By Todd Miller, Manager, Rotating Products
About the Author
Today’s shops
want a cutting tool that offers high productivity, versatility and accuracy at
a low cost per edge. In response, cutting tool companies, including Seco, are
developing new precision-based solutions that offer improved economy through
even more cutting edges per insert and better efficiency by performing both
roughing and finishing operations.
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| Double Octomill |
Take the latest
generation of face milling tools for example. They all feature pre-hardened
cutter bodies that maximize tool life and performance, as well as make use of
inserts with as many as 16 cutting edges – our Double Octomill for example – to minimize
cost per edge for a lower cost per part.
Some companies
have even placed high emphasis on creating the perfect fit between the insert
and its corresponding pocket to maximize the effectiveness, performance and
tool life of a cutter. For instance, with our Double Octomill, we are the only
cutting tool company to develop insert pockets that incorporate a strong center
lock screw and precisely located HSS pins that remarkably reduce radial and axial runout.
But in order to
purchase the right cutter for your needs, you must weigh the different options
that are available to you, considering variables such as workpiece material and
hardness, application type, cost per insert, cost of edges in the cut per load,
number of indexes needed to complete a job, cutter style, cutting diameters,
cycle time, and much more.
Here are some
important items to keep in mind before purchasing a face milling cutter with
multiple cutting edges:
•
Make sure you have a wide variety of insert grades and geometries to choose
from so your cutter can operate in various materials and processes. Take our Duratomic coating for example, a
breakthrough in coating technologies that improves productivity and tool life
in many different materials.
•
With respect to insert geometry, those with small wipers are ideal for roughing
operations, while wider wiper edges can perform roughing and finishing in a
single operation, producing superior surface finishes. For example, our M14
geometry with a 0.45 mm wiper flat is ideal for roughing, while the M15 with a
2.11 mm wiper flat is more suitable for finishing operations. Our M13, which
has the same wiper flat as the M15 but has a more positive geometry, is perfect
for longer chipping materials or where reduced cutting forces are needed.
•
Make sure the inserts are easy to handle and have numbering on each edge. You should index all of the inserts at the same time and in
the chronological number order. By using the same edge number in all of the pockets, the
inserts are oriented the exact same way as the pressing tool that produces them,
which, in turn, reduces pocket-to-pocket runout so you can achieve the best
possible tool life.
• Given the wide variety of machines and materials available
today, it’s important to have the right cutter pitch for your face milling
operation. In cast iron applications where a machine has high-power
capabilities, a close pitch cutter is often the best option. However, a close
pitch cutter paired with a weak machine often results in unwanted vibrations.
Using a close pitch cutter in long chipping materials usually results in chip
jamming in the chip flutes. Normal and coarse pitch cutters use fewer
teeth/inserts in the cutter so they require less torque, making them better
solutions for machines with limited power capabilities. They also have larger
chip flutes, providing better chip evacuation in longer chipping materials such
as steel and stainless steels.
• Given all of the different cutter options available, including
45-degree cutters, square shoulder cutters and round insert cutters, you need
to determine which one brings the most benefit to your operation. After all,
one option may be better if you want to reduce your cutting forces, while
another may be needed for a particular part feature.
•
While a high-performance cutter with multiple insert edges may cost more up
front, it can save you in the long run through increased tool life, lower cost
per edge and an overall lower cost per part.
Keep in mind, however, not every application benefits from this type of cutter.
Because there
are so many machining variables to consider, you should also evaluate the
cutting tool company selling a particular cutter and see what level of customer support it provides. After all, application support can be a major source of
improved productivity, but it is one manufacturers often overlook.
Utilizing a cutting tool company’s in-depth knowledge of manufacturing technology as a resource allows you to stay abreast
of the latest advancements in manufacturing, as well as understand how those
innovations play into process optimization. The end result is that you can
continue to increase your competitive advantage and differentiate your shop as
a technology leader in the increasingly challenging global market.
Todd is the manager of rotating products for NAFTA, responsible
for solutions and applications involving face, square shoulder and disc
milling. Todd and his team of product experts are dedicated to providing a
consistent, high-level of support to Seco customers throughout the United
States, Canada and Mexico. In his spare time, Todd likes to bowl and cheer on
the University of Michigan football team.
