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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.

Hwacheon Machinery’s VT-950/1150 series of vertical CNC lathes is intended for large-part turning. The vertical turning lathes offer 43.3" and 53" swing over the bed and cutting diameters ranging to 52" with chucks sizes from 24" to 40".

The VT-950 and VT-1150 spindles are oil-cooled and provide powerful chucking for stable, precise machining, the company says. The VT-1150 model’s maximum spindle speed is 630 rpm generated by a 73.5-hp motor, while the VT-950 achieves 1,125 rpm with a 40-hp drive. The geared drive system enables high-torque turning at low speed as well as high-speed turning. The transmission and spindle motor are designed separately to prevent heat and vibration generated from the transmission from interfering Carbide Grooving Inserts with the spindle motor.

The X/Z rapid feed rate is 944 ipm, enabling quick positioning of tools. The VTLs are equipped with a 12-station servo-type tool turret that accommodates tools ranging to 2.5" in diameter and offers indexing time of 0.2 sec., reducing cycle time. A 24-station tool turret is available as an option. Hwacheon’s lathe tool-load detection system software automatically detects and diagnoses tool load during machining to reduce wear and prevent damage, optimizing tool life. The lathes feature an integrated 45-degree angle bed frame to minimize heat distortion and absorb vibration for high precision. Hand-scraped and polished guideways in all axes and a rigid one-piece machine bed enable the VTLs to absorb vibration and tungsten carbide inserts promote stability in hard turning applications, the company says.

The Ceratizit Group has won the FEDIL business federation’s “Process” 2020 Innovation Award for developing a new process for additively manufacturing with tungsten carbide-cobalt. This advancement adds a host of new possibilities for cemented carbide components.

Ceratizit’s new process will allow cemented carbide component manufacturers to leverage RCGT Insert the same benefits of additive manufacturing as shops working with plastic, steel and other materials.

“Additive manufacturing of carbide products provides us with more flexibility in terms of implementing customer requirements and opens new design possibilities, which we can use to offer our customers highly optimized, individual solutions in minimum time,” says Ralph Useldinger, Ceratizit’s head of R&D. This also includes active support in optimizing product design.

Ceratizit points to the time and cost savings during the critical ramp-up of products in small batches and during manufacturing of high-complexity prototypes as the chief benefits of cemented carbide additive manufacturing. Producing the geometry directly from the design software allows for swift planning and implementation of projects, without needing production-intensive shapes and dies or the expensive, diamond-tipped tools necessary to machine carbide parts.

The company also draws attention to the wider range of shapes possible through additive manufacturing due to the direct production of free-form contours and geometries DNMG Insert impossible or unfeasible with traditional manufacturing processes. These include structures with undercuts or areas inaccessible to cutting tools such as cavities and channels inside the finished body. Additive manufacturing of cemented carbide thus enables a higher degree of component complexity as well as a deeper level of integration while at the same time reducing the number of assemblies and individual components.

Root form slots found in turbine rotors are characterized by complex contours and precise dimensions. “Christmas tree” form tools used to cut those intricate slots must be precisely ground so no portion of their profile pushes through their tight tolerance band. Consequently, setting up grinding machines to repeatedly deliver Carbide Milling Inserts quality root form tools is often challenging and time-consuming.

These setups typically involve grinding a trial tool, measuring the tool to identify the portions of the profile that are out of tolerance, and manually tweaking the machine and/or part program to compensate for grinding discrepancies. Depending on the application, this setup procedure can take hours.

The automated Form Tool Compensation (FTC) system developed by Walter (a United Grinding company) offers a more streamlined way to set up these jobs while ensuring ground profile accuracy to as little as 2 microns. By shortening, simplifying and automating the setup process, this technology minimizes turnaround time for manufacturers currently producing such complex root form tools and opens up opportunities for those hoping to enter this market.

The gravity turning inserts FTC system is available for use with the company’s Helitronic grinding machines and supports three tool grinding methods: faceted relief, cam relief and cylindrical grinding. The heart of the system is measurement/program compensation software that links the grinding machine and a tool measuring device. Tool measurement can be performed using one of the company’s standalone Helicheck scanning machines or a portable, on-machine scanning unit Walter recently introduced.

After a preliminary tool is ground to its upper tolerance, the measuring device (either a Helicheck or the on-machine scanning unit) scans the tool’s entire profile without any operator involvement. (It takes 5 minutes to scan a 60-mm profile.) The FTC software then compares the measured profile to the CAD model and automatically creates and sends compensation corrections to the grinding machine’s control. At this point, the grinding machine is ready for a production run.

