3000 radio-metal components parted off per insert

Specialist turned parts manufacturer is successfully parting-off batches of 3000 radio-metal components with a single TiN-coated cobalt high speed steel insert.

Specialist turned parts manufacturer Branberg Machine Tools is successfully parting-off batches of 3000 radio-metal components with a single insert since using Advanced Carbide Tooling's Microcut tooling.

The company - 25 years old this year - produces a wide variety of turned components from 1mm to 60mm finished diameters for customers in the aerospace, gas, oil and computer industries.

Stainless steel and radio-metal are among the more difficult-to-machine materials used.

Parting-off tooling used to be produced in-house from high-speed steel, but this became inefficient as the company got busier.

Having invested in a Star SA16R CNC sliding-head lathe to automate production, managing director Robin Brann decided to use specialised Microcut tooling for parting-off on the new machine.

The tool supplied is an RHSS-1010 which has a 10mm square shank, 140mm long.

Inserts are TiN-coated ASP.

2060 cobalt high speed steel designed to perform successfully on difficult materials at the low surface speeds associated with small-diameter parting-off.

The inserts are held in a dove-tail recess in the toolholder against a fixed back-stop, ensuring secure and precise positioning.

One of the most demanding jobs is parting-off 2mm diameter radio-metal pins.

Despite the abrasive nature of the material, consisting of 45 per cent nickel and 55 per cent iron, a complete batch of 3000 is usually parted-off with a single insert to the required tolerances of 0.02mm on the diameter and 0.05mm on the 5mm length.

The high-quality finish required by the customer is also achieved on both ends of the pins, according to Brann.

Total cycle time for producing the component is 22 seconds.

Parting-off takes approximately five seconds at 5000rpm with a feed rate of 0.05 metres/minute.

All Microcut inserts have a high-shear positive top rake to minimise cutting pressures, and there is a choice of neutral or 150 approach angles.

In order to reduce the possibility of deflection with the radio-metal, Branberg is using a neutral approach angle.

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