Walter AG presents its new Technology Center in Tübingen to trade journalists at the AMB trade fair in Stuttgart. Here, the company will develop, test and demonstrate high-tech solutions for the machining systems of the future.

Comprising a total area of approximately 5000 square metres, the building at the company’s site in Tübingen combines the functions of an interactive experience centre and a research factory. Customers, partners and staff from all over the globe are now able to collaborate on future solutions. “Our customers today expect reliable, bespoke processes. In the new Walter Technology Center, they can help to shape the development of their machining processes live,” says Mirko Merlo, Chairman of Walter AG. The Walter Technology Center will be officially opened at an international customer event in October.

The Walter Technology Center is an innovative environment, encouraging the development of solutions that go far beyond just tools. In this practical setting, the digital factory of the future is becoming a reality – production, logistics, engineering, control and management processes are digitally connected and will be able to communicate with one another in real time using an application platform. Walter AG is helping to shape the world of the Smart Factory by developing intelligent products that provide information and demonstrate new potential for optimisation to its customers. Walter acknowledged the importance of digitalisation, visualisation and networking some years ago with the Walter Tool ID and the company continues to lead the way with its new Technology Center.

The entire life cycle of a customer component is depicted in the Walter Technology Center. Customers can watch the tools, machining processes and digital applications live and have the opportunity to try them out. In this futuristic factory, Walter will collaborate with customers in the automotive, aerospace, general mechanical engineering and energy production industries to create and optimise prototypes for real-world work applications. They will be ready for use in the on-site “plug & play” production environment immediately and without the need for complex, time-consuming tests. Walter calls this “Real Life Engineering”. “The Technology Center interactively demonstrates process and tool solutions. Using new types of functions, networking the “intelligent” systems and other innovations will permanently change how we think and work with customers,” says Holger Langhans, Director of Walter Multiply.

The Walter Technology Center is equipped with the latest processing and communication technology. Augmented Reality helps to visualise complex process connections and machining scenarios. Thanks to live broadcasts from the machine hall, staff at all Walter distributors will be able to take part in global training sessions. The spacious auditorium, which is equipped with the latest presentation technology and can seat up to 200 people, will host expert conferences and customer events.

Having revolutionised the industry in the past with the Tiger·tec and Tiger·tec Silver coatings, the machining specialists at Walter AG in Tübingen are now making another technological advance. Walter is one of the world’s first companies to present a new technology platform: Tiger·tec Gold – with the WKP35G milling grade. Compared with the CVD aluminium oxide-coated grades currently in use, the new Tiger·tec Gold with a titanium aluminium nitride (TiAlN) coating once again boasts significantly improved properties – resulting in longer tool life, increased productivity and greater process reliability. This is partially due to the innovative, special “ultra low” coating process (ULPCVD) that Walter has used to establish tomorrow’s technology today.

The new TiAlN coating from Walter is their response to growing demands. The Walter developers have been using Tiger·tec Gold for some time now in special applications – and to great effect. They recorded markedly improved properties compared with other coatings: Considerably higher wear resistance on the flank faces, reduced formation of hairline cracks and greater resistance to plastic deformation. Numerous practical tests on steel and cast iron materials demonstrated considerably longer tool life – often by up to 200 %. In addition, the gold-coloured top layer also facilitates wear detection. Walter will be presenting this new technology to the public for the very first time at the AMB in Stuttgart

The G1041..R/L-C-P is the latest parting-blade offered from Walter AG. Due to the reinforced shank and the screw clamping system, the blade has excellent stability and constant clamping force, which is particularly advantageous when space is limited, e.g. when using spindles with large diameters or tools with large projections.
Its integrated precision cooling cools both the rake and flank surfaces exactly where it is needed. Combined with Tigertec Silver indexable inserts, the tool has demonstrated a two- to four times increase in tool life for parting off operations. Vibration, chip jams and tool breakage, which would normally be a common occurrence given less than optimal conditions, are now a thing of the past. A higher quality surface finish is another of the benefits of this new design.

Suitable for use in all materials, Walter’s G1041..R/L-C-P parting blade will be available on the market in blade heights of 26-32 mm and parting widths of 2-4 mm for diameters of up to 65 mm. Optimum cooling is achieved directly on the cutting edge starting from a coolant pressure as low as 10 bar; up to pressures of 80 bar. The productivity boost that comes with increased process parameters, extended tool life and significantly longer tool change intervals makes the G1041..R/L-C-P the top choice for mass production on machines with bar loaders.

