Elevate Your Tooling & Workholding
Is your shop benefiting from the latest optimal tooling and workholding products?
Posted: April 24, 2024
Learn about the innovations creating the shape of things to come in the metalworking industry with an in-depth look at tooling and workholding solutions that assist in reducing inventories and change over times, while also improving quality and precision.
Advances such as stronger, multilayer coatings handle diverse operations on a range of materials, and easy-to-use and easy-to-install devices for use on multiple complex parts increase productivity throughout the shop floor.
Expansion of Tool Holder Line Increases Precision for Small Lathes
BIG DAISHOWA (Hoffman Estates, IL) has introduced the C3 program, an expansion of the BIG CAPTO tool holder line, designed to increase efficiency and precision for small lathes. The C3 series of MEGA NEW BABY chucks has a clamping range of .010”-.630” with a maximum rpm of 30,000. These make excellent choices for drills, reamers, taps and finishing end mills. Ultra slim and strong, they provide reliable gripping for even the smallest workpieces.
The BIG CAPTO C3 square holders for turning applications come in left and right orientation. The turning application holders — C3-180-BH16R-2058 and C3-180-BH16L-2058 — are mono-block holders. Their insert clamps are tough and reliable, adding on to the already inherently high rigidity of mono-block holders. The resulting higher rigidity minimizes vibrations and movement during cutting, improving accuracy and efficiency.
The new square tool holders are available in 90° and 180° types. The 90° type offers a variety of orientations, including perpendicular to the workpiece. Its compact design also allows for work in spaces that are tighter or have limited clearance. The 180° type, meanwhile, allows the tool to machine harder-to-reach areas of the workpiece.
Due to the limited space for smaller lathes and mill-turn machines with C3 clamping systems, integral C3 turning adapters are compact and rigid with both left- or right-hand units for most common turning geometries. C3 boring bar holders are also available to clamp 6 mm, 8 mm, 10 mm or 12 mm boring bars. All turning tool holders feature through-spindle coolant. Tool assembly device, Kombi Grip (model KG32R), makes an excellent addition to work on C3 tools outside the machine, and cleaning of internal C3 clamping units is quick and efficient using BIG CAPTO spindle cleaner SC-C3.
New UP2DATE Solutions for Thread Milling, Clamping and Quick Tool Changes
CERATIZIT USA Inc.’s (Schaumburg, IL) semiannual UP2DATE catalog of product developments and enhancements is now available with the latest offerings designed to give CERATIZIT customers improved machining performance, increased tool life and optimal production efficiency.
Included in the spring 2024 UP2DATE edition are the MonoThread Performance shank thread milling cutters, MNG mini zero point clamping system for small workpieces, and the MaxiChange GX modular grooving system.
Providing a 20% performance increase over its predecessors, CERATIZIT’s solid carbide MonoThread-SGF and MonoThread-SFSE Performance Line shank thread milling cutters provide precision and process reliability when they count most. The MonoThread redesign increases the number of cutting edges for faster machining, optimizes core rounding and taper for improved accuracy and uses an advanced coating for higher wear resistance.
The MonoThread-SGF and MonoThread-SFSE, with a chamfer facet, prevent material breakage with their axial coolant supply. They are well suited for cutting all standardized thread profiles in asymmetrical, thin-walled or very complex workpieces of virtually any material. Due to its low cutting pressure, CERATIZIT’s performance line thread milling cutters can process components at high speeds and feeds to cut production times. Thread milling reduces process costs by having a single tool that can produce left and right threads in addition to blind and through holes. These new thread mill cutters can also be reground up to three times to keep tooling costs low.
CERATIZIT’s new mechanical MNG mini zero point clamping system is the latest advance for precise machining of small workpieces. A standardized and universal system, the MNG mini can reduce setup times by at least 30% or more to maximize machine uptime. It uses weight-optimized consoles, pyramids and clamping towers with an integrated zero point clamping system for small clamping devices. Bases are made of hard-anodized aluminum, making the zero point system a lightweight and cost-effective solution.
The MNG mini uses a modular design that is available in several different versions that allow towers, consoles and pyramids to be added as needed. Affording tremendous flexibility, the system can be used for a variety of machining applications, including milling, turning or grinding, and due to its 2.04” (52-mm) clamping bolt spacing, the MNG mini is compatible with systems from other manufacturers.
The time-tested CERATIZIT MaxiChange exchangeable head system is known for providing quick tool changes in the processing of low- to medium-volume production of complex parts. Now, the MaxiChange GX adds a grooving function for internal and external machining as well as axial and radial machining to its repertoire. Being a modular system, its wide range of heads and base holders are compatible with each other and can be used for a variety of applications. For internal and external machining, the MaxiChange GX is available for interfaces up to 1.5” in varying groove widths.
