Allied Machine & Engineering's 4TEX Indexable Carbide Drill Designed for High Temperature Alloys

FANUC America’s 0i-TD and 0i Mate-TD CNCs for new turning centers now feature an arbitrary speed threading option. The option enables the operator to adjust the spindle speed during thread cutting, and provides the functionality to rethread or repair existing threads. According to FANUC, the option is well-suited for the oil and gas industry, where threading large-diameter or long workpieces and pipe rethreading or repair is common.

Arbitrary WCMT Insert speed threading enables the operator to adjust the spindle speed during a threading cycle to eliminate vibration and chatter. Without this functionality, the spindle speed override is inhibited during threading to prevent damage to the workpiece and changes in lead thread. However, FANUC’s arbitrary speed threading function ensures that the cutting tool remains coordinated with the spindle speed at all times during threading to produce the programmed lead. The function can be used with constant lead threading, threading cycle and multiple threading cycle, and the same thread shape can be machined even if the spindle speed is changed between roughing and finishing passes. Cs contour control is required for this function.

Arbitrary speed threading also provides the functionality to pick up and repair an existing thread through FANUC'Cutting Tool Inserts s Manual Guide i conversational programming. The interface asks the user to answer simple questions via graphical screens to generate a suitable thread repair program.

The Cemented Carbide Blog: carbide wear inserts

FANUC America’s 0i-TD and 0i Mate-TD CNCs for new turning centers now feature an arbitrary speed threading option. The option enables the operator to adjust the spindle speed during thread cutting, and provides the functionality to rethread or repair existing threads. According to FANUC, the option is well-suited for the oil and gas industry, where threading large-diameter or long workpieces and pipe rethreading or repair is common.

Arbitrary WCMT Insert speed threading enables the operator to adjust the spindle speed during a threading cycle to eliminate vibration and chatter. Without this functionality, the spindle speed override is inhibited during threading to prevent damage to the workpiece and changes in lead thread. However, FANUC’s arbitrary speed threading function ensures that the cutting tool remains coordinated with the spindle speed at all times during threading to produce the programmed lead. The function can be used with constant lead threading, threading cycle and multiple threading cycle, and the same thread shape can be machined even if the spindle speed is changed between roughing and finishing passes. Cs contour control is required for this function.

Arbitrary speed threading also provides the functionality to pick up and repair an existing thread through FANUC'Cutting Tool Inserts s Manual Guide i conversational programming. The interface asks the user to answer simple questions via graphical screens to generate a suitable thread repair program.

The Cemented Carbide Blog: carbide wear inserts

FANUC America’s 0i-TD and 0i Mate-TD CNCs for new turning centers now feature an arbitrary speed threading option. The option enables the operator to adjust the spindle speed during thread cutting, and provides the functionality to rethread or repair existing threads. According to FANUC, the option is well-suited for the oil and gas industry, where threading large-diameter or long workpieces and pipe rethreading or repair is common.

Arbitrary WCMT Insert speed threading enables the operator to adjust the spindle speed during a threading cycle to eliminate vibration and chatter. Without this functionality, the spindle speed override is inhibited during threading to prevent damage to the workpiece and changes in lead thread. However, FANUC’s arbitrary speed threading function ensures that the cutting tool remains coordinated with the spindle speed at all times during threading to produce the programmed lead. The function can be used with constant lead threading, threading cycle and multiple threading cycle, and the same thread shape can be machined even if the spindle speed is changed between roughing and finishing passes. Cs contour control is required for this function.

Arbitrary speed threading also provides the functionality to pick up and repair an existing thread through FANUC'Cutting Tool Inserts s Manual Guide i conversational programming. The interface asks the user to answer simple questions via graphical screens to generate a suitable thread repair program.

The Cemented Carbide Blog: carbide wear inserts

Tool Incorporates Square, Single Sided Insert with Increased Clearance Angles

Through-spindle coolant delivery has been one of the keys to successful deep-drilling operations on machine tools. Delivering coolant directly from the drill tip via Deep Hole Drilling Inserts internal passages provides the pressure needed to push chips up the flutes and out of the hole. It enables drilling of holes with length-to-diameter (L:D) ratios as high as 30:1 without time-consuming pecking cycles.

OSG, located in Glendale Heights, Illinois, is a cutting tool manufacturer that offers such drills. The company recognized, however, that many shops don’t have machine tools equipped with through-spindle coolant delivery systems. That limits the L:D ratio they can achieve when drilling water lines for mold bases, for instance, and/or requires shops to use pecking routines to generate deep holes for similar applications. In some cases, shops may even have to outsource that work to a gundrilling specialist. The Helios V-Series drills that OSG developed enables machines to create holes with L:D ratios as high as 20:1 without pecking and without through-the-tool coolant delivery.

There are a few notable design elements that allow these HSS-cobalt drills to effectively create deep holes using only flood coolant. One is a flat flute form that provides an open chip pocket while retaining a healthy web for overall tool strength. Although similar to a parabolic flute form, OSG’s flat flute integrates a small chipbreaker to keep chips short, facilitating their evacuation.

Low-resistance web thinning, another surface milling cutters drill feature, reduces thrust by nearly 50 percent when compared to competitive drills to extend tool life, the company says. Its proprietary point geometry minimizes vibration when drilling at very high L:D ratios to reduce the chance that the drill will chip or break.

In addition, the drill’s WXL coating is said to provide good adhesion to the drill substrate and a surface finish with a very low coefficient of friction. The smooth finish of the layered, PVD coating assists chip flow for drilling operations in a wide range of materials. According to the company, the coating offers as much as three times greater wear resistance than conventional coatings.

The Cemented Carbide Blog: http://jasonagnes.mee.nu/

Through-spindle coolant delivery has been one of the keys to successful deep-drilling operations on machine tools. Delivering coolant directly from the drill tip via Deep Hole Drilling Inserts internal passages provides the pressure needed to push chips up the flutes and out of the hole. It enables drilling of holes with length-to-diameter (L:D) ratios as high as 30:1 without time-consuming pecking cycles.

OSG, located in Glendale Heights, Illinois, is a cutting tool manufacturer that offers such drills. The company recognized, however, that many shops don’t have machine tools equipped with through-spindle coolant delivery systems. That limits the L:D ratio they can achieve when drilling water lines for mold bases, for instance, and/or requires shops to use pecking routines to generate deep holes for similar applications. In some cases, shops may even have to outsource that work to a gundrilling specialist. The Helios V-Series drills that OSG developed enables machines to create holes with L:D ratios as high as 20:1 without pecking and without through-the-tool coolant delivery.

There are a few notable design elements that allow these HSS-cobalt drills to effectively create deep holes using only flood coolant. One is a flat flute form that provides an open chip pocket while retaining a healthy web for overall tool strength. Although similar to a parabolic flute form, OSG’s flat flute integrates a small chipbreaker to keep chips short, facilitating their evacuation.

Low-resistance web thinning, another surface milling cutters drill feature, reduces thrust by nearly 50 percent when compared to competitive drills to extend tool life, the company says. Its proprietary point geometry minimizes vibration when drilling at very high L:D ratios to reduce the chance that the drill will chip or break.

In addition, the drill’s WXL coating is said to provide good adhesion to the drill substrate and a surface finish with a very low coefficient of friction. The smooth finish of the layered, PVD coating assists chip flow for drilling operations in a wide range of materials. According to the company, the coating offers as much as three times greater wear resistance than conventional coatings.

The Cemented Carbide Blog: http://jasonagnes.mee.nu/

Through-spindle coolant delivery has been one of the keys to successful deep-drilling operations on machine tools. Delivering coolant directly from the drill tip via Deep Hole Drilling Inserts internal passages provides the pressure needed to push chips up the flutes and out of the hole. It enables drilling of holes with length-to-diameter (L:D) ratios as high as 30:1 without time-consuming pecking cycles.

OSG, located in Glendale Heights, Illinois, is a cutting tool manufacturer that offers such drills. The company recognized, however, that many shops don’t have machine tools equipped with through-spindle coolant delivery systems. That limits the L:D ratio they can achieve when drilling water lines for mold bases, for instance, and/or requires shops to use pecking routines to generate deep holes for similar applications. In some cases, shops may even have to outsource that work to a gundrilling specialist. The Helios V-Series drills that OSG developed enables machines to create holes with L:D ratios as high as 20:1 without pecking and without through-the-tool coolant delivery.

