12 Reasons to Optimize Your Tooling Stock

By Magnus Tillman, Business Solutions Manager


THINK FAST: Do you know how many cutting tools exist in your shop at this exact moment? Do you know how much disposable tooling your company uses, or even what type of insert you need to order at any given time?

If you can’t confidently answer these questions, it’s probably time to consider an advanced vending program for your operations, especially if you’re trying to manage a whole slew of part numbers.


Need some convincing? Here are the top 12 reasons—not in any particular order—as to why owning a point-of-use automated inventory control device with reporting and order management capabilities – such as our new compact SupplyPod – makes perfect business sense.

1. Inventory control devices keep things organized, allowing employees to get the items they need to do their jobs in a matter of seconds as opposed to wasting productivity time rummaging through a tooling abyss. 

2. For shops that use the “locked supply cabinet” approach, inventory control devices save supervisors valuable time because they no longer have to stop what they are doing to distribute tooling to employees. 

3. Companies can effectively manage their tooling supplies by having the ability to set dispensing limits by day, month or even shift.

4. Inventory control devices reduce overall tooling spends as well as eliminate stock-outs and UPS red shipments. 

5. If an employee dispenses a tool that typically machines up to 150 parts and he/she returns within the hour to check out the same tool, the company is privy to the fact there might be something wrong with a machining process. 

6. Inventory control devices can force tool regrinds instead of dispensing new tools, which helps play a role in reducing tooling spends. 

7. Rapid refill features ensure fast, accurate tool replenishment without any repackaging requirements, thereby improving efficiency and eliminating stock shortages. 

8. Employees are more accountable for the tools they use because inventory control devices manage item issuance and monitor tool usage with take/return, check-in/check-out and serialization functions. Essentially, this level of control allows management to know who dispensed what and for what reason. 

9. Inventory control devices help eliminate excessive or wasteful consumption because employees can no longer “hoard” tooling that could become lost or accidently discarded. 

10. Purchasing agents spend less time on tooling requisitions because inventory control devices with reordering and order management capabilities make it quick and easy to maintain adequate stock of critical tooling. 

11. Inventory control devices are simple to use and easy to implement into any work environment. The SupplyPod, for instance, only requires a power source and Internet connection for full functionality. It interfaces with modern ERP systems for continuously updating business environments. 

12. Most inventory control devices are customizable or come in a variety of configurations, which enables them to adapt to the constant changes within the manufacturing industry.

Overall, one of the easiest ways to bring more efficiencies and cost savings into your operations is by optimizing your tooling stock. Advanced inventory management systems, which includes the Seco SupplyPod, can help get you there as well as give you a competitive advantage over the other guys.


If you have questions about point-of-use automated inventory control devices, including our SupplyPod, please don’t hesitate to contact me.


About the Author

Magnus works closely with Seco customers to provide them with business solutions that increase their productivity and profitability. With a mechanical engineering degree from Wennstromska University, he began his metal cutting career as a shift supervisor for the insert quality control department at Seco Tools AB. In 2000, he joined Seco Tools U.S. as manager of production control for NAFTA insert manufacturing and took over his current role as business solutions manager in 2006. In his spare time, Magnus enjoys traveling, golfing, hockey and spending time with his family. Contact Magnus at mtillman@secotools.com.

3 Reasons to Put a Dynamic Spin on Your Hard Milling Efforts

By Gary Meyers, Product Manager - Milling

With the mold and die industry’s increased workloads these days, many shops are investing in new state-of-the-art equipment to effectively tackle hard milling applications and increase productivity. As part of this latest trend, dynamic milling techniques are becoming increasingly popular, especially when using solid carbide cutting tools. Perhaps it’s because newer machine tools provide the higher feed rates and RPMs necessary for successful dynamic milling.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the dynamic method for milling, it’s an optimized roughing approach that combines large cutting depths with relatively small radial engagement when cutting steel. This strategy is also very effective when machining at 60 Rockwell or harder. This method, also known as peel milling, peels off small amounts of material at high speeds and feed rates.

Here are three ways dynamic milling can make a big difference when working with a wide range of steels:

1. With this technique, the tool path constantly adjusts to ensure the most efficient cut possible by maintaining constant chipload and engagement of the cutter. Furthermore, an optimized toolpath maximizes material removal rates.
2. Dynamic milling utilizes the cutting tool’s entire flute length, which helps eliminate the need for multiple depth cuts.
3. With the required CAM programming, dynamic milling can increase removal rates by up to 300 percent when compared to traditional methods.

Dynamic milling removes a lot of material at a very high feed rate, which creates pile-ups of big, long chips that can clog and damage a machine’s conveyor. Therefore implementing the right cutting tool is crucial.