To improve tool life and counteract the negative impacts of chip jams and extreme temperatures at the cutting zone during the grooving process, the MaxiChange GX is equipped with an internal coolant supply. It can also be used in combination with a vibration-damped boring bar for long overhang applications where high quality surface finish is important.
www.cuttingtools.CERATIZIT.com
New All-electric Clamping System
DESTACO (Auburn Hills, MI), a leading global provider of automation, clamping and gripping solutions, offers the new intelligent 92W Series Electric Power Clamps. Operating completely without compressed air, these power clamps set a new standard for efficient and environmentally friendly production operations. They reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions, and as a plug-and-play solution, they pave the way for exceptionally flexible production processes.
“Electric drives have clear advantages over pneumatic drives,” explained Christian Schubert, global product manager for DESTACO. “They reduce CO2 emissions and energy costs by up to 85%. Their use of electric motors helps eliminate the need for lossy compressed air lines and associated pneumatic equipment. Electric drives also offer a high degree of flexibility, which significantly reduces the need for an expansive spare-parts inventory.”
The 92W power clamp’s integrated intelligence also reduces the need for additional components, as it provides essential data for process optimization even without external sensors. Even during installation, these values allow the user to conveniently adjust the speed, positioning and/or torque to fine tune production. During subsequent operation, the values are used to analyze process quality.
The control of the electric clamps is decentralized and attached directly to the production devices, which reduces cable lengths and cabling costs. In this way, all automation functions can be implemented decentrally. This not only frees up space, but also ensures seamless integration of the clamping technology into the production system. Reliable voltage, signal and data management also facilitate digital planning, along with providing quick and easy installation and commissioning. All of these features save time and, together with process optimization, reduce labor costs. Higher initial investments are therefore amortized in one to three years, depending on the configuration.
The advantages of the new 92W power clamps will be able to help many manufacturing companies switch their production from pneumatic to electric drives. These powerful 92W electric power clamps hold workpieces in several positions, for example, during the production and assembly of body shells. Thanks to the power clamp’s integrated component control, no external sensors are required. In combination with the unit’s integrated tolerance compensation, this enables the control and production of different component types.
Pin Location Jaws for Air Chucks Hold Sensitive Parts without Deformation
Dillon Manufacturing, Inc. (Springfield, OH), a leading manufacturer of hard and soft jaws for workholding applications, presents its pin location jaws, which firmly yet safely grip deformation-prone parts. Ideal for thin-walled components, tubing-type products, and other sensitive workpieces, Dillon manufactures full grip (pie) blank jaws and soft jaws for Northfield®, Microcentric® and others. Each is CNC milled to provide maximum accuracy for workpiece location, enabling air chucks to hold sensitive workpieces firmly. Standard sizes available, or experienced applications engineers can prepare proposals for custom jaws at no charge. Dillon’s pin location jaws are typically available with industry-leading lead-times of three days or less.
Full grip jaws are manufactured for chuck sizes ranging between 4” and 10” diameters and are available in 1018 steel and 6061 aluminum. Jaw heights are available between 1” and 4”. Soft jaws are available in 1018 steel and 6061 aluminum, in heights from .75”-to-5.00”, and widths from .75”-to-3.00”.
HAIMER Tool Room now with WinTool and Toolbase System
The HAIMER Group (Igenhausen, Bavaria, Germany) is now a 25% shareholder in WinTool AG and agrees on a strategic partnership with the TCM Group, which grants HAIMER global distribution rights to WinTool and Toolbase. Prior to the decision to acquire this stake in the company, WinTool and Toolbase were introduced in the company’s own production facilities and tested in continuous use, proving their worth in a very short period of time. In the future, TCM will rely on HAIMER as a strategic supplier in the field of tool holders, shrinking, balancing and presetting machines in the core business of tool management.
At EMO 2023, HAIMER took an important step forward and has since been offering its successful hardware products for machine tools alongside a powerful digital range consisting of the WinTool software, an independent tool management system, and Toolbase, a smart tool dispensing system with software and hardware components.
HAIMER wants to offer its customers worldwide a coherent system concept with regard to digitization and automation of tool room management. This requires easy-to-implement products and intuitive software solutions that enable users to increase productivity on the shop floor. With the WinTool and Toolbase products, HAIMER can offer its customers the most complete solution on the market. In a record time of just four months, the company introduced the new systems in its own large production facility with more than 200 CNC machines. “Our own positive experiences and the great customer feedback at EMO 2023, along with the trustful cooperation with the TCM team, has encouraged us to take the next step with WinTool and TCM,” said Andreas Haimer, president of the HAIMER Group.