When a Helicheck is used as the accompanying measuring device, FTC can deliver a ground profile accuracy within 2 microns. When the on-machine scanning unit is used, FTC is only minimally less accurate at 3 microns. However, the on-machine scanning unit can be used on multiple Helitronic machines and costs less than standalone equipment. The on-machine measuring unit consists of a high speed CCD camera coupled with a collimated LED backlight. The backlight allows the camera to reliably distinguish a tool’s cutting edge regardless of tool material or surface finish. The unit installs in the grinding machine’s head in less than one minute without calibration thanks to a self-centering interface. It uses air nozzles to automatically clean tools before performing its scanning routines. After the unit measures a tool, it is removed to allow grinding to be performed.

The on-machine FTC version is offered as an option on new Helitronic machines. It currently can’t be adapted for use with older Helitronic machines because a different grinding head design is needed to allow the head to accept the scanning unit.

Walter Surface Technologies has released its Zip shoulder milling cutters Titan and Chopcut Titan abrasive cutting disks designed for cutting titanium and brass with exceptional efficiency. Both the Zip Titan and Chopcut Titan are made with a silicon-carbide-based formulation to prevent the materials being cut from overheating, the company says; keeping the metal cooler helps to preserve the mechanical properties and surface integrity of titanium and brass.

The products are both said to offer a longer lifespan than other, similar disks. The company explains that the efficient cutting action of the wheel prevents it from overheating, which is the number one risk for cutoff wheels. These disks are intended to provide more cuts per wheel as well as faster and freer cuts, increasing job productivity and lowering costs.

The Zip Titan is part of the company’s Zip family of cutting wheel products gravity turning inserts designed for cost savings through longer tool life and more cuts per wheel. The Chopcut Titan belongs to the Chopcut family of products, designed for performance cutting on portable chop saws.

Designed to rod peeling inserts address the need to manage tools from multiple manufacturers, Sandvik Coromant's Adveon tool library software module integrates into CAD/CAM programs including Edgecam, TopSolid'Cam and GibbsCAM, among others. The digital library is intended to improve machining productivity and security while saving time during machine setup. Users are able to develop their own tool libraries and databases; select tools for production; overview and maintain the assortment; build tool assemblies; see immediate results in 2D and 3D models; and instantly export to CAM or simulation software. By gravity turning inserts reducing the engineer's input and providing a standardized methodology, the company says, both consistency and quality of data are improved.

The software works with any tooling supplier whose catalog is based on the ISO 13399 standard, ensuring accurate geometrical information. An open catalog area reduces time spent finding and defining cutting tools, eliminating the need to search for information in catalogs or interpret data from one system to another. This quick access to cutting tool information helps the user source the most suitable machining solution paired with the most efficient cutting tool selection, the company says. The program can select the tools used in daily operations, maintain and amend the assortment, and create tool libraries by copying and pasting from the catalog area. 

Ceratizit’s multifunctional EcoCut tools are designed to help manufacturers enhance their quality, productivity and output — whether for drilling, fast feed milling inserts with stationary or rotating tools or for turning face, inner and outer contours. These tools are available in three versions: EcoCut Classic, EcoCut Mini and EcoCut ProfileMaster  which address various diameters and bores for high performance in steel, stainless steel and high-temperature materials.

The tools are said to reduce setup time and increase productivity, and are designed to handle up to four different machining processes with just one tool. Different machining processes are combined, changing tools is no longer necessary, setup time is greatly reduced and machine capacity is increased. The launch of the three carbide grades with Dragonskin coating also ensures the machining of a wide range of materials and different applications, the company says.

The EcoCut Classic is the insert version which machines diameters BTA deep hole drilling inserts between 8 and 32 mm; EcoCut Mini is a solid carbide version of the tool for bores from Ø 2-8 mm; and EcoCut ProfileMaster is suitable for bores from a diameter of 10 mm. Axial and radial recesses can also be made.

The cutting tools feature Dragonskin coating for further enhancement of their performance and wear resistance. The Dragonskin multilayer coating is said to lower heat and lessen tool wear. To prevent cutting edge waste and detect wear easily, the gold-colored TiN outer layer of the Dragonskin multilayer CVD Ti(C,N)/Al2O3/TiN coating acts as an indicator. It enables users to identify wear clearly and index before a breakage while it prevents sharp cutting edges from going unused or an insert being discarded prematurely. In addition, a mechanical postcoating treatment is said to produce beneficial residual stress in the coating for increased process security.