Seco created the Jabro™ Solid² JS554 3C for just these situations. It’s a high-performance four-flute shoulder end mill with a long cutting edge and built-in chip splitters.

The JS554 3C uses its chip splitters to break the chips up into to a small, manageable size, resulting in improved chip evacuation from the cutting zone as well as from the machine. Furthermore, the JS554 3C’s full cutting length and chip splitters, when combined with the dynamic milling method, generate increased levels of productivity and significantly higher tool life due to a consistent load.

If you have questions about dynamic milling techniques or our new JS554 3C, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

About the Author

Gary works closely with product development, marketing and field sales to effectively launch new Seco milling products into the market as well as ensure their long-term success. Outside of work, he enjoys outdoor activities, which includes running 5k and 10k races in the summer and downhill skiing in the winter. Contact Gary at gmeyers@secotools.com.

VIDEO: Jabro™- Solid² JS554 3C

The Positives and Negatives of Cutting Tool Geometries

By Bob Winegard, Application Support and Training at Seco

In determining the most effective way to separate chips from your workpiece, several variables must be taken into consideration; however, probably the most important is selecting the right cutting tool geometry. After all, the collective angles formed by the dimensions of a cutting tool are what make a tool geometrically unique.

When it comes to your metal cutting operations, you have three general milling cutter geometries from which to choose: double positive geometry, double negative geometry and positive/negative geometry. Each of these geometries serves its own unique purpose as well as features its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Let’s see how each one might apply to you.

Double Positive Geometry

Double positive cutters hold the inserts in a way that creates a positive rake angle both axially and radially, allowing for very free cutting and clean, quiet machining. It’s an arrangement that also minimizes work hardening of the surface, achieves excellent surface finish as well as generates very little cutting force.

These geometries are good for machining non-ferrous materials, such as aluminum, copper and non-metallic materials, and even steels on smaller machines with limited power ratings. Care with the set-up is particularly important with these cutters as they are more fragile (leading to cutting edge chippage) and can lift the workpiece from the table.

Overall Advantages

Smooth cutting

Good chip removal

Good surface smoothness

Overall Disadvantages

Cutting edge strength

Unfavorable entry contact

Draws workpiece away from the machine table

Double Negative Geometry

Double negative cutters have an orientation that uses a combination of negative axial and negative radial rake angles, which direct the cutting forces further back from the edge of the insert.

This characteristic enables double negative cutters to show increased insert strength over the double positive and positive/negative cutters. However, while double negative cutters are very strong and rugged, their geometry can result in ineffective chip flow and potential issues with clogging.

While double negative geometries are ideal for cast iron, it’s imperative you have a machine with sufficient power, as well as a rigid setup for the firm mounting of your cutting tool and workpiece. Also, keep in mind that modern technology has made it possible to add chip breakers to inserts, allowing today’s negative rake cutters to machine more freely than ever before. Because of this, double negative cutters can effectively machine all materials as long as you utilize the correct chip groove profile.

Overall Advantages

Cutting edge strength

Productivity

Pushes the workpiece towards the machine table

Negative inserts double the number of cutting edges that can be used

Overall Disadvantages 

Large cutting forces

Chip obstruction

Positive/Negative Geometry

Positive/negative cutters have an orientation that uses a combination of a positive axial rake angle and a negative radial rake angle. These cutters are the most popular because they offer some of the free cutting benefits of a double positive cutter and some of the strength of a double negative cutter. 

The positive axial rake lifts the chips, while the negative radial rake directs them outward. These actions, when paired with a high lead angle, help reduce or eliminate chip flow obstructions.

Overall Advantages

Good chip removal

Favorable cutting forces

Wide range of applications

Metal cutting is not a one-size-fits-all type of process. We have literally dozens of milling cutters and hundreds of inserts from which to choose. If you have questions as to what type of insert geometry is the most effective choice for your particular application, please don’t hesitate to contact me. 


About the Author  
Bob works closely with Seco customers, helping them optimize their tool usage and find ways to increase their productivity and reduce costs. Contact Bob at bwinegard@secotools.com.

6 Questions to Ask BEFORE Running a CBN Hard Milling Test

By Chad Miller, Product Manager-Advanced Materials

Hard milling can be tricky. But if applied properly, you stand to benefit more from this machining practice than if you were using grinding, wire EDM or die-sinking EDM methods. Not only are grinding and EDM machines more costly than milling equipment, they also require a lot more set-up time. When compared to grinding, hard milling can reduce your cutting time by up to 60 percent.

