On the double

Walter's Tiger.tec Silver CVD coated tooling inserts are extending tool life by at least twofold – and consequently reducing machine downtime for insert changes, as well as cycle times – for a company that specialises in the manufacture of mechanical engineering workpieces.

Indeed, not only is the use of WKP35S inserts in a 125mm diameter Walter F2010 milling cutter boosting insert edge life from 18m to 36m as a minimum, but the tooling is also said to be enabling MSB GmbH in Bavaria to increase cutting speeds on its large, 65kW portal milling machine by 20% from 236m/minute to 283m/minute and hoist feed rates from 1,584mm/minute to 2,000mm/minute. The machine processes workpieces that traditionally spend 50 to 100 hours having tonnes of swarf removed.

Capable of fabricating components weighing 30 tonnes and undertaking milling routines on workpieces 14m long, MSB has utilised Walter's tooling system supply strategy for some time – sourcing milling cutters, drills and taps.

These are used in the one-off and low batch manufacture of workpiece feed and storage systems, pallet change and pallet clamping systems, and spindle and milling head change systems, for instance, that it supplies to a raft of customers. An associate company also produces machines and conveyor systems for the tunnelling and mining sectors.

"This customer profile puts us in a relatively comfortable position commercially," says MSB's technical manager Wolfgang Faust, "and, despite tough operating conditions, we have not experienced redundancies nor even short time working.

“But keen price competition is an issue,” he emphasises, “and the only response is increased productivity – which is where Tiger.tec Silver comes into the equation.”

Available from Walter GB of Bromsgrove, Tiger.tec Silver features a totally new surface treatment that is reported to significantly reduce the in-cycle machining stresses of both wet and dry applications due to its balanced combination of high levels of toughness and maximised hardness. The result is an insert that will compensate for any brittleness that may develop as a result of the CVD coating process.

In addition, the CVD-Al2O3 grade coating counters any influence from thermal shock that can lead to cracking at the cutting edge and minimises tribochemical wear on the flank face. These are key areas that can lead to premature insert failure. The Tiger.tec Silver designation reflects the insert's two tone finish of glossy silver on its flank face and black on the rake angle face. Not only is this colour combination distinctive, but it also provides a practical indication of wear.

Mr Faust concludes: “We used the previous version of the Walter tool because it was one of the best products on the market – and Tiger.tec Silver represents a further quantum leap. The higher cutting efficiency ultimately enables us to reduce the costs of the end product.”

Walter GB
www.walter-tools.com