategies for operational excellence.

Zoller’s open house in Ann Arbor, Michigan, provided attendees with a glimpse of the connectivity and efficiency the company’s products offer to users.

This presentation focuses on the vital role that linear and angular encoders play in ensuring precision in machine tools. Attendees will learn about the common challenges compromising accuracy, such as thermal expansion, mechanical misalignments and vibration. Whether you're an OEM, integrator, or machine operator, this webinar will offer valuable insights into optimizing CNC performance. Agenda: Challenges to CNC machine accuracy Understanding encoder technology How encoders address accuracy challenges

So far, Made in the USA has looked into system-wide effects of broken supply chains, automation, skilled workforce issues and our perception of manufacturing jobs — examining each topic through a prism of individual experiences. For this final episode for Season 1, let’s look at one more system-wide question and bring it back to personal perspectives: Is there today a new dawn, a new moment for American manufacturing?

The MB45 series is designed to deliver the low cutting force benefits of positive inserts and the fracture resistance of negative inserts.

K&E Plastics is a Bennington, Vermont, CNC job shop that has been machining plastic components for a range of customers since 1966. It works with both common and engineering thermoplastics as well as advanced, expensive thermoset laminates.

Q-Mark has built its metrology business by providing what customers need, when they want it. This goes for its IMTS booth, too, with free drinks alongside custom technology.

Tool-holder-spindle-machine combinations each have a unique dynamic response in the same way that each person has a unique fingerprint, which can be revealed using modal testing.

K&E has used the E2 Shop System from Shoptech Software for 15 years, benefiting from easier and more accurate job quoting, improved job data collection, real-time reporting capabilities, and so on. However, it also leveraged this software platform to streamline its ISO certification process. The E2 Accelerated Quality Certification (AQC) program includes software and documentation as well as on-site consulting services for quality system training. Pre-assessment audits are conducted by a Shoptech quality management lead auditor to determine a shop’s readiness for an actual certification audit. During K&E’s pre-assessment audit in 2012, the Shoptech auditor found no major infractions and offered only a few recommended suggestions. Soon after, the shop received its ISO 9001:2008 certification on its first attempt. Because it is making a bigger push into the medical market, K&E’s next goal is to become certified to the ISO 13485 medical-device standard.

Thoughtful considerations will set you on a shortened path to the most optimized solution once cutter meets metal.

Weldon Solutions is demonstrating three grinders at IMTS 2024. Though they differ in size and use case, all feature the company’s hallmark customizations.

Heat is the big issue when machining any plastic. Material burning is possible when tools are run too fast. Plus, without effective chip evacuation, machined material can re-weld back to the workpiece. Tool flute geometry plays a key role in getting chips out and away from the workpiece, as do cold-air jets. However, thermoset laminates such as G7 and G10 are also prone to delamination depending on the bond strength of the resin and how the parts are machined.

Did you know that the show was postponed for WWII? Or that McCormick Place was expanded in the ’70s just to accommodate IMTS? A fascinating look at the show’s history from 1927 to today.

AccuRounds has created synergy between culture and technology, driving a commitment to customer satisfaction and continuous improvement.

For another project, Mr. Despins was asked to suggest a more productive end mill for machining a G-10 thermoset laminate component (G10 uses an epoxy resin unlike G7, which uses a silicon resin). When using an end mill with conventional carbide inserts, the fastest speed and feed rate that could be achieved were 1,200 rpm and 19 ipm, respectively. Plus, only one part could be completed for each insert cutting edge. Mr. Despins suggested a Mill 1-10 shoulder mill from Kennametal that has a highly positive rake angle and KD1410-grade, polycrystalline diamond (PCD) inserts. The KD1410 inserts have a PCD tip brazed onto one side. Although these inserts are twice the cost of the conventional carbide inserts, and the PCD tip is on just one side of each insert, they achieved five times the life of the previous inserts while enabling faster machining. During roughing, this new tool ran at 2,000 rpm and 40 ipm with a 0.08-inch depth cut. For finishing, it ran at 4,000 rpm and 90 ipm at a 0.02-inch depth of cut.

AccuRounds has created synergy between culture and technology, driving a commitment to customer satisfaction and continuous improvement.

Tool-holder-spindle-machine combinations each have a unique dynamic response in the same way that each person has a unique fingerprint, which can be revealed using modal testing.

From quadruped robot dogs, to an in-booth putting green where you can test out a new golf putter, to a 3D-printed car and more, attendees enjoyed cutting-edge technology and innovations all week long. Take a look to see what (or who!) you might have missed this week!

Heidenhain and Acu-Rite Solutions are offering several hands-on experiences at their booth this year, as well as internal components that reduce energy use.

Hard-part turning strategies - carbide insert for harden steel

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