- Tips on machining 2017/10/12 UP
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Tips on machining vol.13
How to achieve both high-efficiency machining of general materials and machining of difficult-to-cut materials
- Tag
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- Coolant
- Machining of difficult-to-cut materials
- Heat-resistant alloy
- Titanium
- Inconel
Why is a heat-resistant alloy difficult to cut?
Recently, efforts to reduce CO2 emissions have been accelerating towards global warming mitigation. In the automotive industry, heat-registrant alloys such as Inconel and titanium alloys have been increasingly used for engines and valves of automobiles (including trucks and other commercial vehicles). These materials have advantages of low thermal conductivity and high heat resistance, but these advantages can also become disadvantages. Cutting heat generated during machining is not conducted to the workpiece or chips but accumulates on the tool tip, causing an increase in tool tip temperature, which leads to shorter tool life. Moreover, cutting temperature increases as cutting speed increases, making it difficult for operators to increase cutting speed. This is the reason why materials like Inconel and titanium alloys are called “difficult-to-cut materials.”
Points to increase machining efficiency
Cutting heat is a major obstacle that hinders acceleration of cutting speed. However, seen from another perspective, this also means that we will be able to achieve both machining of heat-resistant alloys and high-efficiency machining of general materials if we successfully eliminate cutting heat from the tool (or tool tip) and control temperature rise. One of the effective means to achieve this is to utilize high-pressure coolant.
The high-pressure coolant system supplies coolant to the cutting point by increasing discharge pressure to 7 MPa or above, while the ordinary coolant system discharges coolant at a pressure of approximately 0.5 MPa. Increasing discharge pressure enables coolant to reach the cutting point, significantly improving lubrication and cooling effects. Some reports say that the discharge pressure was increased to as high as 30 MPa.
Advantages of high-pressure coolant
High-pressure coolant can bring the following advantages to users: (1) lower manufacturing costs due to increased efficiency, (2) lower tooling costs due to extended tool life, (3) automated production due to its excellent chip breaking performance, and (4) fewer machining defects due to less abnormal tool wear. High-pressure coolant is also effective in preventing chips from being accumulated on the workpiece during I.D. machining or machining on a vertical turning center. In this way, high-pressure coolant assists cutting operation and solves various problems.
The most distinctive feature of high-pressure coolant is that it makes machining of difficult-to-cut materials like Inconel, titanium alloy and stainless steel as easy as ordinary materials like steel and aluminum alloy. So, high-pressure coolant will be of great help particularly for those who have been interested in using difficult-to-cut materials but have hesitated due to their lack of knowledge about such machining.
High pressure coolant is quite effective not only for machining of difficult-to-cut materials but also for high-efficiency machining of general materials, which proved itself to have a wide range of applications and a great potential. If reading this article inspires you to learn more about high-pressure coolant, please feel free to contact us. We will provide you with application examples and useful information about the introduction of high-pressure coolant into your shop floor.
Features and mechanism of a high pressure coolant-capable tool holder
| Tool manufacturer | Sandvik |
|---|---|
| Name | CoroTurn HP |
| Feature Mechanism |
The number of nozzles (1 to 3) and the inner diameter size (Φ0.6 to Φ1.2) can be selected for coolant discharge |
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| Scene of coolant discharge |  |
| Tool manufacturer | Tungaloy |
|---|---|
| Name | TUNG TURN JET |
| Feature Mechanism |
The nozzle comes out from the coolant unit by coolant pressure, enabling coolant to be discharged from a position closer to the tool tip. |
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| Scene of coolant discharge |  |
| Tool manufacturer | Mitsubishi Materials |
|---|---|
| Name | Jet Tech |
| Feature Mechanism |
With the boomerang-shape discharge port, coolant can be supplied to a wide area from the flank face |
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| Scene of coolant discharge |  |
| Tool manufacturer | Iscar |
|---|---|
| Name | JET-CUT |
| Feature Mechanism |
Discharging high-pressure coolant from the company’s patented nozzle that is located closer to the cutting edge than a nozzle from other companies. |
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| Scene of coolant discharge |  |
| Tool manufacturer | Kyocera |
|---|---|
| Name | KTKF-JCT |
| Feature Mechanism |
High pressure coolant is discharged from two locations: the rake face and diagonally above the rake face. |
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| Scene of coolant discharge |  |
| Tool manufacturer | SECO |
|---|---|
| Name | Jet Stream |
| Feature Mechanism |
Improved chip disposal was achieved by effectively supplying coolant from the tool holder to an optimal position close to the cutting edge. |
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| Scene of coolant discharge |  |
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