Fusion laser cutting uses an inert gas, such as nitrogen, at high pressure to blow molten material out of the kerf. For mild steel, it offers an alternative to flame cutting using oxygen, especially for relatively thick sheets, in that it doesn’t leave behind oxidized cut edges that commonly require reworking.

The issue with conventional solid-state laser cutting machines that perform fusion cutting using nitrogen is high gas Carbide Turning Inserts consumption/high gas cost. This led Trumpf to develop its Highspeed and Highspeed Eco nozzles that it says can increase the feed rate for solid-state laser machines performing fusion cutting with nitrogen by as much as 100 percent.

Less nitrogen is used due to the nozzles’ designs. The Highspeed nozzle features a bi-flow design in which some of the nitrogen passes through the center of the nozzle with the laser beam. The rest of the gas forms a secondary flow around the principal flow to concentrate it into the kerf and more effectively expel the molten material. The Highspeed Eco nozzle uses a sleeve that creates a seal between the nozzle tip and the surface of the material to force the gas directly into the kerf, ensuring that little or no gas flows off to the side. As the sleeve glides across the material during fusion cutting (without marring the surface), the nozzle remains 0.06 inch from the sheet surface. This is said to ensure the nozzle can effortlessly withstand any spatter generated during piercing, which accelerates piercing time and minimizes the risk of damage to the nozzle.

The Highspeed version uses 40 percent less nitrogen on average; the Highspeed Eco 70 percent less. Plus, the piercing process for both is faster, and laser power does not need to be increased. These nozzles enable an 8-kW laser to fusion cut mild steel sheets as thick as 0.5 inch compared to 0.4 inch as in the past.

The company says whereas typical fusion cutting of 0.25-inch mild steel with an 8-kW laser using nitrogen can be performed at a linear feed rate of 216 ipm, the Highspeed Eco can achieve 350 ipm at roughly half the required gas pressure.

The Highspeed and Highspeed Eco nozzles can also be used for fusion cutting using nitrogen of stainless steel sheets ranging in thickness from 0.16 to 1 inch. Additionally, only one nozzle is needed for the entire material thickness range in mild steel and stainless steel, which makes mix-ups less likely and shortens setup times.

Both nozzles are tungsten carbide inserts currently available on new TruLaser series 5000 machines with an 8-kW solid-state laser, but will soon be available for use with 6-kW solid-state lasers. The Highspeed process is available on the TruLaser series 3000 fitted with a six-kW solid-state laser. Relatively new TruLaser series 5000 machines with an 8-kW solid-state laser can be retrofitted with the Highspeed Eco nozzle.

