Tooling & Workholding -...

To o l i n g & Wo r kh o l d i n gCONTENTS –Zero point systems explained (iii) – Nano coatings: what, why, benefits (vii)

Lathe chuck primer (xi) – HSK-T: the mill-turn interface (xv) – product update (xix)

The Magazine for Production Engineers

www.machinery.co.uk

APRIL 2011

Pho

to: co

urt

esy S

and

vik

Co

rom

ant

Tooling cover.qxp:Layout 1 31/3/11 14:29 Page i

Milling Down Production Costs with Winning Combinations for Optimal Productivity

ITA recommends the optimal tool based on application parameters and your machine power.3 tool options, 25 alternatives, cutting data, power consumption, cutting time, metal removal rates, engineering support and more

For more information, view this interactive ad at www.iscar.com

Delivering

Profitability

I S CAR Gua r an t ee s Re su l t s

www.iscaruk.co.uk

P002_MCSP_APR11 30/3/11 13:10 Page 1

There have been many innovations

throughout the last decade, but

arguably the one that has had the most

impact on manufacturing opportunities

has been the development of zero point

mounting technology. Not least because

the introduction of zero point systems

has led to production engineers being

forced to challenge the way in which

they have historically looked at

workholding within the manufacturing

process.

Zero point mounting offers

companies a very simple, but effective

way of bringing their current fixturing,

jigs, vices and chucks up to date,

resulting in faster, more reliable and

repeatable change-over and set-up

operations. In fact, there are examples

where zero point has revolutionised set-

up times to the extent that it has

enabled some companies to realise over

100 hours per week of additional

production capacity.

WHAT IS ZERO POINT MOUNTING?

Zero point mounting technology was

initially developed by Stark, one of the

companies within the Roemheld group

(0121 453 1414). The system was based

on Bellville washer technology and

operates by utilising standard workshop

air pressure, converting this via a

booster into hydraulic pressure to

operate the system. This makes zero

point mounting extremely safe for

operators, as the power source is only

required to load and unload the

component and or fixture etc.

In principle, zero point consists of

two elements: a receiver on the

machine table and an insertion nipple in

the part, fixture or vice being placed on

the machining table.

The original, classic design is still the

most versatile zero point system and is

available in up to four versions,

depending on the task required within

the manufacturing process. It is ideal for

machining both small batches and large

production runs. The system offers high

repeatability, with an accuracy of less

than 10 microns achievable. It also has a

very compact design, so that ‘Z’ heights

are not compromised. Zero point is so

versatile that it can be used, in many

cases, for 5-sided machining

applications, and system variants,

including air blow-offs to aid swarf and

coolant evacuation, are also available.

The zero point system operates on

the basis of drawing in the insertion

nipple to the receiver, allowing

poisoning, clamping and releasing, so

that all functions are integrated into a

single element. The nipples, once

inserted, are held in place by Bellville

washers: this eliminates vibration, and

significantly increases the quality of the

machined surface and the life of the

tools. The design of each nipple is such

that no damage can be done to the

fittings during insertion and retraction.

Twist-free, draw-in and slanted insertion

or removal of the workpiece or fixture is

possible at any time.

Zero point technology has come a

long way in just a few years and the

iii

ZERO POINT BENEFITS

TOOLING & WORKHOLDING SUPPLEMENT

www.machinery.co.uk • April 2011

A quick change for industry Workholding specialist Roemheld explains the zero point workholding system and the benefits that it can

offer manufacturing companies

Zero point systems provide a fixed location for fixture or workholding systems having a mating

location feature, providing repeatable production and fast loading/unloading

T&H_zero.qxp:Machinery 31/3/11 12:15 Page iii

latest innovations now include variations

from single, stand-alone systems –

loaded and unloaded manually – through

to fully integrated automatic installations

for loading and unloading of palletising

systems.

Air-operated systems have been

developed for applications where there

is a demand for oil-free mounting

systems, such as food processing and

pharmaceutical industries, and, like the

classic version, these units operate

using standard workshop air pressure,

which makes the installation more cost-

effective for many companies.

HYDRAULIC VERSIONS

Another innovation has taken place with

the creation of hydraulic versions,

designed for use where even quicker

and safer installations are required. This

type of zero point system is ideal for

automated installations, as it has

extremely short clamping cycles.

Having small, compact design

features allows for tight pitch

applications and the long service life of

these units can cope with the high

production rates.

Any number of media ducts can also

be integrated into the systems to allow

automatic coupling and uncoupling of

hydraulic fixtures when being mounted

on the plates.

All too often in today’s competitive

manufacturing sector, production

engineers are faced with timescale

pressures and capacity bottlenecks. And

while zero point systems have been

available for a long time, it is only in

recent years that production engineers

have found just how effective the

systems can be in reducing downtime,

eliminating bottlenecks, reducing scrap

and saving on raw materials. This has

enabled many companies to become

more competitive, while also increasing

profit margins. An average payback of

less than six months has also proved a

major advantage when deciding on the

business case for implementing zero

point.

The technology also offers the same

benefits for small businesses and large

SMEs alike, as they all face similar

challenges: reducing batch quantities,

and having to become more and more

reactive to customers’ demands for

faster delivery of quality parts at

competitive prices.

WHO CAN BENEFIT? ADVANTAGES?

Relatively low-cost start-up systems are

available, so the technology can, if

required, be introduced over a period of

time and within the investment

parameters of many companies.

Once installed, the system can be

added to and built upon: both from

machine to machine and from fixture to

fixture. This ability to convert the

majority of existing workholding

practices within a company has also

proved advantageous to many

businesses.

Competing in global markets is a

challenge that can only be met with

more efficient manufacturing, and a key

part of this is reducing processing and

set-up times. That is why innovations

such as zero point mounting are vital

considerations when ensuring that

correct products are installed on

machine tools.

Utilising innovations such as zero

point mounting will enable UK

manufacturers to continue to combine

cutting edge technology with the skills,

experience and technical know-how

that’s already a feature of many of our

small to large SMEs. This, in turn, will

help them maximise productivity, so

they can compete more effectively in a

today’s difficult economic climate. ■■

iv

ZERO POINT BENEFITS


April 2011 • www.machinery.co.uk

With air/hydraulic pressure required only to load/unload, zero point systems are safe

Zero point system suppliers

Although Stark originated the zero point system, there are, of course, other suppliers.

