Toolmaker targets titanium

Without a doubt, cutting tools for machining titanium must be well-engineered. This was reinforced for me while attending Horn Technology Days 2017, held May 10 to 12 at Hartmetall-Werkzeugfabrik Paul Horn GmbH, Tübingen, Germany.

The event featured eight presentations about the toolmaker’s technological developments. In addition, the 3,000-plus attendees could tour several production facilities, in which Horn has invested more than $76 million during the previous year. The event’s motto was “A glimpse into the future” and, as board member Andreas Vollmer emphasized during a press conference, the company believes in the future.

Vollmer pointed out that machining titanium is becoming a big topic at Horn. This is primarily because of a fivefold increase in the consumption of titanium worldwide during the past 20 years, to a current level of around 330,000 tons, according to the company. However, there are drawbacks that must be overcome when machining titanium. For example, it is susceptible to the detrimental effect of strain hardening when being cut, and sharp cutting edges, correct machining parameters and optimal chip formation are essential. Also, the hardness of the tools and the heat resistance of their coatings must be appropriate because the metal is such a poor conductor of heat.

In a presentation titled “Economical titanium machining with high-feed milling cutters,” Chris Smith, applications engineer at U.K.-based Horn Cutting Tools Ltd., said half of all titanium parts are made of the Ti6Al4V alloy, which is almost as light as aluminum yet stronger than steel. Unfortunately, titanium is significantly more expensive than both metals—as much as 200 times the price of crude steel, the company reports.