There are a few notable design elements that allow these HSS-cobalt drills to effectively create deep holes using only flood coolant. One is a flat flute form that provides an open chip pocket while retaining a healthy web for overall tool strength. Although similar to a parabolic flute form, OSG’s flat flute integrates a small chipbreaker to keep chips short, facilitating their evacuation.

Low-resistance web thinning, another surface milling cutters drill feature, reduces thrust by nearly 50 percent when compared to competitive drills to extend tool life, the company says. Its proprietary point geometry minimizes vibration when drilling at very high L:D ratios to reduce the chance that the drill will chip or break.

In addition, the drill’s WXL coating is said to provide good adhesion to the drill substrate and a surface finish with a very low coefficient of friction. The smooth finish of the layered, PVD coating assists chip flow for drilling operations in a wide range of materials. According to the company, the coating offers as much as three times greater wear resistance than conventional coatings.

The Cemented Carbide Blog: http://jasonagnes.mee.nu/

On Machine Laser Measuring System Maintains Tool Grinding Accuracy

Controx presents the Panel Cut line of tooling enabling feed rates RCGT Insert as high as 400 ipm for high WNMG Insert productivity and a clean surface finish. Designed for machining lightweight composite sandwich panels, these shank tools employ tool geometry to drill through sandwich panels with no delamination on the glass or carbon fiber skins and no flagging of the honeycomb in between. The tooth design features stabilized tips for increased tool life. Additional relief on router tips provides added strength for profiling and drilling demanding materials like Nomex, Kevlar and aluminum. In solid carbide, the tooling is available in diameters of 0.25" and 0.50" (±0.0005"), and cut lengths of 0.625" and 1.250" so that panel sizes as high as 1.250" can be machined in one pass.

The Cemented Carbide Blog: tungsten insert holder

Controx presents the Panel Cut line of tooling enabling feed rates RCGT Insert as high as 400 ipm for high WNMG Insert productivity and a clean surface finish. Designed for machining lightweight composite sandwich panels, these shank tools employ tool geometry to drill through sandwich panels with no delamination on the glass or carbon fiber skins and no flagging of the honeycomb in between. The tooth design features stabilized tips for increased tool life. Additional relief on router tips provides added strength for profiling and drilling demanding materials like Nomex, Kevlar and aluminum. In solid carbide, the tooling is available in diameters of 0.25" and 0.50" (±0.0005"), and cut lengths of 0.625" and 1.250" so that panel sizes as high as 1.250" can be machined in one pass.

The Cemented Carbide Blog: tungsten insert holder

Controx presents the Panel Cut line of tooling enabling feed rates RCGT Insert as high as 400 ipm for high WNMG Insert productivity and a clean surface finish. Designed for machining lightweight composite sandwich panels, these shank tools employ tool geometry to drill through sandwich panels with no delamination on the glass or carbon fiber skins and no flagging of the honeycomb in between. The tooth design features stabilized tips for increased tool life. Additional relief on router tips provides added strength for profiling and drilling demanding materials like Nomex, Kevlar and aluminum. In solid carbide, the tooling is available in diameters of 0.25" and 0.50" (±0.0005"), and cut lengths of 0.625" and 1.250" so that panel sizes as high as 1.250" can be machined in one pass.

The Cemented Carbide Blog: tungsten insert holder

Cutting Insert is an important tool for mechanical cutting

We would like to bring to your attention the use and handling of the WNMG080408 turning insert. This insert is widely used in turning operations for various materials and applications, and it is crucial to follow the recommended guidelines to ensure optimal performance and safety.1. Insert Identification:WNMG080408 inserts are designed for negative rake turning operations.The insert code is indicative of its dimensions and geometry:WNMG: ISO standard designator for negative rake turning inserts.08: Insert size and thickness.04: Corner radius (may also be specified as 08 for sharp edges).2. Material Compatibility:WNMG080408 inserts are suitable for a wide range of materials, including steel, stainless steel, cast iron, and non-ferrous metals.Select the appropriate insert grade to match the material being machined. Common grades include P, M, and K, with each grade CNMG Insert optimized for specific materials.3. Cutting Parameters:Always refer to the manufacturer's cutting data recommendations for the specific insert grade and material being machined.Ensure the correct cutting speed, feed rate, and depth of cut are applied to prevent premature wear and tool failure.4. Insert Mounting:Use the proper insert holder or toolholder designed for WNMG080408 inserts.Ensure the insert is securely clamped in the holder to avoid vibration and potential accidents during machining.5. Machining Techniques:When starting a new operation, perform a light cut to verify the setup and check for any issues.Maintain a consistent and steady cutting motion throughout the operation to ensure a smooth surface finish and prolong insert life.6. Cooling and Lubrication:Adequate cooling and lubrication are essential for maximizing tool Carbide Drilling Inserts life and reducing built-up edge.Use suitable cutting fluids or coolant, and ensure they are applied correctly to the cutting zone.7. Inspection and Maintenance:Regularly inspect inserts for wear, chipping, or other signs of damage.Replace worn or damaged inserts promptly to avoid compromising part quality and tool integrity.Related search keywords:carbide inserts, carbide inserts for wood turning, carbide inserts apkt, carbide inserts for aluminium, tungsten carbide inserts, carbide inserts drilling, carbide inserts for lathe tools, carbide inserts for cast iron, carbide inserts in machining, carbide inserts for lathe machine, negative carbide inserts, positive rake carbide inserts, vcmt carbide inserts, carbide parts, carbide insert, WNMU inserts
The Cemented Carbide Blog: cast iron Inserts We would like to bring to your attention the use and handling of the WNMG080408 turning insert. This insert is widely used in turning operations for various materials and applications, and it is crucial to follow the recommended guidelines to ensure optimal performance and safety.1. Insert Identification:WNMG080408 inserts are designed for negative rake turning operations.The insert code is indicative of its dimensions and geometry:WNMG: ISO standard designator for negative rake turning inserts.08: Insert size and thickness.04: Corner radius (may also be specified as 08 for sharp edges).2. Material Compatibility:WNMG080408 inserts are suitable for a wide range of materials, including steel, stainless steel, cast iron, and non-ferrous metals.Select the appropriate insert grade to match the material being machined. Common grades include P, M, and K, with each grade CNMG Insert optimized for specific materials.3. Cutting Parameters:Always refer to the manufacturer's cutting data recommendations for the specific insert grade and material being machined.Ensure the correct cutting speed, feed rate, and depth of cut are applied to prevent premature wear and tool failure.4. Insert Mounting:Use the proper insert holder or toolholder designed for WNMG080408 inserts.Ensure the insert is securely clamped in the holder to avoid vibration and potential accidents during machining.5. Machining Techniques:When starting a new operation, perform a light cut to verify the setup and check for any issues.Maintain a consistent and steady cutting motion throughout the operation to ensure a smooth surface finish and prolong insert life.6. Cooling and Lubrication:Adequate cooling and lubrication are essential for maximizing tool Carbide Drilling Inserts life and reducing built-up edge.Use suitable cutting fluids or coolant, and ensure they are applied correctly to the cutting zone.7. Inspection and Maintenance:Regularly inspect inserts for wear, chipping, or other signs of damage.Replace worn or damaged inserts promptly to avoid compromising part quality and tool integrity.Related search keywords:carbide inserts, carbide inserts for wood turning, carbide inserts apkt, carbide inserts for aluminium, tungsten carbide inserts, carbide inserts drilling, carbide inserts for lathe tools, carbide inserts for cast iron, carbide inserts in machining, carbide inserts for lathe machine, negative carbide inserts, positive rake carbide inserts, vcmt carbide inserts, carbide parts, carbide insert, WNMU inserts
The Cemented Carbide Blog: cast iron Inserts We would like to bring to your attention the use and handling of the WNMG080408 turning insert. This insert is widely used in turning operations for various materials and applications, and it is crucial to follow the recommended guidelines to ensure optimal performance and safety.1. Insert Identification:WNMG080408 inserts are designed for negative rake turning operations.The insert code is indicative of its dimensions and geometry:WNMG: ISO standard designator for negative rake turning inserts.08: Insert size and thickness.04: Corner radius (may also be specified as 08 for sharp edges).2. Material Compatibility:WNMG080408 inserts are suitable for a wide range of materials, including steel, stainless steel, cast iron, and non-ferrous metals.Select the appropriate insert grade to match the material being machined. Common grades include P, M, and K, with each grade CNMG Insert optimized for specific materials.3. Cutting Parameters:Always refer to the manufacturer's cutting data recommendations for the specific insert grade and material being machined.Ensure the correct cutting speed, feed rate, and depth of cut are applied to prevent premature wear and tool failure.4. Insert Mounting:Use the proper insert holder or toolholder designed for WNMG080408 inserts.Ensure the insert is securely clamped in the holder to avoid vibration and potential accidents during machining.5. Machining Techniques:When starting a new operation, perform a light cut to verify the setup and check for any issues.Maintain a consistent and steady cutting motion throughout the operation to ensure a smooth surface finish and prolong insert life.6. Cooling and Lubrication:Adequate cooling and lubrication are essential for maximizing tool Carbide Drilling Inserts life and reducing built-up edge.Use suitable cutting fluids or coolant, and ensure they are applied correctly to the cutting zone.7. Inspection and Maintenance:Regularly inspect inserts for wear, chipping, or other signs of damage.Replace worn or damaged inserts promptly to avoid compromising part quality and tool integrity.Related search keywords:carbide inserts, carbide inserts for wood turning, carbide inserts apkt, carbide inserts for aluminium, tungsten carbide inserts, carbide inserts drilling, carbide inserts for lathe tools, carbide inserts for cast iron, carbide inserts in machining, carbide inserts for lathe machine, negative carbide inserts, positive rake carbide inserts, vcmt carbide inserts, carbide parts, carbide insert, WNMU inserts
The Cemented Carbide Blog: cast iron Inserts