To successfully hard mill a component, the right machine tool, spindle, CNC control and CAD/CAM system are critical to your operation, but even more important is choosing a high-quality cutting tool and having a clear understanding of how to effectively implement it into the machining process. When I’ve seen manufacturers fail at hard milling, it’s usually because they skimped on cutting tools. It’s common; they just don’t realize the right choice early on can help save them money in the long run.

CBN cutting tools are ideal for rough and finish machining of hard steels up to 70 Rockwell as well as abrasive materials, such as grey cast irons. CBN is harder and more abrasive resistant than the carbide and ceramic inserts that are commonly used. CBN costs nearly seven times more than carbide, but users greatly benefit from its adequate balance of strength, toughness, thermal conductivity and chemical inertness.

Here are six questions to ask yourself before making your cutting tool selection and moving forward with a CBN milling test.

1. “What material am I machining?” CBN works well in all types of hard materials, including high tensile steel, high speed steel and white cast iron; soft/abrasive material such as grey cast iron; and difficult to machine materials such as nickel-based and hard facing alloy. However, CBN does not work well in applications involving soft steels or nodular irons.
2. “Will this require rough or finish machining?” Determine whether your hard milling operation will involve rough or finish machining because knowing this helps in selecting the right insert and cutter for the job.
3. “What’s my approach angle?” Another factor that impacts cutter selection is the approach angle; therefore it’s important to decide whether square shoulder or face milling is the best choice.
4. “What is my cutter geometry and setup rigidity? Answer this to determine whether a positive or negative cutter works best in a particular application.
5. “Will I need a wiper insert?” Positioned slightly higher than other inserts, wiper inserts “wipe down” the part to create a superior surface finish. Need a porous finish? Don’t use a wiper insert.
6. “Does every pocket of my test cutter need to be loaded with CBN?” With the high upfront costs of using CBN, you should take steps to ensure you don’t lose a significant amount of money during your milling test. For example, the test cutter does not need to have every pocket loaded with CBN. An effective test can occur with only one or two inserts and an adequately adjusted feedrate. 

Hard milling know-how is vital to its successful implementation and your future productivity and profitability gains. If this is a machining practice you are really considering, but are unsure of where to begin, don’t be afraid to ask for assistance.

An OEM partner that specializes in hard milling tools, such as Seco, can assist you in selecting the best tool for your job, develop a proper cutting strategy for your application and recommend proper feeds and speeds, depths of cut and programming for your cutting material.

About the Author

Chad manages Seco's advanced materials product lines, including all CBN and PCD products. When he's not helping customers implement advanced metalcutting solutions, you can find him training for and running 5K, 10K and 1/2 marathon races and triathlons. Chad can be reached at cmiller@secotools.com.

Improving Your Process With A Process Cost Analysis

By Earl McMann, IKA – Strategic Account Manager

Over the past decade, process optimization has gone from an ideal to a necessity. Your customers need product faster, and they want it cheaper. The competition, both at home and abroad, is constantly looking for the opportunity to beat your turnaround time or price. If your operations are running at less then their full potential, you’re surrendering an advantage that can have a substantial effect on your long-term profitability.

When pursuing process improvement, one of the first considerations needs to be defining the desired outcome. The final objective is nearly always long-term maximization of profits, but companies often set short-term goals at odds with this mission. For instance, it’s common to encounter a situation where a team has been tasked with minimizing a specific cost, such as tool spend, without looking at the larger picture of overall profitability. In these cases, achieving the current goal can actually be detrimental to overall success.


As a not-entirely-hypothetical example, consider a shop that reduces its tooling cost per component by 25%, by switching to cutters that provide lower performance. On its face, this can look like a win, but there’s always a trade-off. Instead of producing 75 components per hour on a machine, output for the shop may drop to 65 components per hour. Such a loss in productivity can wreak havoc on profitability. Fixed costs, such as the machine, facility, etc., actually increase per component when efficiency suffers. The same goes for labor rates per component. Not to mention that the reduced productivity can introduce or worsen a bottleneck and limit overall capacity. In many instances, spending more on tooling, a machine or other equipment actually reduces total cost.


With the goal of total cost reduction in mind, a team or individual dedicated to process improvement must decide where to focus their efforts. If no problematic applications immediately emerge as obvious candidates, a basic analysis of workflow can help provide direction. Identifying machines or cells that are bottlenecks or consistently operating at or near full capacity will almost always offer up a good starting point.


