- Email: [email protected]
Cutting tools in hard and superhard materials on show at EMO
Cutting tools superhard materials on show at EMO lthough E M O 9 -- the largest show of its kind in the world, with exhibits from 35 countries and a floorspace of 1.4 million m s -- is primarily devoted to machine tools, tools for these machines were equally on display,.Indeed, so important is E M O that many tool manufacturers use it to stage worldwide product launches and announcements. On this occasion, the organizers managed to accommodate virtually all tooling and tool-material exhibits on a sin-
A
FIGURE I: Mitsubishi indexable insert with polycrystalline diamond
(PCD) on carbide substrata and ground-in chipbreaker.
36 MPR July/August 1991
gle floor of the largest hall. Although it was the topmost floor of the furthest hall from the main entrance, there was nevertheless at no t i m e t h e paucity of visitors that haunted some of the other halls. In the following, we've noted j u s t a few of the items of likely interest to Metal Powder Report readers.
Mater/als For many years diamonds have been standard for high production grinding wheels and as the superhard cutting edges of very expensive indexable cutting inserts, but at the 9th E M O exhibition diamonds were for once the focus of innovatory development. It is a pity that the hardest of all materials cannot machine steels or cast irons at high speeds, due to chemical breakdown and diffusion. However, diamond has important applicat i o n s in slow s p e e d or low temperature cutting processes, in machining non-ferrous metals (especially aluminium alloys) and abrasive nonmetallics, and in other wearresistant applications. One surprise was to see Mitsubishi's production-quality polycrystalline diamond (PCD) cutting inserts with ground-in chipbreakers (Figure 1). This is commonplace with carbides or carbonitrides, but until now rarely seen ( a n d only as a laboriously made 'special') with PCD. At the other extreme, Sumitomo showed for the first time in Europe - - and perhaps anywhere outside J a p a n - - commercial (rather than research or
development) inserts with cutting corners of synthetic monocrystal diamond, sold as Sumicrystal. These have cleavage-type, microscopically sharp cutting edges, able to produce a mirror finish on a metallic surface in a single pass. Elsewhere, just about anyone who is anything in advanced cutting tools is working, or claiming to be working, on diamond coatings for hardmetals. The biggest problem is no longer in manufacturing diam o n d coatings, for which a number of plasma chemical vepour deposition (CTD)-type processes can be employed, but in inducing t h e m to a d h e r e tightly to the substrate. Sumitomo turns this drawback to advantage by producing thin rectangular strips of 'diam o n d coating' which can be used directly in the electronics industry or, alternatively,brazed or cemented to appropriate metallic or non-metallic substrates. At the prices being quoted, however, most visitors saw little incentive to purchase diamond-coated carbide for cutting tools when solid P C D gave higher performance and much longer service life with no worries about flaking surface layers. Diamond-coated carbide shows considerable promise, however, for machining aluminitun and with tools of complex form running at relatively low surface speeds, such as twist drills. GQhring which, working with CemeCoat, showed its first diamond-coated products at Stuttgart last year, h a d a comprehensive range of diamond-coated solid carbide drills on displs~,. Other companies showed experimental indexable inserts, but Mitsubishi led the field by highlighting a variety of diamond-coated standard carbide inserts with sintered-in chipbreakers. By contrast, Sumitomo claimed success in, among other things, diamond-coating silicon nitride ceramic inserts. Already in limited commercial production and thus available for selective testing, grade D C 4 6 is the diamond-coated hardmetal introduced by Mitsubishi Materials Corp (Figure 2); substrate is said to be the longestablished grade HTiI0, a finegrain conventional sintered carbide with 94WC/6Co composi-
qb. o ID *L iliiii~ii~
iiiii!iiiiii i
i!i;i!ii!i iiiiiiiiiiiil iiii!iii!il !i~i?ii?iii iiii:ii:il III
FIGURE 2: Range of Mitaubishi grade DC46 diamond coated hardmetal inserts, now available for production tests and evaluation.