Expansion of Mill Thread Double Sided Inserts for Internal and External Applications
ISCAR (Arlington, TX) has expanded its range of thread milling inserts for use in machining
a wide range of materials. Features include:
- Complete internal application profiles for UNJ unified thread standard (ASME B1. 15) pitch of 12 TPI
- Complete UNJ unified thread standard profile for external applications (ASME B1. 15) pitch of 20 TPI
- Complete profile threading milling inserts for American (UN, UNC, UNF, UNEF, UNS) full profile 18 TPI
The new range of thread milling inserts includes the PVD IC908 PVD coated grade. It is a tough submicron grain size substrate with a PVD TiAlN PVD coating, which is recommended for diverse operations on materials such as steels, alloy steels, austenitic stainless steel and high temperature alloys for a wide range of cutting speeds. It features high wear resistance and chipping durability.
Innovation Quickly Transforms a Single Vise into Three Different Styles
Kurt Workholding, a division of Kurt Manufacturing (Minneapolis, MN), has launched the Kurt TriLock product line, featuring 3-in-1 vise design and integrated quick-change dovetail jaws from the newly acquired CARVESMART. Six-inch Kurt TriLock vises quickly convert between three vise sizes and double-station or single-station configurations. CARVESMART dovetail jaws come standard for maximum workholding flexibility. Preinstalled hardened steel jaw plates can quickly convert to CARVESMART machinable aluminum jaw extrusions or a wide variety of other CARVESMART jaw plate options for custom part holding and high-variability production work.
“The new TriLock vise is a leap forward in vise functionality for Kurt’s customers,” said Jeff Lenz, executive vice president of proprietary products at Kurt Manufacturing. “A shop can purchase a single TriLock vise, keep an inventory of CARVESMART machinable jaw extrusions, and quickly change between multiple complex part shapes on multiple jobs.”
TriLock vises with CARVESMART jaws are on sale now with preinstalled hard jaws and a set of 6″ extruded machinable aluminum jaws. Additional jaw extrusions are available with five different profile options in precut 4”, 6” and 8” widths. Jaw extrusions are compatible with the TriLock vise’s dovetail movable jaws and with other CARVESMART master jaw kits currently in the marketplace. Also available are 31″ and 94″ extrusions.
TL6CSP TriLock vises are designed to quickly convert between a standard 6” double-station vise, a single-station vise and a large single station vise, and can hold parts as large as 11”.
Flexible Changing System now Offered for Live Tools
Heimatec, a world leader in live tools, angle heads and multi-spindle drill heads, has announced availability of its popular u-tec® flexible changing system on all live tools in the company’s product line. Tools are now available for the most popular machine tool models in the market, said Platinum Tooling Technologies, Inc. President, Preben Hansen. Platinum Tooling (Prospect Heights, IL) is the exclusive North American importer for Heimatec.
Heimatec plans to include its u-tec flexible changing system on all live tools and angle heads, going forward, Hansen said. He noted this design offers the benefits of quick change, while maintaining exceptional rigidity. The u-tec patented changing system allows a standard ER output live tool to accept various adapters for different applications. This allows users the ability to have quick changeover of tools on almost any lathe or mill, using a single tool, without having to commit to a quick-change system on the initial purchase. A face mill adapter, for example, can be quickly positioned into the standard holder, without the need for a new tool purchase. This significantly reduces inventory costs as well as changeover time for busy shops.
Hansen said the u-tec system“…represents a real improvement in lathe live tooling design. u-tec allows great user flexibility and ensures a solid connection due to the polygon design built into both the tool and the adapter. This polygon connection helps guarantee the proper position and alignment of the adapter inside the tool. Once the insert is properly positioned and the collet nut is clamped, the cutting tool will have excellent rigidity and torque transmission.”
The unique collet nuts on the u-tec system have internal threading for clamping stability, and this new tool adapter system enables the actual cutting tool to be brought into proximity to the bearing, thus further improving performance in use.
Automatic Tool Setter Features Enhanced Functionality
REGO-FIX (Whitestown, IN) offers the REGO-FIX PGU 9800, which is an enhanced version of the company’s proven PGU 9500 powRgrip automatic tool setter and features integrated touchscreen controls, a quieter motor and a status display. The touch-and-swipe LCD displays the size of the current PG insert along with technology cycle counts by tool size, analytics, diagnostic codes and the machine build date.
Like the PGU 9500, the PGU 9800 clamps a tool in less than 10 seconds with up to nine tons of clamping pressure. For convenience, the unit runs on standard 110V AC power, handles tapers including CAT, HSK, BT, CAPTO, BIG +, TC and ISO, and clamps carbide or HSS in h6 tolerance, including Weldon flat and long shank tooling.
