Today's tool companies can no longer just manufacture and sell tools. In order to succeed, they must be consistent with the global manufacturing trend, reducing costs by increasing efficiency and working with customers. In this post-NAFTA, post-WTO era of near-instant global competition, companies around the world are responding faster, lighter, and cheaper to the same feelings. In other words, the products and parts they manufacture contain the ability to operate at high speeds, because the cost pressure is preferably lighter and cheaper to manufacture. One of the best ways to achieve these goals is through the development and application of new materials, but these new and improved materials are often difficult to process. This combination of commercial power and technical difficulties is particularly prominent in the automotive and aerospace industries and has become the primary driver of the knowledgeable tool company's R&D department.
For example, with ductile iron, it has become an increasingly popular material for engine parts and other parts in the automotive, agricultural and machine tool industries. This alloy provides a combination of lower production costs and good mechanical properties. They are cheaper than steel and have higher strength and toughness than cast iron. At the same time, ductile iron is very wear-resistant and has a tendency to quickly wear off tool materials. This wear resistance is largely affected by the pearlite content. The higher the pearlite content of a known ductile iron, the better its wear resistance and the poorer its processability. In addition, the porosity of ductile iron results in interrupted cutting, which further reduces life. It is expected that the high hardness and high wear resistance of the cutting material should take into account the high wear resistance of ductile iron. And in fact the thick coating of material containing very hard TiC (titanium carbide) or TiCN (titanium carbonitride) has proven to be effective at processing ductile iron at cutting speeds of 300 meters per minute. However, as the cutting speed increases, the temperature of the chip/tool ​​joint surface also increases. When this happens, the TiC coating tends to chemically react with the iron and soften, and more pressure acts on the crater-resistant coating. Under these conditions, it is desirable to have a coating that is more chemically stable, such as Al2O3 (although not as hard or wear resistant as TiC at lower speeds).
Chemical stability is more important than wear resistance. The exact speed and temperature at which performance is demarcated depends on the grain structure and properties of the ductile iron being processed. However, usually thick coated TiC or TiCN and oxide-only thinner coatings are used for ductile iron applications, as most of today's processed materials have cutting speeds between 150 and 335 meters per minute. For applications with speeds above 300 meters per minute, this material is satisfactory. In order to optimize the performance of this range, Seco has developed and introduced the TX150 for the processing of ductile iron. This material has a hard, deformation-resistant substrate that is ideal for machining ductile iron. Its coating consists of a thick layer of very wear-resistant titanium carbonitride and a thin layer of anti-crater-wearing oxide coating with a thin layer of TiN on top. This coating utilizes the current state of the art in the medium temperature chemical vapor deposition (MTCVD) process which produces the full hardness and toughness smoothness of the CVD coating required for wear resistance and crater wear resistance. The combined properties of the substrate/coating impart high resistance to plastic deformation and edge rupture, making it an ideal material for processing ductile iron at normal speeds. Coated ceramics have also been shown to efficiently process ductile iron. In the past, uncoated, tougher alumina ceramic and silicon carbide fiber reinforced alumina ceramic applications were limited by the chemical affinity of the workpiece material. However, the life of coated tools that have produced high heat by resisting the chip deformation process has increased dramatically today. While some early work in this area used alumina-coated whisker-reinforced ceramics, most of today's research activities focus on TiN-coated silicon nitride. This coating significantly broadens the range of applications for better tough ceramics.
Application of tools in heat-strength alloys
Aviation processing is also changing rapidly. For example, nickel-based superalloys such as Rene88, which many people have not heard of a few years ago, now account for 10 to 25% of the total metal used in aerospace engine manufacturing. There are good performance and business reasons for this. For example, these heat-strength alloys can increase engine life and allow smaller engines to operate on large aircraft, which will increase combustion efficiency and reduce operating costs. These tough materials also present the cost on the tool. Their heat resistance results in higher temperatures on the tip, which reduces tool life. Similarly, carbide particles in these alloys significantly increase friction, thereby reducing tool life. As a result of these conditions, the C-2, which has been able to process many titanium alloys and nickel-based alloys satisfactorily, suffers from crushing of the cutting edge and severe grooves at the depth of cut when applied to today's alloys. Wear and tear. However, with the latest fine-grained carbides, high-temperature alloys can be processed efficiently, tool life is improved, and more importantly, reliability is improved in high-temperature alloy applications. Fine-grained cemented carbides have higher compressive strength and hardness than conventional carbides, but add a small amount of cost in terms of toughness. The result is more effective in processing superalloys than conventional hard alloys against common failure modes.
