Technika a trh

aerospace industry l engineering

diameter range for the exchangeable endmill heads to 32 mm (1.25").

Aluminum machining

fig. 2

brought a new powerful instrument to aid in

tool design: 3D computer modeling of chip

formation. ISCAR's R&D team actively uses

modeling to find optimal cutting geometries and form the rake face of indexable inserts and exchangeable heads.

The F3S chipformer for the most popular

ISO inserts, such as CNMG, WNMG and

SNMG, was designed specifically for finish

turning high temperature nickel-based alloys

and exotic materials (Fig. 2). It ensures a smooth and easy cut with notable chip breaking

results. The remarkable working capability

of the designed cutting geometry is a direct

result of chip flow modeling.

In hole making, applying modeling to the

design process significantly contributed to

creating a chip splitting geometry of

SUMOCHAM exchangeable carbide heads

for drilling holes with depth up to 12-hole diameters in hard-to-cut austenitic and duplex

stainless steel.

Flexible Customization

Aerospace products can vary immensely

in material, dimensions, shape , complexity, and more. To make such a diverse range of products, the product manufacturer

needs dozens of machine tools and technological processes. Not every standard

cutting tool is optimal for performing certain machining operations with maximum

productivity and, consequently, the aerospace industry is a leading consumer of customized tools.

A customer producing titanium parts

might be interested in solutions comprising indexable shell mills and arbors from

the standard line; while another customer

producing similar parts might prefer special milling cutters with an integral body, for

direct mounting in a machine spindle.

ISCAR developed the MULTI-MASTER

and SUMOCHAM families of rotating tools with exchangeable heads and different

body configurations to ensure various tool

assembly options that simplify customization and decrease the need for costly tailormade products.

A further example of simplified customization can be found in ISCAR's recentlylaunched modular drills for multi-spindle

and Swiss-type machines. The drills combine the SUMOCHAM design with a

FLEXFIT threaded connection (Fig. 3). Multi-spindle and Swiss-type machines typically have a limited space for tooling, which

means that the tools in operation need to

be as short as possible to avoid collisions

and facilitate easy set up. A wide range of

FLEXFIT threaded adaptors and flatted

shanks has been designed precisely to fit

the drills and maximally shorten an overhang.

Responding to demands from the aerospace sector, the company also expanded

the MULTI-MASTER family by introducing

a new thread connection to increase the

fig. 3

Although machining aluminum might appear to be an extremely simple process,

effective cutting of aluminum actually represents a whole field of technology with

its own laws and challenges.

The need to increase productivity and

boost metal removal rates for milling

aluminum workpieces, especially large

parts of aerospace structural components, has led machine tool builders to

develop milling machines with a powerful main drive - up to 150 kW with high spindle speeds of up to

33000 rpm. To meet this demand,

ISCAR has expanded its family of 90°

indexable milling cutters by introducing new tools carrying large-size inserts that enable up to 22 mm (.870")

depth of cut (Fig. 4). The tools have been designed to eliminate insert radial

displacement, which might occur due

to high centrifugal forces during very

high rotational speed. This concept facilitates reliable milling in a rotational

speed range of up to 31000 rpm.

In hole making, the company developed new inserts for drilling aluminum

with indexable drills from the DRTWIST drilling tool range. The inserts

are peripherally ground and feature

sharp cutting edges and polished rake

face for light cut, preventing adhesion.

ISCAR's cutting tool program for the

aerospace sector is based on several

principles: the complex needs of this

industry, taking into consideration

trends in metalworking, and the drive

to strengthen partnerships with tool

consumers. ISCAR believes that such a

tri-pronged approach ensures the successful realization of innovative ideas

for efficient machining of the difficultto-cut materials that characterize this

challenging and dynamic field.

www.iscar.cz

fig. 4