Machining

Darex LLC has recently unveiled the XPS-16+ CNC drill sharpener. This unit can sharpen 2-flute HSS, cobalt, carbide and TiN-coated bits from 3mm to 16mm in diameter.

Mitsubishi Materials announces an expansion to the GY series with its GY-PSC type holders.

Dr. Jeffrey Badger, the host of Cutting Tool Engineering's Grinding Doc Video Series, helps a shop that appears to be grinding good pistons, but complaints about cracking from the customer suggest otherwise. In his 68th episode, Badger explains what's happening and how the shop could miss potential problems despite inspection efforts.

ESPRIT 2016 from DP Technology Corp. features a new innovative high speed lathe roughing strategy, called ProfitTurning that implements ESPRIT's new physics-based cutting engine. While traditional cutting strategies only consider the geometry of the part, ProfitTurning creates the toolpath considering multiple cutting factors and machine characteristics that impact machining performance.

As surface finishing technology continues to evolve, so too does the demand for more efficient, stable and accurate finishing processes, especially when it comes to complex, high-value components. Rosler Metal Finishing has continually met this demand head-on by providing innovative surface finishing solutions, especially in the area of automated handling for precision components.

To maximize the full benefit of recent advances in machine tool designs, Chevin Tools Inc. has developed a new range of boring bar, turning and blade toolholders (parting and grooving applications). Delivering high-pressure coolant directly through the cutting tip of static tools enables significant improvements in cutting efficiency and improves production.

With more and more machines utilizing shrink-fit and hydraulic holders, Hannibal Carbide Tool has extended the size range in its existing standard offering and added both right and left spiral to its h6 reamer series. All h6-style reamers now go up to 1" diameter.

Soft jaw blanks from Dillon Jaws feature a milled surface on the jaw end, opposite to the clamping surface, which serves as an easy-locating feature. This datum serves as a location point for positioning the counter-bored holes and the jaws' serrations resulting in exact dimensional matching of Dillon jaw sets.

The latest positive axial rake, high-feed cutter from Dormer Pramet allows it to be applied with multiple materials across various applications. The Pramet Penta HF is an aggressive high-feed cutter suitable for machining a variety of materials, including heat-treated and difficult-to-machine steels, stainless steels and heat-resistant superalloys (HRSA).

Traditional manual indexable tool repair methods can place limitations on the feasibility of repairing more than moderate pocket damage. GKI says its process using 4- and 5-axis CNC machines removes the damage completely and replaces it with new metal, resulting in a superior-quality tool while enhancing GKI's ability to repair tooling that other repair houses would likely turn away as "beyond repair."

Additive manufacturing (AM) will neither displace existing machining processes nor revolutionize industrial production operations—at least not for the next 5 to 7 years, according to Myron Graw, an AM authority who spoke at METAV 2016, the 19th International Exhibition for Metalworking (Metallverarbeitung) Technologies.

Bumotec has launched the s181 turn-mill center, a compact cost effective multifunction machine targeted at industries such as micromechanic, aerospace, medical and surgical instruments, as well as watch and jewelry. Derived from the well-known Bumotec s191 linear CNC turn-mill center, the new s181 is a 5- to 9-axis unit targeted at single-setup machining of complex and high-precision workpieces.