Product category:
Milling cutters
News Release from: ITC Tooling | Subject: Varimill range of cutters
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 23 August 2005
Tool lives improved 50% for machining
'exotics'
Machining 'exotic' alloys, tool breakages and tool 'chattering' often go together, but a UK subcontractor has found tooling that gives tool life and cycle time improvements of over 50%.
For a company that was 'Born in a Barn', Radstock, UK-based C.S Simmons Engineering has come a long way since its birth 30 year old C.S Simmons has moved premises, implemented ISO9002 and is now one of Devon's specialist subcontractors with regards to machining exotic alloys
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 6 Feb 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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Predominantly producing valves, actuators, rings and shafts for the shipping, oil and gas and defence sectors, the six employee company has found success from introducing a continuous improvement programme, CNC technology and high specification tooling to meet the requirements of its machine tools and the materials it processes.
"We machine Hastalloy, Waspalloy, Inconel, titanium and numerous stainless steels and this has seen us deal with a multitude of cutting tool suppliers whose products could not meet our needs - that was until we met ITC four years ago," comments production supervisor, Mark Simmons.
The introduction of an ITC technical representative immediately had C.S Simmons reaping rewards.
Further reading
Carbide cutters machine aluminium at high speeds
Specifically designed for machining aluminium, solid carbide straight shank cutters have the versatility to machine a host of materials ranging from plastic to brass and copper.
Coated carbide roughers last longer on hard steels
Carbide roughing cutters, coated with AlTiN to reduce friction and improve lubrication, provide increased tool life while machining hardened steels at speeds ranging up to 200m/min.
Mill aluminium, brass, at high speeds and feeds
Two flute solid carbide cutter has a 50 degree right hand helix, specifically designed for machining aluminium at extremely high speeds and feeds as well as plastics and brass.
A problem at C.S Simmons was continual tool breakages caused by poor quality tooling.
ITC soon changed that as Simmons notes: "We were introduced to the Hanita Varimill range of cutters from ITC and tool life increased dramatically".
"Its capability can be seen on a stainless steel impeller we produce".
"The impeller requires six 12mm wide slots 50mm long for air channels".
"The impeller has a nose that protrudes 90mm from the contact area".
"For this, we needed cutters with a minimum length of 100mm that would cut without breaking - a tough task considering the vibration and deflection issues." The rigidity of the Hanita four flute square end Varimill increased tool life by 50% whilst improving surface finish.
Upon ITC recommendation, C.S Simmons increased speeds, feeds and depth of cut.
Cutter speed was doubled to 1200 rev/min and the 5mm deep slot was machined in one pass as opposed to previously roughing and finishing with two tools.
This reduced production time and improved accuracy resulting in a reduced reworking/scrap rate".
" "We machine up to 50 impellers a month so tool life and cycle time improvements of over 50% is a considerable saving to the company".
"We now have the confidence to run a machine in the knowledge that the cutter will not break and cause re-working," says Simmons.
C S Simmons also machines shafts on its Daewoo Puma 400 turning centre from Super Duplex and Hastalloy (C276) for the oil and defence industries.
Following turning operations the shafts require a number of slots and keyways.
For this process, C.S Simmons uses the Hanita Vision series of cutters, Varimill and the Hanita D503".
" "For machining keyways we specified square end cutters and inherently high performance tooling has a radius to avoid potential breakages".
"However, the Vision range of multi flute, square end double core cutters from ITC are a high performance range that meets our needs".
"We also use the Hanita D503 series for finishing operations on diameters down to 3mm".
"The three flute square end high helix carbide tool has been exceptional for milling keyways in Super Duplex and Hastalloy".
"I now set a machine and the ITC cutters will machine at least 20 keyways before I change the cutter".
"Previous cutters would not machine five keyways without breaking".
"This increased tool life has not only improved our product quality, it has given us confidence in the cutters," says Simmons.
Looking to the future Simmons concludes: "We are always looking to improve as a business by taking a process or a tool out of the production stage to reduce processing times".
"ITC Tooling has helped us to an immeasurable effect with this and it will undoubtedly continue to reap benefits for our company in the future.".
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