Unlike other clamping systems that rely on heat or hydraulics, the PGU 9800 uses the mechanical properties of the holder material to generate tremendous gripping force, with TIR of less than 0.0001 (≤3 µm) and length adjustment repeatability of less than 0.0004″ (10 µm). Tools are ready to use immediately, with no wait time, loss of accuracy or shortened tool life.
The touchscreen control panel also displays full information about a customer’s PGU 9800 unit. The display enumerates cycle statistics and provides an easy-to-use digital indicator of error conditions. The unit is available with customized wraps that feature a customer’s logo and corporate colors. A two-year warranty covers parts and labor.
A Truly Versatile Shoulder and Face Milling Concept
Sandvik Coromant’s (Mebane, NC) new CoroMill® MS60 tool is tailored for 90° shoulder milling operations in steel and cast iron, but versatile enough to extend its competence across areas such as face milling and various ramping applications.
“CoroMill MS60 is a universal shoulder and face milling solution, primarily designed for roughing to semi-finishing operations in steel and cast iron, with two geometries capable of handling both these application areas as well as secondary areas ISO M and ISO S,” said Jocelyn Lanaro, global product application specialist at Sandvik Coromant. “As such, it is possible to handle mixed material batches, including stainless steel and nickel-based alloys, without changing inserts.”
As a robust multi-edge concept with positive cutting action, cutting forces are low for vibration-free machining, which translates into a high cost-efficiency per edge. Featuring a true 90° entering angle, CoroMill MS60 is mainly a shoulder milling tool — even though it excels in many other areas as well.
“From general milling operations to side milling, slot milling, helical ramping and face milling — CoroMill MS60 truly is an all-round solution,” Lanaro said. “It is usually the first tool chosen during the early stages of universal milling operations, handling the roughing to semi-finishing stages, leaving the finishing to dedicated solutions.”
Another standout feature to highlight is the direct pressed, six-edged inserts: “They are manufactured using a highly advanced multi-axis pressing technology, meaning it has been possible to gather both a smooth cut and ramping capability in the same insert, enhancing the versatility of the product.”
Providing four different diameters in both metrics (50 mm-to-100 mm) and inches (2”-to-4”), CoroMill MS60 offers a compact yet comprehensive range, making both selection and usage easier.
Gundrill Program Ships Standard Stock within 24 Hours
Star Cutter Co.’s (Farmington, MI) Star Cutter Express program provides companies with quality standard in-stock or customized gundrills in an expedited manner, including same-day shipping on standard styles.
The SFGD Express offers single flute gundrills in diameters from 0.1250”-to-0.7500” (3.175 mm-to-19.050 mm) and lengths up to 48” (1,219 mm).
The SCGD Express offers single flute solid carbide gundrills with standard ½” steel shanks in diameters from 0.0355”-to-0.1969” (0.902 mm-to-5.000 mm) in lengths from 4”-to-12” (102 mm-to-305 mm), depending on the tool diameter.
The SFGD Custom Express program offers custom design diameters and lengths on single flute gundrills, which are shipped within a week. These products are available in custom diameters from 0.0920”-to-1.0580” (2.337 mm-to-26.873 mm) and lengths up to 72” (1,828 mm).
The New Benchmark Grade for Thread Milling
Walter USA, LLC’s (Greer, SC) Tiger·tec® Gold WSM37G from Walter is a wear-resistant thread milling grade with the unique, one-of-a-kind, physical vapor deposition (PVD) aluminum oxide (Al2O3) coating technology. The multiple-layer coating features a titanium aluminum nitride (TiAlN) coating on the carbide substrate for a high level of wear resistance, followed by Al2O3 coating for high temperature resistance and topped with zirconium nitride (ZrN) for excellent friction-reduction characteristics and the best wear detection because of its gold color.
The indexable inserts made of this universal grade are effective for machining blind-hole and through-hole threads in steel, stainless steel, cast iron, heat-resistant super alloys and steel with a hardness up to 55 HRC (ISO P, M, K, S and H material groups). The grade WSM37G inserts are for milling threads with a nominal diameter from UNC ¾ or 16 mm with a pitch range from three-to-18 threads per inch (TPI) or 1.5 mm-to-10 mm.
Tiger·tec Gold grade WSM37G inserts are offered in two easy-cutting geometries with a positive basic shape and each with three cutting edges. Both have an extremely smooth, low-friction rake face and defined corner radii for producing threads in accordance with many international standards. The D67 universal geometry is for achieving maximum tool life. The D61 geometry with anti-vibration land is for thread milling with a high level of operational smoothness when using large projection lengths or under difficult machining conditions. Walter developed these chip breakers with grade WSM37G specially for thread milling. All Walter T2710 to T2713 thread milling cutters accept the grade WSM37G indexable inserts.