~'L~CeZ
~
o f Baiinit D-
used to flush-machine Monel rivet-heads on the Mirage 2000 fighter's air intakes. Surface finish was increased to an extent that subsequent machining was no longer necessaw. European ceramics manufacturer Feldmhle AG has subs t a n ~ l ~ improved the thermal shock resistance and other properties of its long-established a l u m i n a - b a s e d grade SN80, making it more suitable for intermittent cutting operations. Other items include new shapes and sizes of ceramic inserts and new designs of toolholders, including special designs for silicon nitride tools boring grey cast iron at very high speeds.
tion. E x c e l l e n t r e s u l t s are strate. This was claimed to claimed for tests carried out at permit the use of sharper insert a Ford automobile plant in the edges, though no explanation was forthcoming of how this USA. III I I I II Although it was excluded would improve upon multils~er from the EMO exhibit, we FVD, which should be even By far the largest range of new learnt from representatives of sharper, or of how a PVD top- tools and inserts came from Norton Co, one of the first coat might restore a sharp edge Iscar, whose capacit~ for innocommercial producers of dia- already lost to the initial CVD vation never fails to astonisl~ mond films for cutting tools, layers. Tooling launches at EMO incluAs is well-known, the even ded Cut-Grip GHSCR/L for inthat the company already has both thin- and thick-film types deposition of the C V D process ternal machining, with highin regular production. Unlike tends to round sharp edges, modulus solid sintered carbide conventional PCD, they are whereas the line-of-sight PVD shanks for increased stabiliW, close to 100% diamond, with m e t h o d t e n d s to p r e s e r v e super-slim Self-Grip SGSF rono catalyst or binder. them. It seems ILkely that CVD tary slotting cutters of only 1.6 Produced by modified CVD, provides better adhesion and nun width of cut, replacing most the thin films have an average therefore makes an admirable conventional high speed steel particle Aide_of 2 pro; inserts of intermediate layer between sub- (HSS) and brazed carbide tools the t h i n - c o a t e d grade (de- strate and PVD topcoat. of this type; GHIC multifunction signated DF200) are recommenA second Kennametai inno- toolholder (Figure 3) for groovded for finish machining of non- vation was an advanced high ing, turning and threading; Topferrous metals and non-metal- strength alumina ceramic, Kyon Grip TGMF 525 full-radius inlics. By contrast, grade DT100 4000, toughened both by addi- serts for internal and external thick-film coated inserts have tions of zirconia and by silicon turning, giving finish quaiiW average film properties of 25 Inn carbide whiskers. with roughing parameters; the grain size, around I000 N/ram ~ In addition to its established HelLmill SEKR insert, with a true transverse rupture strength and performance enhancing PVD helical cutting edge divided into 8300HV hardnes~ Substantially coatings Balinit A (titanium three separate curved sections, tougher than the thin-film ver- nitride) and Balinit B (titanision, inserts of this grade are um c a r b o n i t r i d e ) , Liechtenrecommended for gsnerai-pur- s t e i n - b a s e d c o a t i n g - p l a n t i pose as well as finish machinin& specialist Balzers introduced Another Sumttomo develop- Balinit D, a PVD-applied is~rer ment was the companfs first of chromium nitride. Metallic physical v a p o u r d e p o s i t i o n grey CrN is deposited at tem(PVD)-coated carbonitride cer- peratures below 500°C. The mets, designated T110Z for cast- coating is up to 4 Inu thick iii!iiiiiiiiii] iron turning and T130Z for steel and its hardness 1800HV. iiiiiiiili!!i~ turning and mfllin& The compaCrN is said to be superior to ny also showed a trio of new other commercial coatings in cubic boron n i t r i d e (CBN) terms of thermal stability and grades for machining grey and corrosion resistance. Applicanodular cast irons. tions include the machining of Kennametal introduced two nickel based alloys such as iiiiiiiiiiiiiii! materials. KC792M, for high- Monel and Inconel, the forming speed steel milling, has a pa- of copper based alloys and the tent-pending CVD-PVD multi- diecasting of aluminium. layer c o a t i n g on a c o b a l t Dassault Aircraft in Prance e n r i c h e d ( t o u g h e n e d ) sub- reported a two-fold increase in
Tools
FIGURE 3: The Iscar multlfunctlon GHIC Grip toolholder for clamped hardmetal inserts can be used for grooving, turning and threading.