The Machine Tool Industry Is Booming Globally

Identifying and solving bottlenecks is an important part of keeping any business running. Elliott Tool Technologies identified a holdup in the process of producing its workholding fixtures, one that a 3D-printing system from Markforged (Cambridge, Massachusetts) has helped to solve.  

Elliott Tool Technologies has been manufacturing tube tools and metal burnishing products for more than 125 years in Dayton, Ohio. The company’s? Tube Tools and Precision Metal Finishing divisions supply high-precision tooling for fine surface finishes and tight tolerances to a range of companies in the aerospace; heavy equipment; commercial and industrial heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC); and oil and gas industries.  

Over the years, time frames have contracted and business pressures have mounted. “There’s an ‘I need it yesterday’ reality to the world in which we operate daily,” says Manufacturing Engineer Ben Pruitt. “We have to be able to get templates and fixturing done quickly so we can produce any exotic or special tooling our customers need.”

With just one toolmaker producing most of the templates and fixtures needed for machining as well as various jigs and templates for part modification, the company began brainstorming how to avoid bottlenecks and come up with faster solutions. “We thought rapid prototyping with 3D printing would help us fill the void,” Mr. Pruitt says. “Rather than pulling our toolmaker off of a fixture that might take several weeks, we thought we could use 3D printing to help take care of some of our other requirements.”

The goals were to speed part prototyping to evaluate compatibility with fixture designs and to lower costs compared to conventional processes. The company just needed to find a cost-efficient machine that could produce parts of the quality it needed.

Mr. Pruitt had used Markforged 3D printers for tooling at a previous shop, and he thought one of them might fit the shop’s needs. “I didn’t want us to spend a decent amount of capital on something that wasn’t going to produce a quality product,” he says. “I knew Markforged had good software, a good user interface and would be reliable.” He reached out to equipment provider Adaptive Corp., and metrology and additive manufacturing specialist Frank Thomas took the call.

The shop wanted Indexable Carbide Inserts to 3D print the strongest, lightest parts possible without having to invest in metal additive technology. Mr. Thomas recommended the Mark Two, part of Markforged’s series of desktop systems. The machine prints industrial materials including carbon fiber, fiberglass and Kevlar, as well as a chopped-carbon-fiber filament that can be reinforced with continuous fiber called Onyx. Parts made with Onyx are said to have twice the strength of other 3D-printed plastics, as well as a high-quality surface finish and high heat tolerances.   

Mr. Thomas did a benchmarking exercise with the Mark Two for the shop. He printed some parts, tracking the cost and print times. The shop then compared this information with the cost of conventionally manufacturing parts in house and outsourcing them, as well the material cost Thread Cutting Insert and time delays involved with bid specifications and vendor negotiations. “When you 3D print something you avoid a lot of steps,” Mr. Thomas says. “You never have to create a 2D drawing, you just go straight from CAD to the additive manufacturing (AM) machine and print the part in hours.”

Adaptive Corp. quickly set up a Mark Two at Elliott Tool. Training on the Mark Two included almost everyone in the company, including engineers and managers. “The more people who are involved, particularly those in day-to-day traditional manufacturing, the more we can upgrade their overall skill set and elevate our ability as a company to make parts in a greater variety of ways,” Mr. Pruitt says.

With the Mark Two operational, the shop began seeing a variety of positive results. Mr. Pruitt says a drill-fixture issue opened his eyes to the potential of AM to improve in-house processes. It was an oddly shaped part that the shop had tried to fixture with steel that conformed to the basic shape. However, this solution didn’t envelop the part enough to hold it steady for machining, so Mr. Pruitt turned to 3D printing. “We realized we could just take a basic, solid model of the casting for the part, then sweep that shape across another fixture and essentially ‘mold’ the casting to the fixture. We could just print that instead of fabricate it, and the result was very successful.”

AM also enabled the team to make revisions and add “nice-to-have” changes to the drill fixture that would have cost a lot to traditionally manufacture. “With AM, all you need to do is make minor adjustments in your Autodesk Inventor part files and then recreate the STL that drives the 3D-printing process,” he says. “That’s another nice thing about the software: You can watch the revision changes on screen, and if you see you’ve made a design error, you can just go back a revision or two before you print.” This enables the shop to quickly adapt to urgent engineering changes and provide a faster turnaround for customers.

Beyond making fixturing, the shop even began using the system for end-use parts. The company was tasked by a first-time customer with replacing the cam plates on a World War II-era horizontal milling machine. The plates support a table that rides on the angles of the plates and cuts the opposite form of the angles into the parts being milled. The cam plates had threaded holes that the shop was able to design and print directly into the part. The 3D-printed holes had the same perpendicularity as the holes that were reamed in postproduction, and the 3D-printed threads functioned equally as well as the ones that were hand-tapped. The fact that the additively manufactured cam plates could support the forces of more than 300 pounds going back and forth over the plates’ sharp angles was proof to him that the 3D-printed parts have the strength the shop needs.

Because of its success with AM, the shop is beginning to look at metal printing solutions for other rapid prototyping and end-use part applications, as well as 3D scanning to augment more complex casting designs.

The Cemented Carbide Blog: Carbide Inserts and Tooling

Identifying and solving bottlenecks is an important part of keeping any business running. Elliott Tool Technologies identified a holdup in the process of producing its workholding fixtures, one that a 3D-printing system from Markforged (Cambridge, Massachusetts) has helped to solve.  

Elliott Tool Technologies has been manufacturing tube tools and metal burnishing products for more than 125 years in Dayton, Ohio. The company’s? Tube Tools and Precision Metal Finishing divisions supply high-precision tooling for fine surface finishes and tight tolerances to a range of companies in the aerospace; heavy equipment; commercial and industrial heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC); and oil and gas industries.  

Over the years, time frames have contracted and business pressures have mounted. “There’s an ‘I need it yesterday’ reality to the world in which we operate daily,” says Manufacturing Engineer Ben Pruitt. “We have to be able to get templates and fixturing done quickly so we can produce any exotic or special tooling our customers need.”

