China, which controls nearly all of the global tungsten trade (roughly 80 percent), has been holding a tight rein on its supply recently to keep the price of this rare-earth metal trending upward. These rising tungsten prices have made tool recycling more attractive and, in some cases, changed purchasing patterns.

According to Walter USA Product Manager Pat Nehls, productivity, not price, should drive purchasing decisions. New coatings and high-performance tool designs are two examples of productivity-boosting technologies that can have a dramatic effect on performance.

At the Elland, West Yorkshire factory of Archway Engineering, which manufactures drilling equipment for site investigation, mineral exploration, water well construction and environmental monitoring, a Leadwell V-50L 3-axis VMC (vertical machining centre) performs some of the more arduous machining operations on the shopfloor.

Many years ago high-speed steel (HSS) and brazed-carbide cutting tools were very popular. Today fewer and fewer shops make use of them, with solid-carbide and indexable tooling being the norm. One of the reasons for their waning use is that when a tool is at the end of its life-span, it is taken out of the machine and reground.

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“That’s a lot of carbide … nearly the entire end mill is made of carbide. This is inefficient given the rising cost of carbide and the fact that only 3 or 4 percent of this tool is actually in cut,” said Mitchell. “The same evolution that happened with HSS and brazed tools is occurring rapidly now.”

Indexable tools, on the other hand, have greater diameter tolerances due to the tolerance of the basic body as well as the tolerance of the insert used. For this reason, indexable drills are normally considered roughing tools.

At the Elland, West Yorkshire factory of Archway Engineering, which manufactures drilling equipment for site investigation, mineral exploration, water well construction and environmental monitoring, a Leadwell V-50L 3-axis VMC (vertical machining centre) performs some of the more arduous machining operations on the shopfloor.

New technology has enabled some cutting tool manufacturers to produce indexable end mills, which essentially are small end mills threaded into a shank.

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“Reconditioned solid drills and mills must be reset after reconditioning due to the changed overall length and diameter,” said Nehls.

Some operations may require solid tools when the hole diameter is less than the size range of indexable tools.

And, in an effort to control production costs, many tooling manufacturers now offer carbide recycling programs to reduce their dependence on new carbide purchases.

Tooling specialist Arno has introduced a series of tool holders for back working on Swiss-type auto lathes.

Precision Micro, a global leader in photochemical etching technology, has announced its first major production order following the expansion of its etching capabilities to manufacture flow plates for renewable energy applications.

One of the commodities most affecting tooling suppliers, and the products they manufacture, is tungsten carbide. Over the past decade, tungsten carbide prices have risen sharply. In 2004 alone the price rose 500 percent. According to the Tungsten Investing News, however, the price is not only high when compared to a decade ago, it also has a tendency to fluctuate rapidly.

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On the other hand, Nehls said that indexable drills have a tighter diameter tolerance band because of their assembled nature. Cycle time may be increased, but the cost per hole is generally lower. Ultimately, the requirements of each project guide tool choice.

According to Mitchell, these shanks offer a dampening effect, which improves roughing performance by enabling a heavier cut to be made. When finishing or an extended reach is needed, it is best to use a carbide shank.

“Obviously, since the indexable carbide portion is only a fraction of the size of a solid-carbide tool, the cost to produce this indexable end mill can be much lower,” explained Mitchell. “The true benefits of this technology are not in the cost, but rather in its performance.”

The range includes fixed holders for Star and Citizen machines with a Y2 axis and height adjustable holders for machines without, with both systems offering adjustable through coolant supply direct to the point of cut.

“The tool length is also adjustable by means of a spacer plate – it is simply pushed over the shank of the basic holder. The top holder and coolant supply attachment can each be firmly connected by a simple clamping fixture and secured with just one screw. When the top holder is changed, the centre height setting is retained which ensures outstanding repeat accuracy and offers incredible time advantages," he adds.

“Solid-carbide end mills perform at their best when held in a shrink-fit holder, but removing a used solid-carbide tool from a shrink-fit adapter can be cumbersome and time-consuming,” said Mitchell. “An indexable end mill is simple to index; in fact, most indexes can be performed right on the machine in seconds.”

