Product category:
Milling cutters
News Release from: ITC Tooling | Subject: MNB Mould Services story
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 20 November 2007
Latest tooling fends off moulds
competition
Making use of the latest tooling developments - as well as machine tools - have helped a UK mould and die maker to compete with overseas tool makers.
MNB Mould Services said it has continually kept its mould making technology and innovation up to date to fend off the competition of cheaper Asian economies As well as introducing highly productive machine tools, MNB has built up success by having a long-standing association with a tooling supplier
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 6 Feb 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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Micro-grained ball nose cutter mills hard steels
Manufactured from ultra wear resistant micro grain carbide, a two flute ball nosed, straight shank cutter is designed to machine steels hardened to 65 Rockwell C.
ITC approached MNB, located in Perry Barr, near Birmingham, UK, in 1993 when the company only operated two manual milling machines.
As MNB director Frank Ryan recalled: "An ITC representative was offering us carbide tooling and we were reluctant because of the cost implications".
"However, we had one machine milling cavities on a multi cavity tool that consisted of numerous small cavity blocks and this persuaded us to try ITC's carbide tooling.
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.
With so many cavities at approximately 40mm square and 40mm deep, we gave the carbide a go - and we haven't looked back since".
Ryan continued: "The Asian economies have forced prices for mould tools through the floor and we have invested considerably to stem the flow of work to Asia.
Continually working alongside our machine tool investments has been the latest tooling developments from ITC.
Following the introduction of carbide cutters in the early 1990s we have progressed to ITC's coated carbide and more recently diamond coated tools for our graphite machining".
MNB acquires 80% of its solid carbide tooling from ITC.
This balance is credit to the exceptional tool life and speeds that the ITC carbide range is capable of running at, said ITC to manufacturingtalk.com.
MNB machines a wide variety of materials including aluminium, graphite and tool steel up to a hardness level of Hrc56.
Machining difficult-to-cut materials produces some very detailed tooling that requires some specialised tooling.
The materials are used in mould tools for the electrical, automotive, cosmetics and food industries for a wide selection of prestigious customers including Land Rover, Ford and BMW.
"We are geared up for making tools for anything and everything as well as modifying and repairing tools for customers.
So as well as a wide range of ITC's standard cutters, we occasionally require specials and these are turned around very rapidly," said Ryan.
"The specials we tend to use have specific size radii and these are turned around within two days, which is a great service that we have a high level of confidence in.
This confidence is extenuated by the fact that ITC are one of the very few companies that manufacture tooling in the UK.
This is vitally important to us as our customers often require mould tools turned around within a matter of days".
Machining a wide variety of materials in small quantities, the 23 employee subcontractor has a vast selection of ITC cutters.
Among the tooling used are the following.
* Hanita VariMill square end carbide and diamond coated cutters for roughing and finishing operations on graphite.
* Metal Removal coated carbide cutters are used for the general roughing and finishing operations on tool steel.
* Diamond coated Hanita tools are used in diameters from 0.5 to 6mm for machining intricate patterns in graphite electrodes.
Metal Removal tools are specified in diameters up to 12mm for general machining of mould tool components.
For the special cutters required on a rapid turnaround, MNB employs the ITC ball nosed coated carbide cutters that are delivered to time scales that suit MNB.
Ryan concluded: "We use a great deal of ITC tooling and it hasn't let us down yet.
We get exceptional productivity and tool life as well as surface finish.
All these attributes are very important to us and this is why we are so happy with our choice of tooling supplier.".
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