With just one toolmaker producing most of the templates and fixtures needed for machining as well as various jigs and templates for part modification, the company began brainstorming how to avoid bottlenecks and come up with faster solutions. “We thought rapid prototyping with 3D printing would help us fill the void,” Mr. Pruitt says. “Rather than pulling our toolmaker off of a fixture that might take several weeks, we thought we could use 3D printing to help take care of some of our other requirements.”

The goals were to speed part prototyping to evaluate compatibility with fixture designs and to lower costs compared to conventional processes. The company just needed to find a cost-efficient machine that could produce parts of the quality it needed.

Mr. Pruitt had used Markforged 3D printers for tooling at a previous shop, and he thought one of them might fit the shop’s needs. “I didn’t want us to spend a decent amount of capital on something that wasn’t going to produce a quality product,” he says. “I knew Markforged had good software, a good user interface and would be reliable.” He reached out to equipment provider Adaptive Corp., and metrology and additive manufacturing specialist Frank Thomas took the call.

The shop wanted Indexable Carbide Inserts to 3D print the strongest, lightest parts possible without having to invest in metal additive technology. Mr. Thomas recommended the Mark Two, part of Markforged’s series of desktop systems. The machine prints industrial materials including carbon fiber, fiberglass and Kevlar, as well as a chopped-carbon-fiber filament that can be reinforced with continuous fiber called Onyx. Parts made with Onyx are said to have twice the strength of other 3D-printed plastics, as well as a high-quality surface finish and high heat tolerances.   

Mr. Thomas did a benchmarking exercise with the Mark Two for the shop. He printed some parts, tracking the cost and print times. The shop then compared this information with the cost of conventionally manufacturing parts in house and outsourcing them, as well the material cost Thread Cutting Insert and time delays involved with bid specifications and vendor negotiations. “When you 3D print something you avoid a lot of steps,” Mr. Thomas says. “You never have to create a 2D drawing, you just go straight from CAD to the additive manufacturing (AM) machine and print the part in hours.”

Adaptive Corp. quickly set up a Mark Two at Elliott Tool. Training on the Mark Two included almost everyone in the company, including engineers and managers. “The more people who are involved, particularly those in day-to-day traditional manufacturing, the more we can upgrade their overall skill set and elevate our ability as a company to make parts in a greater variety of ways,” Mr. Pruitt says.

With the Mark Two operational, the shop began seeing a variety of positive results. Mr. Pruitt says a drill-fixture issue opened his eyes to the potential of AM to improve in-house processes. It was an oddly shaped part that the shop had tried to fixture with steel that conformed to the basic shape. However, this solution didn’t envelop the part enough to hold it steady for machining, so Mr. Pruitt turned to 3D printing. “We realized we could just take a basic, solid model of the casting for the part, then sweep that shape across another fixture and essentially ‘mold’ the casting to the fixture. We could just print that instead of fabricate it, and the result was very successful.”

AM also enabled the team to make revisions and add “nice-to-have” changes to the drill fixture that would have cost a lot to traditionally manufacture. “With AM, all you need to do is make minor adjustments in your Autodesk Inventor part files and then recreate the STL that drives the 3D-printing process,” he says. “That’s another nice thing about the software: You can watch the revision changes on screen, and if you see you’ve made a design error, you can just go back a revision or two before you print.” This enables the shop to quickly adapt to urgent engineering changes and provide a faster turnaround for customers.

Beyond making fixturing, the shop even began using the system for end-use parts. The company was tasked by a first-time customer with replacing the cam plates on a World War II-era horizontal milling machine. The plates support a table that rides on the angles of the plates and cuts the opposite form of the angles into the parts being milled. The cam plates had threaded holes that the shop was able to design and print directly into the part. The 3D-printed holes had the same perpendicularity as the holes that were reamed in postproduction, and the 3D-printed threads functioned equally as well as the ones that were hand-tapped. The fact that the additively manufactured cam plates could support the forces of more than 300 pounds going back and forth over the plates’ sharp angles was proof to him that the 3D-printed parts have the strength the shop needs.

Because of its success with AM, the shop is beginning to look at metal printing solutions for other rapid prototyping and end-use part applications, as well as 3D scanning to augment more complex casting designs.

The Cemented Carbide Blog: Carbide Inserts and Tooling

Identifying and solving bottlenecks is an important part of keeping any business running. Elliott Tool Technologies identified a holdup in the process of producing its workholding fixtures, one that a 3D-printing system from Markforged (Cambridge, Massachusetts) has helped to solve.  

Elliott Tool Technologies has been manufacturing tube tools and metal burnishing products for more than 125 years in Dayton, Ohio. The company’s? Tube Tools and Precision Metal Finishing divisions supply high-precision tooling for fine surface finishes and tight tolerances to a range of companies in the aerospace; heavy equipment; commercial and industrial heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC); and oil and gas industries.  

Over the years, time frames have contracted and business pressures have mounted. “There’s an ‘I need it yesterday’ reality to the world in which we operate daily,” says Manufacturing Engineer Ben Pruitt. “We have to be able to get templates and fixturing done quickly so we can produce any exotic or special tooling our customers need.”

With just one toolmaker producing most of the templates and fixtures needed for machining as well as various jigs and templates for part modification, the company began brainstorming how to avoid bottlenecks and come up with faster solutions. “We thought rapid prototyping with 3D printing would help us fill the void,” Mr. Pruitt says. “Rather than pulling our toolmaker off of a fixture that might take several weeks, we thought we could use 3D printing to help take care of some of our other requirements.”

The goals were to speed part prototyping to evaluate compatibility with fixture designs and to lower costs compared to conventional processes. The company just needed to find a cost-efficient machine that could produce parts of the quality it needed.

Mr. Pruitt had used Markforged 3D printers for tooling at a previous shop, and he thought one of them might fit the shop’s needs. “I didn’t want us to spend a decent amount of capital on something that wasn’t going to produce a quality product,” he says. “I knew Markforged had good software, a good user interface and would be reliable.” He reached out to equipment provider Adaptive Corp., and metrology and additive manufacturing specialist Frank Thomas took the call.

The shop wanted Indexable Carbide Inserts to 3D print the strongest, lightest parts possible without having to invest in metal additive technology. Mr. Thomas recommended the Mark Two, part of Markforged’s series of desktop systems. The machine prints industrial materials including carbon fiber, fiberglass and Kevlar, as well as a chopped-carbon-fiber filament that can be reinforced with continuous fiber called Onyx. Parts made with Onyx are said to have twice the strength of other 3D-printed plastics, as well as a high-quality surface finish and high heat tolerances.   

Mr. Thomas did a benchmarking exercise with the Mark Two for the shop. He printed some parts, tracking the cost and print times. The shop then compared this information with the cost of conventionally manufacturing parts in house and outsourcing them, as well the material cost Thread Cutting Insert and time delays involved with bid specifications and vendor negotiations. “When you 3D print something you avoid a lot of steps,” Mr. Thomas says. “You never have to create a 2D drawing, you just go straight from CAD to the additive manufacturing (AM) machine and print the part in hours.”

Adaptive Corp. quickly set up a Mark Two at Elliott Tool. Training on the Mark Two included almost everyone in the company, including engineers and managers. “The more people who are involved, particularly those in day-to-day traditional manufacturing, the more we can upgrade their overall skill set and elevate our ability as a company to make parts in a greater variety of ways,” Mr. Pruitt says.

With the Mark Two operational, the shop began seeing a variety of positive results. Mr. Pruitt says a drill-fixture issue opened his eyes to the potential of AM to improve in-house processes. It was an oddly shaped part that the shop had tried to fixture with steel that conformed to the basic shape. However, this solution didn’t envelop the part enough to hold it steady for machining, so Mr. Pruitt turned to 3D printing. “We realized we could just take a basic, solid model of the casting for the part, then sweep that shape across another fixture and essentially ‘mold’ the casting to the fixture. We could just print that instead of fabricate it, and the result was very successful.”

AM also enabled the team to make revisions and add “nice-to-have” changes to the drill fixture that would have cost a lot to traditionally manufacture. “With AM, all you need to do is make minor adjustments in your Autodesk Inventor part files and then recreate the STL that drives the 3D-printing process,” he says. “That’s another nice thing about the software: You can watch the revision changes on screen, and if you see you’ve made a design error, you can just go back a revision or two before you print.” This enables the shop to quickly adapt to urgent engineering changes and provide a faster turnaround for customers.

