Since the day some ingenious machine tool engineer first mounted a metal tube on an engine lathe, machinists have been looking for a better way to cut off parts. From hand-ground bits to high speed steel blades to indexable carbide inserts, cut-off tool technology has continued to improve over the years, increasing metal-cutting efficiency and lowering operational expenses along the way. One large step in that evolution came with the development over recent years of multi-purpose cut-off tools able to switch hit as grooving, turning, and profiling tools, giving manufacturing companies the ability to simplify setups and shorten production cycles, and in some cases keep fewer tools in the crib.

Searching for simplicity
One such company is EMC Precision, a family owned and operated precision machining job shop headquartered in Elyria, Ohio. Since 1925, EMC has provided prototype to production machining and value-added services to a range of industries including fluid management, hydraulic fluid & power, automotive, recreational, and other OEMs. Ian Dotson, manufacturing engineer at EMC’s Sheridan, Indiana facility says he was happy with the tool life and performance of his existing cut-off solution, and was only looking for a reduction in his tooling costs when he called his local Kennametal distributor, CCA Inc.

The salesperson there introduced him to Kennametal’s Beyond Evolution, a single-sided grooving and cut-off system with multidirectional turning capability, through the tool coolant, proprietary chip control, and “Triple V” secure seating geometry. Dotson admits he wasn’t too concerned about the bells and whistles, as long as the tool performed as well as what he was already using, and saved the company some money. He was pleased with the results.

“We were using a 0.118 in. wide (3 mm) PVD-coated insert to cut off 0.75 in. diameter (19 mm) 4140 steel hydraulic actuators,” he says. “We swapped out the old tool for a Kennametal Beyond Evolution cut-off and kept the feeds and speeds the same. After several runs, we determined tool life was essentially identical, so from a performance perspective there was no difference, at least not on this job. But the Beyond Evolution inserts are dramatically less expensive, roughly 40 percent of what we were paying for our legacy tools. It was a clear win for us.”

Triple time
The next win came on a job Dotson was running on one of EMC’s Daewoo Lynx 220 CNC lathes, a transmission gear shaft made of 1-1/4 in. (32 mm) 8620 steel, and using a 0.236 in. wide tool (6 mm) to back turn a journal on the left side of the part prior to cut-off. In this application, insert cost was still a concern, but Dotson’s primary goal was tool life improvement.

“The Daewoo isn’t equipped with high pressure cutting fluid, and the standard pump was unable to generate enough pressure for us to utilize coolant through the tool on our old cut-off system,” he explains. “Because of this, we’ve been stuck with flood coolant, and have always had some chip control issues as a result—the chip would roll back on itself and starve the cutting edge of coolant.”

Despite the less than perfect cutting conditions, the Beyond Evolution performed beyond expectations. “We achieved very good results,” says Dotson. “This time we increased the cutting speed a bit, from 350 to 400 sfm, and bumped up the feedrates by about 30 percent. Even so, tool life increased threefold, to just over 2600 pieces per insert. I’m confident we could have cranked up the feeds and speeds even more, especially if we had plumbed the tool for coolant through, but there was no need. This operation supplies another machine, and that one was already running as fast as it could go. The big thing for us was getting more parts between tool changes, and that’s exactly what the Beyond Evolution did. It’s an excellent product at a very competitive price point.”

Recent trends in complex shaped component machining and high-speed cutting conditions for productivity improvement have proven to be a challenge for cast iron.

To adapt to these trends including some of the more common challenges like flank and crater wear, notch wear and build-up-edges caused by abrasion, adhesion and diffusion, TaeguTec has introduced the TT7505 grade for high-speed grooving applications on cast iron.

The Asian metalworking giant’s new coating grade is introduced to meet both the high hardness and strong toughness requirements demanded by cast iron machining.

The TT7505 grade is optimized for high-speed cast iron machining – including continuous cutting applications – while guaranteeing stability and longer tool life.

An additional advantage of the TT7505 grade is the application of a special CVD coating technology and a newly developed substrate for improved wear resistance and toughness for overall better performance.

The new grade’s features offer overall improved machining on a wide range of applications for all customers no matter the industry.

During several case studies, TaeguTec’s TT7505 grade increased tool life by 25 percent while machining ductile cast iron GGG 40.3 and by 13 percent on the gray cast iron of GG 35 materials.

VARGUS Ltd., the leading supplier of premium thread turning and thread milling solutions and hand deburring tools, launched its groundbreaking line of GROOVEX tool solutions for cost-effective, high-performance grooving applications in 2011.

