Cutting Tools & Tooling

Iron's everywhere. The turbines in those big windmills popping up all over the place. Engine blocks, transmission cases, and turbocharger housings. The pumps that bring water to our faucets and the hydraulic manifolds that put the "move" into earthmoving machinery. Without iron, none of these would be possible.

A new, electric portable pipe machining tool that is a powerful alternative to pneumatic tools for end prepping boiler tubes and other pipe fabrication work has been introduced by Esco Tool. The ESCO MILLHOG Mini Electric Pipe Beveling Tool rigidly mounts to the tube or pipe ID and is suitable for end prepping heavy-wall stainless steel pipe and other highly alloyed metals when compressed air is not available.

The new MD133 Supreme milling cutter from Walter, designed specifically for dynamic milling, delivers increased process reliability, particularly during unmanned operation. It reportedly boosts productivity thanks to a higher metal-removal rate and a reduction in machining time.

DUO-LOCK from Kennametal Inc. is a modular endmill with the performance of solid carbide. It uses a proprietary, double-cone locating surface similar to that of Kennametal's KM or KM4X tooling design, assuring "not to exceed" radial runout values of 5 μm (.0002 in.) and Z-axis coupling repeatability of 10 μm (.0004 in.) or better.

With a new reengineered design, the Seco Perfomax indexable insert drill delivers higher drilling parameters and longer tool life as well as exceptional chip control and evacuation. The drill's innovative features include new flute designs with special anti-friction surfaces and laser hardened fronts for added strength, stability and accuracy.

In response to strong demand for reliable machining solutions in the aerospace industry, Sandvik Coromant has launched new tapping and thread milling tools for ISO S materials (titanium and nickel-based alloys). The products have been specifically designed to enhance process security on high-value components, such as engine casings, thus providing reductions in scrap rates and machine downtime.

Machining Inconel 718 and similar heat-resistant superalloys (HRSAs) at cutting speeds normally reserved for aluminum is not only possible but becoming an accepted practice at some aerospace OEMs.

Lucifer Furnaces has designed a furnace to meet the heavy loads of a supplier of automotive safety equipment. Model DL7-R24, a box furnace with a chamber size of 24"H x 24"W x 24"L was customized to support a 1,000-lb. load of molds for heat treating at 750° F.

Customers have been asking for a new carbide grade to machine titanium 6Al4V at higher cutting speeds compared to increasing feed rates or increasing depth of cuts in that result in increased cutting forces imposed on the workpiece, fixtures and machine spindles.

Over 2,000 toolholders from Lyndex-Nikken Inc., Mundelein, Ill., are now available through MachiningCloud Inc., Camarillo, Calif.

New from Sumitomo Electric Carbide Inc., AC4010K and AC4015K series turning grades for cast iron feature recently developed technologies that result in a long and stable tool life. Consisting of a smooth cutting edge treatment, the AC4000K series' use of high adhesion technology drastically improves peeling resistance, according to the company.

Jergens Inc., Cleveland, and MachiningCloud Inc., Camarillo, Calif., partnered to provide Jergens product data in the cloud.