​Titan from Titans of CNC visited HAIMER in Germany three weeks ago for a full day of filming and we made an in depth factory video tour (first ever with camera’s allowed!). The official video is out now on YouTube and within 5 hours it already had more than 10,000 views, over 900 likes and 90 comments:

#Qualitywins

If you're making plans to attend IMTS, be sure and add this group of terrific manufacturers to your your show planner!  Just click on the name, building location or image and you can add them to your "MyShowPlanner"
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IMTS Booth:  West Building, Level 3 — 431585 — Tooling & Workholding Systems

ARNO FAST CHANGE: Make More Parts Per Shift On Your Swiss Machine
How do you increase spindle up-time on your sliding head Swiss lathe?

1. Reduce tool change times from 7 minutes or more per tool to less than a minute. ARNO’s split shank tool holders allow you to quickly and accurately change tools and get your spindle going again without re-qualifying the zero point.
2. Dismount the tool holder with an easy half turn of the self-releasing wedge clamps. Presently you’re probably spending a lot of time freeing your tool holders from wedge clamps that bind and need coaxed out of position with a mallet or a screw driver. ARNO’s tool change is 100% hassle free so you can get back to dropping parts on the conveyor.
3. Increase tool life with powerful accurate through the tool coolant. The ARNO FAST CHANGE tools can deliver coolant directly to the cutting edge without the need for external coolant lines or spigots that constantly need adjusting.
4. Eliminate bulky high-pressure lines and coolant tubes that occlude your already cramped machining environment. The ARNO FAST CHANGE gang plate is plumbed internally, like a manifold, so there are no external coolant lines. Your machinist will spend less time cleaning dripping oil and chips and more time closing the door and pressing the cycle start button.

ARNO FAST CHANGE… the revolution in Swiss machine productivity

 ​IMTS Booth: West Building, Level 3 — 431452 — Tooling & Workholding Systems

 ​IMTS Booth: West Building, Level 3 — 432234 — Tooling & Workholding Systems

Everede is a Manufacturer of Indexable Boring Bars and Inserts. 
Catalog includes Steel, Carbide, Carbide Bars andmore 
Exclusive USA representative for Nine9 and Duemmel.
Nine9 manufacturer’s high quality unique indexable Engraving, Spotting...
Duemmel manufacturer’s high quality Indexable carbide cutting tools for micro boring, grooving

HAIMER is a first class German Tool Holder manufacturer. From the basics of face-mill arbors and ER collet chucks, all the way up to High Precision Collet and Shrink Fit Chucks, HAIMER has the tools necessary to satisfy and exceed your machining center needs. Their product line includes the most extensive taper and size offerings from any HSK, CAT, BT, SK, PSC and KM tapers to any inch or metric size available. Their product portfolio, which also holds shrink fit, presetting & balancing machines, 3D-sensors, and cutting tools, addresses the machining process from spindle to part, giving the customer a complete machining solution.

 ​IMTS Booth: West Building, Level 3 — 432280 — Tooling & Workholding Systems

For over 75 years, Precision Brand Products has been the benchmark for toolroom products. Our product line of over 2800 products, including shim stock, feeler gauges, key stock, hose clamps and more, has kept pace with the changes and advances in manufacturing technology and methods worldwide.

Different tool engineering, composition, and design affect the way they perform and which workpieces they will cut most effectively. Several factors determine which drill bits work best on various steels and alloys, copper, zinc, aluminum, tin, etc., owing to the properties of ferrous vs. nonferrous metals.

Ferrous Metals

Ferrous metals, of course, are those that contain iron. These include stainless, carbon, and alloy steel, and cast and wrought iron. Ferrous metals generally possess more tensile strength than their non-iron-based counterparts. That makes them ideal for use in building materials, structural and ornamental designs, and heavy industrial products such as shipping containers, tools, and appliances. Tool manufacturers must consider hardness and strength when designing and engineering drills made for cutting ferrous metals.

Non-ferrous Metals

Non-ferrous metals - especially copper, lead, zinc, and tin also occupy important niches in the construction and manufacturing industries. Because they contain no iron, these metals are valued for their use in applications where they come into contact with moisture that would rust ferrous metals. They also are malleable, ductile, and easily manipulated into various shapes for components, housings, etc.  They are non-magnetic, making them quite useful in electronic components.
 
Hardness is the primary consideration when choosing a drill to cut metal.

