Benefits of Hiring the Cutting Edge Investing Group to Look into your Investment Needs

Things You Need To Know About Different Types Of Shackles

It is vital to use the appropriate type of shackle Carbide Turning Inserts for your business while doing rigging tasks that need shackles. You may achieve your rigging goals in a safe and effective manner with the proper shackle and complete the task without incident. A shackle is a required part of lifting and rigging hardware. A shackle is a metal link, usually in the shape of a U, that is secured by a bolt or screw. Forged steel is used to make shackles because it has a very high tensile strength.

What is a shackle?

A shackle is a jaw or u-shaped connecting link used to connect lifting slings, steel wire rope, chain, and rope for rigging, lifting, pulling, and hoisting. For temporary lifting jobs or quick connect and disengagement, the retractable pin design is ideal. Shackles are a common piece of equipment utilized as a detachable part in the CCGT Insert lifting industrial sector. Screw pin shackles are utilized for non-permanent installations.

Different Type of Shackles

Bow Shackle Vs. D-Shackle

Bow Shackle

Bow shackles have a bolt-shaped bow called bolt type bow shackle that is bigger and broader. Because of the bow's broader design, certain types of shackles can be loaded sideways or employed in multiple sling-leg linkages. A broad spherical form on the inside of the shackle body that increases area and helps them to take weights from multiple directions without producing substantial side load. This makes them suitable for connecting multiple-leg slings to load rings, as well as allowing a broader strap.

D-Shackle

D shackles are commonly used to unite two sections rated for in-line stress, whereas bow shackles are utilized when multiple attachments to the body are required. Because D-shaped shackles are designed and tested for in-line stress, they should not be loaded sideways, as this may bend or twist the shackle's bow. When employing a chain shackle, the load's centreline must always align with the shackle's centreline. The bow shackles are wider than the D-shaped shackles.

Types of Shackle Pin: Screw pin shackles vs Bolt type shackles

When it comes to selecting the perfect sort of pin for the shackle, you must consider which pin will be most appropriate for your application. The reason for this is that certain types of pins are designed to be used for overhead lifting; whereas certain pins are ideal for pick-up and lift applications that can be quickly attached and withdrawn, others are better suited to longer-term applications.

Screw pin shackles

Screw pin d-shackle are efficient for rigging that is used for raise and position installations or when slings and other gear are frequently modified since they are simple and straightforward to attach and detach. In installations with side loading and multi-leg sling configurations, screw pin shackles can also be used. They are suitable for temporary or short-term installations because there is little possibility of the pin becoming unscrewed during the lifting operation. They are not suitable for permanent or long-term installations.

The term "screw pin shackle" is self-explanatory. It's a shackle in which the pin has a male threaded end that tightens into the female threads in the shackle's body. These shackles are popular due to their ease of usage, and they are frequently employed on operations that necessitate heavy-duty attachment.

Bolt type shackles

By combining a bolt and nut next to a cotter pin, a bolt-type shackle can give extra protection when utilized as a rigging element. These shackles can be utilized in any application that requires a round pin or a screw pin to stay stable even while the shackle is moving or being forced. Because the combination of a bolt/nut/cotter pin and the split retaining pin cannot unscrew in service, bolt type shackles are also known as safety pin shackles. They are a more secure option than screw pin shackles, and can be used in any application that requires a round pin or a screw pin.

Bolt-style shackles are useful in a variety of rigging applications where the anchor bolt must move. The bolt style shackles are an appropriate solution for semi-permanent or long-term installations, or where the load can slip on the shackle pin and cause it to rotate, because the tightening nut and cotter pin eliminate the need to reinforce the pin before any increase or movement of the load.

What shackle size do I require?

In the vast majority of cases, you can follow the lead of whatever the shackle is intended to be fastened to. If the shackle is attached to a fixing point on another piece of hardware, the pin diameter of the shackle must match the diameter of the fixing hole to guarantee that the operating loads are similar. If you're attaching to a heavily loaded line, utilize the line's Maximum Working Load and compare it to the shackle's recommended Safe Working Load.

Conclusion

Since many shackles and connectors are functionally identical, determining which shackle is suitable for each application can be challenging. For the professional guidance and help you can contact Balbir Singh & Sons which is a leading manufacturer for providing lifting equipment all over the world. We've created this article to walk you through all of the many sorts of shackles available nowadays, as well as some suggestions on how to use them. While traditional shackles have their purpose, we recommend that you explore switching to other shackles wherever possible.

The Cemented Carbide Blog: high feed milling Insert

Things You Need To Know About Different Types Of Shackles

It is vital to use the appropriate type of shackle Carbide Turning Inserts for your business while doing rigging tasks that need shackles. You may achieve your rigging goals in a safe and effective manner with the proper shackle and complete the task without incident. A shackle is a required part of lifting and rigging hardware. A shackle is a metal link, usually in the shape of a U, that is secured by a bolt or screw. Forged steel is used to make shackles because it has a very high tensile strength.