iiiiiiii
MPR JulylAugust 1N1 37
each having a different angle to or unbalanced workpieces of compensate cutting forces, re- large diameter. Based on a cassette-type duce vibration and improve stability;, Jet-Cut parting with insert seating, Hertel's shorthigh-pressure coolant chan- run rotary broaching system nelled through the chipformer employs far fewer inserts than of the Self-Grip insert, to reduce is usual in this application machining temperature and eli- (typically 40 instead of 150minate built-up edge; and mini 200). Cut-Grip tools for Swiss automatics. DUet Industrial introduced Machines high-performance ball-nose steel-machining endmills (designated CBC and CBS) which One of the important processes used carbide for the low speed used to shape hard and supercentral zone and polycryst~lline hard materials is electro-eroCBN for the high speed peri- sion~ phery. Sizes range from 8 mm Charmilles Technologies, of diameter, with up to 15 000 rev/ Geneva, Switzerland, (a George minute and 8000 nun/minute Fischer subsidiary that since table feed, to 30 mm diameter, January 1991 has incorporated offering 6000 rev/minute and Raycon Corp, of Ann Arbor, 3000 ram/minute. The CBC USA, and Nassovia Werkzeugversions have carbide shanks. maschinen, of Langen, GermaCarmex Precision Tools reny), has designed its new leased the T20 small diameter electro-erosion machines to furcoated threading insert opti- ther improve safety factors. mized for low speeds, for use Each is completely enclosed by where even very high speed a 'cabin' to improve the working rotation generates a low sur- environment of operators. Acface cutting speed, or on heavy
oq a
cording to J-P. Wflmes, director of French subsidiary Charmilles SA and responsible for company o p e r a t i o n s in E u r o p e , the changes more than anticipate forthcomin& increasingly stringent, legal requirements for operator protection. Advantages of the redesign include the enclosure of splash and spray, exact control of t e m p e r a t u r e and d i e l e c t r i c level, p r o t e c t i o n against electrical hazards, greatlYreduced shop noise levels, and the confining of the magnetic fields (the cabin acts as a Faraday cage) which in turn affect radio waves - - no longer tolerate! within EC Directives. New Charmilles machines include the Roboform Series 1000, a computer-controlled spark-erosion centre with CTExpert protocols that can be used like a conventional machine tool, the advanced Roboform 4000, and the Robofll 300 and 310, fast production wirecut machines with jet flushing and average precision of :i:0.01 nlm.
KTMC • Tungsten Carbide Powder • Tungsten Metal Powder
• Tungs tic Oxide eAmmonium Paratungstate
• Bismuth Metal Ingot
Please contact the nearest office for more information F
KOREA TUNGSTEN MINING CO., LTD. HEAD OFRCE DAEGUPO BOX 196,SEOUL700-600, KOREA TEL:053-763-9521 FAX:053-702-1053
SEOULOFFICE(MARKETINGDEPT) 10,1-GA MYEONG-DONG,JUNG-GU,SEOUL100-021, KOREA TEL: 02-757-3425/6/7 TELEX:23646KOTUNGK FAX:02-735-3649
LONDON OFFICE BANKHOUSE 209 MERTONROAD SOUTHWlMBLEDON LONDONSW19 lEE, UK TEL:081-543-2280/1 TELEX:888861 LOTUNGG FAX:081-543-2291
NEW YORKOFFICE ONE PENNPLAZA SUITE1626 NEWYORKNY 10119 USA TEl. 212-581-9175 TELEX:234491 NYTUNGUR FAX:212-564-8319
38 MPR July/August 1991
DOSSEU)ORFOFFICE NIEDERKASSELER LOHWEG8 4000 DUSSELDORF11 WESTGERMANY TEL:0211-596020/596029 TELEX:8587869KTMCD FAX:0211-592501
TOKYOOFFICE 4 F, SAO PAULOBLDG 3 - 5 - 1 SHIMBASHI MINATO-KU,TOKYO JAPAN TEL: 03-3595-1697/8 FAX:03-3504-3870
A
FIGURE I: Mitsubishi indexable insert with polycrystalline diamond
(PCD) on carbide substrata and ground-in chipbreaker.