These inserts have been specifically developed for the Walter BLAXX M3024 heptagon face milling cutter, enabling it to now be used for finishing operations. The large number of cutting edges – 2 + 2 on the new finishing inserts and 16 on the roughing inserts– ensures high cost efficiency. Additional features of the new negative indexable inserts include excellent process reliability and soft cutting action due to the positive cutting edge geometry.

These new finishing inserts open up an even wider range of applications for users of the Walter BLAXX M3024 heptagon face milling cutter. Semi-finishing and finishing operations can be combined into a single operation using a single tool – without adjusting the finishing cutting edges. This reduces the number of tools required and also reduces machining time by minimising time spent changing and adjusting tools. This combination of milling cutter and indexable inserts is exceptionally well-suited to industrial series production of components such as exhaust turbochargers or turbine blades, or any other components made from stainless steels, cast materials or steel.

Walter AG will be exhibiting its latest developments at the AMB in Stuttgart. Machining experts from across the world will have the chance to see the company’s latest product innovations in the fields of milling, drilling, threading and turning, as well learn about the numerous processes and solutions developed from practical experience.

Thanks to Walter AG’s “Engineering Kompetenz”, customers can be offered innovative products in conjunction with profound process expertise to achieve value-adding solutions for machining. At AMB 2016, the audience of industry professionals will see a demonstration not only of the company’s numerous product innovations but also its expertise when it comes to processes and solutions.

The highlight in terms of products will be the newly developed cutting tool material for milling applications, introduced for the very first time. The company can boast the DC170 Supreme solid carbide drill, the MC232 Perform milling cutter family and a further development in precision cooling amongst its product innovations in the fields of drilling, threading and turning – developments which customers can always count on when it comes to precision, process reliability and cost efficiency.

Of course, Walter AG also takes into consideration the processes that users have to follow. At the AMB 2016, the expert visitors will be shown, amongst other things, how they can link the Walter Multiply service concept with Industry 4.0 service and production in such a way that all processes can become more efficient and, consequently, more economical. As a special highlight this year, Walter will also unveil solutions for the automotive and aerospace sectors. Thanks to a new cutting tool material as well as innovations in machining aluminium and titanium, Walter will once again demonstrate its expertise as a specialist provider of solutions developed through real-world experience.

You can find Walter AG at the AMB 2016 in hall 1, stand G32 The press conference at the AMB 2016 will take place on 12th September 2016 in Walter AG’s new Technology Center at their headquarters in Tübingen.

From 13th to 17th September 2016, Walter AG will be exhibiting its latest developments at the AMB in Stuttgart. Machining experts from across the world will have the chance to see the company’s latest product innovations in the fields of milling, drilling, threading and turning, as well learn about the numerous processes and solutions developed from practical experience.

Thanks to Walter AG’s “Engineering Kompetenz”, customers can be offered innovative products in conjunction with profound process expertise to achieve value-adding solutions for machining. At AMB 2016, the audience of industry professionals will see a demonstration not only of the company’s numerous product innovations but also its expertise when it comes to processes and solutions.

The highlight in terms of products will be the newly developed cutting tool material for milling applications, introduced for the very first time. The company can boast the DC170 Supreme solid carbide drill, the MC232 Perform milling cutter family and a further development in precision cooling amongst its product innovations in the fields of drilling, threading and turning – developments which customers can always count on when it comes to precision, process reliability and cost efficiency.

Of course, Walter AG also takes into consideration the processes that users have to follow. At the AMB 2016, the expert visitors will be shown, amongst other things, how they can link the Walter Multiply service concept with Industry 4.0 service and production in such a way that all processes can become more efficient and, consequently, more economical. As a special highlight this year, Walter will also unveil solutions for the automotive and aerospace sectors. Thanks to a new cutting tool material as well as innovations in machining aluminium and titanium, Walter will once again demonstrate its expertise as a specialist provider of solutions developed through real-world experience.

You can find Walter AG at the AMB 2016 in hall 1, stand G32 The press conference at the AMB 2016 will take place on 12th September 2016 in Walter AG’s new Technology Center at their headquarters in Tübingen.

Walter is increasing the diameter range of its Color Select WKK45SC high-speed range for Xtra·tec® B401x point drills.

The new indexable inserts will be available in diameters of up to 37.99 mm, giving users the opportunity to buy all their inserts – even those over 31 mm in diameter – from a single source. This means that the range specially developed by Walter for machining cast iron can now be used to drill all holes from 12 to 37.99 mm in diameter at hole depths up to 7 × Dc and holes from 18 to 25.80 mm in diameter at hole depths up to 10 × Dc.

