WIDIA\u2019s Top Ream platform covers the majority of hole finishing needs, with\u00a0diameters up to 42 mm (1.65 in.) and a range of edge preps and geometries available\u00a0The three keys to hole quality are diametral accuracy, form and position, and surface\u00a0finish. Boring tools are the undisputed king in all of these areas, but they\u2019re also one of the\u00a0slowest methods of hole finishing, and in most cases are limited to 10:1 depth to diameter\u00a0ratios or less.<\/p>\n
Conventional carbide-tipped reamers produce good hole quality, are substantially faster\u00a0than boring and able to reach much deeper, but they also have an Achilles heel. The steel
\nshank to which the carbide flutes are brazed has a thermal coefficient three times that of\u00a0carbide, and is subject to growth during machining operations.\u00a0Worse, sharpening of these tools often leads to less than desirable results. The mixture of\u00a0carbide and steel wreaks havoc on grinding wheels, providing a reground edge that is\u00a0rarely as good as the original tool. Also, PVD and especially CVD coating of reground tools\u00a0is problematic, because the temperature inside most coating vessels reaches upwards of\u00a0530 degrees C (986 F), leading to micro-movement of the brazed carbide flutes.\u00a0WIDIA Products Group has addressed these problems and more with its new Top Ream\u00a0carbide reaming solution. Instead of four to eight (or more) individually brazed carbide tips,\u00a0Top Ream uses a single carbide disc and brazed joint, providing a strong connection that\u00a0is virtually immune to thermal effects during machining operations.\u00a0WIDIA manufacturing engineer Tom Bobos notes another important advantage of Top\u00a0Ream\u2019s all-carbide tip. \u201cSteel-bodied reamers tend to get banged up on the ends. The\u00a0center can get nicked or distorted, preventing an accurate regrind. With carbide, you\u00a0always have a good center to locate on.\u201d The result is a minimum of four \u201clike new\u201d\u00a0regrinds vs. an average of three questionable ones.\u00a0However, there\u2019s more to Top Ream than its ability to hold an accurate edge. \u201cOverall it\u2019s\u00a0just a better design,\u201d Bobos says. \u201cA single piece of carbide is inherently more stable and\u00a0resistant to vibration. The through-hole style has an 18-degree left hand spiral that does a\u00a0great job of pushing the chip forward. It\u2019s really best in class.\u201d\u00a0The Top Ream platform offers best in class carbide as well. WIDIA\u2019s WU05PR advanced\u00a0reaming grade was developed specifically for the demanding tool wear and surface finish\u00a0requirements encountered in most hole reaming operations. For example, tests performed\u00a0over a total cut distance 100 feet (30 m) in length showed an ability to consistently\u00a0maintain surface finishes of 32 \u03bcin Ra (0.8 \u03bcm) in 4140 steel alloy and 64 \u03bcin Ra (1.6 \u03bcm)\u00a0in gray cast iron, three times that of TiAlN-coated tools.\u00a0Jerry Hanna, WIDIA Director of Sales Operations, says the Top Ream covers hole\u00a0diameters up to 42 mm (1.65 in.), with the TRF shank-style starting at 14 mm (0.551 in.),\u00a0and the TRM modular tool from 20 mm (0.787 in.) and up. \u201cThis size range covers the\u00a0lion\u2019s share of requests from our customers,\u201d he says. \u201cWe also offer a wide variety of\u00a0custom geometries, diameters, and edge preps, all available in three weeks or less.\u201d
\nIf you\u2019re worried about custom cutting tools, don\u2019t be. \u201cWith reaming, 98 percent of the\u00a0tools are custom,\u201d Bobos points out. \u201cWe encourage our customers to try standard sizes,
\nbut they should also ask us for advice. We have the ability to optimize solutions specifically\u00a0for any application\u2014if you\u2019re machining titanium, there are specific geometries and
\ncoatings for that. Same with 316 stainless, or Inconel. A slight tweak to the hone, or\u00a0modifying the leading edge a little bit can make a huge difference in productivity and hole
\nquality.\u201d
\nOne of the best features of the Top Ream is the TRM series\u2019 mounting mechanism, which\u00a0makes simultaneous contact on the cutting head\u2019s face and taper. Twist the locking screw\u00a0and the reamer head pops out, with no need for head to body orientation. This provides a\u00a0strong, vibration-free, and\u2014most importantly\u2014extremely precise reamer interface. \u201cThere\u2019s\u00a0virtually zero run out with the modular design,\u201d Bobos says. \u201cOnce you have everything\u00a0dialed in, you just put the head on and tighten it down. There\u2019s never a need to re-indicate\u00a0after a tool change.\u201d
\nHanna agrees. \u201cThe Top Ream\u2019s unique design is geared towards anyone that needs fine\u00a0hole finishes and high productivity rates, whether it\u2019s a Tier 1 automotive company or the
\nsmall job shop down the street. And as the use of additive manufacturing and other near\u00a0net-shape processes continue to grow, so too will the need for accurate, cost-effective
\nhole finishing. That makes Top Ream an ideal reaming solution for today\u2019s manufacturers,\u00a0as well as tomorrow\u2019s. We\u2019re very pleased with the design.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WIDIA\u2019s Top Ream platform covers the majority of hole finishing needs, with\u00a0diameters up to 42 mm (1.65 in.) and a range of edge preps and geometries available\u00a0The three keys to hole quality are diametral accuracy, form and position, and surface\u00a0finish. Boring tools are the undisputed king in all of these areas, but they\u2019re also one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9468,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[120,1],"tags":[1484],"class_list":["post-9467","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tool","category-uncategorized","tag-widia"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mfgtechupdate.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9467","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mfgtechupdate.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mfgtechupdate.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mfgtechupdate.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mfgtechupdate.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9467"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mfgtechupdate.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9467\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mfgtechupdate.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9468"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mfgtechupdate.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mfgtechupdate.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mfgtechupdate.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}