These include System 3R (02476 538653); Thame Workholding (01844 208050); Micron

Workholding (01480 861321); and Schunk Intec (01908 611127).

T&H_zero.qxp:Machinery 31/3/11 12:17 Page iv

Our tools comes with

an extra feature. Us

When it comes to finding smart tooling solutions, there’s no

substitute for world-leading expertise. The yellow coat is your

guarantee that you’ll get both the world’s finest tools and the

know-how to make the most of them.

With thousands of proven solutions, we have the experience to

help you cut cost per part produced, increase machine utilisa-

tion and improve product quality in everything whether you are

turning, threading, drilling, milling or parting and grooving.

Sound interesting? Go to our site or, better yet, get in touch

with someone in a yellow coat.

www.sandvik.coromant.com/uk

P005_MCSP_APR11 30/3/11 13:11 Page 1


Call: 01543 478710

Click: www.hainbuch.com

SALES ENGINEER - WORKHOLDING

The company is well established globallyand supplies high quality workholding andclamping products to the machine toolmarket and a wide range of engineeringdisciplines.

We require a hard working successful salesengineer to sell an ever expanding range ofthese technically advanced products to theengineering market.

Reporting to the General Manager, thesuccessful candidate will be qualified to atleast HND level in a relevant engineeringdiscipline, and will demonstrate exceptionalcommunication and organisational skillsrequired to proactively develop profitablebusiness to both new and existing accountsand customers.

You will be tasked with the identification ofand introduction to potential users of thecompany product portfolio and will developmutually beneficial relationships, previousexperience of sales and businessdevelopment within the machine tool, cuttingtool or workholding associated markets atshop floor and director level from small tolarge companies would be a distinctadvantage.

Additionally you will also be involved withboth internal and external customers,responding to enquiries and updating onproject progress where required, whilstmaintaining appropriate records andmaximising all potential businessidentification leads.

The ability to work autonomously in astructured and dynamic manner is critical forthis role, A Midlands based engineer wouldbe prefered to better cover the wholemarket.

Full product training will be given in the UKand Germany.

An attractive package will be offered to thesuccessful applicant which will reflect thelevel of experience offered this includes agood basic salary, Company car, Bonus andlaptop.

If you are interested in this excitingopportunity and can demonstrate thenecassary skills please send your CV [email protected]

0LFUR/RF

(K]HUJLK�9LMLYLUJPUN�>VYROVSKPUN�:`Z[LTZ

7YVK\J[PVU��(\[VTV[P]L��(LYVZWHJL��:\I�*VU�

+LZPNULK�HUK�4HU\MHJ[\YLK�PU�[OL�<2�I`�4PJYVU�>VYROVSKPUN4PJYV3VJ�PZ�H�YLNPZ[LYLK�[YHKLTHYR�VM�4PJYVU�>VYROVSKPUN�3[K

:(3,:��

^^^�TPJYVSVJ�JVT

ZHSLZ'TPJYVSVJ�JVT

4PJYVU�>VYROVSKPUN�3[K

�

/PNO�7HJRPUN

+LUZP[`

7V^LYM\S�

(KHW[HISL�

=LYZH[PSL�

,_WHUKHISL�

*VTWHJ[

6

C O M P L E T E W O R K H O L D I N G S O L U T I O N S

• Repeatable quality• Reliable delivery• Competitive pricing• Excellent service

and support

DON’T LET POOR QUALITY

MACHINING LET

YOUR BUSINESS DOWN

Contact us today on Tel: 01827 63591

or email: [email protected]

www.brownandholmes.co.uk

Exclusive Distributor

Brown and Holmes precision machining. Don’t specify anything less.

P006_MCSP_APR11 1/4/11 17:22

The development by Boehlerit, using

its chemical vapour deposition (CVD)

process, derived what it calls its

Nanocrystalline coating technology,

which was heralded as a breakthrough

when it made its world debut in 2007. As

a result, the company was able to

reduce the size of the crystallite in its

tool coatings by a third, to just 25

nanometres, and improve the often

problematic area of coating adhesion by

exploiting the properties of its fine

needle-like surface that intensifies the

adhesive factor. LMT (01676 523440)

refers to this as a ‘zip-fastener’ effect.

Titanium Carbonitride (TiCN) coatings

are generally used to improve the tool

life on indexable cutting inserts, but

development to further improve

performance was largely hampered, due

to the difficulties in reducing the size of

the crystallite. While the CVD process

creates the desirable hard surface with a

strong adhesive property, it lacks

toughness and so led to the

development of multi-layered coatings to

protect tools against wear, mechanical

and thermal stress. However, the

drawback with these coatings was that,

without compromise, they were either

extremely tough or extremely hard.

Being able to work at nanostructure

levels (1 nanometre = 1 billionth of a

metre), LMT was able to successfully

mix the elements of carbon and nitrogen

used in carbonitride coatings, and create

the ideal combination of extreme levels

of hardness and toughness that is able

to perform well, while protecting the

insert from excessive wear.

Since then, LMT has achieved several

thousand successful applications in high

performance turning, milling, bar

peeling, tube and pipe machining, with

the process spun off into gear

cutting, giving overall savings of

some 50% on tool life.

One of the earliest

applications of its Nanolock-

coated inserts was on a

bespoke rail milling train that

was for use by London

Underground for the re-profiling

of the rails, in-situ, on the tube

network that connects some

247 stations over a distance of

25 miles. If the individual

manganese steel rails were laid

end to end, the total distance

covered would be in excess of

1,900 miles.

ON THE RIGHT TRACK

The rail milling train has a working speed

of 2.5 miles/hour and has to remove up

to 3 mm of material from the top

surface of the rail and 5 mm from the

edges, so that any hardened areas and

micro-surface cracking are taken away.

Having four totally independent 75 kW

milling heads, each carrying cutters of

1,320 mm diameter by 115 mm wide,

one pair is used for roughing at

250 m/min and the other for finishing at

300 m/min. Each cutter carries 60 quick-

change cassettes, giving a total of 540

tangential indexable Nanolock inserts,

having either four or eight cutting edges.