What is a shackle?

A shackle is a jaw or u-shaped connecting link used to connect lifting slings, steel wire rope, chain, and rope for rigging, lifting, pulling, and hoisting. For temporary lifting jobs or quick connect and disengagement, the retractable pin design is ideal. Shackles are a common piece of equipment utilized as a detachable part in the CCGT Insert lifting industrial sector. Screw pin shackles are utilized for non-permanent installations.

Different Type of Shackles

Bow Shackle Vs. D-Shackle

Bow Shackle

Bow shackles have a bolt-shaped bow called bolt type bow shackle that is bigger and broader. Because of the bow's broader design, certain types of shackles can be loaded sideways or employed in multiple sling-leg linkages. A broad spherical form on the inside of the shackle body that increases area and helps them to take weights from multiple directions without producing substantial side load. This makes them suitable for connecting multiple-leg slings to load rings, as well as allowing a broader strap.

D-Shackle

D shackles are commonly used to unite two sections rated for in-line stress, whereas bow shackles are utilized when multiple attachments to the body are required. Because D-shaped shackles are designed and tested for in-line stress, they should not be loaded sideways, as this may bend or twist the shackle's bow. When employing a chain shackle, the load's centreline must always align with the shackle's centreline. The bow shackles are wider than the D-shaped shackles.

Types of Shackle Pin: Screw pin shackles vs Bolt type shackles

When it comes to selecting the perfect sort of pin for the shackle, you must consider which pin will be most appropriate for your application. The reason for this is that certain types of pins are designed to be used for overhead lifting; whereas certain pins are ideal for pick-up and lift applications that can be quickly attached and withdrawn, others are better suited to longer-term applications.

Screw pin shackles

Screw pin d-shackle are efficient for rigging that is used for raise and position installations or when slings and other gear are frequently modified since they are simple and straightforward to attach and detach. In installations with side loading and multi-leg sling configurations, screw pin shackles can also be used. They are suitable for temporary or short-term installations because there is little possibility of the pin becoming unscrewed during the lifting operation. They are not suitable for permanent or long-term installations.

The term "screw pin shackle" is self-explanatory. It's a shackle in which the pin has a male threaded end that tightens into the female threads in the shackle's body. These shackles are popular due to their ease of usage, and they are frequently employed on operations that necessitate heavy-duty attachment.

Bolt type shackles

By combining a bolt and nut next to a cotter pin, a bolt-type shackle can give extra protection when utilized as a rigging element. These shackles can be utilized in any application that requires a round pin or a screw pin to stay stable even while the shackle is moving or being forced. Because the combination of a bolt/nut/cotter pin and the split retaining pin cannot unscrew in service, bolt type shackles are also known as safety pin shackles. They are a more secure option than screw pin shackles, and can be used in any application that requires a round pin or a screw pin.

Bolt-style shackles are useful in a variety of rigging applications where the anchor bolt must move. The bolt style shackles are an appropriate solution for semi-permanent or long-term installations, or where the load can slip on the shackle pin and cause it to rotate, because the tightening nut and cotter pin eliminate the need to reinforce the pin before any increase or movement of the load.

What shackle size do I require?

In the vast majority of cases, you can follow the lead of whatever the shackle is intended to be fastened to. If the shackle is attached to a fixing point on another piece of hardware, the pin diameter of the shackle must match the diameter of the fixing hole to guarantee that the operating loads are similar. If you're attaching to a heavily loaded line, utilize the line's Maximum Working Load and compare it to the shackle's recommended Safe Working Load.

Conclusion

Since many shackles and connectors are functionally identical, determining which shackle is suitable for each application can be challenging. For the professional guidance and help you can contact Balbir Singh & Sons which is a leading manufacturer for providing lifting equipment all over the world. We've created this article to walk you through all of the many sorts of shackles available nowadays, as well as some suggestions on how to use them. While traditional shackles have their purpose, we recommend that you explore switching to other shackles wherever possible.

The Cemented Carbide Blog: high feed milling Insert

Things You Need To Know About Different Types Of Shackles

It is vital to use the appropriate type of shackle Carbide Turning Inserts for your business while doing rigging tasks that need shackles. You may achieve your rigging goals in a safe and effective manner with the proper shackle and complete the task without incident. A shackle is a required part of lifting and rigging hardware. A shackle is a metal link, usually in the shape of a U, that is secured by a bolt or screw. Forged steel is used to make shackles because it has a very high tensile strength.

What is a shackle?

A shackle is a jaw or u-shaped connecting link used to connect lifting slings, steel wire rope, chain, and rope for rigging, lifting, pulling, and hoisting. For temporary lifting jobs or quick connect and disengagement, the retractable pin design is ideal. Shackles are a common piece of equipment utilized as a detachable part in the CCGT Insert lifting industrial sector. Screw pin shackles are utilized for non-permanent installations.