​Drills incorporate various design elements in order to cope with these different challenges

Drill bit points can be altered to provide more precise hole-starting, centering, and quality, as well as conduciveness to varying feeds and speeds. The standard 118-degree point is used because it offers a “good enough” fit for most applications.

​Standard points can be used for most “softer” steels and non-ferrous metals. Standard 135-degree split-point drills can cut these materials, as well as harder steel alloys. In these harder materials, the split-point offers the advantage of working at lower feed pressure and centering of the hole with minimal walking. Learn more about how to find the right drill point angle for your application

As we might expect, the harder the material being drilled, the harder the tool must be to get the job done. Carbon steels are too soft for cutting metal; only high-speed steel (HSS), carbide-tipped, and solid carbide bits should be used in cutting metal, no matter how soft. HSS is common because of its low cost and ability to drill softer carbon steels as well as zinc, copper, aluminum, and other non-ferrous metals.

Alloying HSS with 5 to 8% cobalt adds  “red” hardness which allows the tool to maintain the sharp cutting edge longer and allows for slightly faster speeds, making these drills suitable for working in heat-treated steel, cast iron, and even some titanium alloys.

For exponential increases in speed and wear resistance, nothing beats using a carbide tool. It withstands extremely high temperatures, resists wear, and maintains rigidity better that HSS. It costs much more, but is the only long term, high volume option when the work piece is stainless steel or alloyed steel. Carbide-tipped HSS saves some costs and is a viable option for nonferrous metals such as copper, bronze, and other materials that are highly abrasive.
 
Drills made of cobalt-alloy High Speed Steel (HSS-E) or even drill bits with a thin film coating are needed for stainless steel. These are more expensive than normal HSS drill bits, but they enable drilling in special steel without a high level of drill bit wear.

Thin film coated drill bits are high-speed steel drill bits (HSS) that have any of a variety of coating blends typically with a titanium base. TiN (Titanium Nitride), TiALN (Titanium Aluminum Nitride) and TiCN (Titanium Carbonitride) are examples of thin film coaing typically used on drill bits. They are very hard, and corrosion-resistant and reduce the co-efficient of friction allowing for better lubrication of the tool. They last much longer than regular HSS drill bits, and they are good for cutting through any metal, including metal sheeting.

Thin film coated drill bits have a surface that is harder than cobalt. However, because they are coated, they lose the coating protection at the cutting edge when they are re-sharpened and subsequent tool life will be reduced. Uncoated drill bits are made of cobalt or HSS steel, and they can be sharpened without any loss in ​performance or tool life.

Understanding the characteristics of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, and what twist drill is ideal for each material is key to high quality production and extending tool life. If you are still unsure of exactly which drill is right for your job, contact a Browne & Co. Sales Rep and we would be happy to assist you.

Appears in Print at Production Machining as: 'A Swift Tool Change for Swiss-Type Machines'
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​This coolant-through tooling system replacement for the gang plate on a Swiss-type machine can save hours of spindle downtime per day as well as increase tool life and enhance chip control.

by LORI BECKMAN Senior Editor Production Machining
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While servicing the tools on a traditional platen on a sliding headstock lathe, it can take 10 minutes or more to index one insert. While indexing the tools, coolant spigots can get knocked loose by an operator and can cost a machine shop tool life and time. Once the inserts are indexed, it can take several starts and stops of the spindle for the operator to see if the coolant stream is being directed to where it needs to be.
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Arno’s Fast Change (AFC) tooling system consists of a gang plate that holds split-shank, coolant-through turning tools, parting tools and grooving tools. Designed like a manifold, the coolant is rerouted through the gang plate to the tools. The UN-style slot in the fixed stop picks up the coolant and runs it through the pipette to the front end where the coolant goes directly to the cutting edge. The AFC system can supply coolant to one port that supports all the tooling positions, or it can supply two ports and divide the tooling positions with the needle valve.

The tooling system only needs to be plumbed once and, according to the company, after that, a high-pressure coolant line should not need to be touched again. With proper setup, the high-pressure lines are moved behind the machine guards, creating a clean machining environment. This enables operators to complete safer routine maintenance. Also, the AFC’s low-profile clamps do not collect as many chips compared with a typical clamping system.

When replacing a split-shank tool, the operator simply loosens two clamps to remove the cutting head and then replaces it with a new one, the company says.

Using the AFC system, Arno reports that it takes 17 seconds to change a tool, a vast improvement to the typical 7 to 10 minutes it can take using a traditional gang plate. The conventional method might take five minutes to change a tool, a minute to touch the tool off and another minute to adjust the spigot, for instance.