Dependent on the track condition, one

cutting edge of each insert is rated to

cover 5 miles at a feed rate of 30 m/min.

Since the first Nanolock applications,

Nanosphere Red – a 4,000 HV super

hardness, nano-composite multi-layer

coating of titanium, aluminium and

nitrogen (TiAiSin) that also contains

silicon to create the ‘red’ hardness – has

been developed by LMT. When used on

end mills to mill hardened materials and

high tensile steels up to 68 HRc tools,

for instance, it has been proven to

withstand temperatures of 1,100 °C,

without coolant, which is some 20%

greater than existing aluminium-nitride

tool coatings, without inducing surface

cracking on the insert. The three micron

depth of the Nanosphere coating also

enabled the working life of the tool to be

increased by at least 50%, even while

giving the capability to employ higher

rates of feed.

Nanosphere Red is available on a

range of LMT end mills between 1 mm

and 20 mm diameter and, on a recent

trial without coolant on 58-59 HRc steel

using a 10 mm diameter LMT MultiEdge

4 Feed HSC cutter, tool life was

extended from 25 to 65 minutes. The

cutter was run at 119 m/min, with a feed

of 0.2 mm/min at a 3 mm depth of cut.

vii

TOOL COATING TECHNOLOGY



Nano coatingsThe term ‘nano coatings’ has entered common parlance in

tooling circles. Here, one of the originators, LMT Bohlerit,

takes us back to explain the what, why and benefits of this

technology, which is still developing

Needle-like properties support improved adhesion

and give what LMT calls a ‘zip-fastener’ effect

T&H_Nano.qxp:Machinery 31/3/11 12:24 Page vii

The latest Nanolock Black developed

by LMT’s in-house CVD team adds a

deposit of Kappa-A1203 ceramic layer to

a TiCN coating. Due to the ‘zip-fastener’

bonding of the nano-structure, the

effects of abrasion on the insert are

minimised and any tendency for

‘thermal comb’ cracks are resisted. The

new ‘Black’ coating also means any

surface oxidation is prevented from

forming when used in dry milling

applications.

NANOLOCK BLACK – LATEST

Initial applications have involved a

Universal Nanolock LC230E milling

grade for machining the edges of steel

plates for pipelines and, like the original

Nanolock coating, has been applied to

resurface manganese-steel railway lines

at cutting speeds up to 300 m/min.

However, the coating is now available in

a wide range of ISO indexable milling

inserts and is useable on all the

common tool systems freely available on

the market.

The Nanolock CVD process is now

being applied to high speed steel, as

well as carbide cutters where the

Nanosphere coating not only acts to

isolate the tool like a heat shield, but

also reacts ‘elastically’ to protect cutters,

such as gear hobs, from the high

thermal and mechanical stresses

generated during the gear cutting

process.

This is especially effective when

hobbing dry without coolant. When

normal nitride coatings are applied under

arduous conditions, an ‘eggshell’ effect

can occur where the high surface

temperature causes a single hard

coating on the surface of the cutting tool

to crack and separate from the softer

substrate. It will then tend to flake back

in similar vein to an eggshell, which

leads to a dramatic reduction in the

cutting life of the tool.

THERMAL REACTION REDUCED

LMT’s engineers liken the four micron

thick Nanosphere multi-layer coating that

surrounds the tool to a ‘layer of rubber’.

This has the effect of slowing down any

thermal reaction between the materials

being cut, the chip and the teeth of the

hob, during the gear cutting process,

thus also extending the time taken for

the substrate to heat up.

At the same time, the elasticity of

the multi-layer coating enables it, in

effect, to move with the substrate and

so it is able to overcome any influence

from loss of stability in the cutter

created by the process. As a result, the

LMT coating should extend the cutting

life by up to a third over conventional

nitride coatings. ■■

viii

TOOL COATING TECHNOLOGY



LMT’s Nanolock coating is now applied to high speed steel. Gear hobs are one target that benefits, with tool life extended by up to a third

Nano coating also available from others

Other cutting tool suppliers that are employing the description ‘nano’ in association with

tool coatings include: WNT (UK) (0800 073 2073); Sumitomo Electric Hardmetal

(01844 342081); Mitsubishi Carbide (01827 312312); ATI Stellram (0800 7316660); and

TaeguTec (01937 589828).

T&H_Nano.qxp:Machinery 31/3/11 12:25 Page viii

REAMING

MDT

JABRO

MULTIFLUTE

NEW MILLING AND

TURNING GRADES

A BOX FULL OF OPPORTUNITIES

At Seco we believe in giving our

customers opportunities; opportunities to

increase productivity, to improve quality

and opportunities to reduce cost.

The Seco News Box contains details

on the latest tooling developments and

machining techniques all in one box.

From the large diameter, multi tooth

Xfix™ reamer programme to new

Turning and milling grades including

new Cermet grades for high tolerance

finishing applications and 2mm MDT.

A range of high performance Jabro™

solid carbide cutters for Titanium alloys

and Multiflute Jabro™ Solid2 for general

finishing applications. Nearly 200 pages

of new and improved products and

range additions.

Take the opportunity now to improve

your productivity by requesting your free

copy of the latest Seco News Box from

www.secotools.com/uk

P009_MCSP_APR11 30/3/11 13:12 Page 1

�3+2)0!−∋%�

�.++%21

�.∃3+!0��)#%1

��

�/0)−∋��.++%21

�0%#)1).−

�)4%��%!∃�

�%−20%1

�� ∃��

� #��!�%��

�261�0)//)−∋��23&&� ��

��

�−∃�� (%��+2),!2%�)−� ..+(.+∃)−∋�

(%��+∀0%#(2��.5%0��(3#∗�� ∀��! ��

�� ∀� ∀!��∀�%

�%��%��

��555�,!#(2%#(�3∗�#.,��

P010_MCSP_APR11 1/4/11 11:27 Page 1

“Before you can machine it, first you

have to hold it”, or so the old

workholding adage goes. But just how

important is this to the planning

engineers and programmers on today’s

multi-function machine tools?