Different Type of Shackles

Bow Shackle Vs. D-Shackle

Bow Shackle

Bow shackles have a bolt-shaped bow called bolt type bow shackle that is bigger and broader. Because of the bow's broader design, certain types of shackles can be loaded sideways or employed in multiple sling-leg linkages. A broad spherical form on the inside of the shackle body that increases area and helps them to take weights from multiple directions without producing substantial side load. This makes them suitable for connecting multiple-leg slings to load rings, as well as allowing a broader strap.

D-Shackle

D shackles are commonly used to unite two sections rated for in-line stress, whereas bow shackles are utilized when multiple attachments to the body are required. Because D-shaped shackles are designed and tested for in-line stress, they should not be loaded sideways, as this may bend or twist the shackle's bow. When employing a chain shackle, the load's centreline must always align with the shackle's centreline. The bow shackles are wider than the D-shaped shackles.

Types of Shackle Pin: Screw pin shackles vs Bolt type shackles

When it comes to selecting the perfect sort of pin for the shackle, you must consider which pin will be most appropriate for your application. The reason for this is that certain types of pins are designed to be used for overhead lifting; whereas certain pins are ideal for pick-up and lift applications that can be quickly attached and withdrawn, others are better suited to longer-term applications.

Screw pin shackles

Screw pin d-shackle are efficient for rigging that is used for raise and position installations or when slings and other gear are frequently modified since they are simple and straightforward to attach and detach. In installations with side loading and multi-leg sling configurations, screw pin shackles can also be used. They are suitable for temporary or short-term installations because there is little possibility of the pin becoming unscrewed during the lifting operation. They are not suitable for permanent or long-term installations.

The term "screw pin shackle" is self-explanatory. It's a shackle in which the pin has a male threaded end that tightens into the female threads in the shackle's body. These shackles are popular due to their ease of usage, and they are frequently employed on operations that necessitate heavy-duty attachment.

Bolt type shackles

By combining a bolt and nut next to a cotter pin, a bolt-type shackle can give extra protection when utilized as a rigging element. These shackles can be utilized in any application that requires a round pin or a screw pin to stay stable even while the shackle is moving or being forced. Because the combination of a bolt/nut/cotter pin and the split retaining pin cannot unscrew in service, bolt type shackles are also known as safety pin shackles. They are a more secure option than screw pin shackles, and can be used in any application that requires a round pin or a screw pin.

Bolt-style shackles are useful in a variety of rigging applications where the anchor bolt must move. The bolt style shackles are an appropriate solution for semi-permanent or long-term installations, or where the load can slip on the shackle pin and cause it to rotate, because the tightening nut and cotter pin eliminate the need to reinforce the pin before any increase or movement of the load.

What shackle size do I require?

In the vast majority of cases, you can follow the lead of whatever the shackle is intended to be fastened to. If the shackle is attached to a fixing point on another piece of hardware, the pin diameter of the shackle must match the diameter of the fixing hole to guarantee that the operating loads are similar. If you're attaching to a heavily loaded line, utilize the line's Maximum Working Load and compare it to the shackle's recommended Safe Working Load.

Conclusion

Since many shackles and connectors are functionally identical, determining which shackle is suitable for each application can be challenging. For the professional guidance and help you can contact Balbir Singh & Sons which is a leading manufacturer for providing lifting equipment all over the world. We've created this article to walk you through all of the many sorts of shackles available nowadays, as well as some suggestions on how to use them. While traditional shackles have their purpose, we recommend that you explore switching to other shackles wherever possible.

The Cemented Carbide Blog: high feed milling Insert

What are the common problems of carbide insert machining？

How to judge the high hardness and good wear resistance of cemented carbide strips!

Cemented carbide strip is also called cemented carbide square strip, tungsten steel strip and so on, because its shape is cuboid. How to judge the high Cermet Inserts hardness and good wear resistance of cemented carbide strips! Because the carbide strip is suitable for carbide woodworking tools, tungsten steel Inserts, etc. Therefore, long cemented carbide strips have high hardness and good wear resistance, so they are often used to make high wear resistant parts of precision machinery and instruments. Tungsten steel strip has high hardness, good bending resistance, acid and alkali resistance and no rust, so it is favored by people in the industry.

So what if we choose the cemented carbide strip with good performance?

1. Check the shape and size when purchasing. The tungsten APMT Insert steel strip with accurate shape and size can reduce a lot of deep processing time, thus improving your production efficiency and reducing your processing cost.

2. Check whether there are edge collapse, corner missing, round corner, rubber, blistering, deformation, warping, overburning and other undesirable phenomena at the edge.

3. Check the flatness, symmetry and other geometric tolerances of the plane.

4. When purchasing cemented carbide square bars, it is very important to know their alloy * grades, that is, the physical property parameters of cemented carbide square bars!