At EMO Milano 2015 VARGUS introduced its newest family of grooving and turning products: VG-Cut, a highly versatile external turning system. With VG-CUT, the GROOVEX line is now a truly end-to-end turning solution. With the all new VG-CUT toolholders and chip-forming inserts, VARGUS now offers its customers greater exposure for the full range of grooving and turning applications:

• Deep grooving
• Threading between shoulders and close to spindles — up to a shoulder depth of 10.0 mm
• Turning
• Profiling and undercut
• Parting off

The VG-Cut family of products offers its customers the ultimate ease in choosing just the right configuration for each application:

• Supports a full range of applications: parting off, deep grooving, turning, profiling and undercut, and threading between shoulders.
• Designated chip-forming insert geometries for various workpiece materials, applications and conditions with two corners (VGD) or one corner (VGS).
• All inserts come in three carbide grades:

1. The VG-Cut family of products offers its customers the ultimate ease in choosing just the right configuration for each application:
2. Supports a full range of applications: parting off, deep grooving, turning, profiling and undercut, and threading between shoulders.
3. Designated chip-forming insert geometries for various workpiece materials, applications and conditions with two corners (VGD) or one corner (VGS).

• All inserts come in three carbide grades:

1. External monoblock tools, in shank sizes 12, 16, 20, 25, with tmax Medium of 12 mm and t max Long of 21 mm
2. Modular holders, with a Module t max of 25 mm
3. Standard Blade sizes 26 and 32, providing parting off Dmax of 120 mm with the VGS one-corner profile; Reinforced Blades Size 26, with a Dmax of 48 mm with the VGS The VG-Cut family also offers tailor-made insert and tool solutions to meet special application requirements.

In short, VG-CUT removes all limits on turning, profiling, undercut, and groove depth. With its global reputation for quality, innovation and service and this exciting new product line, VARGUS is now poised to dramatically expand its activities in the grooving market.

TB-M insert has 3 corners that enhances productivity.
TB-M’3-corner and specially designed chipbreaker produce stable chip control.
It makes flexible use in automated production line.

• Various grooving width 1.5~4.5mm(TB4150R-M ~ TB4450R-M)
• Tolerance ±0.025 applied
• Maximum depth of cut is 5mm

It can be used for any shape of shaft, O-Ring, bearing, assembling part and etc.
Strong clamping system of TB-M by contacted 3 shapes guarantees excellent performance by preventing vibration.

TB-M insert coated with PVD coating technology, PC5300, is suitable for carbon steel, stainless steel.  They are main  material for automobile part.

Seco designed its new X4 polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN) insert to bring high stability and long tool life to circlip grooving operations that involve heavy interrupted cuts in hardened steels.

The X4 PCBN insert features a strong solid-carbide body structure, four cutting edges and a highly stable clamp design that results in reliable, cost-effective parts production. In addition to its circlip grooving capabilities in unstable conditions, the insert performs accurate 6TPI threading operations.

In testing, the X4 PCBN outperformed similar competitive products, lasting up to three times longer in unstable machining conditions.

Available in right- and left-handed versions, the X4 PCBN insert has an ISO standard circlip width of 2.15 mm. For more information on the X4 PCBN, please click here

SpiroGrooving – an innovative method for seal ring grooves developed by Sandvik Coromant ensures high output of quality components and meets tough security demands. Used with the CoroBore® XL system, it utilizes a spirograph tool path to create close-tolerance seal ring grooves in a very secure and productive way
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Machining challenges
Requiring close tolerances and high-quality surface finish, seal ring grooves is a critical feature on many oil and gas components. Conventional methods for machining seal ring grooves often suffer from slow production and poor process security. Multiple-operation approach incorporating both roughing and finishing sequences is another time thief. The tools that are being used are single point- or plunging cutters that are prone to vibration. Adding to the challenges is the common use of difficult-to-machine materials such as solid Inconel 718 and cladded Inconel 625. SpiroGrooving is a machining method used with the CoroBore® XL system that utilizes a spirograph tool path to create close-tolerance seal ring grooves in a very secure and productive way.

High quality and process security
This solution is ideal for making seal ring grooves in pre-clad machining of steel and stainless steel. The unique internal coolant feature of CoroBore XL facilitates machining in advanced materials. Roughing and finishing are carried out in the same operation, which significantly reduces machining time and improves productivity. Altogether, this ensures high output of quality components and process security when machining seal ring grooves.

How it works
SpiroGrooving uses a circular spirograph tool movement in a taper. This reduces chip thickness, enabling light cutting action and increased feed. Parts of the insert cutting edge have an interrupted cutting behaviour, eliminating long chips tangling to the tool and spindle. With a unique NC-code generator, SpiroGrooving is programmed just in a few easy steps.

ISCAR is introducing new tools which can carry the current multifunction XCMT-MF inserts and new XCMT-MG inserts for internal grooving applications.

ISCAR’s very popular multifunction DR-MF tools family is being upgraded by new DRG-MF tools which can carry the XCMT-MF inserts and also a new insert type, XCMT-MG, designed for internal grooving.

The new tools and inserts extend the application range of the current DR-MF tools by adding a grooving capability to drilling, internal turning/boring, external turning, and face turning applications.

