tooling
A new tool coating is delivering dramatic increases in
productivity in both dry and wet machining applications on a
range of materials, including high hardness steels up to 54 HRC.
november 2007
Coating properties
resist oxidation
and improve
tool life
BALINIT ALCRONA is a member of Oerlikon Balzers Coating’s G6
generation of AlCrN (aluminium chromium nitride) tool coatings
that are expanding the performance envelope of a wide range of
carbide and high speed steel cutting tools, when compared to
conventional titanium-based coatings. These benefits are being seen
on tools as diverse as solid carbide endmills, indexable inserts, hss
endmills and carbide and hss and carbide hobs. Tools coated with
BALINIT ALCRONA are, it’s claimed, delivering much better tool life
than is possible with TiAlN, TiCN or AlTiN coated tools.
In one example, a roughing application on a 52 HRC steel, using a
10mm solid carbide endmill the flank wear using TiAlN coated tool
was measured at 115micron after 34 minutes of operation. Under the
same conditions the flank wear reduced to 40microns on a cutter
coated with BALINIT ALCRONA. When finish milling the same
material at 200m/min surface speed the BALINIT ALCRONA coated
tool exhibited a 255%increase in tool life. Similarly, hobbing users are
witnessing vastly improved tool life over previous coatings. Typically,
using a high speed steel hob at 200m/min surface speed, on a DIN
1.7131 steel, the tool life of the BALINIT ALCRONA coated hob was
almost 80% better than a hob coated with AlTiN. A similar
performance increase is seen on carbide hobs running at 260m/min
(roughing) and 500m/min finishing.
The success of the coating is partly due to its resistance to oxidation
and its hot hardness properties. The coating offers improved resistance
to oxidation at temperatures up to 1100 0 C and a markedly greater hot
hardness than conventional coatings. This means the coating is stable
under conditions of extremely high thermal load.
www.balzers.co.uk
ITC prevents burn out
MANUFACTURING scientific machinery and components for microscopes,
lasers and optical equipment, Aspec Precision Engineering is increasing its
machining of stainless and the use of ITC tooling.
Aspec managing director Colin Flack once had trouble machining a
stainless steel valve and cutters were rapidly burning out. When an ITC
engineer visited on the chance of winning some business he immediately
solved the tooling problem with the valve. Since then work has developed
considerably throwing up new challenges and with this the company’s
tooling requirements continually change.
Manufacturing anything from prototypes to batches of 50 from stainless
and aluminium, Aspec initially used ITC carbide tooling for roughing
operations. ‘We use ITC four and six flute 6606 TiAlN coated rippers and
on roughing applications’, says Flack. ’They have increased tool life by at
least 50%. Running at higher speeds and feeds than our previous cutters
they have also significantly reduced processing times.’ www.itc-ltd.co.uk
MBC010 and MBC020
The very latest, coated CBN grades.
Hard turning problems?
With the latest technology, grades and
engineering know-how, Mitsubishi
can turn what you need into solutions.
Full range of inserts:
Coated, uncoated
and a versatile choice of
honing styles for all applications.
Call us today.
01827 318711
www.mitsubishi-carbide.co.uk
Enquiry Number: 47
Galena Close, Tamworth B77 4AS
Tel 01827 312312
Fax 01827 312314
email sales@mitsubishicarbide.co.uk
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