FEATURE ON TOOLING

Floyd is a star with new Alesa line

For the precision cutting of components and slots, Floyd Automatic Tooling is introducing the Alesa Nutex Star Mini system to complement the existing line of Nutex saws. The latest addition to the Nutex system incorporates a powerful interface with small shank diameters that helps to extend the application possibilities.

Available with a complete range of saw blade diameters and widths complemented by a comprehensive selection of tool holders, Floyd Automatic says that the Nutex Star Mini system is suitable for all machine shops.

Precision cutting is derived from the saw and holder having an identically ground seven-cam interface. This design makes the mounting of blades a self-centring proposition that is backlash-free. Furthermore, the saws can be supplied hollow-ground or in the proven ‘Plus’ design with side relief angle. The mounting process is rapid and precise credit to a central screw system that enables fast and easy fitting on the long solid-carbide holders.

Notably, the seven-cam design also ensures that cutting forces transmit evenly and tangentially, which enables the transmission of significantly higher cutting forces through the system, especially when compared with rival systems that offer two, three or four driving cams. The benefit for the end user is two-fold with improved precision and process reliability, particularly when cutting challenging materials such as aerospace or medical-grade alloys that demand increased torque.

To enhance swarf removal and prolong tool life, Alesa has developed the Nutex Star Mini system with through-coolant supply. The internal coolant supply delivers coolant directly to the saw surface via internal cooling channels in the tool shanks. These tool shanks are manufactured from steel or, optionally, solid carbide to enhance rigidity, performance, vibration dampening and tool life.
For further information www.floydautomatic.co.uk

Subi Performance opts for Big Kaiser tools

With meticulous attention to detail, the team at Subi Performance is technically ahead of the curve as it applies its creativity to set new standards in the tuning, assembly and repair of high-performance combustion engines. To support the company’s growth trajectory, it has invested in Big Kaiser spindle tools that are available in the UK from Industrial Tooling Corporation (ITC).

“I had to rebuild the end bearing on a Subaru boxer engine, which required a boring head,” says Andre Wojtkowski, founder and owner of Subi-Performance. “I came across the spindle tools from Big Kaiser, a company belonging to the Big Daishowa Group. In an e-mail, I described my problem to Jochen Renz, the technical manager at Big Daishowa and later we spoke on the phone. He applied his extensive know-how and suggested the Big Kaiser SW 53 tool might be the perfect fit for reverse machining.

“What can I say – the tool turned out super and the final result exceeded all my expectations,” he adds. “And since my business revolves around special tasks related to engines, I then made an appointment with Stefan Lenhart, a Big Kaiser application engineer to talk about future projects and possible uses of other tools in the range.”

Utilising fine-boring heads from Big Kaiser, Subi-Performance now covers the entire diameter range from 20 to 203 mm, starting with the EWN 20 and EWN 32 for machining camshaft lanes, as well as the EWN 41 for crankshaft bearing lanes and the EWN 68 for cylinder fits.

At Subi-Performance, the Smart Damper is used in combination with complete spindle tools. The special feature of the Smart Damper is its dynamic damping system that eliminates vibration when using long tools.
For further information www.itc-ltd.co.uk

Kyocera products in the spotlight at AMB 2022

The Kyocera Group presented a variety of cutting solutions for industrial machining and manufacturing at last month’s AMB exhibition in Stuttgart. Among the products in the spotlight was the company’s MFH high-feed milling series, which Kyocera says has been providing savings in production worldwide for years. The company presented an updated line up at AMB with cutting depths of up to 2.5 mm.

Also showcased was Kyocera’s DX technology, which offers a dynamic and sustainable range of tools through analysis technologies. An example of this is the AI-based wear analysis assistant. The type of wear is determined via photo upload of the indexable insert. The tool will be launched in Japanese with other languages available soon.

Among the many focus sectors for Kyocera at AMB was automotive. In order to generate long range and thus attractiveness with heavy electronic vehicle batteries, the comprehensive weight optimisation of structural components is essential. Kyocera Unimerco has been working with specially developed tools for aluminium with low silica content for decades. In this way, not only are efficiency and dimensional accuracy taken into account, but also the demand for the lowest possible burr formation, especially on thin-walled structures. Here, Kyocera’s standard tools are also used as special solutions with PCD cutting edges that meet the strict requirements of the automotive industry.

As a point of note, Kyocera’s Unimerco’s concept for tool maintenance offers a lot more than just the regrinding of tools. Tools subject to the company’s RE•NEW process are guaranteed to perform the same or even better than a new tool. Up to 75% savings on processing costs are thus possible.
For further information www.kyocera.co.uk

Tungaloy adds to DoFeed milling cutter range

Tungaloy’s DoFeed milling solutions have proven successful for almost a decade and, to build upon this reputation, the company has launched its AddDoFeed series. Developed for high-feed milling on small parts, the new line exceeds the cost efficiencies and productivity benefits of DoFeed solutions.

Suitable for manufacturers in the mould and die, automotive, oil and gas, and general engineering sectors, Tungaloy says this milling family is certain to improve productivity for end users. Although solid-carbide end mills have long been applied to small parts, it is unproductive to use such tools when requiring considerable stock removal in slotting or pocketing applications. This is because the low bending stiffness prevents the tool body from sustaining the heavy radial force generated when feed is increased to improve cycle times.

The new AddDoFeed uses small size 02 inserts with a 4 mm inscribed circle and offers close-pitch cutter bodies that boast high insert-to-diameter density for a small diameter indexable cutter. Tungaloy offers the AddDoFeed small diameter high-feed milling cutter series in diameters of 8, 10, 12, 16, 20 and 25 mm, which allows the 16 mm diameter tool body to carry four inserts, with five inserts on the 20 mm diameter tool and seven inserts on the 25 mm version. This insert density enables users to ramp up feed rates and increase productivity. The tool bodies are available with a rigid short-shank tool body or a long neck shank for difficult to reach surfaces, along with a modular-head system that is coupled with a tapered carbide shank for increased rigidity.
For further information www.tungaloy.com

Gühring launches stainless steel parting-off system

Gühring has expanded its grooving and parting-off to include a new grade with a blade width of 3 mm for parting-off stainless steel materials. The System 222 expansion adds to the company’s existing indexable inserts for steel materials. With two cutting edges and a length of 22 mm, the new indexable insert is suited to parting off all common bar diameters.
The enhanced series also offers an extensive range of clamping holders with and without an internal coolant facility.

Many production facilities are seeing an increase in demand for stainless steel in particular, notably in sectors that include medical, automotive and general mechanical engineering. With this rise in demand – and following the successful launch of its 3 mm indexable insert for steel machining – Gühring has therefore developed the new indexable insert for stainless steel materials. In series production, this insert is suitable for parting-off operations on turning centres with a bar-feed system. As parting-off is frequently the last application in a machining cycle, process reliability is critical. If the tool breaks, the finished component could be subject to damage at its point of highest value (after significant machining time). For this reason, it is important to use an insert with application-optimised geometry, material composition and coating.

In one customer machining example, a feed-rate increase from 0.06 to 0.08 mm resulted in a reduction in machining time using the same cutting speed. With a series run of 15,000 components, the customer made a time saving of more than five hours. Despite the higher feed rate, the Gühring solution created 40% more parts per insert edge with a 25% productivity gain.
For further information www.guhring.co.uk