There is no question that the

accuracy expectations of today’s clients

would have seemed like fantasy to their

predecessors of only 20 years ago. The

phenomenal development of machine

tool technology now allows our industry

to produce everyday components to

tolerances previously only attempted in

temperature-controlled environments on

extremely expensive machines.

This article will try to explain some of

the new powered chuck developments

available to help engineers in the race

for the elusive micron or, in the case of

the grinders, sub-micron.

Most CNC lathes on the market are

more accurate than the standard

powered chucks supplied. This is a

commercial decision taken by the lathe

builders to satisfy a basic requirement

that there has to be something on the

spindle, preferably with a through bore,

in order for the lathe to work.

Basic chucks, normally of the hook-

wedge design, have no sealing against

the ingress of swarf and coolant, and

require greasing every day to maintain

any sort of accuracy. Such chucks lose a

minimum of 50% to 60% of their grip

at their maximum rated speed. And they

can lose 50% of their static grip, due to

lack of greasing, while wear can also be

very high.

Twenty years ago, the automotive

industry demanded a solution to the

high demand for chuck maintenance and

this was answered by the hermetically

sealed pull-down chuck. These chucks

moved the maintenance intervals

annually, and also gave the ability to

detect that forgings and castings were

seated properly, through air sensing,

before the machine would start. This

was a huge step forward and became,

and remains, the auto industry standard

for first operation turning on hubs,

bearings, brakes, both discs and drums,

gears and, with centres and face drives

incorporated, also for the machining of

gearbox and drive shafts.

xi

LATHE CHUCK PRIMER



Holding in the roundLathe chucks are, perhaps, not

always given the consideration

they merit by their users, either in

their selection or application.

SMW-Autoblok (01733 394394)

runs over some of the issues

Distortion is the enemy of jaw chucks. But there are ways to improve performance

Distortion test on 315 AP-C3 contact points

Distortion test on 315 TSF-C6 contact points

Circularity result = 0.14 mm


Total gripping force = 12 kNWorkpiece diam = 219 mmWorkpiece wall thickness = 14 mmWorkpiece height = 24 mm


T&H_Lathe.qxp:Machinery 31/3/11 12:30 Page xi

For greater than twenty years, the

sealed chuck has developed into a range

of over 14 styles of chuck, each

specialising in a different process.

High speed chucks were always a

problem area and, with the development

of carbide tool coatings, ever higher

cutting speeds and spindle speeds are

required. To counteract the grip loss due

to centrifugal force, chucks were

designed with in-built counterbalance

weights and produced nice flat grip

curves when new. The problems came

with the lack of maintenance and the

unpredictable performance, due to

internal frictional forces. This has now

been addressed via sealed bodies, and

work on internal design and lubricants.

Now, sealed counterbalanced chucks

can be set up at prove-out with very

light static grip, which can be maintained

at high speed and left to perform

accurately for long periods.

Accuracy is the holy grail to

engineering and also the chuck world.

The general rule is that moving parts,

due to tolerances and distortion, means

loss of accuracy. The most accurate

chucks tend to be diaphragm chucks,

where the gripping action is dependent

upon the controlled deformation of an

alloy steel disc and its ability to return to

its previous state. They regularly achieve

centring accuracies of 0.005 mm.

However, centring accuracy is not the

only criteria engineers are chasing. Jaw

changing has a requirement to be

accurate and cross-tenon jaws give

better performance than serrated jaws,

both in changeover and performance.

Jaw change repeatability can range from

a figure of 0.01 to 0.2 mm on common

sizes of chuck.

JAW CHANGING ISSUES

On to jaw changing in more detail and,

generally, chucks come in 2, 3, 4 and 6-

jaw configuration. One of the biggest

problems to solve is deformation, that is

tri-lobing with a 3 jaw chuck, and at this

point we need to think about jaw design.

Non-sealed chucks without built-in jaw

swivel require top swivelling jaws for the

component shape to be gripped with

minimum deformation. There are jaw

specialists, as well as chuck

manufacturers, who offer jaw design

services to help with this problem,

which is also heavily dependent on the

chuck centrifugal performance.

Where a user has a particular

requirement for minimum component

deformation, the top line chuck

manufacturers offer specific chuck

solutions (see diagrams).

Quick-change chucks are probably the

area of greatest debate, particulary with

regard to chucks used by the

subcontract market. Basically, the

machine only costs the company money

when the spindle is stopped and the

door open. If the company has done its

maths properly, when the spindle is

running the machine should be earning

enough to cover the cost of its

purchase, operator, overheads and,

hopefully, even generate a little profit.

Therefore, anything to help minimise

downtime should be considered.

The argument goes something like

this. When the machine is running, the

operator may be deburring, doing a

bench tapping op or even reading the

paper. This isn’t a problem, as the

machine is earning money. When the

machine stops, the operator has to step

up a gear and get the next operation

running, fast. But a common occurrence

is for the operator to relax at the end of

the batch, take a comfort break, look for

the allen key for the jaws, drop the tee

nuts in the swarf, bore out jaws etc,

with a change-over time commonly

exceeding 30 minutes.

With the purchase of a quick-change

chuck, a focus is put on the downtime

and jaws prepared for the next

operation. If that operation has been

carried out before, then the jaws can be

changed in less than 1 min and can be

accurate to <0.02 mm, without reboring.

Some manufacturers even print this

detail in their catalogues and show the

possible savings.

But this article has really only

scratched the surface, as there are a

host of other lathe chucks – indexing

chucks, shaft chucks, column chucks, oil

country chucks, steady rests, various

collet chucks, expanding mandrels,

vices, cubes and all the prismatic toys of

the workholding world. ■■

xii

LATHE CHUCK PRIMER



Hainbuch is incorporating carbon fibre into its

designs, making acceleration faster, for example

Distortion test on 320 TEF-C12 points of contact



T&H_Lathe.qxp:Machinery 31/3/11 12:34 Page xii

Time for a new read?

The new Fetoga carbide milling catalogue.

Bigger ranges, new geometries and new coatings now available.

To download a copy or buy online please visit our website at

www.fenntool.com

To request a hard copy or for more information

please contact our sales team on 01376 347566.

