Haimer and Mapal Reach Licensing Agreement

Within a wide range of markets that includes the aerospace industry, cutting tools from Mapal Dr. Kress KG (Mapal; Aalen, Germany) have successfully established themselves in high-performance machining operations like trochoidal milling. In order to offer users even greater protection against tools being pulled out of the chuck during machining operations and to prevent damage to single workpieces or to the machine tool itself, Mapal is going to rely on the Safe-Lock™ pull-out protection system from Haimer GmbH (Igenhausen, Germany) through a recently signed corresponding licensing agreement.

The two companies have reached a partnership and licensing agreement. The toolholding specialist from Igenhausen (near Augsburg) and the precision cutting tool manufacturer from Aalen are combining their strengths to form a new partnership where they will work strategically closer together on the progression and further development of manufacturing technologies and applications. The two companies have signed a formal agreement to contractually solidify their partnership. “We are proud and happy to have a strong partner at our side in Mapal, which is one of the world’s leading tool manufacturers,” emphasized Claudia Haimer, a managing partner of Haimer.

“We value the high-level expertise of Haimer, whose innovative solutions in the field of tool holders represent the perfect complement to our high-tech tools,” added Dr. Dieter Kress, the managing partner of Mapal who is also looking forward to the future cooperation. Through the agreement, Mapal has acquired a license to Safe-Lock technology that is patented worldwide.

When it comes to high-speed cutting, absolute safety is especially crucial. Considering the high value of the single workpiece or an unmanned production, scrap parts and machine downtime have to be avoided in order to guarantee process reliability. Through special drive keys in the tool holder and grooves in the cutting tool shank, the Safe-Lock system ensures high accuracy frictional clamping with the security of a form fit between grooves on the cutting tool and the drive keys in the chuck. This prevents the cutting tool from turning or being pulled out of the chuck during machining.

“The Safe-Lock system has proven itself in both the market and our in-house trials. Consequently, we have decided to use this leading system,” said Dr. Jochen Kress, a member of senior management at Mapal.  “It is very frequently used for modern machining strategies. With Safe-Lock, the productivity and tool life can be significantly increased,” explained Andreas Haimer, the managing director and president of the Haimer Group.

As a first step starting in October, Mapal will be offering selected cutting tools for high-performance machining with the Safe-Lock shank. As a second step, their hydraulic chucks will follow and will also be designed for this type of pull-out protection.

www.haimer.com, www.mapal.com/en