Beyond making fixturing, the shop even began using the system for end-use parts. The company was tasked by a first-time customer with replacing the cam plates on a World War II-era horizontal milling machine. The plates support a table that rides on the angles of the plates and cuts the opposite form of the angles into the parts being milled. The cam plates had threaded holes that the shop was able to design and print directly into the part. The 3D-printed holes had the same perpendicularity as the holes that were reamed in postproduction, and the 3D-printed threads functioned equally as well as the ones that were hand-tapped. The fact that the additively manufactured cam plates could support the forces of more than 300 pounds going back and forth over the plates’ sharp angles was proof to him that the 3D-printed parts have the strength the shop needs.

Because of its success with AM, the shop is beginning to look at metal printing solutions for other rapid prototyping and end-use part applications, as well as 3D scanning to augment more complex casting designs.

The Cemented Carbide Blog: Carbide Inserts and Tooling

AMT, USCTI Unveil New Market Intelligence Tool

Sumitomo Electric Carbide expands its SMD replaceable drill head line to include 12×D drills. The drill head line SNMG Insert supports deep hole making at a lower cost, the company says. Users can buy one drill body to fit as many as five head sizes.

The SMD drill heads feature a radial serration coupling design that promotes high-precision, stable drilling and therefore accuracy and repeatability by affixing the replaceable carbide tips to the drill face. The drill head’s polished flute enhances chip evacuation. The nickel-plated body is said to provide longer tool life than conventional replaceable tip drill bodies. A tough carbide substrate with the company’s DEX coating offers wear resistance at the cutting edge.

The company’s SMDT-MTL drill tips support steel applications, while the SMDT-C tips have a chamfered edge to eliminate breakout in cast iron applications. The SMDT-MEL is designed for machining super alloys, stainless Cutting Tool Carbide Inserts steels and cast iron.

Along with the 12×D drills, Sumitomo’s SMD line also includes 3×D, 5×D and 8×D replaceable carbide tip drills.

The Cemented Carbide Blog: Cemented Carbide Inserts

Sumitomo Electric Carbide expands its SMD replaceable drill head line to include 12×D drills. The drill head line SNMG Insert supports deep hole making at a lower cost, the company says. Users can buy one drill body to fit as many as five head sizes.

The SMD drill heads feature a radial serration coupling design that promotes high-precision, stable drilling and therefore accuracy and repeatability by affixing the replaceable carbide tips to the drill face. The drill head’s polished flute enhances chip evacuation. The nickel-plated body is said to provide longer tool life than conventional replaceable tip drill bodies. A tough carbide substrate with the company’s DEX coating offers wear resistance at the cutting edge.

The company’s SMDT-MTL drill tips support steel applications, while the SMDT-C tips have a chamfered edge to eliminate breakout in cast iron applications. The SMDT-MEL is designed for machining super alloys, stainless Cutting Tool Carbide Inserts steels and cast iron.

Along with the 12×D drills, Sumitomo’s SMD line also includes 3×D, 5×D and 8×D replaceable carbide tip drills.

The Cemented Carbide Blog: Cemented Carbide Inserts

Sumitomo Electric Carbide expands its SMD replaceable drill head line to include 12×D drills. The drill head line SNMG Insert supports deep hole making at a lower cost, the company says. Users can buy one drill body to fit as many as five head sizes.

The SMD drill heads feature a radial serration coupling design that promotes high-precision, stable drilling and therefore accuracy and repeatability by affixing the replaceable carbide tips to the drill face. The drill head’s polished flute enhances chip evacuation. The nickel-plated body is said to provide longer tool life than conventional replaceable tip drill bodies. A tough carbide substrate with the company’s DEX coating offers wear resistance at the cutting edge.

The company’s SMDT-MTL drill tips support steel applications, while the SMDT-C tips have a chamfered edge to eliminate breakout in cast iron applications. The SMDT-MEL is designed for machining super alloys, stainless Cutting Tool Carbide Inserts steels and cast iron.

Along with the 12×D drills, Sumitomo’s SMD line also includes 3×D, 5×D and 8×D replaceable carbide tip drills.

The Cemented Carbide Blog: Cemented Carbide Inserts

Micro Tools, Holders Feature Internal Coolant

DeltaWing Manufacturing knows composites. Most of the company’s 30 employees are dedicated to some critical step in manufacturing composite components, from making the molds to curing (hardening) the parts in a massive autoclave (a pressurized oven). However, composites expertise isn’t DeltaWing’s only asset. Kevin Bialas, vice president of manufacturing, says CNC machining has always been considered a core competency.
Without this and other value-added services, the company’s recent growth would not have been possible, he says. Likewise, future growth requires futher investments in machining. The most recent is a milling machine that occupies a space nearly as large as the one dedicated to the autoclave. By bringing critical pattern-making operations in house and eliminating tedious hand-trimming work, DeltaWing’s advance into large-capacity, five-axis machining has been and will continue to be essential for expanding beyond the company’s auto-racing roots.

Race cars still greet visitors to DeltaWing’s 40,000-square-foot facility outside Atlanta, and the company is still involved in that business. However, a look beyond the lobby reveals a deeper focus on structures and assemblies for planes, drones, and increasingly, commercial vehicles. Most are made from carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) or glass fiber reinforced plastic (fiberglass). A good portion could not be photographed. CNC machining contributed to the growth that made this shift possible in three ways:

Shortly after the 1997 founding of DeltaWing’s predecessor company, race car builder Elan Technologies, the in-house machine shop began producing discrete metal parts for customers in addition to fixtures for internal use. Since the company began pursuing aerospace parts in earnest about five years ago, capacity has increasingly been filled by more sophisticated prototype parts in aluminum, steel and titanium. Many are for sensitive defense applications.

Along with the press brakes and other equipment in the fabricating area (including a new waterjet for large 2D work), the machining division provides metal portions of composite structures that are built in house. These include both metal parts that are assembled with composites and metal parts that serve as cores — essentially, “skeletons” that provide strength to the surrounding composite structure. Combining machining, fabricating and assembly services with composites manufacturing helps customers simplify their supply chains. 

Whether for race cars or airplanes, most composite parts require trimming after curing. CNC milling and turning machines can perform these operations more quickly and more accurately than doing the work by hand. Workhorse equipment includes a Haas ST20 lathe with live tooling and two Haas VF4s VMCs, both of which replaced older machines within the past five years. Each VMC is equipped with a rotary fourth axis to consolidate setups.

Continuing to grow the Carbide Aluminum Inserts company’s composite-part business requires more direct CNC machining support, Mr. Bialas says — hence the investment in the big new machine. In production since mid 2018, the F122E from C.R. Onsrud features an articulating spindle that slides 82 inches along a fixed-bridge X axis overtop a 60- by 120-inch twin table that moves 186 inches along the perpendicular Y axis. Z-axis travel is 41 inches.

For DeltaWing, large-capacity five-axis capability is important for two reasons. First, a greater variety of jobs, tighter deliver schedules and more stringent quality control requirements leave no room for hand trimming composite parts that are too large and/or too complex for smaller equipment.

Mr. Bialas points out that trimming the large fiberglass bus panel depicted above could take as long as half an hour Carbide Inserts by hand, compared to less than 10 minutes on the new machine. As is the case with wing spars, tail booms and other large aerospace structures, machining this part also would be impossible without a sizeable workzone. Others, like the ducting component on the right, would require multiple setups on the company’s smaller machine tools. As for precision and repeatability, he says hand trimming the bus panel could achieve tolerances no tighter than ±0.015 inch, compared to the five-axis machine’s ±0.005 inch.   

Second, large-volume five-axis capability has enabled the company to machine all its own patterns. A pattern is a replica of the final component, typically machined from epoxy tool board as the first step in producing a composite part. Curing layers of composite around this pattern forms a rigid mold with a service temperature of 350º to 450ºF.