44 Springwood Drive,

Springwood Industrial Estate, Braintree Essex, CM7 2YN

Tel: +44 (0)1376 347566 Fax: +44 (0) 1376 550827

Email: [email protected] Website: www.fenntool.com Ireland +353 (0)45 877740

Made in

Great Britain

P013_MCSP_APR11 30/3/11 13:12 Page 1

Follow on

http://twitter.com/Machinerytweets

MönchEiger

Jungfrau

Epoxy mineral tombstone

Epoxy – or Steel epoxy cubes with stones out of Swiss moun-

tain lakes, light, stable and practically without vibration for

a maximum utilisation in various sizes.

Ask for our tripoxy catalogue and get an overview yourself.

20years20years

TRIAG precision tools Dept. Epoxy foundry

Aussergrütstrasse 2CH-6319 Allenwinden

Tel. (d+e)+41(0)41 727 27 27Tel. (f) +41(0)41 727 27 96

Fax +41(0)41 727 27 99E-Mail:[email protected]

www.triag.ch

P014_MCSP_APR11 1/4/11 17:24

When originally conceived, the HSK

spindle coupling provided a positive

step forward from the existing BT and

ISO spindle tapers, creating a much

more stable, yet versatile, connection

between rotating cutting tools and the

machine tool. However, with the

growing popularity of multi-tasking

machines such as turning centres, HSK

was itself being left out in the cold,

since, for turning applications, a precise

centre height has to be achieved, which

the original HSK coupling was not able

to guarantee. This left the market open

to proprietary systems, with one in

particular dominating the sector.

A groundswell of opinion grew,

suggesting that greater choice was

needed, in order to open up the market

and create a more competitive

toolholding environment. Therefore, over

the past few years, a group of cutting

tool manufacturers, taking in WNT and

others (see box item below),

came together to create a viable

alternative, based on the existing,

and successful, HSK system. The

result is HSK-T, a new ISO

standard in toolholding for turning

and milling applications on multi-

tasking machine tools.

SEVERELY LIMITED

“Users of multi-tasking machine

tools have been severely limited

in their choice of spindle interface,

due to HSK not being available for

turning applications. This has had the

effect of increasing costs of tooling for a

new machine tool. Now, with the arrival

of HSK-T, we are providing customers

with a choice of spindle interface that is

compatible with existing HSK spindles

that they may have on their machining

centres, therefore creating a more cost-

effective solution,” says Tony

Pennington, managing director at

WNT (UK).

So what is HSK-T? This new

derivative of the HSK quick-change

spindle interface has created a system

that is totally compatible with multi-

tasking/turning applications. Because it

has been developed from the HSK

common standard for rotational tools,

HSK-T can be applied to turning and

rotating tool applications.

It is fully compatible with existing

spindles and automatic toolchange

systems, but the increased precision of

manufacture, particularly the drive

grooves and dogs, ensures that tool

centre height is guaranteed.

The result is a system that saves

time and money for those choosing to

adopt it, with the added versatility of it

being fully compatible with any HSK

milling spindles that companies opting

for it may already have, as part of their

machine shop.

The requirement for high

xv

SPINDLE INTERFACE DEVELOPMENT



HSK-T for turning The HSK coupling was a boon to machining centre users,

but, in its original form, was not suitable for mill-turn

machines. HSK-T is the answer, and one that has a broad

supply base. Tooling supplier WNT (UK) explains

A long time coming

The HSK-T working group comprises some 34 organisations (www.hsk-

t.de/index_en.php?lang=en), taking in cutting tool makers, machine tool builders and

turret manufacturers. The International Committee for Turn-Mill (ICTM), which is behind

the development of the toolholder interface, was set up in 2001, the main effort being a

Japanese one directed by the Japan Machine Accessory Association. An application

was made by the association to ISO in January 2005, with this accepted in May of that

year.

HSK-T has been gathering momentum for a few years, is an international standard –

ISO12164-3/4:2008 – but the main European push, in Germany, only started in 2008. More

and more tooling companies have subsequently announced their support of the

standard in recent years, with WNT (0800 073 2073) one of the most recent. Other

tooling companies offering HSK-T include: Ceratizit (01925 261161), Horn (01425 481800),

LMT Bilz (01676 523440), LMT Boehlerit (01676 523440), Mapal (01788 574700), Mitsubishi

Carbide (01827 312312) and Tungaloy Corporation (0121 244 3064).

HSK-T has been purpose-designed for today’s

mill-turn technology and supports both static

and rotating cutting tools

T&H_HSK.qxp:Machinery 31/3/11 12:39 Page xv

performance cutting tools and faster tool

changes is becoming ever more critical

to ensure that the productivity levels of

UK manufacturers remain competitive.

With HSK-T, users are confident that

these targets will be achieved, with the

added reassurance of higher quality and

repeatability.

CENTRE HEIGHT GUARANTEED

The key factor with HSK-T is the ability

to guarantee the centre height of a

turning tool when it is being used in a

rotating spindle, such as the B-axis

found on many multi-tasking machine

tools – Yamazaki Mazak’s Integrex or

Mori Seiki’s NT ranges, for example –

with insert position guaranteed to +/-

0.11 mm on an HSK-T100 toolholder.

The manufacturing tolerances,

particularly surrounding the drive slots,

have been reduced by as much as 50%

for HSK-T holders. Additionally, as the

key d1 and l1 dimensions comply with

ISO 12164-1 (HSK-A form), this ensures

that HSK-T toolholders can be used on

spindles already designed for HSK

tooling.

The tool change time and set-up time

is drastically reduced and simplified, in

particular the alignment of the tools. The

face and taper connection of HSK-T also

ensures the highest stability when fully

exploiting the potential of the latest

cutting tool developments. Furthermore,

the range of HSK-T tools from WNT (UK)

is aimed at delivering machining in one

set-up and is currently available, ex-

stock, in HSK-T63 and HSK-T100, in

styles to optimally cover all machining

applications, including: turning (internal

and external); parting and grooving;

EcoCut multi-function tools; and

toolholders for square and round shank

tools. Some of the key benefits of the

system are: reduced downtime, due to

fast tool change; rationalised toolstock;

and improved cutting performance, due

to the extremely strong HSK interface.