The Cemented Carbide Blog: carbide wear strips inserts snmxinserts snmx

Kyocera SGS Precision Tools Launches New Website

For its 26 machining centers alone, PHD's Huntington, Indiana manufacturing facility has 4,875 tools in its active library. And "active" is the operative word. The rate at which tools are swapped in and out of machining centers is increasing. Last year, the plant did 63,717 tool setups. This year, it will do more than 79,000. No matter how you look at it, this plant uses a lot of tools.

Yet just one tool presetter measures all of the relevant data for all of the tool setups for these 26 machines. The software associated with the presetter manages lathe tooling as well. Two employees, one for machining centers and one for lathes, serve as the gatekeepers who maintain the integrity of this information. In short, while the plant uses a lot of tooling, it has a tightly controlled and centralized system for keeping that tooling in order.

PHD started building this system about a decade ago. At that time, it wasn't clear just how important the system would become. The company's business is changing. This maker of automation components—including cylinders, grippers, slides and rotary actuators—is seeing lot sizes and leadtimes shrink, while the number of product designs proliferates. In greater numbers, customers are asking for just-in-time service at the same time that they ask for custom products in place of catalog items. These changes are good, because PHD feels particularly capable of meeting these demands. However, the response to the demands is effectively transforming the Huntington production plant, along with a sister plant in Fort Wayne, into something more like a job shop.

However, the difficulty is that PHD lacks many of a job shop's options. In a job shop, a smaller number of machining centers might have substantial tool capacity in each machine. The shop might equip these machines with a standard complement of general-purpose tools that could be applied to almost any job coming in the door. In other words, a job shop wouldn't have to swap out tools so much.

PHD can't afford these kinds of concessions. It can't afford to devote that much floorspace to tool magazines, and it can't afford to hold that much tool inventory in every machine. Nor can it afford the CNC Inserts cycle-time compromises that come from using general-purpose tooling instead of tools specifically suited to specific details of the part. What this plant needs is a system controlled and responsive enough to handle a large volume and variety of tooling. The plant had the foresight to begin putting such a system in place in 1994.

Over the years, the system has reduced human error, reduced the plant's overall scrap rate and improved the change-over time between jobs. Today, this system is facing a challenge, but it's not a challenge related to effectiveness. The challenge has more to do with physical limits. Part of the system's elegance lies in the fact that one presetter can serve so many machines, but the plant is now running this presetter around the clock. At 79,000 tool setups, the plant is pushing the upper limit of how many tools per year a presetter can measure.Carbide Grooving Inserts

The first presetter that the plant installed, like the plant's current model, came from Zoller, Inc. (Ann Arbor, Michigan). Even though the model PHD was using in 1994 was quite possibly the most sophisticated presetter installed in the United States at the time, the technology has improved significantly since then. The plant still has this first model sitting in a corner, because the plant can't find a buyer for it. The current model, purchased 4 years ago, beats it handily in terms of both precision and ease of use.

At least a year went by before presetting was integrated into the plant's process in something like the way it is today. The presetter itself is only part of a package that also includes tool management software—a vital element for using the presetter well. Tooling technicians at this plant used that first year to populate this software with the shop's preferred tools. They assigned tool names and ID numbers, associated toolholders with the tools, and input nominal dimensions and cutting parameters for the plant's various workpiece materials. All of this information had to be entered one tool at a time, in spare moments as PHD's production continued. Only after a year was there enough information in the system that a sizeable proportion of the plant's tools could be called up from memory instead of being entered for the first time. The tool crib personnel called up tools in this way, but just as importantly, so did the programmers. Their ability to select from a common reserve of tooling saved them time and guesswork, and it made the process more consistent by ensuring that standard tools were used in standard ways. At about this same time, the presetter itself was connected to the shopfloor network.

There was resistance from the shop floor then, and understandably so. Operators had long been accustomed to keying in their own tool offsets, and in many cases, even measuring their own tools. Now they were being asked to hit "cycle start" on programs using tool data they had never even touched.

But part of the problem had been the need for human beings to "touch" the tool data. Miskeying information was a frequent source of error. Because of this and other error sources, the plant's scrap rate used to stand at 7 percent. Tooling and process engineering manager Pat Young says networked presetting was adopted as just one component of a plant-wide effort to address such sources of error. This effort also included rethinking processes, improving fixturing and enhancing training—a team effort, Mr. Young stresses. Thanks to these measures, the scrap rate is now down to 1.5 percent.

The presetter today is the control point for initiating every new machining job. The plant's objective is that an operator should never have to leave the machine to get tools or tool-related information. Tool/toolholder assemblies that are set up and measured in the tool crib are sent to the appropriate machine tool on a cart, arriving there well before the job is run. The tool sheet arriving with this cart tells the operator which pocket in the tool magazine should receive each tool. The operator then obtains the tool offsets by downloading them directly to the CNC across the shopfloor network.