During production, indexable tools typically run at lower inches per minute (longer cycle time) than solid-carbide tools because they use a lower feed per revolution. However, the cost per feature will normally be lower because inserts have two or more usable cutting edge

“Solid drills have diameters ground to very tight tolerances,” explained Nehls. “When the drilled hole must be precise without additional finishing operations, the solid drill may be the best choice.”

The premise is the same: Use the tools, take them out of the machine, regrind them, reset the tool, and adjust the offsets. A reground solid-carbide tool will last 80 percent as long as a new tool. In most solid-carbide end mill applications, for example, the end mill takes a conservative depth of cut (0.100 in.), yet the tool may be 3, 4, or more inches long.

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Cost per feature is normally lower with indexable inserts because they have two or more usable cutting edges. Photo courtesy of Walter USA.

"Our new height adjustable holders for back working have a number of features that other conventional systems lack,” explains Werner Meditz, head of technology at Arno Werkzeuge. “The height-adjustable holders for machines without a Y2 axis can be finely pre-adjusted off-machine using an adjustment device. The system consists of a basic holder, spacer plate, top holder and coolant supply attachment. The basic holder is precision clamped and fixed by a dovetail guide which increases stability and prevents chip build-up.

At MACH, Thame Workholding was pleasantly surprised at the high level of both owner operator and larger national and international manufacturers looking to automate their production methods in the coming months.

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Because the end mill is screwed into a shank, the shank can be made of different materials to produce different results. For example, for a roughing operation, it is best to use a steel or other heavy metal shank.

The system with the height-adjustable basic holders is optimally designed. The optional coolant supply attachment with adjustable high-pressure jets delivers coolant directly to the tool cutting edge. All holders offer insert pockets with carbide shims to ensure a long-life insert seat.

“When the customer shows high performance increases, the cost of the carbide becomes less important,” said Nehls. “Ultimately, we are selling cost per feature. When a more expensive tool produces features at a lower cost, the customer is satisfied.”

While indexable inserts are certainly the tools of choice in many applications, shops aren’t necessarily choosing them over solid-carbide tools.

The centre height setting of the fixed holders with tools for machines with a Y2 axis is changed by the adjustable axis. These holders for Star and Citizen machines are designed in collaboration with the manufacturers to ensure optimum dimensional control and are therefore very compact. Combined with their fastening by two screws on the front and on the shaft diameter, these holders promise high stability. The through tool coolant supply can be connected from either side and the coolant jets are adjustable. The holders can also be fitted ‘overhead’ to optimise chip fall. All holders offer insert pockets with carbide shims to protect the insert seat.

First, the end mill needs to be removed, reground, and placed back into the collet holder. Then the tool must be set up using a height gauge or tool presetter, before being placed back in the machine. Following this, a trial cut is typically performed and offsets calculated and entered into the control, before the tool can run.

Arno has announced optimally designed tool holders for back working on Swiss-type auto lathesTooling specialist Arno has introduced a series of tool holders for back working on Swiss-type auto lathes.The range includes fixed holders for Star and Citizen machines with a Y2 axis and height adjustable holders for machines without, with both systems offering adjustable through coolant supply direct to the point of cut. "Our new height adjustable holders for back working have a number of features that other conventional systems lack,” explains Werner Meditz, head of technology at Arno Werkzeuge. “The height-adjustable holders for machines without a Y2 axis can be finely pre-adjusted off-machine using an adjustment device. The system consists of a basic holder, spacer plate, top holder and coolant supply attachment. The basic holder is precision clamped and fixed by a dovetail guide which increases stability and prevents chip build-up.“The tool length is also adjustable by means of a spacer plate – it is simply pushed over the shank of the basic holder. The top holder and coolant supply attachment can each be firmly connected by a simple clamping fixture and secured with just one screw. When the top holder is changed, the centre height setting is retained which ensures outstanding repeat accuracy and offers incredible time advantages," he adds.The system with the height-adjustable basic holders is optimally designed. The optional coolant supply attachment with adjustable high-pressure jets delivers coolant directly to the tool cutting edge. All holders offer insert pockets with carbide shims to ensure a long-life insert seat.The centre height setting of the fixed holders with tools for machines with a Y2 axis is changed by the adjustable axis. These holders for Star and Citizen machines are designed in collaboration with the manufacturers to ensure optimum dimensional control and are therefore very compact. Combined with their fastening by two screws on the front and on the shaft diameter, these holders promise high stability. The through tool coolant supply can be connected from either side and the coolant jets are adjustable. The holders can also be fitted ‘overhead’ to optimise chip fall. All holders offer insert pockets with carbide shims to protect the insert seat.The range includes fixed holders for Star and Citizen machines with a Y2 axis and height-adjustable holders for machines withoutFor Star machines, the manufacturer offers a short and a long version of the holders for turning with positive ISO indexable inserts. Holders are also available for both machine types for threading with ER16-ISO inserts, for grooving with Arno TE14 inserts and for boring bar holders with diameters of 6-16mm. In addition, the range includes D20 combination holders to install Arno clamping inserts to suit the patented Arno AMS mini boring system. They also allow drilling with collet holders ER16 or ER 20 which have through tool coolant supply.A wide range of coolant accessories – including coolant distributors, hoses, connectors, quick-release couplings, swivel fittings, jets, and coolant attachments – make it easier to use high-pressure coolant to the tools. This allows turning experts to take advantage of the full range of cooling benefits on Swiss-type auto lathes. Here, too, Arno Werkzeuge provides simple solutions and demonstrates its extensive experience by analysing the individual requirements of users – especially when skilled labour is becoming increasingly difficult to find for production.Arnowww.arno.de/en/