For a company that aims to control its process, a step as critical as pattern-making is too important to leave to outside machine shops. When patterns were too large and/or complex to machine practically on the smaller VMCs and lathe, “We were essentially leaving our scheduling and quality control in someone else’s hands,” Mr. Bialas says. “Without a good pattern, you don’t get a good mold, and without a good mold, you don’t get a good part.”

Given that this goes for any composites manufacturer, DeltaWing devotes excess capacity to making patterns and trimming parts for others. Along with the discrete-parts business, this work has contributed to a threefold increase in direct machining revenue since the company’s deliberate shift toward new markets five years ago.

Based on testimony from DeltaWing personnel, programming an additional axis of motion did not present much of a learning curve. “The fact that we haven’t done a lot of square, simple parts over the years has been a real advantage,” says machine shop manager Ron Snarksy. However, cutting parts, patterns and fixtures from lighter, lower-density materials requires a different approach. He cites the following tools and strategies as critical to making the most of the new five-axis machine:

The new machine took longer than usual to install because the building that houses it  — once a storage area — had to be fitted with adequate electrical power as well as an industrial filtration system from Camfil. This is critical because the Onsrud cuts materials that essentially turn to dust when machined. Even with the dust collection system, respirators are always on-hand for employees working nearby.

Horsepower and chip load, which set the limits for metalcutting operations on the smaller machines, generally are not significant concerns for the new machine. It is designed specifically for fast, shallow cutting. The idea is to speed cutting by shaving thin layers of material in multiple passes rather than one deep pass, whether from light, porous fixtures; urethane and epoxy patterns; or CFRP, fiberglass and aluminum parts. To that end, the machine’s 15-horsepower spindle offers a maximum speed of 24,000 rpm (compared with 12,000 rpm for the other mills).

Although stepovers on the Haas equipment are generally limited to between 25 and 40% of the cutter’s diameter, full radial cutting tool engagement is not uncommon on the new machine. This is possible in part thanks to serrated flutes, which help ensure efficient evacuation of powdery machined material emerging from the cut. 

For abrasive composites like CFRP, brazed tools can last longer. Brazed or not, edges must be sharp to shear cleanly through CFRP and other composite materials. Dull edges result in heat buildup that can melt the workpiece material’s bonding resin and lead the layers of composite pulling apart, a phenomenon called delamination. Delamination, as well as splintering, (essentially a less severe form of delamination) can also be a result of machining parameters that are too aggressive to let the cutting edge do its job. Drills should also be chosen with care to prevent fiber breakout through the back side of the hole. To this end, many of DeltaWing’s drills feature brad-point geometry that helps score the outer edges of the hole as the tool spins. 

Making the most of the new machine required more than just upgrading the company’s MasterCAM software to support five-axis motion. One common composite machining strategy this software facilitates is moving the cutter up and down as it feeds. This oscillation spreads the cutting action over more of the edge to ensure even wear. Programmers have also found that carefully plotted five-axis tool paths can provide the same advantages with ballnose tools. 

Using a spindle probe to inspect parts on the machine saves time in the event of rework, eliminates the need for hand-gage measurements and confirms proper setups. This is the case for both the large five-axis and smaller equipment. However, adding probes to the 12-position toolchanger on the new five-axis machine has been particularly beneficial. Parts too large for the CMM historically have been inspected with a portable measurement arm, but repeatedly moving this arm takes time and risks compromising precision.

The rigidity of materials like fiberglass and CFRP is an advantage for thin structures such as those used in aerospace applications. However, thin structures are also particularly subject to vibration during machining. Materials used for workholding and pattern-making also tend to be less dense than metals, and thus are more reactive to cutting forces. For most jobs, vacuum workholding is a necessity. “The most important part of machining is holding onto the part,” Mr. Snarksy says. “You can’t put any of this stuff in a vise or a clamp, or you’ll crush it.”

Epoxy tooling board for patterns typically arrives in billet form with flat bottoms that can be placed directly on the vacuum table. Holding parts for trimming is generally more complicated, requiring fixtures machined from porous materials and machined to match the underside of the workpiece geometry to form an airtight vacuum seal. Machining additional channels and bores into fixtures helps channel air and pressure where needed to ensure sufficient clamping force.

Some materials are particularly challenging, such as foam composite-part cores with densities as low as 3 lbs/ft.3 (for comparison, the same measurement is 42 lbs/ft.3 for epoxy and 168 lbs/ft.3 for aluminum). “Sometimes we have to hold things in place with hot-melt glue or two-sided adhesive tape,” he says.

However well a machine tool is built, maintaining precision throughout a large workzone is challenging because the slightest imperfections amplify as machine axes get longer. At DeltaWing, machining tolerances can be relatively tight. Examples cited by Mr. Snarsky include hole position callouts as tight as ±0.003 inch and patterns requiring surface profile tolerances as tight as ±0.005 inch.

This is why the company purchased a volumetric error compensation package with the machine tool. Performed after machine installation by technicians from metrology company Automated Precision Inc. (API), this process is an alternative to traditional means of compensation that require multiple setups for multiple laser measurements. Instead, representatives from API use a laser tracker to create a map of possible tool-tip positions throughout the workzone. Feeding this information to the CNC facilitates real-time error compensation.

Whatever the merits of the method, volumetric error compensation “would never work if the machine weren’t precise in the first place,” Mr. Snarksy says. After all, the elements detailed above would be for naught were it not for a machine designed specifically to cut large, complex parts from plastics, composites and non-ferrous metals like aluminum.

If and when the company purchases another machine, it will be for a different purpose entirely. “We’re working on a quote right now, and the customer’s process requires some heavy-duty metal tooling that we have to outsource,” Mr. Bialas says. “We may add a second waterjet reasonably soon as well.”

The Cemented Carbide Blog: APMT Insert

DeltaWing Manufacturing knows composites. Most of the company’s 30 employees are dedicated to some critical step in manufacturing composite components, from making the molds to curing (hardening) the parts in a massive autoclave (a pressurized oven). However, composites expertise isn’t DeltaWing’s only asset. Kevin Bialas, vice president of manufacturing, says CNC machining has always been considered a core competency.
Without this and other value-added services, the company’s recent growth would not have been possible, he says. Likewise, future growth requires futher investments in machining. The most recent is a milling machine that occupies a space nearly as large as the one dedicated to the autoclave. By bringing critical pattern-making operations in house and eliminating tedious hand-trimming work, DeltaWing’s advance into large-capacity, five-axis machining has been and will continue to be essential for expanding beyond the company’s auto-racing roots.

Race cars still greet visitors to DeltaWing’s 40,000-square-foot facility outside Atlanta, and the company is still involved in that business. However, a look beyond the lobby reveals a deeper focus on structures and assemblies for planes, drones, and increasingly, commercial vehicles. Most are made from carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) or glass fiber reinforced plastic (fiberglass). A good portion could not be photographed. CNC machining contributed to the growth that made this shift possible in three ways:

Shortly after the 1997 founding of DeltaWing’s predecessor company, race car builder Elan Technologies, the in-house machine shop began producing discrete metal parts for customers in addition to fixtures for internal use. Since the company began pursuing aerospace parts in earnest about five years ago, capacity has increasingly been filled by more sophisticated prototype parts in aluminum, steel and titanium. Many are for sensitive defense applications.

Along with the press brakes and other equipment in the fabricating area (including a new waterjet for large 2D work), the machining division provides metal portions of composite structures that are built in house. These include both metal parts that are assembled with composites and metal parts that serve as cores — essentially, “skeletons” that provide strength to the surrounding composite structure. Combining machining, fabricating and assembly services with composites manufacturing helps customers simplify their supply chains. 

Whether for race cars or airplanes, most composite parts require trimming after curing. CNC milling and turning machines can perform these operations more quickly and more accurately than doing the work by hand. Workhorse equipment includes a Haas ST20 lathe with live tooling and two Haas VF4s VMCs, both of which replaced older machines within the past five years. Each VMC is equipped with a rotary fourth axis to consolidate setups.

Continuing to grow the Carbide Aluminum Inserts company’s composite-part business requires more direct CNC machining support, Mr. Bialas says — hence the investment in the big new machine. In production since mid 2018, the F122E from C.R. Onsrud features an articulating spindle that slides 82 inches along a fixed-bridge X axis overtop a 60- by 120-inch twin table that moves 186 inches along the perpendicular Y axis. Z-axis travel is 41 inches.