Connecting the presetter to a network, and not to any machine or cluster of machines, was the choice that allowed this presetter to serve the entire shop floor. Mr. Young says various safeguards have been necessary to make this approach to using the presetter more reliable. One example is the use of a software program to automatically clear the system of any tool data more than 2 weeks old. Mr. Young says experience has been the best teacher for revealing where safeguards such as this one are needed.

The tool library has to be safeguarded, too. This database of tools, large though it now is, provides programmers with the range of tools they have available, as wells as the machining parameters that have been demonstrated to be effective with these tools. The integrity of this library contributes directly to the effectiveness of PHD's process. For that reason, restricted access is another important element of the system. A gatekeeper is needed to guard the information.

Or more specifically, two gatekeepers are needed—one for machining centers and one for lathes. Darrin Colbart and Jim Wilson are the tooling technicians who not only monitor the plant's tooling inventory, but also enter and modify the tool data in this library. If a programmer wants to use a tool that doesn't exist in the system, then he comes to one of these men to make the request.

Mr. Wilson is the lathe guy. The fact that he uses this system might seem surprising, because the lathe tooling has no use for the presetter. For stationary tools, the plant uses quick-change tooling from both Kennametal and Sandvik Coromant to ensure repeatable tool location when tools are changed. For live tools, each lathe uses a probe to measure tool length. But despite the fact that the presetter isn't needed, the software accompanying the presetter is still valuable for managing the tooling.

For just the lathes alone, the plant uses a lot of tools. Ten turning centers draw on 837 different turning tools. In addition, any particular turning machine uses a lot of tooling at one time. When PHD buys a turning center, the standard complement of tool turret positions is just a starting point for the company. This plant looks carefully at each machine's potential use to decide just how many live tools and how many stationary tools it needs. It buys additional live tool heads and multiposition toolholder accessories not only to achieve the right mix of fixed versus live tooling, but also to increase the number of tool positions available. Most of these accessories have come from Euro-Technics (Huntley, Illinois), while accessories for the larger lathes come from Exsys (San Antonio, Florida). On one of its turning machines, the plant adapted the lathe to have 45 tool positions. Thus the tooling cart that arrives at a lathe might be just as stocked with tooling as the one that arrives at a machining center—and the tool sheet generated by the software is just as useful for instructing the operator in how to load these tools.

The cutting tool is the element of any machining process that introduces the most potential for variability. One machine can run many different jobs, and the same workholding can hold many parts, but the required mix of cutting tools is almost certain to be different from job to job. Add to this the variation that might come from different programmers favoring different tools and choosing different parameters. For PHD, the value of presetting is not just to be found in measuring tools—though this is vital—but also to be found in the role that presetting plays to help take control of the tool-related process variation.

"It really is the hub of our process," Mr. Colbart says.

A clue as to how well tool setting has now been integrated into the plant can be seen in the operators' level of acceptance. Many operators who work with the system now were also operators before presetting. (Average seniority at the plant is 14 years.) Any resistance on their part to using tool offsets transferred across a network was overcome long ago. Mr. Young says the resistance now comes on those rare occasions when the system happens to be off-line.

"It used to be that no one trusted offsets they didn't enter themselves," he says. Now, personnel are more vocal when they have to hand-key information.

The Cemented Carbide Blog: steel Inserts

For its 26 machining centers alone, PHD's Huntington, Indiana manufacturing facility has 4,875 tools in its active library. And "active" is the operative word. The rate at which tools are swapped in and out of machining centers is increasing. Last year, the plant did 63,717 tool setups. This year, it will do more than 79,000. No matter how you look at it, this plant uses a lot of tools.

Yet just one tool presetter measures all of the relevant data for all of the tool setups for these 26 machines. The software associated with the presetter manages lathe tooling as well. Two employees, one for machining centers and one for lathes, serve as the gatekeepers who maintain the integrity of this information. In short, while the plant uses a lot of tooling, it has a tightly controlled and centralized system for keeping that tooling in order.

PHD started building this system about a decade ago. At that time, it wasn't clear just how important the system would become. The company's business is changing. This maker of automation components—including cylinders, grippers, slides and rotary actuators—is seeing lot sizes and leadtimes shrink, while the number of product designs proliferates. In greater numbers, customers are asking for just-in-time service at the same time that they ask for custom products in place of catalog items. These changes are good, because PHD feels particularly capable of meeting these demands. However, the response to the demands is effectively transforming the Huntington production plant, along with a sister plant in Fort Wayne, into something more like a job shop.

However, the difficulty is that PHD lacks many of a job shop's options. In a job shop, a smaller number of machining centers might have substantial tool capacity in each machine. The shop might equip these machines with a standard complement of general-purpose tools that could be applied to almost any job coming in the door. In other words, a job shop wouldn't have to swap out tools so much.

