Tool life increased by more than 1,000 parts 联合网

Tool life increased by more than 1,000 parts

Post Date: 11 Apr 2009 Viewed: 707

For hard turning axle journals on homo-kinetic joints German company, Mapal uses particularly rigid turning tools adapted to customer requirements to overcome the special machining conditions. The heavily interrupted cut and the curved machining contour make particularly high demands on blade clamping. It was for this reason that a turning tool with the new Mapal SolidTurn clamping system was first used for the production process at the customer's works.

The internal machining tool, designed as a monoblock tool with VDI 40 connection, machines dry on a vertical turning machine EMAG VCS 250. The particular advantage of the new Mapal SolidTurn clamping system lies in its optimum distribution of the cutting forces. The sturdy insert with round clamping groove is firmly pressed into the holder by the positive action of the clamping jaw. This gives the tool very high stability and allows highly accurate and vibration-free hard machining even under high stress.

The T insert, which has three PCBN cutting edges, is perfectly matched to the machining conditions with regard to type, chamfer angle and chamfer width. This means the ball cage track for the axle journal which has been hardened to 60+2 HRc can be efficiently machined with a cutting speed of v_c = 180 m/min and a feed f = 0.15 mm at a cutting depth a_p = 0.5 mm.

Compared to a conventional clamping jaw system, it was possible to increase the output per cutting edge from around 2,000 to 3,350 parts - clear evidence of the high reserves in performance which can be called upon when hard turning with PCBN using these new high performance tools.

The use of CBN for hard turning operations has not become a proven method in hard turning operations overnight in order to make full use of productivity reserves. Mapal says that the selection of the cutting material is indeed important but is not the only decisive factor for outstanding machining results. In fact it is more the interplay of a rigid and low-vibration machine tool and an equally stable tool concept - from location to clamping and the form of the insert - which is the key to successful hard machining.

If these prerequisites are met, productivity can again be significantly increased by a PCBN grade specifically matched to operating conditions and the appropriate chamfer geometry.