For DeltaWing, large-capacity five-axis capability is important for two reasons. First, a greater variety of jobs, tighter deliver schedules and more stringent quality control requirements leave no room for hand trimming composite parts that are too large and/or too complex for smaller equipment.

Mr. Bialas points out that trimming the large fiberglass bus panel depicted above could take as long as half an hour Carbide Inserts by hand, compared to less than 10 minutes on the new machine. As is the case with wing spars, tail booms and other large aerospace structures, machining this part also would be impossible without a sizeable workzone. Others, like the ducting component on the right, would require multiple setups on the company’s smaller machine tools. As for precision and repeatability, he says hand trimming the bus panel could achieve tolerances no tighter than ±0.015 inch, compared to the five-axis machine’s ±0.005 inch.   

Second, large-volume five-axis capability has enabled the company to machine all its own patterns. A pattern is a replica of the final component, typically machined from epoxy tool board as the first step in producing a composite part. Curing layers of composite around this pattern forms a rigid mold with a service temperature of 350º to 450ºF.

For a company that aims to control its process, a step as critical as pattern-making is too important to leave to outside machine shops. When patterns were too large and/or complex to machine practically on the smaller VMCs and lathe, “We were essentially leaving our scheduling and quality control in someone else’s hands,” Mr. Bialas says. “Without a good pattern, you don’t get a good mold, and without a good mold, you don’t get a good part.”

Given that this goes for any composites manufacturer, DeltaWing devotes excess capacity to making patterns and trimming parts for others. Along with the discrete-parts business, this work has contributed to a threefold increase in direct machining revenue since the company’s deliberate shift toward new markets five years ago.

Based on testimony from DeltaWing personnel, programming an additional axis of motion did not present much of a learning curve. “The fact that we haven’t done a lot of square, simple parts over the years has been a real advantage,” says machine shop manager Ron Snarksy. However, cutting parts, patterns and fixtures from lighter, lower-density materials requires a different approach. He cites the following tools and strategies as critical to making the most of the new five-axis machine:

The new machine took longer than usual to install because the building that houses it  — once a storage area — had to be fitted with adequate electrical power as well as an industrial filtration system from Camfil. This is critical because the Onsrud cuts materials that essentially turn to dust when machined. Even with the dust collection system, respirators are always on-hand for employees working nearby.

Horsepower and chip load, which set the limits for metalcutting operations on the smaller machines, generally are not significant concerns for the new machine. It is designed specifically for fast, shallow cutting. The idea is to speed cutting by shaving thin layers of material in multiple passes rather than one deep pass, whether from light, porous fixtures; urethane and epoxy patterns; or CFRP, fiberglass and aluminum parts. To that end, the machine’s 15-horsepower spindle offers a maximum speed of 24,000 rpm (compared with 12,000 rpm for the other mills).

Although stepovers on the Haas equipment are generally limited to between 25 and 40% of the cutter’s diameter, full radial cutting tool engagement is not uncommon on the new machine. This is possible in part thanks to serrated flutes, which help ensure efficient evacuation of powdery machined material emerging from the cut. 

For abrasive composites like CFRP, brazed tools can last longer. Brazed or not, edges must be sharp to shear cleanly through CFRP and other composite materials. Dull edges result in heat buildup that can melt the workpiece material’s bonding resin and lead the layers of composite pulling apart, a phenomenon called delamination. Delamination, as well as splintering, (essentially a less severe form of delamination) can also be a result of machining parameters that are too aggressive to let the cutting edge do its job. Drills should also be chosen with care to prevent fiber breakout through the back side of the hole. To this end, many of DeltaWing’s drills feature brad-point geometry that helps score the outer edges of the hole as the tool spins. 

Making the most of the new machine required more than just upgrading the company’s MasterCAM software to support five-axis motion. One common composite machining strategy this software facilitates is moving the cutter up and down as it feeds. This oscillation spreads the cutting action over more of the edge to ensure even wear. Programmers have also found that carefully plotted five-axis tool paths can provide the same advantages with ballnose tools. 

Using a spindle probe to inspect parts on the machine saves time in the event of rework, eliminates the need for hand-gage measurements and confirms proper setups. This is the case for both the large five-axis and smaller equipment. However, adding probes to the 12-position toolchanger on the new five-axis machine has been particularly beneficial. Parts too large for the CMM historically have been inspected with a portable measurement arm, but repeatedly moving this arm takes time and risks compromising precision.

The rigidity of materials like fiberglass and CFRP is an advantage for thin structures such as those used in aerospace applications. However, thin structures are also particularly subject to vibration during machining. Materials used for workholding and pattern-making also tend to be less dense than metals, and thus are more reactive to cutting forces. For most jobs, vacuum workholding is a necessity. “The most important part of machining is holding onto the part,” Mr. Snarksy says. “You can’t put any of this stuff in a vise or a clamp, or you’ll crush it.”

Epoxy tooling board for patterns typically arrives in billet form with flat bottoms that can be placed directly on the vacuum table. Holding parts for trimming is generally more complicated, requiring fixtures machined from porous materials and machined to match the underside of the workpiece geometry to form an airtight vacuum seal. Machining additional channels and bores into fixtures helps channel air and pressure where needed to ensure sufficient clamping force.

Some materials are particularly challenging, such as foam composite-part cores with densities as low as 3 lbs/ft.3 (for comparison, the same measurement is 42 lbs/ft.3 for epoxy and 168 lbs/ft.3 for aluminum). “Sometimes we have to hold things in place with hot-melt glue or two-sided adhesive tape,” he says.

However well a machine tool is built, maintaining precision throughout a large workzone is challenging because the slightest imperfections amplify as machine axes get longer. At DeltaWing, machining tolerances can be relatively tight. Examples cited by Mr. Snarsky include hole position callouts as tight as ±0.003 inch and patterns requiring surface profile tolerances as tight as ±0.005 inch.

This is why the company purchased a volumetric error compensation package with the machine tool. Performed after machine installation by technicians from metrology company Automated Precision Inc. (API), this process is an alternative to traditional means of compensation that require multiple setups for multiple laser measurements. Instead, representatives from API use a laser tracker to create a map of possible tool-tip positions throughout the workzone. Feeding this information to the CNC facilitates real-time error compensation.

Whatever the merits of the method, volumetric error compensation “would never work if the machine weren’t precise in the first place,” Mr. Snarksy says. After all, the elements detailed above would be for naught were it not for a machine designed specifically to cut large, complex parts from plastics, composites and non-ferrous metals like aluminum.

If and when the company purchases another machine, it will be for a different purpose entirely. “We’re working on a quote right now, and the customer’s process requires some heavy-duty metal tooling that we have to outsource,” Mr. Bialas says. “We may add a second waterjet reasonably soon as well.”

The Cemented Carbide Blog: APMT Insert

DeltaWing Manufacturing knows composites. Most of the company’s 30 employees are dedicated to some critical step in manufacturing composite components, from making the molds to curing (hardening) the parts in a massive autoclave (a pressurized oven). However, composites expertise isn’t DeltaWing’s only asset. Kevin Bialas, vice president of manufacturing, says CNC machining has always been considered a core competency.
Without this and other value-added services, the company’s recent growth would not have been possible, he says. Likewise, future growth requires futher investments in machining. The most recent is a milling machine that occupies a space nearly as large as the one dedicated to the autoclave. By bringing critical pattern-making operations in house and eliminating tedious hand-trimming work, DeltaWing’s advance into large-capacity, five-axis machining has been and will continue to be essential for expanding beyond the company’s auto-racing roots.

Race cars still greet visitors to DeltaWing’s 40,000-square-foot facility outside Atlanta, and the company is still involved in that business. However, a look beyond the lobby reveals a deeper focus on structures and assemblies for planes, drones, and increasingly, commercial vehicles. Most are made from carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) or glass fiber reinforced plastic (fiberglass). A good portion could not be photographed. CNC machining contributed to the growth that made this shift possible in three ways:

Shortly after the 1997 founding of DeltaWing’s predecessor company, race car builder Elan Technologies, the in-house machine shop began producing discrete metal parts for customers in addition to fixtures for internal use. Since the company began pursuing aerospace parts in earnest about five years ago, capacity has increasingly been filled by more sophisticated prototype parts in aluminum, steel and titanium. Many are for sensitive defense applications.