PHD can't afford these kinds of concessions. It can't afford to devote that much floorspace to tool magazines, and it can't afford to hold that much tool inventory in every machine. Nor can it afford the CNC Inserts cycle-time compromises that come from using general-purpose tooling instead of tools specifically suited to specific details of the part. What this plant needs is a system controlled and responsive enough to handle a large volume and variety of tooling. The plant had the foresight to begin putting such a system in place in 1994.

Over the years, the system has reduced human error, reduced the plant's overall scrap rate and improved the change-over time between jobs. Today, this system is facing a challenge, but it's not a challenge related to effectiveness. The challenge has more to do with physical limits. Part of the system's elegance lies in the fact that one presetter can serve so many machines, but the plant is now running this presetter around the clock. At 79,000 tool setups, the plant is pushing the upper limit of how many tools per year a presetter can measure.Carbide Grooving Inserts

The first presetter that the plant installed, like the plant's current model, came from Zoller, Inc. (Ann Arbor, Michigan). Even though the model PHD was using in 1994 was quite possibly the most sophisticated presetter installed in the United States at the time, the technology has improved significantly since then. The plant still has this first model sitting in a corner, because the plant can't find a buyer for it. The current model, purchased 4 years ago, beats it handily in terms of both precision and ease of use.

At least a year went by before presetting was integrated into the plant's process in something like the way it is today. The presetter itself is only part of a package that also includes tool management software—a vital element for using the presetter well. Tooling technicians at this plant used that first year to populate this software with the shop's preferred tools. They assigned tool names and ID numbers, associated toolholders with the tools, and input nominal dimensions and cutting parameters for the plant's various workpiece materials. All of this information had to be entered one tool at a time, in spare moments as PHD's production continued. Only after a year was there enough information in the system that a sizeable proportion of the plant's tools could be called up from memory instead of being entered for the first time. The tool crib personnel called up tools in this way, but just as importantly, so did the programmers. Their ability to select from a common reserve of tooling saved them time and guesswork, and it made the process more consistent by ensuring that standard tools were used in standard ways. At about this same time, the presetter itself was connected to the shopfloor network.

There was resistance from the shop floor then, and understandably so. Operators had long been accustomed to keying in their own tool offsets, and in many cases, even measuring their own tools. Now they were being asked to hit "cycle start" on programs using tool data they had never even touched.

But part of the problem had been the need for human beings to "touch" the tool data. Miskeying information was a frequent source of error. Because of this and other error sources, the plant's scrap rate used to stand at 7 percent. Tooling and process engineering manager Pat Young says networked presetting was adopted as just one component of a plant-wide effort to address such sources of error. This effort also included rethinking processes, improving fixturing and enhancing training—a team effort, Mr. Young stresses. Thanks to these measures, the scrap rate is now down to 1.5 percent.

The presetter today is the control point for initiating every new machining job. The plant's objective is that an operator should never have to leave the machine to get tools or tool-related information. Tool/toolholder assemblies that are set up and measured in the tool crib are sent to the appropriate machine tool on a cart, arriving there well before the job is run. The tool sheet arriving with this cart tells the operator which pocket in the tool magazine should receive each tool. The operator then obtains the tool offsets by downloading them directly to the CNC across the shopfloor network.

Connecting the presetter to a network, and not to any machine or cluster of machines, was the choice that allowed this presetter to serve the entire shop floor. Mr. Young says various safeguards have been necessary to make this approach to using the presetter more reliable. One example is the use of a software program to automatically clear the system of any tool data more than 2 weeks old. Mr. Young says experience has been the best teacher for revealing where safeguards such as this one are needed.

The tool library has to be safeguarded, too. This database of tools, large though it now is, provides programmers with the range of tools they have available, as wells as the machining parameters that have been demonstrated to be effective with these tools. The integrity of this library contributes directly to the effectiveness of PHD's process. For that reason, restricted access is another important element of the system. A gatekeeper is needed to guard the information.

Or more specifically, two gatekeepers are needed—one for machining centers and one for lathes. Darrin Colbart and Jim Wilson are the tooling technicians who not only monitor the plant's tooling inventory, but also enter and modify the tool data in this library. If a programmer wants to use a tool that doesn't exist in the system, then he comes to one of these men to make the request.

Mr. Wilson is the lathe guy. The fact that he uses this system might seem surprising, because the lathe tooling has no use for the presetter. For stationary tools, the plant uses quick-change tooling from both Kennametal and Sandvik Coromant to ensure repeatable tool location when tools are changed. For live tools, each lathe uses a probe to measure tool length. But despite the fact that the presetter isn't needed, the software accompanying the presetter is still valuable for managing the tooling.