36 MPR July/August 1991
gle floor of the largest hall. Although it was the topmost floor of the furthest hall from the main entrance, there was nevertheless at no t i m e t h e paucity of visitors that haunted some of the other halls. In the following, we've noted j u s t a few of the items of likely interest to Metal Powder Report readers.
Mater/als For many years diamonds have been standard for high production grinding wheels and as the superhard cutting edges of very expensive indexable cutting inserts, but at the 9th E M O exhibition diamonds were for once the focus of innovatory development. It is a pity that the hardest of all materials cannot machine steels or cast irons at high speeds, due to chemical breakdown and diffusion. However, diamond has important applicat i o n s in slow s p e e d or low temperature cutting processes, in machining non-ferrous metals (especially aluminium alloys) and abrasive nonmetallics, and in other wearresistant applications. One surprise was to see Mitsubishi's production-quality polycrystalline diamond (PCD) cutting inserts with ground-in chipbreakers (Figure 1). This is commonplace with carbides or carbonitrides, but until now rarely seen ( a n d only as a laboriously made 'special') with PCD. At the other extreme, Sumitomo showed for the first time in Europe - - and perhaps anywhere outside J a p a n - - commercial (rather than research or
development) inserts with cutting corners of synthetic monocrystal diamond, sold as Sumicrystal. These have cleavage-type, microscopically sharp cutting edges, able to produce a mirror finish on a metallic surface in a single pass. Elsewhere, just about anyone who is anything in advanced cutting tools is working, or claiming to be working, on diamond coatings for hardmetals. The biggest problem is no longer in manufacturing diam o n d coatings, for which a number of plasma chemical vepour deposition (CTD)-type processes can be employed, but in inducing t h e m to a d h e r e tightly to the substrate. Sumitomo turns this drawback to advantage by producing thin rectangular strips of 'diam o n d coating' which can be used directly in the electronics industry or, alternatively,brazed or cemented to appropriate metallic or non-metallic substrates. At the prices being quoted, however, most visitors saw little incentive to purchase diamond-coated carbide for cutting tools when solid P C D gave higher performance and much longer service life with no worries about flaking surface layers. Diamond-coated carbide shows considerable promise, however, for machining aluminitun and with tools of complex form running at relatively low surface speeds, such as twist drills. GQhring which, working with CemeCoat, showed its first diamond-coated products at Stuttgart last year, h a d a comprehensive range of diamond-coated solid carbide drills on displs~,. Other companies showed experimental indexable inserts, but Mitsubishi led the field by highlighting a variety of diamond-coated standard carbide inserts with sintered-in chipbreakers. By contrast, Sumitomo claimed success in, among other things, diamond-coating silicon nitride ceramic inserts. Already in limited commercial production and thus available for selective testing, grade D C 4 6 is the diamond-coated hardmetal introduced by Mitsubishi Materials Corp (Figure 2); substrate is said to be the longestablished grade HTiI0, a finegrain conventional sintered carbide with 94WC/6Co composi-
qb. o ID *L iliiii~ii~
iiiii!iiiiii i
i!i;i!ii!i iiiiiiiiiiiil iiii!iii!il !i~i?ii?iii iiii:ii:il III
FIGURE 2: Range of Mitaubishi grade DC46 diamond coated hardmetal inserts, now available for production tests and evaluation.