PVD (physical vapor deposition) coatings have also proven effective in processing superalloys. TiN (titanium nitride) PVD coatings were first used and still the most popular. Recently, TiAlN (titanium azide) and TiCN (titanium carbonitride) coatings have also been well used. In the past, the application range of TiAlN coating was more limited than that of TiN. But they are a good choice when cutting speed is increased, increasing productivity by up to 40% in those applications. On the other hand, at lower cutting speeds depending on the surface condition of the coating TiAlN can cause built-up edge, subsequent micro-cracking and groove wear.
Recently, materials for superalloy applications have been developed, and these coatings are composed of several layers. Extensive laboratory and field testing has demonstrated that this combination is effective over a wide range of applications compared to any other single coating. Therefore, PVD composite coatings for superalloy applications may become the focus of research and development of new cemented carbide materials. Together with MTCVD coatings and coated ceramics, they are expected to be the main impact force for more efficient processing of new, more difficult to machine workpiece materials being developed.
Dry cutting
The problem, including coolant, is another area in which the technology and commercialization of tool manufacturing expands the trend of industrialization. Strict coolant management requirements in North America and Europe and the three largest automakers have forced it to stipulate that the SO14000 certification (ISO9000 environmental management version), which increases the cost of coolant treatment. One of the most popular reactions to automotive companies and their core suppliers is the complete elimination of coolant usage in specific processing applications. This new world of dry machining presents a number of challenges for tool suppliers.
Recently, there have been some very useful and comprehensive technical articles on this topic that reveal speed, feed, coating chemistry and other parameters. Here I would like to focus on the new 'dry and dry processing perspective' of automakers in terms of operational and commercial meaning.
Metalworking practitioners have a good understanding of the use of coolants, but most do not understand dry machining issues other than technical challenges between tool-to-workpiece contact surfaces (eg chip removal). It is generally observed that the effluent coolant disperses the chips, but high-speed coolants with pressures in excess of 3,000 psi can also help with chip breaking, especially soft and continuous swarf that can cause trouble on the tool-workpiece interface. The result of parts using dry cutting processes is that the machine is hotter than wet parts. Do you allow them to cool naturally in the open before measurement? If the newly processed hot parts are often placed in the tote, raise the ambient temperature, is the part sufficiently cooled and just enough to allow for accuracy detection? There are also dozens of parts around it. It adds an extra burden to the operator.
Along with the technical problems of many tools/workpieces, these potential problems need to state whether dry machining can work. Fortunately, there are many ways to address these issues. For example, compressed air has proven to be a successful response in many applications where chip evacuation becomes a problem.
Another solution is a technique called MQL (Minimum Lubrication), which consists of a relatively small amount of oil mist applied instead of a conventional coolant. This is a well-recognized compromise. This minimum amount of technology can drastically reduce the headaches of the coolant, and it also produces a good finish in many applications. There is still a lot of research going on in this area, and it is absolutely essential that tool companies actively participate in such research. If they don't do it will fall behind the competition and be at a disadvantage.
Designing a better or better solution based on the specific conditions in the factory in the world. Manufacturing practitioners may still ask why they are trying to use new and developed technologies to replace traditional coolant methods that have been improved for generations, especially since trials and failures due to dry or semi-dry processing may result in higher Short-term tooling costs. The concise answer is that when the blade is about 3% of the cost of a typical machined part, the cost of the coolant (from purchase to maintenance, storage, handling) will account for 15% of the cost of the part.
Dry processing may not be suitable for every application, but like other processing issues discussed above, it needs to be evaluated from a broader operational, environmental, and commercial perspective. Tool companies that can help customers do this will have a competitive advantage, while those that are not available will continue to be in a passive position.
Cutting tools and nanotechnology
A fascinating new area that can dramatically change the tool industry is microfabrication, or the products needed to handle the formation of tiny particles. The first thing to talk about about the micro-manufacturing of tools is that it is not here yet; the second thing to say is that it is not far away.