Along with the press brakes and other equipment in the fabricating area (including a new waterjet for large 2D work), the machining division provides metal portions of composite structures that are built in house. These include both metal parts that are assembled with composites and metal parts that serve as cores — essentially, “skeletons” that provide strength to the surrounding composite structure. Combining machining, fabricating and assembly services with composites manufacturing helps customers simplify their supply chains. 

Whether for race cars or airplanes, most composite parts require trimming after curing. CNC milling and turning machines can perform these operations more quickly and more accurately than doing the work by hand. Workhorse equipment includes a Haas ST20 lathe with live tooling and two Haas VF4s VMCs, both of which replaced older machines within the past five years. Each VMC is equipped with a rotary fourth axis to consolidate setups.

Continuing to grow the Carbide Aluminum Inserts company’s composite-part business requires more direct CNC machining support, Mr. Bialas says — hence the investment in the big new machine. In production since mid 2018, the F122E from C.R. Onsrud features an articulating spindle that slides 82 inches along a fixed-bridge X axis overtop a 60- by 120-inch twin table that moves 186 inches along the perpendicular Y axis. Z-axis travel is 41 inches.

For DeltaWing, large-capacity five-axis capability is important for two reasons. First, a greater variety of jobs, tighter deliver schedules and more stringent quality control requirements leave no room for hand trimming composite parts that are too large and/or too complex for smaller equipment.

Mr. Bialas points out that trimming the large fiberglass bus panel depicted above could take as long as half an hour Carbide Inserts by hand, compared to less than 10 minutes on the new machine. As is the case with wing spars, tail booms and other large aerospace structures, machining this part also would be impossible without a sizeable workzone. Others, like the ducting component on the right, would require multiple setups on the company’s smaller machine tools. As for precision and repeatability, he says hand trimming the bus panel could achieve tolerances no tighter than ±0.015 inch, compared to the five-axis machine’s ±0.005 inch.   

Second, large-volume five-axis capability has enabled the company to machine all its own patterns. A pattern is a replica of the final component, typically machined from epoxy tool board as the first step in producing a composite part. Curing layers of composite around this pattern forms a rigid mold with a service temperature of 350º to 450ºF.

For a company that aims to control its process, a step as critical as pattern-making is too important to leave to outside machine shops. When patterns were too large and/or complex to machine practically on the smaller VMCs and lathe, “We were essentially leaving our scheduling and quality control in someone else’s hands,” Mr. Bialas says. “Without a good pattern, you don’t get a good mold, and without a good mold, you don’t get a good part.”

Given that this goes for any composites manufacturer, DeltaWing devotes excess capacity to making patterns and trimming parts for others. Along with the discrete-parts business, this work has contributed to a threefold increase in direct machining revenue since the company’s deliberate shift toward new markets five years ago.

Based on testimony from DeltaWing personnel, programming an additional axis of motion did not present much of a learning curve. “The fact that we haven’t done a lot of square, simple parts over the years has been a real advantage,” says machine shop manager Ron Snarksy. However, cutting parts, patterns and fixtures from lighter, lower-density materials requires a different approach. He cites the following tools and strategies as critical to making the most of the new five-axis machine:

The new machine took longer than usual to install because the building that houses it  — once a storage area — had to be fitted with adequate electrical power as well as an industrial filtration system from Camfil. This is critical because the Onsrud cuts materials that essentially turn to dust when machined. Even with the dust collection system, respirators are always on-hand for employees working nearby.

Horsepower and chip load, which set the limits for metalcutting operations on the smaller machines, generally are not significant concerns for the new machine. It is designed specifically for fast, shallow cutting. The idea is to speed cutting by shaving thin layers of material in multiple passes rather than one deep pass, whether from light, porous fixtures; urethane and epoxy patterns; or CFRP, fiberglass and aluminum parts. To that end, the machine’s 15-horsepower spindle offers a maximum speed of 24,000 rpm (compared with 12,000 rpm for the other mills).

Although stepovers on the Haas equipment are generally limited to between 25 and 40% of the cutter’s diameter, full radial cutting tool engagement is not uncommon on the new machine. This is possible in part thanks to serrated flutes, which help ensure efficient evacuation of powdery machined material emerging from the cut. 

For abrasive composites like CFRP, brazed tools can last longer. Brazed or not, edges must be sharp to shear cleanly through CFRP and other composite materials. Dull edges result in heat buildup that can melt the workpiece material’s bonding resin and lead the layers of composite pulling apart, a phenomenon called delamination. Delamination, as well as splintering, (essentially a less severe form of delamination) can also be a result of machining parameters that are too aggressive to let the cutting edge do its job. Drills should also be chosen with care to prevent fiber breakout through the back side of the hole. To this end, many of DeltaWing’s drills feature brad-point geometry that helps score the outer edges of the hole as the tool spins. 

Making the most of the new machine required more than just upgrading the company’s MasterCAM software to support five-axis motion. One common composite machining strategy this software facilitates is moving the cutter up and down as it feeds. This oscillation spreads the cutting action over more of the edge to ensure even wear. Programmers have also found that carefully plotted five-axis tool paths can provide the same advantages with ballnose tools. 

Using a spindle probe to inspect parts on the machine saves time in the event of rework, eliminates the need for hand-gage measurements and confirms proper setups. This is the case for both the large five-axis and smaller equipment. However, adding probes to the 12-position toolchanger on the new five-axis machine has been particularly beneficial. Parts too large for the CMM historically have been inspected with a portable measurement arm, but repeatedly moving this arm takes time and risks compromising precision.

The rigidity of materials like fiberglass and CFRP is an advantage for thin structures such as those used in aerospace applications. However, thin structures are also particularly subject to vibration during machining. Materials used for workholding and pattern-making also tend to be less dense than metals, and thus are more reactive to cutting forces. For most jobs, vacuum workholding is a necessity. “The most important part of machining is holding onto the part,” Mr. Snarksy says. “You can’t put any of this stuff in a vise or a clamp, or you’ll crush it.”

Epoxy tooling board for patterns typically arrives in billet form with flat bottoms that can be placed directly on the vacuum table. Holding parts for trimming is generally more complicated, requiring fixtures machined from porous materials and machined to match the underside of the workpiece geometry to form an airtight vacuum seal. Machining additional channels and bores into fixtures helps channel air and pressure where needed to ensure sufficient clamping force.

Some materials are particularly challenging, such as foam composite-part cores with densities as low as 3 lbs/ft.3 (for comparison, the same measurement is 42 lbs/ft.3 for epoxy and 168 lbs/ft.3 for aluminum). “Sometimes we have to hold things in place with hot-melt glue or two-sided adhesive tape,” he says.

However well a machine tool is built, maintaining precision throughout a large workzone is challenging because the slightest imperfections amplify as machine axes get longer. At DeltaWing, machining tolerances can be relatively tight. Examples cited by Mr. Snarsky include hole position callouts as tight as ±0.003 inch and patterns requiring surface profile tolerances as tight as ±0.005 inch.

This is why the company purchased a volumetric error compensation package with the machine tool. Performed after machine installation by technicians from metrology company Automated Precision Inc. (API), this process is an alternative to traditional means of compensation that require multiple setups for multiple laser measurements. Instead, representatives from API use a laser tracker to create a map of possible tool-tip positions throughout the workzone. Feeding this information to the CNC facilitates real-time error compensation.

Whatever the merits of the method, volumetric error compensation “would never work if the machine weren’t precise in the first place,” Mr. Snarksy says. After all, the elements detailed above would be for naught were it not for a machine designed specifically to cut large, complex parts from plastics, composites and non-ferrous metals like aluminum.

If and when the company purchases another machine, it will be for a different purpose entirely. “We’re working on a quote right now, and the customer’s process requires some heavy-duty metal tooling that we have to outsource,” Mr. Bialas says. “We may add a second waterjet reasonably soon as well.”

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