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Uprated solid carbide drills
ht. J. of Refractory MetaLs & Hard Materials 15 (1997) 257-260 Q 1997 Elsevier Science Limited Printed in Great Britain. All rights reserved
ELSEVIER
News NEWS ITEMS
Health and safety: research and updated exposure limits Britain’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published an outline of its research programme for 1997-1998. HSE wishes to extend the degree of collaboration in this programme, especially with industry, and invites potential collaborators to submit expressions of interest for jointly funded projects. Priced at flO.OO, copies of “Mainstream Research Market 1997/8” ISBN 7176 1333X, are available from HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 6FS. Tel.: (+44) (0)1787 881165, Fax: (+44) (0)1787 313995. Changes in occupational exposure limits relating to hazardous substances in the workplace are included in the 1997 edition of the HSE booklet, “EH40/97” priced at E6.95 and also available from the above address. Both kinds of exposure limits are listed-OESs (Occupational Exposure Standards) and MELs (Maximum Exposure Limits), defined under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH). The new MEL Schedule came into force on 10 January 1997. Of particular interest to hardmetal manufacturers is updated advice on controlling workplace exposure to nickel. Nickel carbonyl vapour is perhaps the worst hazard, but repeated exposure to metallic nickel and its compounds can cause lung cancer or allergic dermatitis. A guidance note entitled “Nickel and its Inorganic Compounds: Health and Safety Precautions” (ref. EH60) is available, price E4.00,
Fig. 1. Stellram provides complete solution to threading. from HSE Books, as are supplies of a free leatlet for employees, “Nickel and You” [ref. MS(A)14]. Uprated solid carbide drills The new Titex Plus AlphaJet drill is a solid microgram carbide straightflute, through-coolant design, for deep-hole drilling of cast irons and non-ferrous metals on standard machines and for high-speed machining of aluminium alloys.
257
Diameter range is 4 to 20 mm. Also new is the three-flute Maximiza SX drill for a similar range of alloys, made from sintered microgram carbide with 10% cobalt. The spiral-fluted drill has special point geometry for excellent centring properties, with general dimensions to DIN 6537L. Diameters are from 3 to 16 mm. More information from Titex Tools Ltd, Combow Exchange, Little Combow, Halesowen, West
News
258
Midlands B63 3AJ, UK. Tel.: (+44) (0)121 550 7511, Fax: (+44) (0)121 550 0913. Tungsten prices “misaligned” According to a report in China PacifiCarbide’s “The Tungsten & Carbide Link”, the price regulation committee of the International Tungsten Industry Association has determined that Chinese tungsten prices are “misaligned”. As a result, CNIEC prices for ore and concentrates were to be raised to near parity with markets in Europe and Scandinavia, probably to be followed by prices for tungsten metal and hardmetal intermediates. No longer so insulated from the western world as in the past, mines in China have been beset by inflation and other financial problems for several years and several have closed. Threading programme Following its acquisition by Teledyne and the subsequent addition of the US-sourced Teledyne Landis thread-rolling system, Stellram claims to offer the widest range of standard threading tooling of any manufacturer (Fig. 1). As an example, standard internal insert tooling for thread-milling can now accommodate bore sizes as small as 4 mm. Toolholders include those with through-tool coolant as well as anti-vibration bars for difficult material applications. A new full-colour catalogue is available from Stellram Ltd, Hercules Way, Bowerhill Industrial Estate, Melksham, Wiltshire SN12 6TS, UK. Tel.: (+44) (0)1225 706882. New Seco tool and insert ranges Seco Tools is launching both new milling-cutter designs and a series of PVD-coated hardmetal milling grades during the first half of 1997. The new grades (Fig. 2) are F20M, for milling steels with hard surfaces (eg gas or plasma cut), a more wear-resistant alternative to uncoated Seco grade SlOM; F25M for general-purpose milling; and the tougher F4OM, for milling at low to moderate speeds and more severe conditions.
