Solid-carbide drills target stainless steel
Walter USA LLC, Waukesha, Wis., has introduced the high-performance, solid-carbide Walter Titex X•treme Inox for drilling stainless steel and other high-alloy ISO M materials. The drill’s tip geometry reduces cutting forces and minimizes burr formation, according to the company. A multilayer TiAlN tip coating maximizes tool life while minimizing adhesion. The tool’s main cutting edges enhance process stability. The tool’s coordinated margins minimize friction against the hole wall, while operating temperature is controlled through application of internal coolant.
“These properties and features work together to produce excellent hole quality when drilling stainless steel, along with a high degree of process reliability and feed rates up to 50 percent higher than those obtained with other universal solid-carbide drills,” said Mark Hemmerling, director of marketing for Walter USA.
The Walter Titex X•treme Inox drill is available in diameters from 1/8 " to ¾ " and 3mm to 20mm, and in standard lengths up to 5 diameters deep. Additional lengths up to 12 diameters deep, as well as stepped tools, can be ordered. Typical applications are in the aerospace, chemical and medical device industries, as well as in food processing equipment and general metalworking.
www.walter-tools.com/us; (800) 945-5554
Solid-carbide thread mills reduce operating costs
Ultrafine-grain, solid-carbide thread mills are a time- and cost-saving alternative to taps, especially for large-diameter threadmaking. According to Guhring Inc., Brookfield, Wis., its thread mills produce full threads to within one pitch of the bottom of drilled holes. Available options allow shops to drill and chamfer a hole in one pass. Guhring offers 450 standard thread mill sizes, with and without through-coolant capability. Many thread mills have a PVD TiCN coating. A helical flute reduces chatter, and the same mill can produce right- or left-hand threads and single- or multiple-thread leads. Countersink-style thread mills eliminate secondary operations, according to Guhring. The tools are appropriate for threading steel, stainless steel, titanium, high-temperature alloys and nonferrous materials. Guhring’s thread mills include TM SP (without countersinking step); TMU SP (universal cutter); TMC SP (with countersinking step); DTMC SP (drill/thread mill); and specials.
A free “Thread Milling Program Generator,” available at the company’s Web site, can be used to program CNC machines.
www.guhring.com; (800) 776-6170
Precision Dormer expands Hydra drill range
Precision Dormer, Crystal Lake, Ill., has expanded its Hydra line of replaceable-head drills, an alternative to solid-carbide drills. Two head types are available: the R960 for drilling stainless steel, cast iron, titanium and nickel, and the R950—now available in diameters up to 42mm—for carbon and alloy steels. Both head types use a self-centering, 140°, four-facet split point. This ensures low thrust forces throughout the drilling cycle, according to the company. Each head is available with a range of drill bodies to support drilling 3 diameters deep (H853), 5 diameters deep (H855) and 8 diameters deep (H858). One body can accommodate multiple head sizes.
www.precisiondormer.com; (800) 877-3745
Related Glossary Terms
- alloy steels
alloy steels
Steel containing specified quantities of alloying elements (other than carbon and the commonly accepted amounts of manganese, sulfur and phosphorus) added to cause changes in the metal’s mechanical and/or physical properties. Principal alloying elements are nickel, chromium, molybdenum and silicon. Some grades of alloy steels contain one or more of these elements: vanadium, boron, lead and copper.
- alloys
alloys
Substances having metallic properties and being composed of two or more chemical elements of which at least one is a metal.
- burr
burr
Stringy portions of material formed on workpiece edges during machining. Often sharp. Can be removed with hand files, abrasive wheels or belts, wire wheels, abrasive-fiber brushes, waterjet equipment or other methods.
- chatter
chatter
Condition of vibration involving the machine, workpiece and cutting tool. Once this condition arises, it is often self-sustaining until the problem is corrected. Chatter can be identified when lines or grooves appear at regular intervals in the workpiece. These lines or grooves are caused by the teeth of the cutter as they vibrate in and out of the workpiece and their spacing depends on the frequency of vibration.