Further enhancing performance

across WNT’s range of HSK-T

toolholders is the optimised coolant

supply, which is designed to create

more effective production processes. It

achieves this by ensuring that the

coolant is precisely delivered to the

cutting edge to create efficient cooling,

swarf evacuation, enhanced tool life and

reduced cycle times. The system is also

suitable for minimal quantity lubrication

applications.

“With 22 machine tool

manufacturers, including DMG, Mori

Seiki and Yamazaki Mazak, now offering

HSK-T-specific turrets and spindles as an

option on their multi-tasking/multi-

function machine tools, customers now

have a choice that will help them drive

down manufacturing costs when

specifying new machine tools,

particularly multi-tasking and turning

centres,“ Mr Pennington emphasises.

DEMAND INCREASING

WNT launched its HSK-T range at the

AMB Stuttgart exhibition at the end of

2010. In the short space of time since its

general availability, there has been a

growing demand for the product, with

customers putting the onus on machine

tool suppliers to deliver machine tools

with HSK-T compatible spindles and

turrets.

“We are starting to see the first

machine tools being delivered to

customers,” reveals Mr Pennington.

“The encouraging aspect of this is that it

is our customers who are driving this

change and putting pressure on machine

tool builders to ensure that HSK-T is an

option on their machines. Unlike current

alternatives, HSK-T gives a cost-effective

solution and security of supply, due to

its availability from a number of

suppliers. This will help to drive down

manufacturing costs and hopefully

encourage more UK subcontractors to

investigate the purchase of multi-tasking

machine tools.” ■■

xvi

SPINDLE INTERFACE DEVELOPMENT



This machine from Victor CNC is just one

of a number that employs HSK-T

T&H_HSK.qxp:Machinery 31/3/11 12:40 Page xvi

ww

w.k

raas-

lach

man

n.c

om

Walter GB Ltd.

Buntsford Gate, Bromsgrove

+44-1527-839450

[email protected]

www.walter-tools.com

Competitor

Tiger·tec®

Tiger·tec®Silver

New Tiger,

new benchmark:

100%performance

increase

upto

Tiger·tec®Silver is the new high-

performance miracle tool for steel

and cast-iron milling from Walter.

Extremely tough, extremely hard and

extremely long-wearing, it improves

performance by up to 100%.

The machining age is over.

It’s time to Tiger.

P017_MCSP_APR11 30/3/11 13:13 Page 1

P018_MCSP_APR11 1/4/11 17:19 Page 1

xix

DEVELOPMENTS & APPLICATIONS IN BRIEF



Martin-Baker ejects variability with Speroni presetter

WNT’s extensive suite of solid

carbide drills has been

enhanced with the addition of

the WPC-VA range, suitable for

drilling stainless steels (0800

0732073).

As part of WNT’s

Mastertool Plusline series,

which looks to volume

production to keep

manufacturing costs low, they

provide an exceptional price-

to-performance ratio.

The TiALN-multilayer coated

indexable drills are available in

3x and 5x diameter to length

ratios as standard, while from

2 mm (3 mm for 5x diameter)

through to 20 mm diameter are

available in 0.1 mm increments.

In addition, all drills above

3 mm diameter can be

supplied with through coolant

as standard.

The volume production of

the WPC-VA drills also ensures

security of stock, with WNT

offering its usual next day,

before noon, delivery promise

on any of the drills in its

catalogue.

“The WPC-VA drills are a

perfect example of how our

Mastertool Plusline strategy of

using volume production

creates price competitive

cutting tools, in order to

deliver performance,

enhancing benefits to our

customers,” says Tony

Pennington, managing

director, WNT (UK).

A video of the reamers in

action can be seen online at:

http://www.wnt.com/833_EN

G_HTML.htm

Stainless steel indexable drills are affordable Product rush

TaeguTec’s first product

launch for 2011 is the Turn

Rush Series for semi-heavy

turning operations (01937

589828).

The HB Chipbreaker is

the first from the Turn Rush

stable. Developed to

reduce cutting forces

during medium to heavy

turning, the chipbreaker is

ideal for automotive,

general engineering and

heavy industrial

applications.

Available with a variety

of insert grades, it can

machine a diverse range of

materials that includes

carbon steel, stainless and

hardened steel, cast iron,

aluminium, inconel and

titanium.

BRIEFS

Clamping/manipulationA new range of clamping

and manipulation products

from Tecnomors, Italy, has

been added to 1st

Machine Tool Accessories’

(1st MTA) workholding

range (01725 512517).

Tecnomors’ self-

centring pneumatic and

hydraulic vices, manual

chucks and automatic

indexing chucks are said

ideal for precision, multi-

axis machining operations.

The products are

complemented by the

company’s automation

grippers, linear motion

units, rotary actuators,

pressure intensifiers and a

series of robot

accessories, including

distributor couplings,

rotary units and locking

units. All equipment is

supported by ancillaries,

enabling workpieces from

just a few grams to

hundreds of kilos to be

clamped and manipulated

with ease.

Tool life’s silver liningTooling giant Walter GB

(01527 839450) has

expanded the

revolutionary Tiger.tec

Silver range of indexable

inserts to embrace all its

milling tools for steel and

cast iron machining. Users

are reporting tool life

increases of up to 100%

with Tiger.tec Silver

Next will be Tiger.tec

Silver inserts for drilling

and turning, and

extensions to the current

universal grade of

WKP35S that will embrace

grades with higher levels

of toughness and

hardness.

Ejection seat maker Martin-

Baker has reduced the

variability of machining

processes at its Denham

factory, following installation in

December 2010 of an

automated tool presetter from

Speroni, Italy (NCMT, 020

8398 4277).

According to production

engineer Andrew Jay, the

greater precision with which

cutters are preset is on target

to reduce scrap rates by 40%

from a Makino a55 FMS

(flexible manufacturing

system).

The complexity of the

installation, coupled with a

need to produce a product

portfolio of 500 different parts

to high accuracy in small

batches, led to variability in the

quality of the machined

components.