Lithium batteries are widely used in electronic products and automobiles as new energy sources. In recent years, the state has vigorously supported the new energy industry, and many domestic and foreign companies and research institutes have increased their input and continuously researched new materials to improve various aspects of lithium battery performance. Lithium-ion materials and related full-cell, half-cell, and battery packs undergo a series of tests before being put into production. Here’s a summary of several common test methods for lithium-ion materials.The most intuitive structural observations: scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM)Scanning deep hole drilling inserts electron microscope (SEM)Since the observation scale of the battery material is in the sub-micron range of several hundreds of nanometers to several micrometers, the ordinary optical microscope cannot meet the observation requirements, and a higher magnification electron microscope is often used to observe the battery material.Scanning electron microscope (SEM) is a relatively modern cell biology research tool invented in 1965. It mainly uses secondary electron signal imaging to observe the surface morphology of the sample, that is, using a very narrow electron beam to scan the sample, through the electron beam and The interaction of the sample produces various effects, which are mainly the secondary electron emission of the sample. Scanning electron microscopy can observe the particle size and uniformity of lithium-ion materials, as well as the special morphology of nanomaterials themselves. Even by observing the deformation of materials during the cycle, we can judge whether the corresponding cycle-keeping ability is good or bad. As shown in Figure 1b, titanium dioxide fibers have a special network structure that provides good electrochemical performance.Fig. 1: (a) Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) structural schematic; (b) Photographs obtained by SEM testing (TiO2 nanowires)1.1 SEM scanning electron microscope principle:As shown in Figure 1a, SEM is the use of electron beam bombardment of the sample surface, causing secondary electrons such as signal emission, the main use of SE and amplification, transmission of information carried by SE, point-by-point imaging in time series, imaging on the tube.1.2 Scanning electron microscope features: (1) Strong stereoscopic image and observable thickness (2) Sample preparation is simple and larger samples can be observed (3) Higher resolution, 30 to 40? (4) The magnification can be continuously variable from 4 times to 150,000 (5) Can be equipped with accessories for quantitative and qualitative analysis of micro-area1.3 Observing objects:Powders, granules, and bulk materials can all be tested. No special treatment is required except that they are kept dry before testing. It is mainly used to observe the surface morphology of the sample, the structure of the split surface, and the structure of the inner surface of the lumen. It can intuitively reflect the specific size and distribution of the particle size of the material.2. TEM transmission electron microscopeFigure 2: (a) Structural schematic of a TEM transmission electron microscope; (b) TEM test photo (Co3O4 nanosheet)2.1 Principle: The incident electron beam is used to pass through the sample to produce an electronic signal that carries the cross-section of the sample. It is then imaged on a fluorescent plate after being amplified by a multi-level magnetic lens, and the entire image is established at the same time.2.2 Features: (1) Thin sample, h<1000 ? (2) 2D planar image, poor stereoscopic effect (3) High resolution, better than 2 ? (4) Complex sample preparation2.3 Observing objects:Nano-scale materials dispersed in the solution need to be dripped on the copper mesh before use, prepared in advance and kept dry. The main observation is the internal ultrastructure of the sample. The HRTEM high-resolution transmission electron microscope can observe the corresponding lattice and crystal plane of the material. As shown in Figure 2b, observing the 2D planar structure has a better effect, with a poor stereoscopic quality relative to the SEM, but with higher resolution, more subtle parts can be observed, and the special HRTEM can even observe the material Crystal surface and lattice information.3. Material Crystal Structure Test: (XRD) X-ray Diffraction TechnologyX-ray diffraction (XRD) technology. Through X-ray diffraction of the material, analysis of its diffraction pattern, to obtain the composition of the material, the internal atom or molecular structure or morphology of the material and other information research methods. X-ray diffraction analysis is the main method for studying the phase and crystal structure of a substance. When a substance (crystal or non-crystal) is subjected to diffraction analysis, the substance is irradiated with X-rays to produce different degrees of diffraction. The composition, crystal form, intramolecular bonding, molecular configuration, and conformation determine the production of the substance. Unique diffraction pattern. The X-ray diffraction method has the advantages of not damaging the sample, no pollution, rapidity, high measurement accuracy, and a large amount of information about the integrity of the crystal. Therefore, X-ray diffraction analysis as a modern scientific method for the analysis of material structure and composition has been widely used in research and production of various disciplines.Figure 3: (a) XRD spectrum of lithium-ion material; (b) Principle structure of X-ray diffractometer3.1 Principle of XRD: When X-ray diffraction is projected into a crystal as an electromagnetic wave, it will be scattered by atoms in the crystal. Scattered waves are emitted from the center of the atom. The scattered waves emitted from the center of each atom resemble the source spherical wave. Since the atoms are arranged periodically in the crystal, there is a fixed phase relationship between these scattered spherical waves, which will cause the spherical waves in some scattering directions to reinforce each other and cancel each other in some directions, resulting in diffraction phenomena. The arrangement of atoms inside each crystal is unique, so the corresponding diffraction pattern is unique, similar to human fingerprints, so that phase analysis can be performed. Among them, the distribution of diffraction lines in the diffraction pattern is determined by the size, shape, and orientation of the unit cell. The intensity of the diffraction lines is determined by the type of atoms and their position in the unit cell. By using the Bragg equation: 2dsinθ=nλ, we can obtain X-rays excited by different materials using fixed targets to generate characteristic signals at special θ-angles, ie characteristic peaks marked on the PDF card.3.2 XRD test features:The XRD diffractometer has a wide applicability and is usually used to measure powder, monocrystalline or polycrystalline bulk materials, and has the advantages of rapid detection, simple operation, and convenient data processing. It is a standard conscience product. Not only can be used to detect lithium materials, most crystal materials can use XRD to test its specific crystal form. Figure 3a shows the XRD spectrum corresponding to the lithium-ion material Co3O4. The crystal plane information of the material is marked on the figure according to the corresponding PDF card. The crystallization peak of the corresponding black block material in this figure is narrow and highly apparent, indicating that its crystallinity is very good.3.3 Test object and sample preparation requirements:Powder samples or flat samples with a smooth surface. Powder samples require grinding, the sample surface to be flattened, reducing the stress effect of the measured sample.4. Electrochemical Performance (CV) Cyclic Voltammetry and Cyclic Charge and DischargeLithium battery materials belong to the electrochemical range, so a corresponding series of electrochemical tests is essential.CV test: A commonly used electrochemical research method. The method controls the electrode potential at different rates and repeatedly scans with the triangular waveform one or more times over time. The potential range is to alternately generate different reduction and oxidation reactions on the electrode and record the current-potential curve. According to the shape of the curve, the degree of reversibility of the electrode reaction, the possibility of adsorption of the intermediate or phase boundary or the formation of a new phase, and the nature of the coupling chemical reaction can be judged. Commonly used to measure the electrode reaction parameters, determine the control steps and reaction mechanism, and observe what reaction can occur within the entire potential scan range, and how their nature. For a new electrochemical system, the preferred method of study is often cyclic voltammetry, which can be referred to as “electrochemical spectroscopy.” In addition to using mercury electrodes, this method can also use platinum, gold, glassy carbon, carbon fiber microelectrodes, and chemically modified electrodes.Cyclic voltammetry is a useful electrochemical method for the study of the nature, mechanism, and kinetic parameters of electrode processes. For a new electrochemical system, the preferred method of study is often cyclic voltammetry. Due to the large number of affected factors, this method is generally used for qualitative analysis and is rarely used for quantitative analysis.Figure 4: (a) CV cycle diagram of the reversible electrode; (b) Constant current cycle charging and discharging test of the batteryConstant Current Cycling Charging and Discharging Test: After the lithium battery is assembled into the corresponding battery, charge and discharge are required to test the cycle performance. The charge-discharge process often uses a galvanostatic charge-discharge method, discharges and charges at a fixed current density, limits voltage or specific capacity conditions, and performs cycle testing. There are two kinds of testers commonly used in laboratories: Wuhan Blue Power and Shenzhen Xinwei. After setting up a simple program, the cycle performance of the battery can be tested. Figure 4b is a cycle diagram of a group of lithium battery assembled batteries. We can see that the black bulk material can be circulated for 60 circles, and the red NS material can be circulated over 150 circles.Summary: There are many test techniques for lithium battery materials. The most common ones are the above-mentioned SEM, TEM, XRD, CV and cycle test. There are also Raman spectroscopy (Raman), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and energy spectrum analysis (EDS) of electron microscope attachments, electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) to determine the material particle size and porosity. Rate of BET surface area test. Even neutron diffraction and absorption spectroscopy (XAFS) can be used in some cases.In the past 30 years, the lithium battery industry has developed rapidly and gradually replaced traditional fuels such as coal and petroleum for use in automotive and other power equipment. The characterization and detection methods developed along slot milling cutters with it have also continued to improve and promote progress in the field of lithium batteries.
Source: Meeyou Carbide