~'L~CeZ
~
o f Baiinit D-
used to flush-machine Monel rivet-heads on the Mirage 2000 fighter's air intakes. Surface finish was increased to an extent that subsequent machining was no longer necessaw. European ceramics manufacturer Feldmhle AG has subs t a n ~ l ~ improved the thermal shock resistance and other properties of its long-established a l u m i n a - b a s e d grade SN80, making it more suitable for intermittent cutting operations. Other items include new shapes and sizes of ceramic inserts and new designs of toolholders, including special designs for silicon nitride tools boring grey cast iron at very high speeds.
tion. E x c e l l e n t r e s u l t s are strate. This was claimed to claimed for tests carried out at permit the use of sharper insert a Ford automobile plant in the edges, though no explanation was forthcoming of how this USA. III I I I II Although it was excluded would improve upon multils~er from the EMO exhibit, we FVD, which should be even By far the largest range of new learnt from representatives of sharper, or of how a PVD top- tools and inserts came from Norton Co, one of the first coat might restore a sharp edge Iscar, whose capacit~ for innocommercial producers of dia- already lost to the initial CVD vation never fails to astonisl~ mond films for cutting tools, layers. Tooling launches at EMO incluAs is well-known, the even ded Cut-Grip GHSCR/L for inthat the company already has both thin- and thick-film types deposition of the C V D process ternal machining, with highin regular production. Unlike tends to round sharp edges, modulus solid sintered carbide conventional PCD, they are whereas the line-of-sight PVD shanks for increased stabiliW, close to 100% diamond, with m e t h o d t e n d s to p r e s e r v e super-slim Self-Grip SGSF rono catalyst or binder. them. It seems ILkely that CVD tary slotting cutters of only 1.6 Produced by modified CVD, provides better adhesion and nun width of cut, replacing most the thin films have an average therefore makes an admirable conventional high speed steel particle Aide_of 2 pro; inserts of intermediate layer between sub- (HSS) and brazed carbide tools the t h i n - c o a t e d grade (de- strate and PVD topcoat. of this type; GHIC multifunction signated DF200) are recommenA second Kennametai inno- toolholder (Figure 3) for groovded for finish machining of non- vation was an advanced high ing, turning and threading; Topferrous metals and non-metal- strength alumina ceramic, Kyon Grip TGMF 525 full-radius inlics. By contrast, grade DT100 4000, toughened both by addi- serts for internal and external thick-film coated inserts have tions of zirconia and by silicon turning, giving finish quaiiW average film properties of 25 Inn carbide whiskers. with roughing parameters; the grain size, around I000 N/ram ~ In addition to its established HelLmill SEKR insert, with a true transverse rupture strength and performance enhancing PVD helical cutting edge divided into 8300HV hardnes~ Substantially coatings Balinit A (titanium three separate curved sections, tougher than the thin-film ver- nitride) and Balinit B (titanision, inserts of this grade are um c a r b o n i t r i d e ) , Liechtenrecommended for gsnerai-pur- s t e i n - b a s e d c o a t i n g - p l a n t i pose as well as finish machinin& specialist Balzers introduced Another Sumttomo develop- Balinit D, a PVD-applied is~rer ment was the companfs first of chromium nitride. Metallic physical v a p o u r d e p o s i t i o n grey CrN is deposited at tem(PVD)-coated carbonitride cer- peratures below 500°C. The mets, designated T110Z for cast- coating is up to 4 Inu thick iii!iiiiiiiiii] iron turning and T130Z for steel and its hardness 1800HV. iiiiiiiili!!i~ turning and mfllin& The compaCrN is said to be superior to ny also showed a trio of new other commercial coatings in cubic boron n i t r i d e (CBN) terms of thermal stability and grades for machining grey and corrosion resistance. Applicanodular cast irons. tions include the machining of Kennametal introduced two nickel based alloys such as iiiiiiiiiiiiiii! materials. KC792M, for high- Monel and Inconel, the forming speed steel milling, has a pa- of copper based alloys and the tent-pending CVD-PVD multi- diecasting of aluminium. layer c o a t i n g on a c o b a l t Dassault Aircraft in Prance e n r i c h e d ( t o u g h e n e d ) sub- reported a two-fold increase in
Tools
FIGURE 3: The Iscar multlfunctlon GHIC Grip toolholder for clamped hardmetal inserts can be used for grooving, turning and threading.