The typical properties of cast iron, such as brittleness, an irregular structure, inclusions and crusty surfaces, exert a great deal of stress on the cutting edges, which results in high operating temperatures. The substrate, coating and geometry of the P6005-WKK45C insert work to counteract this. Its multilayer PVD coating combines wear-resistant layers with supporting layers and ensures that the ratio between hardness and toughness is optimised to suit ISO K materials as best as possible. This layer also provides an excellent shield against heat. The red ISO K coating used on the Color Select WKK45C range not only indicates the insert’s main area of application but also shows the amount of wear it has sustained. Up to 100% more power on the cutting edge and outstanding resistance to wear and high temperatures, not to mention great process reliability when drilling and withdrawing from deep holes, are further advantages that users of the new insert sizes can now benefit from – even at very large diameters.

With its M4000 family, Walter has made huge advances towards achieving maximum cost effectiveness in milling. The M4000 system inserts can be used in a variety of tools, which means that they can be used for various types of milling operation.

They reduce not only the cost per cutting edge, but also the work and costs involved in procurement and storage requirement. With the new M4256, M4257 and M4258 porcupine milling cutters, Walter is now offering the same advantages for slot milling too. The new milling cutters are incredibly versatile in terms of both the range of applications and the materials for which they can be used, such as steel, cast iron, stainless steels, and difficult-to-cut materials. They are available with Weldon shank, modular ScrewFit interface and bore adaption.

Their compact length and half-effective design with comparatively low cutting pressure allows for incredibly smooth operation. This reduces the tendency to oscillate and vibrate, making them the perfect problem solver in the face of unstable conditions. These benefits pay dividends particularly in combination with the D51 geometry insert. The generous chip clearance integral to these porcupine milling cutters makes for particularly effective chip evacuation, especially the flute design, where chips cannot fly out to the side. In addition, the milling cutters can be used for ramping, pocket milling, shoulder milling and circular interpolation.

These porcupine milling cutters are likely to be of interest to users operating in the general mechanical engineering sector, for example; these may be users who are already taking advantage of M4000 tools and indexable inserts, or they may be users who are looking for a cost-effective solution to constantly changing machining tasks.

The new double-sided ISO indexable inserts from Walter with “RP7” geometry ensure maximum process reliability when rough turning by combining a ground contact surface with an optimised profile that has a tailored protective chamfer to guard against fracturing.

Tiger·tec® Silver coating technology guarantees to extend tool life and thereby lower the cost of new tool investment. Costs are also significantly reduced by having double the standard number of cutting edges on each indexable insert in comparison to the usual single sided style insert promoted for roughing. These properties, in conjunction with the optimised geometry, make the new indexable inserts the ultimate “problem solvers” for users, especially those working under difficult machining conditions.

This geometry offers an alternative to the MP5/RP5 geometry when a more robust cutting edge is required. It is particularly suited to working on applications that include heavily interrupted cuts, forged parts with variable machining depths, and is also ideal for roughing steel materials with medium to heavy skins. The new geometry is available in the four basic shapes CNMG.., SNMG.., TNMG.. and WNMG.., and in the grades WPP10S, WPP20S and WPP30S.

With its soft, positive cutting action, the new Walter BLAXX M3024 heptagon cutter achieves high metal removal rates, even on relatively low-performance machines.

With its soft, positive cutting action, the new Walter BLAXX M3024 heptagon cutter achieves high metal removal rates, even on relatively low-performance machines. The 14 cutting edges per indexable insert keep cutting-tool material costs low. The carbide shim provides optimal insert support, thus offering a high level of security when operating with high feed rates; coupled with the tough, negative indexable inserts, this combination affords the highest level of process reliability. Indexable inserts for the Walter BLAXX heptagon cutter are available in two CVD-coated Tiger·tec® Silver grades (WKP25S and WKP35S) for machining steels and cast irons. Not only this, but they are also available in three PVD-coated grades (WSM35S, WKK25S and WSP45S) for machining steels, cast irons and stainless steels. The tool is perfect for machining components such as exhaust turbochargers and turbine blades. Another new addition is the Walter BLAXX M3016 heavy-duty cutter, which also features Tiger·tec® Silver technology.

Indexable inserts are available in CVD-coated grades WKP25S and WKP35S and in PVD-coated grades WKK25S and WSP45S for machining steels and cast irons. Tough, tangential indexable inserts offer a high level of process reliability, and the support seat’s emergency cutting function protects the body in the event of insert breakage. With four cutting edges per indexable insert, the M3016 offers both low cutting-tool material costs and incredibly high metal removal rates. The positive cutting edge geometry allows for a soft cutting action, and the inclusion of a corner radius in the design affords maximum stability. The new tool is ideal for roughing large workpieces in any steel and cast iron material at incredibly high metal removal rates.