• Kennametal India Limited

Tooling & Coolant Interface

Kennametal’s innovative Beyond™ platform of high-performance turning products, introduced at IMTS 2008, garnered exceptional reviews from customers worldwide. Due to higher metal-removal rates and extended tool life, these products are resulting in productivity improvements of 30% or more for a broad spectrum of metalworking users. Now, Kennametal is taking another giant step forward by introducing Beyond BLAST™ at IMTS 2010. By channelling coolant through the insert, at the interface of the milling cutter and insert, Beyond BLAST delivers coolant directly where the tool cuts the material, ensuring efficient coolant delivery, heat transfer, and lubricity. Optimising high-speed milling applications equates to a decision to maximise a company’s milling productivity and reduce manufacturing costs. Speeds (sfm/Vc) and feeds make a big difference, as does achieving maximum metal removal (MMR). Mechanical cutting generates frictional heat. And at high cutting speeds, the rate at which heat is absorbed by the tool increases with velocity. To optimise their performance, tools must be adequately cooled. Proper coolant flow means improved tool life and higher maximum effective cutting speeds. If not properly cooled, the insert will heat up rapidly. This can shorten tool life and affect surface finish, because of built-up edge (BUE), where workpiece material bonds to the cutting edge. Traditional flood coolant jets are uncontrolled and wasteful, aimed at the cut often hit behind the cutting zone, and custom high-pressure solutions (1,000 psi or higher), can cost tens of thousands of dollars to install and maintain. With Beyond BLAST™, coolant is delivered through the insert, at the interface of the milling cutter and insert – delivering the best of both worlds. In milling tests involving titanium (TiAl6V4), the results are even more spectacular, with tool life increases of 250 to 300 per cent depending on the insert geometry and cutting conditions.