A project to reduce

component variability was

instigated in early 2010 by Mr

Jay, who identified the main

problem as the accuracy of

tool offsets entered into the

CNC systems controlling the

four Makino a55s.

“Using one of our manual

pre-setters, 16 operators

obtained differing results when

measuring maximum cutter

diameter in X and the length in

Z from the tool tip to the

gauge line of the BBT40-taper

BIG Daishowa toolholders,”

explains Mr Jay.

“The spread of results was

marked, bearing in mind that

general drawing tolerance is ±

0.005 inch and is often as tight

as ± 0.001 inch. Any

measurement system has to

be up to 10 times more

precise than the tolerance it is

trying to achieve.

“The programmable

Speroni presetter has

underpinned measuring to this

level of accuracy and

considerably reduced the

variability in geometry offsets,”

he concludes.

T&H_Product.qxp:Machinery 31/3/11 14:32 Page xix

www.eurekamagazine.co.uk September 2010

In this issue: PLM Round Table • Drives, Controls & Automation • Rapid Product Development

A WINNINGHANDBritish prosthetics

lead the world

M E D I C A L S P E C I A L R E P O R T

M A N U F A C T U R I N G M A N A G E M E N T B E S T P R A C T I C E

se

pte

mb

er

20

10

GKN’s Andrew Reynolds Smith on bigging up British manufacturing

Greaterexpectations

Absenteeism

Inflexible employment rules

could cost employers dearly

Manufacturing IT

Can advanced planning and

scheduling software deliver

much-needed agility?

Materials Handling

We look ahead to the sector’s

major event, IMHX 2010

The magazine for electronic design engineers 23 November 2010

www.newelectronics.co.uk

EMBEDDED INSTRUMENTS ENABLE COMPLEX TEST • OPENVPX OPENS UP • DESIGNS ON DISTRIBUTION

Going for goldHow leading edge training technology

from UK industry and academia is

boosting the performance of Britain’s

Olympic and Paralympic athletes

www.transportengineer.org.uk October 2010

• Advanced technology and

engineering innovation

come to the tanker market

• How transport engineers

can help local authorities

with limited resources

• Reviewing solutions,

advice and caveats from

the IRTE’s biofuel conference

Youth groupsGetting to grips with apprentice schemes

I N S I D E : B U S & C O A C H E N G I N E E R S U P P L E M E N T

September/October 2010

• Calculating your true carbon footprint• How to predict plant failure problems • Hydraulics and pneumatics engineering

• Instrumentation and control technology • Making the right choice with coatings• Energy-saving in action: plant reports

Deepwater

HorizonBP’s report and analysis suggestsserious food for thought across all higher risk plant types

www.newelectronics.co.uk

The Magazine for Production Engineers September 2010

www.machinery.co.uk

CRC legislation

Coolant creationMaster Chemical’sR&D advantage

Enlightened approachDawson invests in skills and quality

Will suppliers feel the ripple effect?SEPARATE

AEROSPACE

SUPPLEM

ENT

WIT

HTHIS

ISSUE

ENGINEERING ON CAMPUS

www.engineeringoncampus.co.uk Winter 2010

Changing lanes

The mechanical grad working

on automotive electronics

Cyber soldiers

The engineers protecting

national security

When small means big

Nanotechnology driving

automotive innovation

Gripping stuff!

How engineering is impacting

the world of prosthetics

Get into a snow sports engineering career

Livingon the edge Electrifying careers

for bright sparksPlug in to electric vehicle engineering

Man vs Machine

Get tech-savvy with an

engineering apprenticeship

Back to Basics

We talk tapping, bug eye

cameras and diagnostics

View from the top

Andrew Reynolds Smith

sees the bigger picture

ENGINEERING

APPRENTICE

www.engineeringapprentice.co.uk

Autumn 2010 £6.99

www.findlay.co.uk

Inspired by innovation

Passionate about engineering

P020_MCSP_APR11 1/4/11 17:18 Page 1

xxi




Diverse work benefits from expert tooling advice

D&D Tool & Cutter is

successfully exploiting Kurt

MiniLock clamps (Leader

Chuck Systems, 0121 771

4843) to hold multiple parts in

a pallet set-up, in support of

high efficiency machining.

Just like a vice, MiniLocks

are extremely rigid and hold

parts in position for precision

machining operations. D&D

Tool & Cutter has actually

designed another application

for Kurt for its screw-down

clamps to fix multiple parts for

three-sided machining

operations. This setup uses a

pallet fixture mounted on flat

plates with locator bushings.

The MiniLocks perform the

actual part clamping operation.

Through the use of

machined pockets in the cast

iron base, plus a series of nine

MiniLocks, 18 part locations

are configured to allow

machining of six parts on three

sides (below). For Kurt, D&D

has been running 750 parts at

a time, produced with 0.5

micron Ra and a +/- 7.5 micron

bore tolerance.

After completing two runs

with a total of 1,500 finished

parts to complete the initial

inventory requirement, the

pallet fixture was moved to

Kurt’s plant where the parts

will be produced on a just-in-

time basis.

Kurt Minilock user develops new solution Swarf solution For bar turning,

countersinking and turning

operations with a single

tool are routine.

Traditional X-geometry

inserts are not always ideal

for dealing with long and

bulky swarf fragments.

Applitec has developed a

new family of inserts, the

700ZX geometry inserts,

combining the machining

benefits of X inserts with

the ‘chip rolling’ capability

of ISO inserts.

Available from Floyd

Automatic Tooling (01462

491919), the new 700ZX

Series is suited to difficult-

to-machine materials and

super alloys, while offering

drastically improved tool

life.

BRIEFS

Hanita regrindsIndustrial Tooling Corp

(ITC), Tamworth (01827

304500), is the official re-

grind facility for the Hanita

brand of Kennametal

round carbide tools.

ITC has been providing

a re-grind and recondition

service for its customers

for over 13 years, cost

effectively returning

customers’ HSS and solid

carbide cutting tools to an

‘as new’ condition.

ITC’s managing

director, Mr Peter Graves,

comments: “This

announcement recognises

that we are the only UK

facility that has access to

the original Hanita end mill

geometries. This enables

us to return all Hanita end

mills to an ‘as new’

condition.”