Fig. 2. F20M, F25M, F40M from Seco Tools. In addition to small Minimaster tools, now a complete tooling system, and extended ranges of face and copy mills, newly introduced designs include “easy cutting” MicroTurbo small end-milling and square-shoulder milling cutters with superior performance (Fig. 3). XOMX0903 Micro Turbo inserts have high positive rake and 8” helix. Further information from Mike Jewkes, Seco Tools (UK) Ltd, Arden Forest Industrial Estate, Alcester, Warwickshire B49 6EL, UK. Phone (+44) (0)1789 764220 Fax: (+44) (0)1789 763128. Good year Ceramics
for
Universal
Full-year results for Universal Ceramic Materials plc (UCM) show that turnover increased by 14% in 1996 and profits by 16%. UCM comprises five operating businesses, three of which are based in the UK and two in the US. They include Universal Abrasives, based in Stafford, UK, producing fused alumina and zirconia; Unitec Ceramics, also based in Stafford, producing technical ceramics for newly emerging markets; and Universal America Inc, based in Tennessee, producing electrical grade fused magnesia. Drilling products catalogue A new 248 page catalogue 7061 of drilling products Kennametal
presents a comprehensive offering of holemaking products and technical information. Included are solid carbide and insert drills, toolholding systems and data covering drill selection, application guidelines and troubleshooting. copies and Free further information from Kennametal Inc, PO Box 346. Latrobe, PA 15650, address www. USA. Web kennametal.com. Cubic boron nitride nearer the marketplace
coatings
Just a few years ago, serviceable coatings of superhard cubic boron nitride on carbide cutting tools seemed a near-impossible dream. Not so many years earlier, diamond coatings were in the same category, but they are now almost a commonplace, with a variety of production methods and many applications. The importance of cBN lies in its ability to machine steels and other ferrous materials at high speeds with minimal wear. Diamond cannot be used for this purpose because of thermochemical breakdown. Solid, polycrystalline cubic boron nitride, available for many years, can only be employed simple shapes, whereas with superhard coatings (diamond or cBN) may be applied to finished hardmetal inserts incorporating chipbreakers of complex form.
ELSEVIER
News NEWS ITEMS
Health and safety: research and updated exposure limits Britain’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published an outline of its research programme for 1997-1998. HSE wishes to extend the degree of collaboration in this programme, especially with industry, and invites potential collaborators to submit expressions of interest for jointly funded projects. Priced at flO.OO, copies of “Mainstream Research Market 1997/8” ISBN 7176 1333X, are available from HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 6FS. Tel.: (+44) (0)1787 881165, Fax: (+44) (0)1787 313995. Changes in occupational exposure limits relating to hazardous substances in the workplace are included in the 1997 edition of the HSE booklet, “EH40/97” priced at E6.95 and also available from the above address. Both kinds of exposure limits are listed-OESs (Occupational Exposure Standards) and MELs (Maximum Exposure Limits), defined under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH). The new MEL Schedule came into force on 10 January 1997. Of particular interest to hardmetal manufacturers is updated advice on controlling workplace exposure to nickel. Nickel carbonyl vapour is perhaps the worst hazard, but repeated exposure to metallic nickel and its compounds can cause lung cancer or allergic dermatitis. A guidance note entitled “Nickel and its Inorganic Compounds: Health and Safety Precautions” (ref. EH60) is available, price E4.00,
Fig. 1. Stellram provides complete solution to threading. from HSE Books, as are supplies of a free leatlet for employees, “Nickel and You” [ref. MS(A)14]. Uprated solid carbide drills The new Titex Plus AlphaJet drill is a solid microgram carbide straightflute, through-coolant design, for deep-hole drilling of cast irons and non-ferrous metals on standard machines and for high-speed machining of aluminium alloys.