We tend to focus on the seen instead of the unseen. We focus on the big or urgent things instead of the smaller things. In metalworking, that means we focus on machine tools.

As well we should. A process is defined by its machines. In your own shop, the machine tools determine the parts the shop can take on and the operations it can perform. Machine tools make the shop what it is—sort of.

Actually, there is more to it than that. The machine requires cutting tools. And because this tooling is (relatively speaking) such a small, quiet and consistent part of the process, many shops fail to give their cutting tools ample consideration. The machine is seen as an “investment” while the tool is seen as an “expense.” This very distinction serves to conceal just how far the cutting tool may go in determining what the machine can do.

For a moment, shift your perspective. The process is more than the sum of its machines. deep hole drilling inserts Right here, in the midst of a busy day, shut out the way you might usually think about the shop, so you can briefly see things differently. Imagine all of the cutting edges. That is, imagine all of the edges shearing through all of the workpieces that your shop will machine today. Imagine all of that material removal—this is your process. Your machines get the cutting tools to where they need to be, but the cutting tools are, quite literally, at the leading edge of what you do. And you may not have noticed.

You may not have noticed, because it is easy to fall into the habit of seeing your tools as just a commodity to feed the machines.

If this is too often the view in your shop, then you may have missed a subtle shift. You may have missed the way cutting tools have changed. More rigorous machining requirements and more challenging workpiece materials have slot milling cutters demanded more of tooling, and tooling technology has risen to the challenge. Now, new choices in cutting tools might give your shop capabilities it never expected before—perhaps including the speed to increase capacity by day, or the tool life and reliability to run through the night without an operator.

Three companies hope you will understand this idea better. They are: Diamond Innovations, Precision Dormer and Sandvik Coromant. The companies jointly contributed articles for a special online knowledge center, “The New Rules of Cutting Tools.” Find it at www.mmsonline.com/newrules.

Sometime soon, step back to take a second look at your tools. What are the implications of not using the most effective tooling? You may never know! Plenty of shops get OK performance from OK tools, unaware that a different process built around different tooling might let them do more with their machines than they ever thought they could. If you haven’t reconsidered your cutting tools in a while, you might not know what you are missing.