For just the lathes alone, the plant uses a lot of tools. Ten turning centers draw on 837 different turning tools. In addition, any particular turning machine uses a lot of tooling at one time. When PHD buys a turning center, the standard complement of tool turret positions is just a starting point for the company. This plant looks carefully at each machine's potential use to decide just how many live tools and how many stationary tools it needs. It buys additional live tool heads and multiposition toolholder accessories not only to achieve the right mix of fixed versus live tooling, but also to increase the number of tool positions available. Most of these accessories have come from Euro-Technics (Huntley, Illinois), while accessories for the larger lathes come from Exsys (San Antonio, Florida). On one of its turning machines, the plant adapted the lathe to have 45 tool positions. Thus the tooling cart that arrives at a lathe might be just as stocked with tooling as the one that arrives at a machining center—and the tool sheet generated by the software is just as useful for instructing the operator in how to load these tools.

The cutting tool is the element of any machining process that introduces the most potential for variability. One machine can run many different jobs, and the same workholding can hold many parts, but the required mix of cutting tools is almost certain to be different from job to job. Add to this the variation that might come from different programmers favoring different tools and choosing different parameters. For PHD, the value of presetting is not just to be found in measuring tools—though this is vital—but also to be found in the role that presetting plays to help take control of the tool-related process variation.

"It really is the hub of our process," Mr. Colbart says.

A clue as to how well tool setting has now been integrated into the plant can be seen in the operators' level of acceptance. Many operators who work with the system now were also operators before presetting. (Average seniority at the plant is 14 years.) Any resistance on their part to using tool offsets transferred across a network was overcome long ago. Mr. Young says the resistance now comes on those rare occasions when the system happens to be off-line.

"It used to be that no one trusted offsets they didn't enter themselves," he says. Now, personnel are more vocal when they have to hand-key information.

The Cemented Carbide Blog: steel Inserts

For its 26 machining centers alone, PHD's Huntington, Indiana manufacturing facility has 4,875 tools in its active library. And "active" is the operative word. The rate at which tools are swapped in and out of machining centers is increasing. Last year, the plant did 63,717 tool setups. This year, it will do more than 79,000. No matter how you look at it, this plant uses a lot of tools.

Yet just one tool presetter measures all of the relevant data for all of the tool setups for these 26 machines. The software associated with the presetter manages lathe tooling as well. Two employees, one for machining centers and one for lathes, serve as the gatekeepers who maintain the integrity of this information. In short, while the plant uses a lot of tooling, it has a tightly controlled and centralized system for keeping that tooling in order.

PHD started building this system about a decade ago. At that time, it wasn't clear just how important the system would become. The company's business is changing. This maker of automation components—including cylinders, grippers, slides and rotary actuators—is seeing lot sizes and leadtimes shrink, while the number of product designs proliferates. In greater numbers, customers are asking for just-in-time service at the same time that they ask for custom products in place of catalog items. These changes are good, because PHD feels particularly capable of meeting these demands. However, the response to the demands is effectively transforming the Huntington production plant, along with a sister plant in Fort Wayne, into something more like a job shop.

However, the difficulty is that PHD lacks many of a job shop's options. In a job shop, a smaller number of machining centers might have substantial tool capacity in each machine. The shop might equip these machines with a standard complement of general-purpose tools that could be applied to almost any job coming in the door. In other words, a job shop wouldn't have to swap out tools so much.

PHD can't afford these kinds of concessions. It can't afford to devote that much floorspace to tool magazines, and it can't afford to hold that much tool inventory in every machine. Nor can it afford the CNC Inserts cycle-time compromises that come from using general-purpose tooling instead of tools specifically suited to specific details of the part. What this plant needs is a system controlled and responsive enough to handle a large volume and variety of tooling. The plant had the foresight to begin putting such a system in place in 1994.

Over the years, the system has reduced human error, reduced the plant's overall scrap rate and improved the change-over time between jobs. Today, this system is facing a challenge, but it's not a challenge related to effectiveness. The challenge has more to do with physical limits. Part of the system's elegance lies in the fact that one presetter can serve so many machines, but the plant is now running this presetter around the clock. At 79,000 tool setups, the plant is pushing the upper limit of how many tools per year a presetter can measure.Carbide Grooving Inserts

The first presetter that the plant installed, like the plant's current model, came from Zoller, Inc. (Ann Arbor, Michigan). Even though the model PHD was using in 1994 was quite possibly the most sophisticated presetter installed in the United States at the time, the technology has improved significantly since then. The plant still has this first model sitting in a corner, because the plant can't find a buyer for it. The current model, purchased 4 years ago, beats it handily in terms of both precision and ease of use.

At least a year went by before presetting was integrated into the plant's process in something like the way it is today. The presetter itself is only part of a package that also includes tool management software—a vital element for using the presetter well. Tooling technicians at this plant used that first year to populate this software with the shop's preferred tools. They assigned tool names and ID numbers, associated toolholders with the tools, and input nominal dimensions and cutting parameters for the plant's various workpiece materials. All of this information had to be entered one tool at a time, in spare moments as PHD's production continued. Only after a year was there enough information in the system that a sizeable proportion of the plant's tools could be called up from memory instead of being entered for the first time. The tool crib personnel called up tools in this way, but just as importantly, so did the programmers. Their ability to select from a common reserve of tooling saved them time and guesswork, and it made the process more consistent by ensuring that standard tools were used in standard ways. At about this same time, the presetter itself was connected to the shopfloor network.