Why micro manufacturing is related to tools. Because the main thing is that the smaller the particle size, the better the toughness and wear resistance of the cemented carbide material. Carbide tool prototypes made with nanoscale particles (some experts defined as less than 0.2 um, while others insisted that the nanoparticles are less than 0.1 um) have been prototyped and tested, and the wear resistance is said to increase dramatically. The problem is that nanoscale cemented carbide particles cannot be formed by pulverizing larger materials, they must be made of smaller materials, and processing molecular-level particles is not an easy economic task.
For example, with ductile iron, it has become an increasingly popular material for engine parts and other parts in the automotive, agricultural and machine tool industries. This alloy provides a combination of lower production costs and good mechanical properties. They are cheaper than steel and have higher strength and toughness than cast iron. At the same time, ductile iron is very wear-resistant and has a tendency to quickly wear off tool materials. This wear resistance is largely affected by the pearlite content. The higher the pearlite content of a known ductile iron, the better its wear resistance and the poorer its processability. In addition, the porosity of ductile iron results in interrupted cutting, which further reduces life. It is expected that the high hardness and high wear resistance of the cutting material should take into account the high wear resistance of ductile iron. And in fact the thick coating of material containing very hard TiC (titanium carbide) or TiCN (titanium carbonitride) has proven to be effective at processing ductile iron at cutting speeds of 300 meters per minute. However, as the cutting speed increases, the temperature of the chip/tool ​​joint surface also increases. When this happens, the TiC coating tends to chemically react with the iron and soften, and more pressure acts on the crater-resistant coating. Under these conditions, it is desirable to have a coating that is more chemically stable, such as Al2O3 (although not as hard or wear resistant as TiC at lower speeds).
Chemical stability is more important than wear resistance. The exact speed and temperature at which performance is demarcated depends on the grain structure and properties of the ductile iron being processed. However, usually thick coated TiC or TiCN and oxide-only thinner coatings are used for ductile iron applications, as most of today's processed materials have cutting speeds between 150 and 335 meters per minute. For applications with speeds above 300 meters per minute, this material is satisfactory. In order to optimize the performance of this range, Seco has developed and introduced the TX150 for the processing of ductile iron. This material has a hard, deformation-resistant substrate that is ideal for machining ductile iron. Its coating consists of a thick layer of very wear-resistant titanium carbonitride and a thin layer of anti-crater-wearing oxide coating with a thin layer of TiN on top. This coating utilizes the current state of the art in the medium temperature chemical vapor deposition (MTCVD) process which produces the full hardness and toughness smoothness of the CVD coating required for wear resistance and crater wear resistance. The combined properties of the substrate/coating impart high resistance to plastic deformation and edge rupture, making it an ideal material for processing ductile iron at normal speeds. Coated ceramics have also been shown to efficiently process ductile iron. In the past, uncoated, tougher alumina ceramic and silicon carbide fiber reinforced alumina ceramic applications were limited by the chemical affinity of the workpiece material. However, the life of coated tools that have produced high heat by resisting the chip deformation process has increased dramatically today. While some early work in this area used alumina-coated whisker-reinforced ceramics, most of today's research activities focus on TiN-coated silicon nitride. This coating significantly broadens the range of applications for better tough ceramics.
Application of tools in heat-strength alloys
Aviation processing is also changing rapidly. For example, nickel-based superalloys such as Rene88, which many people have not heard of a few years ago, now account for 10 to 25% of the total metal used in aerospace engine manufacturing. There are good performance and business reasons for this. For example, these heat-strength alloys can increase engine life and allow smaller engines to operate on large aircraft, which will increase combustion efficiency and reduce operating costs. These tough materials also present the cost on the tool. Their heat resistance results in higher temperatures on the tip, which reduces tool life. Similarly, carbide particles in these alloys significantly increase friction, thereby reducing tool life. As a result of these conditions, the C-2, which has been able to process many titanium alloys and nickel-based alloys satisfactorily, suffers from crushing of the cutting edge and severe grooves at the depth of cut when applied to today's alloys. Wear and tear. However, with the latest fine-grained carbides, high-temperature alloys can be processed efficiently, tool life is improved, and more importantly, reliability is improved in high-temperature alloy applications. Fine-grained cemented carbides have higher compressive strength and hardness than conventional carbides, but add a small amount of cost in terms of toughness. The result is more effective in processing superalloys than conventional hard alloys against common failure modes.