257
Diameter range is 4 to 20 mm. Also new is the three-flute Maximiza SX drill for a similar range of alloys, made from sintered microgram carbide with 10% cobalt. The spiral-fluted drill has special point geometry for excellent centring properties, with general dimensions to DIN 6537L. Diameters are from 3 to 16 mm. More information from Titex Tools Ltd, Combow Exchange, Little Combow, Halesowen, West
News
258
Midlands B63 3AJ, UK. Tel.: (+44) (0)121 550 7511, Fax: (+44) (0)121 550 0913. Tungsten prices “misaligned” According to a report in China PacifiCarbide’s “The Tungsten & Carbide Link”, the price regulation committee of the International Tungsten Industry Association has determined that Chinese tungsten prices are “misaligned”. As a result, CNIEC prices for ore and concentrates were to be raised to near parity with markets in Europe and Scandinavia, probably to be followed by prices for tungsten metal and hardmetal intermediates. No longer so insulated from the western world as in the past, mines in China have been beset by inflation and other financial problems for several years and several have closed. Threading programme Following its acquisition by Teledyne and the subsequent addition of the US-sourced Teledyne Landis thread-rolling system, Stellram claims to offer the widest range of standard threading tooling of any manufacturer (Fig. 1). As an example, standard internal insert tooling for thread-milling can now accommodate bore sizes as small as 4 mm. Toolholders include those with through-tool coolant as well as anti-vibration bars for difficult material applications. A new full-colour catalogue is available from Stellram Ltd, Hercules Way, Bowerhill Industrial Estate, Melksham, Wiltshire SN12 6TS, UK. Tel.: (+44) (0)1225 706882. New Seco tool and insert ranges Seco Tools is launching both new milling-cutter designs and a series of PVD-coated hardmetal milling grades during the first half of 1997. The new grades (Fig. 2) are F20M, for milling steels with hard surfaces (eg gas or plasma cut), a more wear-resistant alternative to uncoated Seco grade SlOM; F25M for general-purpose milling; and the tougher F4OM, for milling at low to moderate speeds and more severe conditions.
Fig. 2. F20M, F25M, F40M from Seco Tools. In addition to small Minimaster tools, now a complete tooling system, and extended ranges of face and copy mills, newly introduced designs include “easy cutting” MicroTurbo small end-milling and square-shoulder milling cutters with superior performance (Fig. 3). XOMX0903 Micro Turbo inserts have high positive rake and 8” helix. Further information from Mike Jewkes, Seco Tools (UK) Ltd, Arden Forest Industrial Estate, Alcester, Warwickshire B49 6EL, UK. Phone (+44) (0)1789 764220 Fax: (+44) (0)1789 763128. Good year Ceramics
for
Universal
Full-year results for Universal Ceramic Materials plc (UCM) show that turnover increased by 14% in 1996 and profits by 16%. UCM comprises five operating businesses, three of which are based in the UK and two in the US. They include Universal Abrasives, based in Stafford, UK, producing fused alumina and zirconia; Unitec Ceramics, also based in Stafford, producing technical ceramics for newly emerging markets; and Universal America Inc, based in Tennessee, producing electrical grade fused magnesia. Drilling products catalogue A new 248 page catalogue 7061 of drilling products Kennametal
presents a comprehensive offering of holemaking products and technical information. Included are solid carbide and insert drills, toolholding systems and data covering drill selection, application guidelines and troubleshooting. copies and Free further information from Kennametal Inc, PO Box 346. Latrobe, PA 15650, address www. USA. Web kennametal.com. Cubic boron nitride nearer the marketplace
coatings
Just a few years ago, serviceable coatings of superhard cubic boron nitride on carbide cutting tools seemed a near-impossible dream. Not so many years earlier, diamond coatings were in the same category, but they are now almost a commonplace, with a variety of production methods and many applications. The importance of cBN lies in its ability to machine steels and other ferrous materials at high speeds with minimal wear. Diamond cannot be used for this purpose because of thermochemical breakdown. Solid, polycrystalline cubic boron nitride, available for many years, can only be employed simple shapes, whereas with superhard coatings (diamond or cBN) may be applied to finished hardmetal inserts incorporating chipbreakers of complex form.