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Reducing CO2 greenhouse gas emissions has become the goal of the world, and now many places are discussing to levy CO2 emission tungsten carbide inserts tax. Due to the emergence of new fields, and people have to adapt to the existing fields, the above requirements also have a considerable impact on the research and development of machining tools. This is because more than ever, there is a need to replace drives, update lighter materials, and save energy and resources. R & D personnel see great potential for design modifications to tools, new coatings, new machining strategies, and digital solutions that respond in real time to a variety of conditions within the existing framework.

The current trend is to use these materials in new light aluminum lithium alloys, which will soon overwhelm traditional cutting tools and occupy an absolute advantage. Therefore, the demand for special high-performance tools for such applications will continue to increase. For example, aircraft tube process inserts parts made of aluminum alloy are usually processed up to 90%. According to the required part geometry, many grooves and cavities need to be milled out of the metal to ensure stability and reduce weight. In order to produce high quality parts economically and efficiently, high speed cutting (HSC) is needed to process the parts, and the cutting speed can reach up to 3 ? 000 ? M / min. Too low cutting parameters will lead to chip accretion, which will lead to rapid wear and frequent tool change. Because of the long running time of the machine tool, the cost is high. Therefore, machine tool operators specializing in aluminum processing have good reasons to require their cutting tools to obtain cutting data and tool life above the average level, as well as extremely high machining reliability.

We have shown how to deal with these complex requirements. The 90 ° milling cutter is equipped with a new type of indexable blade. It uses a new PVD coating, manufactured using the “hipims method.”. Hipims stands for “high power pulsed magnetron sputtering”, a technology based on magnetron cathode sputtering. The unique feature of this physical coating process is to form a very dense and smooth PVD coating, which can reduce the friction and the tendency of chip accretion. At the same time, this method improves the stability of the cutting edge, and increases the resistance of the back face wear, thus achieving the maximum metal removal rate. Field tests have shown that hipims indexable blades have advantages over standard types. Tool life increased by 200%. The demand for high-performance cutting tools for processing aluminum alloy is growing, especially in the aviation industry and automobile industry.

Dynamic milling: a milling strategy focusing on efficiency

Many industries (especially the supply industry) are facing the pressure of improving the processing stability, accelerating the processing speed, reducing the processing cost and ensuring the processing quality. At the same time, the requirements of machining reliability and cost efficiency are also strict for surface quality and dimensional stability. In addition, the demand for lightweight or heat-resistant materials is also growing. However, due to these properties, these materials from the ISO m and ISO s material groups are often difficult to accurately process. Dynamic milling provides solutions for this field, while ensuring production efficiency and machining reliability, which is why more and more metal processing companies rely on this method.

The difference between high performance cutting (HPC) and high dynamic cutting (HDC) is the movement and force of milling cutter. In the high performance cutting process, when the milling tool moves, the cutting depth is relatively small; in the high dynamic cutting process, the CAD / cam control system controls along the path of the tool during the processing of the workpiece shape (Figure 1). This prevents or at least reduces non cutting time. Moreover, the cutting depth of high dynamic cutting is much larger than that of traditional high-performance cutting, that is, the stroke distance is reduced, because the whole tool length can be used.

Figure 1 dynamic milling strategy requires appropriate workpiece, milling tool, machine tool and CAD / CAM system

In the process of high performance cutting, the envelope angle is often very large. Therefore, the force in the process is also very large. This will speed up the tool and machine spindle wear. On the other hand, dynamic milling is characterized by high machining stability and long tool life. Generally speaking, the envelope angle of high dynamic cutting is very small, that is to say, the force of the tool and machine tool is much smaller than that of high performance cutting. Compared with high performance cutting, high dynamic cutting has higher cutting parameters, smaller non cutting time and greater machining stability, so its metal removal rate is very high.

Adaptive feed control: using real-time parameters to optimize cutting parameters

For a long time, automation, digitization and networking technology have been widely used in many metal processing fields, and are very popular. In particular, the hardware and software used to collect and analyze real-time data have made a huge leap in performance. Software tools demonstrate how these tools provide numerous opportunities for optimizing processes (Figure 2). Adaptive feed control analyzes the input data of machine tool in real time and adjusts the machining accordingly. This answers a key question for many users. That is, how to give full play to the benefits of the machine tool without major changes to the process or complex reprogramming? The software can greatly shorten the processing time of a single piece. The software has been integrated with the existing control program, and the data in the program has been applied to the machining process.

Figure 2 dynamically adjust the feed according to the cutting conditions. In this way, the production time of a single piece can be shortened and the processing reliability can be improved

During the first tool cutting, the computer “learns” the idle output of the spindle and the maximum cutting efficiency of each tool. It then measures the spindle output up to 500 times per second and automatically adjusts the feed in each case. That is to say, the machine tool always runs with the maximum feed amount of each tool. If the cutting conditions change (cutting depth, machining allowance, wear, etc.), the computer will adjust the speed and output in real time. This not only has a positive impact on the machining time of the workpiece, but also improves the machining reliability with the optimized milling characteristics. The force acting on the spindle is more constant, and the service life of the cutter is prolonged.

