Americanmachinist 2924 Csbks0500png00000002503
Americanmachinist 2924 Csbks0500png00000002503
Americanmachinist 2924 Csbks0500png00000002503
Americanmachinist 2924 Csbks0500png00000002503
Americanmachinist 2924 Csbks0500png00000002503

Tooling heals cut-off problems

April 1, 2005
Bayside Motion Group of Port Washington, N.Y., uses over 50 machines to produce precision gears, servo motors, and linear actuators. As a lean manufacturer, the shop expects both its machines and tooling to perform reliably and predictably because operato

Bayside practically eliminates tooling mishaps in its turning and cut-off operations using Seco-Carboloy's Multi-Directional Turning (MDT) system.

Bayside Motion Group of Port Washington, N.Y., uses over 50 machines to produce precision gears, servo motors, and linear actuators. As a lean manufacturer, the shop expects both its machines and tooling to perform reliably and predictably because operators, busy with other tasks, don't always immediately notice a tool break during production runs. This results in scrapped parts and broken toolholders.

In fact, the shop lost an average of eight toolholders/month among two machines doing cut-off. Inserts fell out, and toolholders continued feeding into workpieces, quickly destroying them. Operators were usually away from the machines at the time.

"Replacing tooholders added up to $800/month, and that didn't include the cost of scrapped parts or machine downtime," comments Saf Samad, CNC programmer and process engineer at Bayside. "In addition, the insert dropping onto a spinning workpiece created a safety hazard."

Blue Point, Bayside's Seco-Carboloy distributor, suggested the shop try the Multi-Directional Turning (MDT) system, which lets users turn in both directions, profile, face, groove, and cut-off with the same tool. Its insert-locking system features a V-clamp above the insert and engineered serrations on the insert bottom and toolholder that permit using longer inserts than those of conventional grooving and cut-off systems. This increases tool stability and allows deep cuts.

"Blue Point said the MDT inserts wouldn't fall out of their holders unless they were physically broken," explains Samad. "And subsequent experience running them in a spur-gear-manufacturing cell and a helicalgear cell has shown that to be true."

In the spur-gear cell, the MDT system cut gears made of 174 steel ranging in diameter from 0.250 to 5.00 in., running at 300 to 350 sfm with a feedrate of 0.005 in. The helical cell manufactured in the same diameter range and machining parameters, but in Nitroloy 135. Turning and cut-off operations happened prior to cutting gear teeth, so tolerances had to be held to ±0.0002 in., which the new tooling did. And since implementing MDT, Bayside has broken only one toolholder.

Also with the system, Bayside did not have to reprogram its machines. It maintained all cutting parameters (feed, speed, and depth-of-cut) it used with the previous tooling. According to Samad, this is a major advantage because the shop would have had to change literally thousands of different programs.

Seco-Carboloy Inc.
Warren, Mich.
carboloy.com