Once an application has been targeted, the real work begins. Extensive information should be gathered and analyzed, both on the current process and on available alternatives. At this point, collaboration with your suppliers will often spell the difference between improvement and true optimization. No one will understand the machine, toolholding, cutters and other equipment in the process better than those companies that developed them. Involving representatives from these suppliers in your efforts will bring together a level of expertise that’s impossible to practically maintain in-house.


Following comprehensive analysis of options for improving a process, your team should test out the chosen solution and make sure it delivers the expected results. If it does, an implementation plan should be incorporated that includes training of your operators and other team members who will be affected by the change. This ensures your organization gets the most out of the hard work you’ve put in.


To offer assistance to our own customers’ process optimization efforts, Seco developed the PCA (Productivity and Cost Analysis). This program brings a formalized and proven approach to gathering and analyzing data, comparing and testing potential new solutions and then making a recommendation based on hard documented results.


If you have any questions pertaining to process optimization or would like additional information on Seco’s PCA, please feel free to contact me at emcmann@secotools.com.

About the Author
Earl works closely with Seco’s larger customers to find ways to improve the productivity and cost-effectiveness of their operations. When not on the clock, he enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, as well as fishing, hunting and golfing.

8 Common Insert Failures and How to Address Them

By Don Graham, Manager of Education and Technical Services

If you don't know much about insert failure and its negative impact on your manufacturing equipment, it's similar to an athlete exhausting a good pair of running shoes. Much like a shoe under the weight of the runner wearing it, an insert endures tremendous stress over and over again; creating wear and tear. If not addressed, wear can cause pain for an athlete and inaccurate processes or poor productivity for a manufacturer.

Manufacturers, however, can analyze their used tooling to achieve maximum tool life and predict tool usage; thereby maintaining part accuracies and reducing equipment deterioration. By understanding the various mechanisms (listed below) that contribute to insert failure, you can take the appropriate course of action to ensure optimal cutting performance at all times. 

Flank Wear

Normal flank wear, which occurs uniformly, is the most predictable of all failure mechanisms because it is largely due to normal abrasion. Similar to a jackknife blade that dulls over time, flank wear happens over time as the work material wears the cutting edge.

Rapid flank wear, on the other hand, happens faster, especially when cutting abrasive materials, such as ductile irons, silicon-aluminum alloys, high temp alloys, heat-treated PH stainless steels, beryllium copper alloy and tungsten carbide alloys, as well as non-metallic materials, such as fiberglass, epoxy, reinforced plastics and ceramic.

You can reduce rapid flank wear by lowering your cutting speeds or, better yet, using a more wear resistant, harder or coated carbide grade.

Cratering

Cratering is a heat/chemical problem that often occurs when machining iron or titanium-based alloys because the tool dissolves into the workpiece chips.

You can avoid cratering by using a coated grade (preferably coatings with aluminum oxide), applying coolant, utilizing a freer cutting geometry to reduce heat, increasing lead angle, and reducing cutting speeds and feeds. The last corrective action can be counter-productive so it should only be used as a last resort.

Built-up Edge

Built-up edge occurs when fragments of the workpiece are pressure-welded to the cutting edge. This failure mechanism commonly occurs with gummy materials, low speeds, high-temperature alloys, stainless steels and nonferrous materials, and threading and drilling operations.

You can control built-up edge by increasing cutting speeds and feeds, using nitride (TiN) coated inserts, applying coolant, and selecting inserts with force-reducing geometries and/or smoother surfaces.

Chipping

Chipping originates from mechanical instability often created by non-rigid setups, bad bearings or worn spindles, hard spots in work materials, or powder metallurgical (PM) materials.

You can deter chipping by ensuring proper machine tool set up, minimizing deflection, using honed inserts, controlling built-up edge, and employing tougher insert grades and/or stronger cutting-edge geometries.

Thermal Mechanical Failure

A combination of rapid temperature fluctuations and mechanical shock can cause thermal mechanical failure. It is most often experienced in milling and interrupted-cut turning, facing operations on a large number of parts, and operations with intermittent coolant flow.

You can prevent thermal mechanical failure by applying coolant correctly or, better yet, removing it from the process completely, employing a more shock-resistant grade, and using a heat-reducing geometry.

Edge Deformation

Heat and pressure are two sources of edge deformation, which commonly occurs with high-heat operations, high speeds and feeds, or machining hard steels, work-hardened surfaces and high-temperature alloys.

You can control edge deformation by applying coolant, using a more wear-resistant grade with a lower binder content, reducing speeds and feeds, and employing a force-reducing geometry.

Notching

Notching happens when there is a difference in hardness or abrasiveness within a workpiece. It often occurs in materials with surface scale or oxidation as well as work-hardened, cast and irregular surfaces.