The new DRG-MF tools differ from the current DR-MF tools by a new pocket design, which features a rear groove intended to accommodate the second cutting edge.

The new XCMT-MG inserts with two cutting edges are made from grade IC808G, which is a submicron substrate TiAlN multilayer coating. This coating provides a high degree of reliability for cutting operations and a most competitive long edge life. The new grooving inserts can be used only on right-hand tools.

The new tools further enhance the reduction of customer inventory costs. Like the current same size DR-MF tools, the new tools can carry the XCMT-MF inserts. In addition, they feature identical major dimensions and cover all the same applications. Therefore, ISCAR will consider phasing-out the DR-MF tool in the future.

KAISER Precision Tooling, a leader in premium high-precision tooling systems and solutions for the automotive, mil/aero, energy, medical and watch-making industries, today announced new insert holders for face grooving. The new parts are specifically designed to fit KAISER’s series 318 and SW twin-cutter boring heads, giving more flexibility to existing KAISER clients to upgrade their equipment.

Face grooving with boring tools is generally more efficient than milling with circular interpolation, especially when manufacturing bores with large diameters. Also, whenever a surface for sealing application is required, there is no other option except using boring tools with face grooving accessories.

The new face grooving system can be used as either a single or twin cutter grooving tool for diameter ranges from 53mm to 3000mm, with a grooving depth up to 12mm and width up to 9.5mm (5mm with a single cutter).

Using the boring tools as twin cutters, with a simultaneous adjustment in radius and length, allows the feed rate to be increased. Using the cutters in diameter offset operation enables a groove width of up to 9.5mm, and both inside and outside diameters can be adjusted separately within the smallest tolerances. Both cutting edges can be adjusted easily to the same length, due to an eccentric bolt mechanism with clear direction indication.

“KAISER products give our customers an unparalleled combination of quality, precision and ruggedness,” says Peter Elmer, CEO of KAISER Precision Tooling. “These new face grooving holders uphold that tradition, while adding additional options to the applications possible with our series 318 and SW boring heads.”

The new parts are aimed at a broad range of applications across mechanical engineering, aerospace, energy and automotive. KAISER also offers the devices in customized solutions.

The insert holders are available now.

Want to more about this product? Contact
Giampaolo.Roccatello@kaisertooling.com
nishant@mfgtechupdate.com

Tungaloy Corporation has recently expanded its TungCut series for grooving and parting. Its vast product lineup and each item’s ability to support multiple applications help customers meet their varying machining needs. TungCut’s economical 2-cornered inserts reduce tooling cost while the unique clamping system delivers stable tool life and machining accuracy. The new inserts and toolholders are added to the series to further improve customers’ productivity in all industries.
The expansion includes DTX insert with 6 mm groove width; toolholders applicable for both external and face grooving; round shanks for grooving on the end face of a deep hole; and external grooving toolholders with new options of groove depths.
Its main features include:

• DTX6-080 inserts
• New groove width of 6 mm
• Suitable for multi-functional machining
• CTEFR/L toolholders
• Single toolholder for both external and face grooving
• Easy handling and reduced tooling cost
• Maximum groove depth of 4.8 mm
• CTIFR/L round shanks
• Enable internal grooving operation on the end face of a deep hole
• CTER/L toolholders
• Additional groove depth options for external grooving and parting
• Helps obtain suitable rigidity for the required groove depth
• Added items: Inserts: 2 items; Toolholders: 28 items

Vargus Ltd., one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-quality thread cutting, grooving and deburring tools for the metals and plastics industries, showcased there latest product at IMTEX 2015. According to the company, the new VRX multipurpose thread turning grade from Vardex is a step forward for them.

“The launch of the new VRX grade marks a significant step forward in our market position as a leading provider of advanced threading solutions. We invested extensive resources in the technological development of VRX in
response to calls from our customers for a high performance threading grade suitable for a wide range of materials and cutting conditions,” said Harry Ehrenberg, President, Vargus Ltd.

Suitable for machining steel, hardened steel up to 55 HRc, stainless steel, high temperature alloys and non-ferrous metals at low and high cutting speeds, VRX grade inserts are available in sizes IC 3/8” and IC 1/4” and suitable for all standard thread turning profiles. In the future, the VRX grade will be extended to additional sizes and products throughout the Vardex line.

The VRX grade comprises a multitude of nanometric layers that are composed of alloyed composite materials. An advanced adhesion process binds these layers together to form a tough multi-layer structure that provides stronger wear resistance, a longer tool life and better productivity.

“Our internal lab tests and field reports confirm our belief that VRX will soon become a new benchmark in our industry. The new VRX grade outperforms our leading competitors regardless of the cutting material or conditions. We look forward to continuing this trend in the future with an ever growing stream of new product solutions in 2015 and beyond,” added David Wolfe, VP Sales & Marketing, Vargus Ltd.

VARGUS GENiusTM, VARGUS’s leading thread turning software program is updated with the new VRX grade inserts.