Horn offers tools capable of turning and drilling - carbide insert turning tools

Featured on Odyssey’s Stroke Lab and EXO putters, this soft but responsive hybrid combines two of the company’s most notable inserts—White Hot and Microhinge. The White Hot material produces a soft feel and added forgiveness, while the Microhinge flexes at impact for a smoother, more immediate roll.

“Decoflex is a modular tooling system specifically designed for Swiss turning head stock machines…we have introduced a multi-headed collet chuck that will work in both directions of the spindle simultaneously,” says Scott Leitch, marketing manager with Exsys.

When Sean Toulon and his team designed the original Toulon putters, they focused on developing the perfect milling pattern for both feel and performance. Their extensive research produced the deep crosshatch groove pattern that controls sound and feel while also providing an improved end-over-end roll.

To sum up, Laprade cites an old retail truism. “Swiss tooling is a very ‘get what you pay for’ type of product. When you’re trying to continuously ‘split tenths’ you want something that is high quality and more importantly, repeats each time a job is set up or when a tool is changed. A good tool or tooling system will eliminate the need for an operator to chase a tolerance because the tooling wasn’t intended for it or is poor quality,” notes Laprade.

Designed by industry veteran Guerin Rife, Evnroll putters feature a patented “Precise” milling pattern that transfers more energy on off-center hits and less on center strikes to even out roll distances, regardless of contact point. The face-milling pattern also helps direct putts back to the target line on off-center hits.

The new Sigma 2 line of putters incorporates two Ping technologies in the face. A dual-durometer PEBAX insert with a soft front layer and firmer back layer provides more touch on short putts and improved feel and feedback on longer lags. The TR face pattern varies in depth and pitch to produce consistent speed across the entire putterface.

“PVD coatings are most common due to the reduced heat factor in small part machining—small contact diameter, lighter feeds and good cooling. The required sharper cutting edges also dictate that PVD be used,” echoes Burton.

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“When turning the O.D. of a part, H.P. coolant pays big dividends on gummy/hard materials or long cuts where stringy chips are a problem,” says Paoletta.

As Swiss-type turning edges towards the mainstream, cutting tool companies continue to provide a steady stream of appropriate tools. Such tools have to be able to function in the confined work envelope characteristic of Swiss-type machines.

“On the I.D, using coolant-through drills for instance, can gain you a 2x feedrate over a standard carbide drill or 3x to 4x a cobalt drill, while you can also increase your SFM for the tool,” he explains.

Industry experts were also asked about grades and geometries for Swiss-type turning tools. “A grade specifically for use in Swiss-type turning is WSM21, a mono-layer PVD coating that is designed to withstand the low cutting speeds often encountered with small diameter components. Grades with thinner PVD coatings and sharp edges are generally best,” says Ludeking. “Although there aren’t any specific Swiss-turning geometries, those with aggressive chip control for light feed rates and depth-of-cut are often best for Swiss-type operations.”

“At GenSwiss we recommend micro-thin PVD coatings that don’t change the edge conditions of the cutting tools when applied to them,” adds Scott Laprade, marketing manager, Genevieve Swiss Industries, Inc. (GenSwiss). “When working with small diameter parts you want the edges to remain as sharp as possible to prevent pressure build up which can lead to deflection of the work piece. Some coatings and processes deposit a ‘bead’ of coating on the edge of the insert which can round it off by up to a thousandth of an inch.”

“Swiss machines have three work holding devices in them if you don’t include the bar feed collets. The headstock collet, the guide bushing (which is what the stock feeds through during the cutting and is used for support), and the pickoff or sub-spindle collet which takes a parted-off work piece and can hold it for secondary operations on the sub spindle side of the machine.

“Manufacturers have really paid attention to the growing market and needs of the Swiss turn industry, so there really is a lot available [that meets] the needs of the Swiss-type turn shops,” he continues. “Considerations in tooling must also be made in relation to the geometry of the part and a possible non-standard program format to create certain part features. Some Swiss machines are limited on stick tool stations. There are many new tools out there that combine several things like face, turn, groove for the O.D. or drill, bore, and thread for the I.D. By using these combinations we can free up tool stations allowing us to machine more complex or tooling intensive parts with the limited stations.”

“Most Swiss machines just use flood coolant [and have] a little stick out there shooting the oil where you’re cutting. That may or may not be an accurate way of getting [coolant] there. [The reCool system] brings the coolant in through the nut, and now you can go through your cutting tool, something that’s always been hard to do with a Swiss machine,” says David McHenry, engineering and technical manager at Rego-Fix Tool.

“Coolant delivery can be the key to success and direct delivery via coolant nozzles built into the tools can have benefits of better chip control and cooling of the component and chips,” says Kevin Burton, product specialist at Sandvik Coromant in Mississauga, Ontario.

The new Walter Cut G1011-P grooving tool from Walter USA, which can be used in Swiss-type turning, is internally cooled. “The G1011-P is designed so the coolant stream is released very close to the cutting edge, guaranteeing the best possible effect of the coolant, no matter what the supply pressure is,” says Kurt Ludeking, product manager of turning at Walter USA. “Compared to an external coolant supply, this ensures coolant at the cutting edge throughout the cut, especially important in deep, narrow grooves and parting operations

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When the question is about the best kind of coatings on Swiss-type turn tooling, there’s further consensus.