Small parts clampingSystem 3R’s Twist Lock

direct-clamping chuck is

for the automated

handling of small parts

(02476 538653).

Developed in

conjunction with the

Swiss watchmaking

industry, Twist Lock is

based on the GPS 120

chuck with its proven and

guaranteed repeatable

accuracy of 2 m.

The turbo clamping

force of the system

provides a maximum

1,400 N per Twist Lock

chuck. After the operation

has been completed, the

ejector function pushes

the workpiece 2mm out of

the workspace, so that it

can be removed safely. It

also compensates for

height differences of each

workpiece.

Subcontractor Turnell & Odell

has seen great changes in

cutting tools in its 101-year

history and continues to do so,

aided by WNT (UK) (0800

0732073).

Its customer base ranges

from oil and gas, through

renewable energy, to yellow

goods and the food industry,

to name but a few. With

volumes ranging from one-offs

to several thousand-off, the

ability to cut metal effectively

is a vital ingredient to its

success.

“The diverse nature of the

work that we are given means

that we have experience of

machining a variety of

materials,” says managing

director Clive Odell “However,

because we are constantly

changing from one to another,

we cannot truly claim to be

experts in every aspect of

machining them. This is where

we have gained an advantage

by working closely with WNT

(UK), in particular with its

technical sales engineer,

Warren Howard. Where we

need advice, Warren has the

depth of knowledge that can

turn a good job into a very

good job.”

An example of this was a

large shaft made from 431/S29

steel, with a number of 316L

stainless blanks shrunk and

welded onto it, which required

some very complex

machining. Turnell & Odell was

able to program the part offline

using its Edgecam software,

but, to cut it efficiently, it had

to be ‘fine-tuned’ via the

purchase of some new milling

cutters from WNT and advice

from Mr Howard on cutting

data. The result was that we

were much more efficient and

better placed to meet

customer deadlines.

T&H_Product.qxp:Machinery 31/3/11 14:33 Page xxi

xxii




Vacuum system holds plates accurately

A new series of solid carbide,

four-fluted endmill cutters

from LMT UK (01676 523440)

has the innovative feature of

being ground with different

helix angles applied to

consecutive flutes of the tool.

Called DHC (Different Helix

Cutter) INOX and available

from 4 to 20 mm diameter,

the development offers the

benefit of reducing vibration

under heavy cutting by

creating the effect of a

continuously modified pitch to

the cutting edge.

These tools have been

specifically developed to

overcome problems

associated with vibration and

poor surface finish that is

mainly caused from the build

up of harmonic oscillation

when circumferentially milling

materials such as titanium,

nickel-based alloys, stainless

steels and short-chipping

aluminium. Due to the

geometry created in the DHC

INOX endmill, the same tool

can be used for both rough

and finishing passes at very

high rates of feed per tooth.

By creating an uneven

pattern of helix angles, set at

41° and 44° on sequential

cutting edges of the tool,

cutting forces are also

reduced, as any chips

produced will have different

cross-sectional areas.

Cutters have varying helix angles Expert tooling choiceThe ISCAR Tool Advisor

(ITA) supports tool

selection in a scientific

manner.

Available at

www.iscar.com/ITA, after

comparing experts’ tool

selections for a range of

given applications to the

results achieved via ITA,

the advantage of Iscar’s

expert system, compared

with conventional,

subjective selection

process, has been proven.

For example, when

milling a 90° shoulder of

low alloy steel, 10 mm

height and 10 mm width,

tools selected by ITA

delivered 100% more

productivity, compared to

manual tool selection.

Schunk Intec’s new vacuum

clamping system, Planos, can

clamp even thin plates

precisely and without

deformation, it is claimed

(01908 611127).

The system consists of one

or several combined matrix

plates and a vacuum

generator. During the clamping

operation, the workpiece is

mounted on Planos and the

vacuum activated. The

component is quickly clamped

at a height tolerance of +/-0.02

mm. Mechanical stops are

also available to aid positioning

and additionally absorb

shearing forces.

The vacuum system is a

modular design and can be

extended to meet the specific

needs. It can also be applied

to existing set-ups by fixing

the matrix plate with a quick-

change pallet system,

clamping blocks or clamping

claws on the machine table.

The standardised matrix

plate has a base body made of

high tensile aluminium that is

available in 300 by 200, 300 by

400 and 400 by 600 mm sizes,

with grid dimensions of 12.5,

25 and 30 mm.

Depending on the

workpiece geometry, type of

machining and the horizontal

forces, the suction surface and

required grid dimension can be

determined. The smaller the

grid dimensions, the higher

the holding forces.

On request, the matrix

plates can be additionally

equipped with friction pads

that boost the horizontal

holding forces by up to 30%.

BRIEFS

General-purpose CBN Mitsubishi Carbide (01827

312312) has created a

general-purpose grade

CBN insert.

Called BC8020, it has a

more reliable and stronger

cutting edge than previous

grades. This allows

interrupted cutting,

without compromising tool

life for high speed

continuous operations on

steels up to 60 HRC. In

addition, high crater wear

resistance makes it

possible to use larger

depths of cut than is

usually possible for

operations such as

removing outer carburised

layers on raw material.

The inclusion of

chipbreakers for some

insert styles allows deeper

cutting for increased metal

removal rates.

Wiper type inserts are

included, while, to

complete the choice,

BC8020 has three edge

honing styles – FS for

continuous cutting, GA for

general cutting and TA for

interrupted applications.

Nova chuck versatilityThe Mando Adapt dead-

length T811, with quick

change interface for the

Hainbuch dead-length

Nova chuck, easily

converts the dead-length

or Axfix chuck to internal

gripping in less than a

minute (01534 478710).

With no radial

adjustment necessary, the

integral Centrex interface

will position within 0.003

mm. The unit clamps

radially, without a

drawbolt, so it is also said

ideal for short blind bores.

T&H_Product.qxp:Machinery 31/3/11 14:34 Page xxii

P023_MCSP_APR11 30/3/11 13:14 Page 1

P024_MCSP_APR11 30/3/11 13:15 Page 1

Tooling & Workholding -...

Documents

Transcript of Tooling & Workholding -...