There was resistance from the shop floor then, and understandably so. Operators had long been accustomed to keying in their own tool offsets, and in many cases, even measuring their own tools. Now they were being asked to hit "cycle start" on programs using tool data they had never even touched.

But part of the problem had been the need for human beings to "touch" the tool data. Miskeying information was a frequent source of error. Because of this and other error sources, the plant's scrap rate used to stand at 7 percent. Tooling and process engineering manager Pat Young says networked presetting was adopted as just one component of a plant-wide effort to address such sources of error. This effort also included rethinking processes, improving fixturing and enhancing training—a team effort, Mr. Young stresses. Thanks to these measures, the scrap rate is now down to 1.5 percent.

The presetter today is the control point for initiating every new machining job. The plant's objective is that an operator should never have to leave the machine to get tools or tool-related information. Tool/toolholder assemblies that are set up and measured in the tool crib are sent to the appropriate machine tool on a cart, arriving there well before the job is run. The tool sheet arriving with this cart tells the operator which pocket in the tool magazine should receive each tool. The operator then obtains the tool offsets by downloading them directly to the CNC across the shopfloor network.

Connecting the presetter to a network, and not to any machine or cluster of machines, was the choice that allowed this presetter to serve the entire shop floor. Mr. Young says various safeguards have been necessary to make this approach to using the presetter more reliable. One example is the use of a software program to automatically clear the system of any tool data more than 2 weeks old. Mr. Young says experience has been the best teacher for revealing where safeguards such as this one are needed.

The tool library has to be safeguarded, too. This database of tools, large though it now is, provides programmers with the range of tools they have available, as wells as the machining parameters that have been demonstrated to be effective with these tools. The integrity of this library contributes directly to the effectiveness of PHD's process. For that reason, restricted access is another important element of the system. A gatekeeper is needed to guard the information.

Or more specifically, two gatekeepers are needed—one for machining centers and one for lathes. Darrin Colbart and Jim Wilson are the tooling technicians who not only monitor the plant's tooling inventory, but also enter and modify the tool data in this library. If a programmer wants to use a tool that doesn't exist in the system, then he comes to one of these men to make the request.

Mr. Wilson is the lathe guy. The fact that he uses this system might seem surprising, because the lathe tooling has no use for the presetter. For stationary tools, the plant uses quick-change tooling from both Kennametal and Sandvik Coromant to ensure repeatable tool location when tools are changed. For live tools, each lathe uses a probe to measure tool length. But despite the fact that the presetter isn't needed, the software accompanying the presetter is still valuable for managing the tooling.

For just the lathes alone, the plant uses a lot of tools. Ten turning centers draw on 837 different turning tools. In addition, any particular turning machine uses a lot of tooling at one time. When PHD buys a turning center, the standard complement of tool turret positions is just a starting point for the company. This plant looks carefully at each machine's potential use to decide just how many live tools and how many stationary tools it needs. It buys additional live tool heads and multiposition toolholder accessories not only to achieve the right mix of fixed versus live tooling, but also to increase the number of tool positions available. Most of these accessories have come from Euro-Technics (Huntley, Illinois), while accessories for the larger lathes come from Exsys (San Antonio, Florida). On one of its turning machines, the plant adapted the lathe to have 45 tool positions. Thus the tooling cart that arrives at a lathe might be just as stocked with tooling as the one that arrives at a machining center—and the tool sheet generated by the software is just as useful for instructing the operator in how to load these tools.

The cutting tool is the element of any machining process that introduces the most potential for variability. One machine can run many different jobs, and the same workholding can hold many parts, but the required mix of cutting tools is almost certain to be different from job to job. Add to this the variation that might come from different programmers favoring different tools and choosing different parameters. For PHD, the value of presetting is not just to be found in measuring tools—though this is vital—but also to be found in the role that presetting plays to help take control of the tool-related process variation.

"It really is the hub of our process," Mr. Colbart says.

A clue as to how well tool setting has now been integrated into the plant can be seen in the operators' level of acceptance. Many operators who work with the system now were also operators before presetting. (Average seniority at the plant is 14 years.) Any resistance on their part to using tool offsets transferred across a network was overcome long ago. Mr. Young says the resistance now comes on those rare occasions when the system happens to be off-line.

"It used to be that no one trusted offsets they didn't enter themselves," he says. Now, personnel are more vocal when they have to hand-key information.

The Cemented Carbide Blog: steel Inserts

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.”

The Cemented Carbide Blog: APMT Insert