VIEWPOINT | TECHNOLOGY
“Tools with high performance are the need-of-the-hour” What are the latest developments in the tooling industry to meet the challenging requirements in machining difficult-to-machine materials? The tooling industry is evolving and with the type of materials that our customers are machining, we are constantly developing new grades and geometries to meet the demanding cutting conditions. Thus, tools that provide high performance in machining challenging materials like titanium and other super alloys are the need-of-the-hour. Having access to technology that helps remove high volume of materials in the shortest possible time is also important, for which the high-feed cutter is also available. While machining difficult-to-machine materials, components are usually carved out of the material, so there’s a lot of material waste. The cutting tool, and not the material, absorbs the intense heat during machining, which often causes premature tool failure. As it usually runs at low RPMs, it’s also a slow material to machine. As titanium can be expensive to machine and since it is also highly flammable, it poses potential safety risks. Thus, manufacturers need tools that are fast, stay cool, increase output, and complete the job without failure. Kennametal Beyond BLAST™ for milling and turning is a tool that meets this challenge.
B C Rao, Managing Director, Kennametal
What role does tooling play in the context of machining composite materials that requires different mechanism of material removal? Carbon-fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) is a popular composite material that has the right mix of weight-to-strength ratio, durability, and extreme corrosion resistance. This makes it well suited to aircraft hulls and wings. But while composite layers are strong, they can also wear down a tool’s geometry in minutes and splinter at the edge when machined. Such splintering causes weakness and is unwanted especially on an aircraft hull or wing. Thus, it is important to find the tools with the right geometry, clearance, and coating to withstand composite wear and eliminate splintering. What are the trends in dry machining? What would be your recommendations to get the most out of the tooling operation, while dry machining? Dry machining is highly challenging for high temperature materials. However, tools in ceramics are available that are best suited to dry machining. One such product is Kennametal’s SiAlON, which is the toughest ceramic on the aerospace market. Depth-of-cut notching is no longer a limitation for SiAlON ceramics. When notching is severe, primarily with roughing cuts, tougher ceramic grades are applied. SiAlON ceramics has a high thermal-shock resistance than traditional ceramic. KYS ceramic inserts are for high-speed applications in high-temp alloys. The multilayer coating offers enhanced chemical wear resistance versus uncoated grades.
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EM | Nov 2016