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“In Swiss applications where the parts and work envelope are generally smaller, through coolant when and where available is always a better option than relying on flood coolant,” says Garfield.

“Typically PVD coatings or uncoated tools are used for Swiss-type turning operations,” says Ludeking. “These provide the sharpest cutting edges, thereby reducing forces on the small workpieces. Also, these tools have higher edge toughness that helps them withstand the high forces generated when cutting at low speeds often encountered in small diameter components. Because CVD coatings require somewhat larger edge-rounding (hones), they tend to generate higher cutting forces that are detrimental to small components. On the positive side, new CVD coating technology is enabling smaller hones, making them good choices for higher speed operations or very abrasive alloys,” he adds.

GenSwiss’ recently released its Ti-Loc SwissClamp System “for rotary tooling in Swiss machines … it can be used for milling and slitting operations that utilize ER collets for tool holding,” explains Laprade.

Rego-Fix Tool, meanwhile, recently expanded its retrofit reCool coolant through system. Previously matched with live tooling on CNC lathes, the system can be now be used with static toolholders on Swiss automatic machines.

“Maximizing the envelope is crucial given the tooling requirement to complete a part versus space provided,” adds Jim Garfield, regional sales manager, at Horn USA. “Swiss type multi-function tools can reduce the number of tools/holders required as well as reduce cycle times. Quick-change Swiss holders can reduce downtime when changeover is necessary due to tool wear or new part set up. Repeatability of center height when changing insert/tools is of utmost importance,” he adds.

Some putterfaces feature unique inserts. Others are precisely patterned or milled. Regardless, all the top options strive to optimize feel and roll. Learn all about eight of the best below.

Cleveland’s Speed Optimized Face Technology (SOFT) comes standard in all Huntington Beach SOFT putters. The unique milling pattern (optimized for all six putter models) ensures that roll distance on both center hits and those closer to the heel and toe is roughly the same. The deep CNC-milled grooves also help provide a soft feel at impact.

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Insert shape also plays a big role in Swiss-type turning “since we normally do not rough and finish turn parts. Parts that have undercuts, larger grooves, angles into smaller diameters, and other features like that, are studied to see if a different tool can provide the entire profile in one turn. If not then we have to look at segmenting the part into sections to process,” says Paoletta.

“There are many tools that were designed with the Swiss machine in mind, due to the limited tooling space and stations,” says Douglas Paoletta, president and owner, Encompass Swiss Consulting in Richmond Heights, Ohio. “Iscar’s Pentacut insert, which is a five-sided indexable tool, is one. One of the first ‘back turning’ tools, and still one of the best, is the Kyocera ABS/ABW series tool. Kennametal has one of the best ‘quick change series’ tools called the KM Micro,” adds Paoletta, whose company offers on-site training for shops and manufacturers interested in Swiss-type machining.

“Each of these devices can be ordered with special options that might pertain to the application being performed. Special ID tolerances, extended nose lengths, extended land surface, over gripping geometry, or special ID shapes are all things that can be modified on a guide bushing or pickoff collet,” says Scott Laprade, marketing manager, Genevieve Swiss Industries, Inc.

“The H.P increases the tool life and reduces the need for intervention by the operator for chips wrapping on a part.

The Spider X putter has been a big hit on Tour and in retail shops, thanks in large part to an extremely high-MOI design delivered in a more compact package. A reengineered 5mm Pure Roll insert fashioned from slightly thicker white Surlyn helps improve sound and feel, while 12 grooves set in the insert at a 45-degree angle help improve roll.

Bettinardi has produced some of the highest-quality milled putters in the game, and the latest Queen B series is no exception. The soft carbon steel construction and high-quality finish are complemented by Bettinardi’s trademark Micro Honeycomb milling pattern, which features less surface area contact at impact for improved feel.

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Exsys Tool places its expertise with tooling for Swiss-type machines front and center. The company highlights its Decoflex tooling system for interchangeable tools.

Horn, among other cutting tool companies, has new offerings for the Swiss-type turning sector. “Although Horn has traditionally been oriented towards small part Swiss type machining, we have introduced new tooling dedicated to Swiss-type turning grooving and milling applications. A recent introduction to our existing 274 line was the System 274 ‘µ’ finish for micro turning, grooving and back turning. In addition, our Graf line of Swiss tooling offer numerous options for holding with round shank holders and height adjustable quick change holders for most Swiss type machines, i.e. Star, Miyano and Citizen,” says Garfield.

The new Phantom X putters feature a multi-material design for extra-high MOI and forgiveness. A big piece of that puzzle is a milled, solid block of aluminum that comprises the face and extends through the flange area. Solid aluminum provides a responsive, soft feel, while the milling pattern helps roll it smooth on strikes across the entire face.

There’s a general consensus that when it comes to designing tooling for Swiss-type turning, coolant through is preferable to flood coolant. Coolant through tools utilize high pressure (H.P.) for delivery.