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Subcontractor Replaces Hand Finishing Processes with New Tooling Thanks to ITC

Story added 02 September 2010.

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On a visit to MACH 2008 to investigate new tooling and CAD/CAM solutions, it was a chance visit to the ITC stand that solved all the tooling problems that faced the Advanced Engineering Division of Finecut. Producing mould tooling, 3D modelling and complex components for a diverse range of industry sectors, the Lancing based company specialises in the 5-axis machining of aluminium and resin board mould tools.

Initially, the surface finishes on its mould tools was a concern to Finecut. With deep cavity CNC machining on many mould tools, tool deflection and rigidity severely affected the surface finishes and this in turn led to extensive hand finishing processes. To eliminate this post machining task, Finecut introduced ITC’s 2001 and 2131 Cyber Series of long reach carbide cutters with radii. With an overall reach from 100mm up to 200mm, the long reach cutters are ideal for many mould cavities. For deeper cavities, the West Sussex business combines the ITC cutters with Schunk Tribos tool holder extensions. This enables the 5-axis head of the machine tool to conduct complex machining forms in cavities beyond 250mm deep.

As Finecut’s CAD/CAM Manager, Mr Danny Welsh comments: “We initially tried the ITC long series tools on jobs where we had tool reach and surface finish issues. Immediately the surface finish improved and it drastically reduced our hand finishing. From this point we tried additional ITC cutters – and they all performed remarkably well. I firmly believe in buying quality equipment for our machine shop as it makes the job a lot easier. We have always purchased quality tooling but ITC has surpassed this and added an extra dimension to our business.”

“For example, we tried the 2022 Series of long series ball nosed cutters and they improved the surface finishes beyond that of our previous tooling. This is because with a 5-axis head, we use the whole of the ball on the cutter for machining and the ITC ball nose improves tool life and surface finishes compared to previous tools when cutting on the side of the ball. Competitor products would perform well but tool life was drastically reduced when using the side of the ball. The ITC cutters have a much higher rake angle than the previous tools. This improves swarf evacuation and improves surface finishes, tool life and delivers faster processing times.”

Despite the ITC cutters improving productivity times on complex forms, the priority for Finecut is product quality, as Mr Welsh continues: “The majority of our jobs are one off tools, so shaving a few minutes off a job is of no consequence to us. We have a 3.6m bed on our 5-axis machine and we often machine large aluminium billets above 200kg, with such large jobs production times can be days, so saving a few minutes is of little relevance.”

The success of the first ITC 2022 Series cutter made such an impression in the Finecut machine shop, the company acquired additional cutters. Beaming with delight, Mr Welsh continues: “With the solid carbide ITC cutters we can comfortably machine beyond 200mm deep cavities with a 12mm diameter end mill. This cutter operates at over 15,000rpm with a 5m/min feed rate to deliver exceptional surface finishes. This is credit to the rigidity of the tool and its holder.”

Finecut serves virtually all industry sectors and this is highlighted by some of its recent projects that include mould tools for mechanical diggers, a kayak, Hi-Fi speakers, medical X-ray machines, jerry cans and toys for a children’s charity.

“With such a diverse workload we now use ITC’s BritCut range with a long flute length for roughing our mould tools and a range of standard and long length square and ball nosed cutters from 6 to 20mm diameter for general machining and finishing operations. For machining brass castings we have been using ITC’s 4041 Series of harmonic flute end mills.”

“The ITC representative has always proven knowledgeable and very keen to provide advice. This exceptional level of service is another reason why we are delighted to use ITC tools. As the business moves forward and our work increases in complexity with new challenges, we will be looking to ITC to support us in meeting these challenges by providing special tooling that ITC can manufacture in the UK to our exact specifications,” concludes Mr Welsh.

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