Tool coating - when fine is not fine enough

NOVEMBER 2021

SUCCESS STORY Tool coating—when fine is not fine enough

With its brush polishing systems, René Gerber AG is a partner in the tool industry for preparing the cutting edge and surface before coating and for polishing the hard material layer after coating. An optimally rounded cutting edge that has been coated and polished in the best possible way gives an impeccable result and extends the service life of the active elements immensely. Live sustainability with the Gerber process, too.

The RENÉ GERBER AG is technology leader in brush deburring, edge honing and polishing with 65 years of experience.

The development and construction of brush polishing machines and face polishing machines as well as the corresponding tools such as brushes and pastes for deburring, defined honing and polishing is based on many years of process technology competence and is adapted to the workpiece requirements in cooperation with you.

We accompany our customers from the first workpiece test and system planning to the commissioning and training of the machines.

René Gerber AG Werkstrasse 35 CH-3250 Lyss Telephone +41 32 387 88 00 info@gerber-maschinen.ch www.gerber-maschinen.ch

The topic of sustainability is present in our everyday life as never before.

There is hardly any product on the market today that does not take the concept of sustainability into account. Climate protection, resource conservation, energy efficiency, emissions, pollution control, and recycling fill entire reports. A central reason for this development is the change in image, because the topic of sustainability has long since ceased to have anything to do with having to forego something. Quite the opposite: Sustainability is value retention and economic efficiency.

When we at René Gerber AG take a look at our actions, we are pleased to see that our innovative approach to solutions for extending the service life of tools contribute to sustainability.

Round edge—long life Gerber's cutting edge preparation process is a proven method for machining the micro-geometry of cutting edges. The brushing and polishing technology presented by René Gerber AG enables cost-effective microgeometries to be produced with defined radii of 0.005 to 0.100 mm. At the same time, a reduction in the roughness and chipping of the cutting edge is achieved by the polishing process.

By preparing the cutting edge, very large improvements in tool service life and thus high productivity can be achieved, which can ultimately be registered in our customers’ budgets through the lower consumption of cutting tools. Tools last 20 to 200% longer, leading to significantly improved economic efficiency and pushing edge preparation with the Gerber process into the right light.

Edge preparation with radii from a few micrometres up to 100 micrometres is now widely used for indexable inserts and is employed by many tool manufacturers. The crucial difference, however, comes from the shape of the edge rounding (Kfactor) and the reproducible uniformity. The best results are achieved with a K-factor 1.0 to 1.5.

The brush polishing machines from Gerber are perfectly equipped to realise the ideal cutting edge on tools in a reproduceable and simple way.

Tool coating leads to longer service life The general rule for cutting tools is: no coating, no service life. Tool coating is thus state of the art today for cutting and punching tools and is Page 1 of 2 pages

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constantly being further developed, especially with regard to their wear resistance. This includes the composition, the layer adhesion, the hardness, the layer structure and the temperature resistance.

The edge preparation prior to coating and the surface quality of the tool edges are crucial for the coating adhesion and thus the performance of a coating. Because a very good coating is of no use at all if the cutting edge is not prepared or finished accordingly beforehand. This means that brushing the surface is a fundamental prerequisite in the machining process for cutting edges.

will last. The service life is always roughly in the same time frame, which gives them planning security on the one hand and makes their processes more robust on the other.

At the end of the day, these are precisely the points that make production processes in a production facility more efficient. This allows them to consistently maintain the OEE of their installations and produce more parts, making them a reliable supplier to their customers.

Polishing of the hard material layer after coating

By obtaining a very precise and very good cutting edge and the excellent transition between the lateral and the front surfaces, the work is made as easy as possible for the coater. This is the only way to ensure the coating adheres evenly over the cutting edge and that there are no weak points, which ultimately leads to a good service life of the tools.

During the coating process, the hard material layer obtains a very hard but slightly rough surface. In addition, “droplets”, i.e. small material deposits, form on the coated surface. This surface finish after coating has the disadvantage that it hinders chip removal, and a built-up edge becomes possible. This is why “post coat polishing” - polishing of the hard material layer after coating - is being used increasingly. The results are astonishing!

Our customers can plan much better if they know how long their elements

The removal of the “droplets” and the much-reduced surface rough-

ness brings the desired effect: optimal chip removal, much reduced built-up edge, increased tool service life and improved surface quality of the workpiece.

It’s obvious: a perfectly rounded cutting edge - optimally coated and optimally polished - gives the best possible result.

With its brush polishing systems, René Gerber AG is a partner in the tool industry for preparing the cutting edge and surface before coating and for polishing the hard material layer after coating. Live sustainability in your company with the Gerber process, too.

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