In comparison, when an operator is working with the AFC system, retouch is not necessary because the tool will repeat within plus or minus a thousandth of the previous tool positions. There is also no need to factor in time for readjusting coolant lines because the new system is a true, coolant-through system.

It is also not necessary to factor in the clearing away of chips because those surfaces have mostly been eliminated with the smooth AFC design, according to Stroup. Therefore, the 17-second tool change time is the only time to factor in.

​But, for a real-world example, he increases the time to one minute to consider a distracted operator that might use extra seconds

Lexington Cutter has a put together a short checklist of the five most common problems for addressing reaming problems.  If these don't fix your particular problem, get in contact with us and we'll send one of our application specialist in to give you a hand.

1) Poor Finish

Possible Causes – Unequal chamfers, Incorrect margins, Excessive spindle runout, Chatter
Possible Solutions – Regrind reamer with equal chamfer angle. Regrind reamer with narrow margins for reaming lower tensile materials. Increase reamer back taper (will lose size faster). Reduce speed and increase feed rate. Use power feed unless material is hard. Use right or left spiral fluted reamer. Grind secondary lead angle immediately back of 45° chamfer.

2) Oversize Hole - Taper Hole - Bell Mouth Hole - Poor Finish

Possible Causes – Misalignment, Insufficient, cutting action
Possible Solutions – Use bushing – .0002″/.0003″ over reamer diameter. If hole location varies, use floating reamer holder. Increase reamer back taper (will lose size faster). Specify reamer with positive radial rake to reduce cutting pressure – may produce slightly larger diameter holes.

3) Excessive Tool Wear

Possible Causes – Insufficient stock for removal, Excessive reaming pressure, Misalignment
Possible Solutions – Decrease previous operation drill size to allow more material for removal by reamer – leave about 3% of hole diameter for cast iron and more stock for non-ferrous materials. Increase feed rate. Reduce stock to be removed by increasing previous operation drill size – leave about 3% of the hole diameter. See Problem #2

4) Crooked Holes

Possible Causes – Not drilled straight
Possible Solutions – Correct previous drilling operation – reamer will follow the drilled hole. Increase reamer attack angle (chamfer) to 120°/180° included angle.

5) Tool Breakage

Possible Causes – Excessive reaming pressure, Misalignment
Possible Solutions – Reduce stock to be removed – See Problem #3 – See Problem #2

Browne & Co has been appointed as Regaional Managers for Regal Cutting Tools.  They will be responsibilve for distributor and technical support for the Kentucky, Ohio, and Western Pennsylvania market areas.

Regal Cutting Tools has been manufacturing world-class cutting tools since 1955  Regal offers a high performance SuperTuf series of taps for the demanding difficult to machine materials.

Regal also manufactures special taps from blanks with as little as 24 hour notice.

According to Dave Browne, President of Browne & Co, "Regal Cutting Tools. is a well established and trusted brand within the metalcutting industry. Their full line of taps as well as their tap specials capabilities really compliment our product mix and fills an area we have pretty deep experience in but didn't have a product to recommend.  We're really looking forward to working with our customers and running these tools!"

Since 1957, General Die Casters has worked closely with their customers, to design, manufacture, and deliver the custom die castings they demand. In March 2010 they opened their new 90,000 square foot expansion casting foundry in Twinsburg, OH.  service the Appliance, Automotive, Commercial, Computers & Peripherals, Electrical, Industrial, Lawn & Garden, Recreational and Transportation Industries.

Advanced Chemical Solutions was invited to discuss coolants that would not only perform well but also not have an odor, foam or cause dermatitis.

Mark Pierson from ACS with closely with Keith Kish, the Director of Manufacturing Engineering at General Die Casters. According to Keith, "I was looking for an economical coolant that would not stink, foam or have skin issues for our employees. Advanced Chemical Solutions evaluated our facility and provided Nano Tech 6800 for testing."        

General Die Casters has a good number of CNC machines from Brother, Mori Seiki, Chiron, Takisowa, DMC, Kitako, and a good number Haas machines.    Taking good care of their employees is important to the the company.  Recently, several employees celebrated 20 years of service at the company. One of them was Anderson Grant, the first shift operator “In most companies, it’s very rare to see employees who reach 20 years of employment. At General Die Casters, it is common to see people reach 35 years at the company. We have a work culture where there is mutual respect and support of one another. When one of us succeeds, we all succeed”, says Anderson.