PVD (physical vapor deposition) coatings have also proven effective in processing superalloys. TiN (titanium nitride) PVD coatings were first used and still the most popular. Recently, TiAlN (titanium azide) and TiCN (titanium carbonitride) coatings have also been well used. In the past, the application range of TiAlN coating was more limited than that of TiN. But they are a good choice when cutting speed is increased, increasing productivity by up to 40% in those applications. On the other hand, at lower cutting speeds depending on the surface condition of the coating TiAlN can cause built-up edge, subsequent micro-cracking and groove wear.
Recently, materials for superalloy applications have been developed, and these coatings are composed of several layers. Extensive laboratory and field testing has demonstrated that this combination is effective over a wide range of applications compared to any other single coating. Therefore, PVD composite coatings for superalloy applications may become the focus of research and development of new cemented carbide materials. Together with MTCVD coatings and coated ceramics, they are expected to be the main impact force for more efficient processing of new, more difficult to machine workpiece materials being developed.
Dry cutting
The problem, including coolant, is another area in which the technology and commercialization of tool manufacturing expands the trend of industrialization. Strict coolant management requirements in North America and Europe and the three largest automakers have forced it to stipulate that the SO14000 certification (ISO9000 environmental management version), which increases the cost of coolant treatment. One of the most popular reactions to automotive companies and their core suppliers is the complete elimination of coolant usage in specific processing applications. This new world of dry machining presents a number of challenges for tool suppliers.
Recently, there have been some very useful and comprehensive technical articles on this topic that reveal speed, feed, coating chemistry and other parameters. Here I would like to focus on the new 'dry and dry processing perspective' of automakers in terms of operational and commercial meaning.
Metalworking practitioners have a good understanding of the use of coolants, but most do not understand dry machining issues other than technical challenges between tool-to-workpiece contact surfaces (eg chip removal). It is generally observed that the effluent coolant disperses the chips, but high-speed coolants with pressures in excess of 3,000 psi can also help with chip breaking, especially soft and continuous swarf that can cause trouble on the tool-workpiece interface. The result of parts using dry cutting processes is that the machine is hotter than wet parts. Do you allow them to cool naturally in the open before measurement? If the newly processed hot parts are often placed in the tote, raise the ambient temperature, is the part sufficiently cooled and just enough to allow for accuracy detection? There are also dozens of parts around it. It adds an extra burden to the operator.
Along with the technical problems of many tools/workpieces, these potential problems need to state whether dry machining can work. Fortunately, there are many ways to address these issues. For example, compressed air has proven to be a successful response in many applications where chip evacuation becomes a problem.
Another solution is a technique called MQL (Minimum Lubrication), which consists of a relatively small amount of oil mist applied instead of a conventional coolant. This is a well-recognized compromise. This minimum amount of technology can drastically reduce the headaches of the coolant, and it also produces a good finish in many applications. There is still a lot of research going on in this area, and it is absolutely essential that tool companies actively participate in such research. If they don't do it will fall behind the competition and be at a disadvantage.
Designing a better or better solution based on the specific conditions in the factory in the world. Manufacturing practitioners may still ask why they are trying to use new and developed technologies to replace traditional coolant methods that have been improved for generations, especially since trials and failures due to dry or semi-dry processing may result in higher Short-term tooling costs. The concise answer is that when the blade is about 3% of the cost of a typical machined part, the cost of the coolant (from purchase to maintenance, storage, handling) will account for 15% of the cost of the part.
Dry processing may not be suitable for every application, but like other processing issues discussed above, it needs to be evaluated from a broader operational, environmental, and commercial perspective. Tool companies that can help customers do this will have a competitive advantage, while those that are not available will continue to be in a passive position.
Cutting tools and nanotechnology
A fascinating new area that can dramatically change the tool industry is microfabrication, or the products needed to handle the formation of tiny particles. The first thing to talk about about the micro-manufacturing of tools is that it is not here yet; the second thing to say is that it is not far away.
Why micro manufacturing is related to tools. Because the main thing is that the smaller the particle size, the better the toughness and wear resistance of the cemented carbide material. Carbide tool prototypes made with nanoscale particles (some experts defined as less than 0.2 um, while others insisted that the nanoparticles are less than 0.1 um) have been prototyped and tested, and the wear resistance is said to increase dramatically. The problem is that nanoscale cemented carbide particles cannot be formed by pulverizing larger materials, they must be made of smaller materials, and processing molecular-level particles is not an easy economic task.
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