If there is a risk of cutter breakage, the computer will immediately reduce the amount of feed or stop the operation completely. Using our high-end computer processing customers, its processing efficiency has achieved amazing improvement. If the process is compatible, the processing time can be reduced by 10%. We have managed to cut the processing time by another half. When the number is large, it will free up a lot of machining capacity. ” In addition, this method is effective no matter whether Walter tool is used or not. It only needs to meet the system requirements of the machine tool.

In large, complex manufacturing operations, even small errors can result in scrapping thousands of parts before anyone notices a problem. At Advanced Green Components (AGC), insufficient management of cutting tools and indirect materials made such errors all the more likely. The CribMaster inventory management system from WinWare (Marietta, Georgia) helped the company reduce scrap, downtime, and most importantly, costs.

AGC produces forgings and machined rings that are used in the manufacture of bearings. Founded in 2002 as a joint venture between Sanyo Special Steel, Showa Seiko and the Timken Company, the company operates out of a 117,000-square-foot facility in Winchester, Kentucky. The shop floor is home to a number of hot and cold forming presses and blanking lines as well as 28 production lines, each containing four to five CNC machine tools.

Part numbers at AGC are numerous, and the CNC production lines are continually changed over to increase production as needed on any given job. Moreover, many machines in these lines use multiple tools for every operation, each performing a unique function to complete a given part. Whether planned or unplanned, retooling a production line to accommodate a new part is a detailed and often lengthy process that interrupts workflow, says Keith Kegley, AGC’s senior production analyst.

As if retooling weren’t complex enough, line operators faced a host of challenges with every change-over before the company implemented the CribMaster system. Retrieving needed materials necessitated a lengthy walk to the tool crib, extending the downtime required for each change-over. Once there, things didn’t get any easier, Mr. Kegley says. Inside, the operator had to sort through metal cabinets with drawers—only some of which were labeled—containing an assortment of insert boxes, spare parts and other maintenance, repair and operating inventory. Standard procedure was akin to a grab-bag, as the operator would simply take two or three boxes and hope one was the correct size. And although AGC had security procedures in place for the tool crib, it wasn’t uncommon to find the gate unlocked or not properly secured.

Compounding these difficulties was the fact that to the human eye, many of the different inserts used at AGC look virtually identical. While the precisely engineered inserts will machine flawless parts if used correctly, using the wrong size could result in scrapping thousands of parts and wasting a considerable amount of raw material and machining time.

To save money, the company employs a reconditioning or regrinding process to prolong the use of special cutting tools used to manufacturer its bearings. However, the haphazard organization of the tool crib undercut this cost-saving measure, Mr. Kegley says. Given the choice of a shiny new tool or a reground one, most machine operators would naturally choose the new tool and leave the remaining regrinds in the back of the drawer.

Seeking a solution to these challenges, AGC consulted with Cutting Tools Inc., a Louisville, Kentucky-based industrial product distributor and provider of value-added in- formational services. Brian Davis, territory manager, recommended a customized solution using CribMaster, an inventory management solution for tools and indirect materials.

Mr. Davis’ first step was to bring the tools closer to the machining lines. All the tools and insert boxes previously stored in the cabinet drawers are now securely housed in point-of-use devices driven by CribMaster software. Among the dispensing units used at AGC are the CribMaster ToolBox, a helix-style vending machine, and the CribMaster ToolCube, a modular system with drawers and adjustable storage spaces for individual items. To operate one of these units, employees simply scan an identification badge and select the desired item on a touchscreen. They can then access only the approved quantity of the exact item requested.

Mr. Kegley says the new system provides the flexibility needed to streamline the company’s line change-over procedures and eliminate guesswork with minimal operator training on the software. After entering the line number, the operator uses a simple "drill-down" procedure to obtain the right insert. This involves selecting the part number, the operation and the slide in the machine for a given line. "When the product is issued, it is absolutely, without a doubt, the correct insert to machine that part," Mr. Kegley says.

Mr. Davis also helped the company implement a customized, value-added solution for managing reground cutting tools. AGC uses the regrinding process a maximum of three times on each tool. Tools returned Lathe Inserts after regrinding are identified in the system as different versions of the same cutter, a procedure otherwise known as "item morphing." This ensures that regrinds are cycled into use before brand new tools to provide additional cost savings.

With CribMaster’s ability to generate custom reports of tool costs and usage by line, the company can identify potential maintenance issues that otherwise might not be detected by line operators, Mr. Kegley says. For example, if one line shows higher tool costs than another, that could be an early warning of a malfunctioning machine that needs repair.

AGC’s experience demonstrates the importance of maintaining an orderly, efficient flow of needed items. By using the CribMaster systems to get a handle on its management of cutting tools and other indirect TCGT Insert materials, the shop can produce quality bearing parts with greater efficiency and lower cost.