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“Today when an insert becomes dull, we simply index the insert and can expect relatively good repeatability and consistency,” explained John Mitchell, general manager of Tungaloy America. “Insert pressing and coating technologies advanced to where there are now major improvements in performance and chip formation. Few machine shops would want to go back to the days of HSS and brazed cutting tools. However, many shops continue to use solid-carbide tools.”

After indexing the tool, an offset is not always required because the repeatability of these tools is very accurate. Setups are easier with this type of tool as well, because the location of the tool is predictable.

For Star machines, the manufacturer offers a short and a long version of the holders for turning with positive ISO indexable inserts. Holders are also available for both machine types for threading with ER16-ISO inserts, for grooving with Arno TE14 inserts and for boring bar holders with diameters of 6-16mm. In addition, the range includes D20 combination holders to install Arno clamping inserts to suit the patented Arno AMS mini boring system. They also allow drilling with collet holders ER16 or ER 20 which have through tool coolant supply.

Reground tools have a shorter life, and predictability becomes much more difficult. A tooling “float” also must be created to ensure that tools are on hand when needed.

“Over the last 20 years, we have seen a significant increase in recycling all scrap materials, including carbide,” said Nehls. “Customers are savvier with respect to their total production environment, and there is a lot of money in used carbide.”

Rising commodity prices affect every facet of our lives; you only have to look at the price of incoming raw materials and fuel to see this is the case.

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“Each tool type has its own features and benefits,” said Nehls. “For example, solid drills will typically produce holes to tighter tolerances, perhaps eliminating the need for secondary operations. This makes the solid tool the more economical choice anyway.”

A wide range of coolant accessories – including coolant distributors, hoses, connectors, quick-release couplings, swivel fittings, jets, and coolant attachments – make it easier to use high-pressure coolant to the tools. This allows turning experts to take advantage of the full range of cooling benefits on Swiss-type auto lathes. Here, too, Arno Werkzeuge provides simple solutions and demonstrates its extensive experience by analysing the individual requirements of users – especially when skilled labour is becoming increasingly difficult to find for production.

New technology has enabled some cutting tool manufacturers to produce indexable end mills, which essentially are small end mills threaded into a shank. Photo courtesy of Tungaloy America.

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According to Pat Nehls, product manager for Walter USA, solid tools produce more precise features, which makes them the preferred tool when finishes matter.

The days of throwing worn tools away are over. Because only a small amount of the carbide is actually worn away during machining, inserts and solid tools should be kept as scrap and recycled.

Experts in its field, Thame Workholding has been providing clients with workholding, chuck jaw design and manufacture for over 75 years.

Initial setup time is increased with indexable tools because the inserts must be loaded into the tool body. Subsequent tool changes can be more economical in terms of time, though, because resetting the tool length is not necessary when indexing the inserts.