You can control notching by varying the depth of cut when using multiple passes, using a tool with a larger lead angle, increasing cutting speeds when machining high-temperature alloys, reducing feedrates, carefully increasing the hone in the depth-of-cut area, and preventing build-up, especially in stainless steel and high-temperature alloys.

Mechanical Fracturing

Mechanical fracturing occurs with any kind of excessive wear. Therefore, when the mechanical load is great enough, the insert breaks during the first moments of a cut.

You can avoid mechanical fracturing by correcting all other failure mechanisms besides normal flank wear, utilizing a more shock-resistant grade, selecting a stronger insert geometry, using a thicker insert, and reducing feedrates and/or depth of cut.

If your shop is experiencing insert wear, Seco can help. We have a wide variety of insert geometries, grades and coatings from which to choose, including our exclusive Duratomic coatings that improve toughness and wear resistance by altering the crystal structure at the atomic level. And if you?re not exactly sure how to maximize your operations, our team of metalworking experts can evaluate your processes and determine the best possible solutions for your needs.

About the Author 

Don is the manager of education and technical Services for Seco, responsible for all educational activities for the NAFTA market, new product testing and various other technical functions. Outside of work, he enjoys making maple syrup, restoring antique tractors and farming. Don can be reached at dgraham@secotools.com.

Fear is the Enemy of Progress

By Mikael Lindholm, Product Manager, ISO Turning, Fagersta, Sweden


“What is really holding me back?” Both in our professional and personal lives, there are times where we can obtain exceptional rewards by considering that question. Throughout my professional life, I have seen many people consider this topic and come to the same conclusion. Too often, our fear of the unknown and comfort with the known hold us back from making truly substantial progress.


If you’re like many of the manufacturers I’ve worked with over the years, you probably have some machining applications that are good enough to get by, but have some issues. When you look at such areas, it’s easy to concentrate on the potential problems. Taking the time to improve the process may cause short-term disruptions or lowering of productivity. It may be an inconvenience to those workers currently performing the process. And often, you won’t know if developing a new process will pay off until it’s done, meaning you have to take a risk without a clearly defined reward. In such situations, suggesting a new approach can be more than a little intimidating.


On the bright side, most employers highly value team members who look for ways to improve operations. An earnest effort to make things better will rarely result in your boss screaming, “You idiot! Why are you temporarily slowing operations down to try to save the company money?!” Instead, you’re likely to be recognized and possibly rewarded for taking the initiative to drive improvement.


Of course, the tendency to stay in a comfort zone isn’t limited to individuals. Companies can get stuck in the same mindset at an organizational level. Getting out of this rut takes a concerted effort of one or more team members who want to change the company for the better. If you’re in such a position, there are steps you can take to maximize your potential for success.


Bringing together expertise from a variety of sources will go a long way in ensuring the best results when revising a process. Talk to your colleagues and get their input. It’s all but guaranteed that some of them will have a valuable perspective different than your own, and seeking it out not only improves the end result, but also invests them in your cause.


Additionally, call on resources outside of your organization. For example, your local Seco representative will happily help you consider options, drawing on our extensive global experiences to find a solution that’s right for your operations. Likewise, your machine tool builder or distributor is probably glad to offer similar assistance. By bringing together the expertise of people across multiple disciplines and organizations, you stack the odds in favor of your success.


Recently, I’ve seen a lot of manufacturers going through this process with cast iron turning applications. Seco recently introduced the new Duratomic® inserts TK1001 for gray iron and TK2001 for ductile iron. Many manufacturers view their longstanding cast iron turning processes as ‘good enough’ and it often takes the commitment of one or more team members to create an openness to change. In the case of the TK1001 and TK2001, it’s been paying off with big gains, also when applied to processes with intermittent cuts. If you happen to be a manufacturer who turns cast iron, I invite you to try a free sample of TK grades by visiting http://tkpromo.secotools.com on your smartphone or personal computer. And don’t forget that your local Seco rep is a valuable resource you can use for applying this or any other new solution.


Enough product promotion, though! The key point of this blog isn’t to focus on a product, but on a mentality that often keep us from progressing. If you ask yourself, “What is really holding me back?” and the answer is that you’ve settled into a comfort zone, don’t be afraid to step outside of it and take some risks in pursuit of improvement. In the words of U.S. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience by which you really stop to look fear in the face.”

About the Author

Based in Sweden, Mikael is Seco's global product manager responsible for cemented carbide inserts and holders for turning applications. He is very much interested in things that drive innovation within corporations, and in his spare time he enjoys spending time with family and friends, as well as sports and digital photography. Mikael can be reached at mikael.lindholm@secotools.com.