Product category:
Milling cutters
News Release from: Walter GB | Subject: Tiger.tec inserts and Xtra.tec milling cutters
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 25 August 2006
Milling tough Ni and Cr alloy steel
moulds
A 66mm diameter button cutter and a 25mm diameter ball nose cutter for finishing routines are successfully machining 25% Cr and 20% Ni heat-resistant tool steel moulds (male and female).
The combination of Walter's Tiger.tec inserts and Xtra.tec milling cutters is enabling Larkshill Engineering to meet extremely demanding machining requirements on a batch of hotworking press tools for aerospace engine components In fact, without the new tooling, the Birmingham-based specialist machinist would: "Definitely struggle to even machine the highly abrasive workpieces in a cost-effective manner, let alone meet the customer's exacting surface finish and delivery demands," said managing director Frank Murphy
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 20 Jun 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Walter's Xtra.tec/Tiger.tec duo - a 66mm diameter button cutter and a 25mm diameter ball nose cutter for finishing routines - is successfully producing the heat-resistant tool steel moulds (male and female) that include 25% chrome and 20% nickel constituents, making them very difficult to machine with conventional tooling.
The press tools are heated to around 900/1,000 deg C and, in a hot creep process (similar to super plastic forming) are used to form titanium alloy components.
The tools range in size from 1m to 1.5m long by 0.8m to 1.2m wide and have a total top-to-bottom height of 0.5m.
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Other tooling from different suppliers has been applied to the material, but none compare with the Walter products in terms of machining speeds and feeds and, crucially, tool life - which is at least three times more than previously achieved with alternative tooling.
Larkshill's 20-year reputation for high-class machining, special-purpose machine manufacture as well as jigs and fixtures has been borne from its roots in the armaments, automotive and aerospace industries.
Today, the ISO 9001-accredited company today focuses much of its shopfloor capacity on meeting a rising order book from its 'blue chip' aerospace customer base.
The workload is such that Murphy's policy of investment to achieve continual improvements has in recent times seen almost GBP 1 million spent on new machine tools, resulting in an impressive array of CNC lathes, milling machines, VTLs and machining centres, for example, adorning the 18,000ft2 site in the heart of the city.
"But buying the best machine tools available is just one part of the equation," commented Larkshill's CNC manager Neil Harrison.
"We know how to make the most of CNC machines in terms of speeds and feeds, and multi-loading, for example, but our all-round project management expertise - beginning with a sophisticated CAD/CAM department - also plays a key role." This, he said, even includes materials sourcing, as was the case with the aerospace mould tools.
"Equally, we are also dependent on tooling specialists like Walter GB to provide best-in-class tooling as part of our strategy of always considering every aspect of production for maximum effectiveness." He continued: "We have used Walter tooling for certain jobs across the machines for many years.
We always choose the best tools for the job, and Walter products are critical to our ability to remain both cost-efficient and responsive." Another example of this, he says, is the fact that Walter's Tiger.tec is currently being trialled in a turning application of exotic materials.
He continued: "The order for the heat-resistant chrome/nickel tool steel moulds presented particular problems in terms of the abrasive nature of the workpieces.
When it is recognised that each billet is worth five-figures even before machining starts, we simply can't afford to make any mistakes, particularly during the finishing blending passes prior to hand polishing to achieve the standard 0.1 micron Ra finish." Walter recommended its latest PVD Al Ox Tiger.tec inserts (WSM 35) in combination with the F2334 66mm diameter button cutter for initial machining, plus the F2139 25mm diameter ball nose cutter with P3204-D25 WXM 35 Tiger.tec inserts for finishing.
Tiger.tec inserts combine a mixture of aluminium oxide and titanium nitride coatings on a tungsten carbide substrate to offer unrivalled cutting performance - the inserts regularly achieve up to 75% more components per edge than competitor products, and in some cases double output, due to their improved process reliability courtesy of a high resistance to flank wear, cratering and thermal cracking.
The inserts' black, aluminium oxide coating is particularly effective against tribochemical wear and permits higher cutting speeds and feeds to be employed while also providing longer service life.
The golden coating applied to the clearance surfaces simplifies wear detection and thus avoids the unnecessary waste of unused cutting edges.
Both tools are applied at 95m/min - "Alternative products could not get anywhere near this," added Harrison - and at 0.3 rev/tooth and 0.2 rev/min tooth for roughing and finishing, respectively.
The result is that the hard-to-machine material presents no problems at all and tool life: "Is at least three times that possible with alternative tooling".
Indeed, visible insert wear is negligible in the regular 27h non-stop machining routines.
With its continual improvement philosophy, Larkshill Engineering is clearly soaring ahead in supplying machined parts to what is undeniably a demanding industry sector.
And because it is Frank Murphy's unwavering policy, the 28-employee company is successfully competing on a global basis in terms of cost, lead times and delivery - and that includes winning business back from Eastern Bloc competitors that were falling down on quality of both castings and machining - and is on course to a record GBP 2.8 million turnover.
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