iiiiiiii
MPR JulylAugust 1N1 37
each having a different angle to or unbalanced workpieces of compensate cutting forces, re- large diameter. Based on a cassette-type duce vibration and improve stability;, Jet-Cut parting with insert seating, Hertel's shorthigh-pressure coolant chan- run rotary broaching system nelled through the chipformer employs far fewer inserts than of the Self-Grip insert, to reduce is usual in this application machining temperature and eli- (typically 40 instead of 150minate built-up edge; and mini 200). Cut-Grip tools for Swiss automatics. DUet Industrial introduced Machines high-performance ball-nose steel-machining endmills (designated CBC and CBS) which One of the important processes used carbide for the low speed used to shape hard and supercentral zone and polycryst~lline hard materials is electro-eroCBN for the high speed peri- sion~ phery. Sizes range from 8 mm Charmilles Technologies, of diameter, with up to 15 000 rev/ Geneva, Switzerland, (a George minute and 8000 nun/minute Fischer subsidiary that since table feed, to 30 mm diameter, January 1991 has incorporated offering 6000 rev/minute and Raycon Corp, of Ann Arbor, 3000 ram/minute. The CBC USA, and Nassovia Werkzeugversions have carbide shanks. maschinen, of Langen, GermaCarmex Precision Tools reny), has designed its new leased the T20 small diameter electro-erosion machines to furcoated threading insert opti- ther improve safety factors. mized for low speeds, for use Each is completely enclosed by where even very high speed a 'cabin' to improve the working rotation generates a low sur- environment of operators. Acface cutting speed, or on heavy
oq a
cording to J-P. Wflmes, director of French subsidiary Charmilles SA and responsible for company o p e r a t i o n s in E u r o p e , the changes more than anticipate forthcomin& increasingly stringent, legal requirements for operator protection. Advantages of the redesign include the enclosure of splash and spray, exact control of t e m p e r a t u r e and d i e l e c t r i c level, p r o t e c t i o n against electrical hazards, greatlYreduced shop noise levels, and the confining of the magnetic fields (the cabin acts as a Faraday cage) which in turn affect radio waves - - no longer tolerate! within EC Directives. New Charmilles machines include the Roboform Series 1000, a computer-controlled spark-erosion centre with CTExpert protocols that can be used like a conventional machine tool, the advanced Roboform 4000, and the Robofll 300 and 310, fast production wirecut machines with jet flushing and average precision of :i:0.01 nlm.
KTMC • Tungsten Carbide Powder • Tungsten Metal Powder
• Tungs tic Oxide eAmmonium Paratungstate
• Bismuth Metal Ingot
Please contact the nearest office for more information F
KOREA TUNGSTEN MINING CO., LTD. HEAD OFRCE DAEGUPO BOX 196,SEOUL700-600, KOREA TEL:053-763-9521 FAX:053-702-1053
SEOULOFFICE(MARKETINGDEPT) 10,1-GA MYEONG-DONG,JUNG-GU,SEOUL100-021, KOREA TEL: 02-757-3425/6/7 TELEX:23646KOTUNGK FAX:02-735-3649
LONDON OFFICE BANKHOUSE 209 MERTONROAD SOUTHWlMBLEDON LONDONSW19 lEE, UK TEL:081-543-2280/1 TELEX:888861 LOTUNGG FAX:081-543-2291
NEW YORKOFFICE ONE PENNPLAZA SUITE1626 NEWYORKNY 10119 USA TEl. 212-581-9175 TELEX:234491 NYTUNGUR FAX:212-564-8319
38 MPR July/August 1991
DOSSEU)ORFOFFICE NIEDERKASSELER LOHWEG8 4000 DUSSELDORF11 WESTGERMANY TEL:0211-596020/596029 TELEX:8587869KTMCD FAX:0211-592501
TOKYOOFFICE 4 F, SAO PAULOBLDG 3 - 5 - 1 SHIMBASHI MINATO-KU,TOKYO JAPAN TEL: 03-3595-1697/8 FAX:03-3504-3870