Having odor free coolant that didn't cause dermatitis is part of keeping employee morale high.  According to Keith, "Nano Tech 6800 is absolutely the best coolant we have ever used in our machines. No Monday morning odor, coolant stays fresh and clean."  

But what about tool life?

Keith tells us "This coolant has dramatically improved our work environment helping to keep our machines cleaner and improving our tool life."​

Omega Tool, Inc. is an extremely high precision, plastic injection mold builder, established in 1954 in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. They design and manufacture small to medium sized plastic injection molds primarily for the medical, packaging and light industrial industries.

Like any other company, Omega Tool, Inc. tried to lower upfront costs by investing in lower quality shrink fit tool holders in order to maintain competitive pricing against its competitors. However, they quickly learned saving money at first does not mean they will continue to save over the long run.

“The other brands all tend to have a life expectancy, especially with the smaller diameters,” Randy Lee Meissner, Vice President of Operations at Omega Tool, Inc., explains. “Too many times I’ve had tooling that wouldn’t release from the shrink fit tool holder. I attribute this to the competitors using inferior steel and looser tolerances.” 

The shrink fit system Omega Tool, Inc. was using before involved submerging the heated tool holder in a bucket of coolant. This was also contributing to the shorter tool holder life because the coolant shocks the system and it is very messy.
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When Omega Tool, Inc. decided it was time to invest in another tool holder and shrink fit system, they didn’t have to look far. “I have known of HAIMER tooling for quite some time,” Randy describes.

“The reason for switching was simple…quality! There isn’t a tool holder on the market that has the consistent repeatability of a HAIMER tool holder.”

The Omega Tool, Inc. team decided to purchase two HAIMER Power Clamp Special Edition shrink fit machines.

After using the HAIMER Power Clamp Special Edition for a while, Omega Tool, Inc. started to notice how consistent the machine can set up tools, which is a unique benefit of the HAIMER shrink fit system. Regardless of the operator and their experience level, Omega Tool, Inc. received repeatable uniformity in tooling setup and equally consistent results. HAIMER guarantees < 3μm run-out at 3xD and this degree of accuracy is consistently repeatable for any number of operators from shift to shift. “The cooling time, the heating time…it is all so consistent,” states Randy.

 “We consider the HAIMER Power Clamp Special Edition such a workhorse because it has never broken.” 
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At Omega Tool, Inc., being average is never an option. “Our whole shop is focused around being perfect in everything we do,” explains Randy. “The look here is as important as the product we produce and HAIMER tooling is a crucial component to make things perfect.” The company depends on the HAIMER quality in order to achieve the high standards they set for themselves. 

Now when someone at Omega Tool, Inc. needs additional tooling, he simply sends Randy the HAIMER part number.

“There is no comparison to what we were using to the HAIMER product,” describes Randy. “Whenever someone asks about our tooling, at a trade show or at work, I always lead with HAIMER.”

The total annualized "revenue enhancement" after installing the AFC gang plates and adopting all ARNO through coolant tooling was $674,500! This is broken down into two buckets:

1. Tool change time = $195,000
The incumbent tooling and gang plate were quite outdated and required a tool change time of nearly 25 minutes twice per day for each of the 4 tools in the gang.

This resulted in 3 hours of spindle down time per shift! Once the AFC system was installed the tool change times immediately fell to 30 seconds for each tool, thus reducing spindle downtime to a mere 8 minutes per shift.

2. Tool life and increased parameters = $479,500
Adopting ARNO's through coolant tool holders with insert grades and geometries that were designed specifically for high production applications had a profound impact on productivity. Tables were submitted in the document that showed time reduction in turning, grooving, and parting operations with some process times being reduced by 75%.

Of course, the through coolant feature increased tool life which further reduced the need for spindle idle time. This total revenue bump was calculated using 325 hours of increased spindle uptime per month. That's nearly 4000 hours of productivity gained annually... which resulted in another big advantage: The customer was able to bring subcontracted jobs back in house.

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At ARNO USA we love combining our years of manufacturing experience with game changing innovative technology to make huge impacts on our customers' productivity, accuracy, quality, and process stability. The ARNO FAST CHANGE program is pretty vast with new additions coming on line on a regular basis. There are nearly 50 gang plates presently available for the following machine manufacturers: Citizen, Star, Hanwha, DMG, Nexturn, and Tornos!
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This YouTube video provides a quick breakdown of the $195,000 tool change savings:

Contact a member of our team to let us show you how to keep your spindle running longer!