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High Levels of Tooling Rigidity from LMT

Story added 15 August 2010.

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Deeper cavities can now be milled using high levels of tooling rigidity and cutting stability following the launch in the UK of the LMT Kieninger GWR 5x range of solid carbide tapered shank ball nose cutters. As part of the tooling system, a new range of four insert geometries has also been developed to accommodate a variety of roughing, semi-finishing and finishing applications including hard metal CNC milling up to 62 HRC.

As Managing Director of LMT UK Trevor Tolley recounts over a recent trial carried out by the Leiber Group in Germany. The company produces some 550 halves of drop forging dies a year for aluminium chassis components out of high strength tempering steel using 5-axis milling technology. “By changing to GWR 5x cutters with indexable inserts in place of solid carbide tools, not only have tool costs been halved, Leiber has eliminated any need for regrinding its solid carbide cutters. Once existing stocks of tools have been used the company is totally changing over to the new LMT tooling,” he said.

The GWR 5x has a tapered body with a solid carbide shank that due to its design creates new levels of rigidity and has excellent vibration damping properties. In addition, due to the taper of the shank, access into difficult cavities is improved especially when using 5-axis technology.

Cutter inserts are available from 6 mm to 16 mm diameter, with through-the-tool air or coolant feed available on tools over 10 mm. Each tool body has precision machined seats to accept the inserts with optimised space for easy chip evacuation. Each insert is secured by a centre-screw fixing.

There are four insert geometries, WPR-AR, -N, -D and Flatball–FB. Ideal for heavy metal removal the WPR-AR is suitable for roughing and semi-finishing and finishing hard metals, steel, cast iron and high temperature alloys up to 60HRC.

WPR-D has a spiral geometry that creates a smoother penetration of the material under cut resulting in high levels of surface finish being attained. It can be used on hardened steels up to 60 HRC. Meanwhile, LMT’s Flatball-FB geometry is for use on semi-finish and finishing cycles on hardened steels up to 62 HRC as well as cast steel and high temperature alloys. The design of the tool eliminates problems that occur when using normal ball nose cutters such as burning of the insert as a result of the friction created from zero-rotation effect at the centre of the tool. In addition, due to the lower wear characteristics of Flatball-FB, mismatch is reduced.

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