Designed For Change: Turning Performance

For situations where parts are small and space is tight inside sliding head machines, a new holding system offers fast and easy tool changes and a wide variety of cutting options.

Introduced by Sandvik Coromant, the QS Micro is designed for use in many industry segments, including automotive, aerospace, medical and general engineering. It was developed specifically for machining small workpieces (up to 40 mm in diameter, but normally around 20 mm) in smaller Swiss lathes, noted Hampus Jemt, Sandvik Coromant’s global product manager for small part machining and threading. Inside these machines, space is “very limited, so it’s difficult for operators to reach the tools,” Jemt said. “Therefore, in many cases, they are not able to change the tool insert without taking the tool out of the machine. So the main idea with this system is that you easily can remove the cutting head, change the insert outside (the machine) and put it back in.”

According to Sandvik Coromant, the QS Micro features an extensive range of cutting heads for general turning, parting and grooving, and threading. These heads attach to rectangular shaft adapters in cross-sectional sizes ranging from 10 mm × 10 mm to 20 mm × 20 mm, as well as equivalent inch sizes. Shank adapters can fit both rightand left-hand tools. A side lock holding mechanism that firmly attaches heads to adapters minimizes vibration during cutting operations.

QS Micro component grades and geometries are available for all application areas, according to the company. Materials that can be cut include steel, stainless steel, hardened steel, cast iron, non-ferrous materials and heat-resistant super alloys.

The components of the QS Micro system allow a large number of possible configurations, with different cutting heads fitting into different adapters as well as into the same adapter. This modularity “is a good thing if you want to limit your tool inventory,” Jemt noted.