- computer numerical control ( CNC)
computer numerical control ( CNC)
Microprocessor-based controller dedicated to a machine tool that permits the creation or modification of parts. Programmed numerical control activates the machine’s servos and spindle drives and controls the various machining operations. See DNC, direct numerical control; NC, numerical control.
- coolant
coolant
Fluid that reduces temperature buildup at the tool/workpiece interface during machining. Normally takes the form of a liquid such as soluble or chemical mixtures (semisynthetic, synthetic) but can be pressurized air or other gas. Because of water’s ability to absorb great quantities of heat, it is widely used as a coolant and vehicle for various cutting compounds, with the water-to-compound ratio varying with the machining task. See cutting fluid; semisynthetic cutting fluid; soluble-oil cutting fluid; synthetic cutting fluid.
- countersinking
countersinking
Cutting a beveled edge at the entrance of a hole so a screw head sits flush with the workpiece surface.
- feed
feed
Rate of change of position of the tool as a whole, relative to the workpiece while cutting.
- gang cutting ( milling)
gang cutting ( milling)
Machining with several cutters mounted on a single arbor, generally for simultaneous cutting.
- metalworking
metalworking
Any manufacturing process in which metal is processed or machined such that the workpiece is given a new shape. Broadly defined, the term includes processes such as design and layout, heat-treating, material handling and inspection.
- milling
milling
Machining operation in which metal or other material is removed by applying power to a rotating cutter. In vertical milling, the cutting tool is mounted vertically on the spindle. In horizontal milling, the cutting tool is mounted horizontally, either directly on the spindle or on an arbor. Horizontal milling is further broken down into conventional milling, where the cutter rotates opposite the direction of feed, or “up” into the workpiece; and climb milling, where the cutter rotates in the direction of feed, or “down” into the workpiece. Milling operations include plane or surface milling, endmilling, facemilling, angle milling, form milling and profiling.
- milling machine ( mill)
milling machine ( mill)
Runs endmills and arbor-mounted milling cutters. Features include a head with a spindle that drives the cutters; a column, knee and table that provide motion in the three Cartesian axes; and a base that supports the components and houses the cutting-fluid pump and reservoir. The work is mounted on the table and fed into the rotating cutter or endmill to accomplish the milling steps; vertical milling machines also feed endmills into the work by means of a spindle-mounted quill. Models range from small manual machines to big bed-type and duplex mills. All take one of three basic forms: vertical, horizontal or convertible horizontal/vertical. Vertical machines may be knee-type (the table is mounted on a knee that can be elevated) or bed-type (the table is securely supported and only moves horizontally). In general, horizontal machines are bigger and more powerful, while vertical machines are lighter but more versatile and easier to set up and operate.
- physical vapor deposition ( PVD)
physical vapor deposition ( PVD)
Tool-coating process performed at low temperature (500° C), compared to chemical vapor deposition (1,000° C). Employs electric field to generate necessary heat for depositing coating on a tool’s surface. See CVD, chemical vapor deposition.
- pitch
pitch
1. On a saw blade, the number of teeth per inch. 2. In threading, the number of threads per inch.
- threading
threading
Process of both external (e.g., thread milling) and internal (e.g., tapping, thread milling) cutting, turning and rolling of threads into particular material. Standardized specifications are available to determine the desired results of the threading process. Numerous thread-series designations are written for specific applications. Threading often is performed on a lathe. Specifications such as thread height are critical in determining the strength of the threads. The material used is taken into consideration in determining the expected results of any particular application for that threaded piece. In external threading, a calculated depth is required as well as a particular angle to the cut. To perform internal threading, the exact diameter to bore the hole is critical before threading. The threads are distinguished from one another by the amount of tolerance and/or allowance that is specified. See turning.
- titanium aluminum nitride ( TiAlN)
titanium aluminum nitride ( TiAlN)
Often used as a tool coating. AlTiN indicates the aluminum content is greater than the titanium. See coated tools.
- titanium carbonitride ( TiCN)
titanium carbonitride ( TiCN)
Often used as a tool coating. See coated tools.
- web
web
On a rotating tool, the portion of the tool body that joins the lands. Web is thicker at the shank end, relative to the point end, providing maximum torsional strength.
