New toolmaking technology
“It’s time to wake up,” says Professor Wolfgang Boos, Managing Director of WBA Tooling Academy Aachen GmbH, Germany, addressing the tool construction industry. He is drawing attention to the vital role which digitalized process chains will play in the future. However, tools and molds are still made primarily of metal and need to be machined as efficiently as possible. And so, while it is necessary to explore new fields such as digitalization, it is only right for metalworking technologies to remain the main focus of toolmaking to ensure that the field as a whole stays competitive.
METAV 2022 will be showcasing innovations – from micro-milling cutter design to digitalized shrink chucks
“It’s time to wake up,” says Professor Wolfgang Boos, Managing Director of WBA Tooling Academy Aachen GmbH, Germany, addressing the tool construction industry. He is drawing attention to the vital role which digitalized process chains will play in the future. However, tools and molds are still made primarily of metal and need to be machined as efficiently as possible. And so, while it is necessary to explore new fields such as digitalization, it is only right for metalworking technologies to remain the main focus of toolmaking to ensure that the field as a whole stays competitive.
As the first major industry trade show in more than two years, METAV 2022 will provide an update on the latest tooling technology from March 8 to 11 in Düsseldorf, Germany. As representatives of precision tool manufacturers (the second largest group of exhibitors), companies such as Diebold, Horn and Zecha will be providing exciting glimpses into their latest innovations. The spectrum ranges from micro-milling cutter design, temperature-controlled shrink devices and digitalized shrink chucks through to HPC milling cutters with thermal barrier coating.
A regular guest in the METAV’s Molding Area is Zecha Hartmetall-Werkzeugfabrikation GmbH from Königsbach-Stein near Pforzheim in Germany. This year it will be presenting precision tools for specific applications and modern materials. These include micro milling cutters, which, thanks to a new milling cutter design, are suitable for productive yet high-precision machining of a wide range of materials, alloy components and material hardnesses up to 70 HRC. With contouring accuracy levels down to 0.005 mm and concentricity accuracy down to 0.003 mm and below, the Peacock family of micro-milling cutters ensure precise component contouring.
Lower cutting pressure for higher electrode quality
The new ball and torus mill cutters are designed for electrode production. They have an extremely short finishing cutting edge, while the new torus cutters also have a long roughing cutting edge. These Seagull tool series cutters are suitable for the production of thin-walled and intricate graphite molds, as they operate with significantly reduced cutting pressure. This ensures the finest contours, surfaces and dimensional accuracy in electrode production.
For Zecha application engineer Andreas Weck, the new micro families are distinguished above all by their new design which guarantees “tool and die industry users the finest surface finishes, high machining efficiency yet also optimum component contouring accuracy.”
Optimum climate – Heat protection for sensitive shrink chucks
Shrinking, digitalizing and balancing will be the main focuses of attention on the stand of Jungingen-based Helmut Diebold GmbH & Co. Goldring-Werkzeugfabrik at METAV 2022. Serving the tool and die making, micromachining and high-speed machining segment, Diebold has developed a micro-shrinking unit primarily for small-diameter milling cutters and their toolholders (taper sizes HSK 40, HSK 32, HSK 25 and HSK 20). CEO Hermann Diebold: “The principal benefits of our intelligent shrink devices are that the sensitive linings don’t overheat and the shrink process runs safely and smoothly.”
Any overheating of tool holders is prevented by a one-touch function. This ensures that even inexperienced users can handle the process without difficulty, making operating errors a thing of the past. Patented pyrometer technology in the coil measures the surface temperature of the chucks during the shrinking process and controls the process in a way which protects the sensitive toolholders. Customers can update the software on the Diebold homepage to ensure that the intelligent shrinking process always keeps pace with the latest technical developments. In addition, shrink operation data can be logged on the company’s own network.
Digitalization plays an important role in shrinking
Digitalization also plays an important role in the universal balancing machine for tools, grinding wheels and other medium-size rotors. Diebold GmbH balances thousands of tool holders each year, meaning that the new software benefits from many years of know-how. The CEO: “This Diebold development therefore offers user-friendly features never before seen in such equipment.”
A carbide tool factory based in Swabia in south-west Germany attaches a great deal of importance to raising productivity levels. Paul Horn GmbH from Tübingen, Germany, presents a new solid carbide end mill whose new high-performance geometry is ideal for HPC (High Performance Cutting) milling of high-strength steels at high removal rates. “The cutters come into their own particularly in dynamic roughing as well as in standard roughing cycles,” explains Philipp Dahlhaus, Head of Product Management.
Superior running smoothness thanks to different helix angles
The Tübingen-based company has tweaked many parameters in its new development. The milling cutters have purposely been given different helix angles. The result is irregular tooth pitch which ensures smooth running even during very fast milling. The system also reveals its superiority when it comes to finishing. Extremely smooth operation yields high surface quality during side milling, for example. The company has also improved the face geometry to reduce the cutting pressure during linear or helix ramping. The improved chip spaces offer maximum process reliability during chip formation and removal.
HPC milling with high removal rates of high-strength steel is only successful if the material issues are addressed. Horn makes use of new carbide substrates and new coating processes. The milling cutters, for instance, are made of the ES3P carbide grade and are given a HiPIMS coating. This is “High Power Pulsed Magnetron Sputtering”, which deposits metal layers using very short pulses of plasma.
Heat shield extends tool life
“One benefit of the process is that it enables the construction of coatings which are very dense and compact but also hard and tough,” says product manager Dahlhaus. “The coatings have a very homogeneous structure and a uniform coating thickness, even with complex tool geometries.” The coating has very high layer adhesion which in turn ensures high cutting-edge stability. A not insignificant property is the high temperature resistance of the coating. It serves as a heat shield that reduces the amount of heat transferred to the material and thus extends the tool life.
As the institutional patron of METAV 2022, VDMA Precision Tools will again have its own joint stand from March 8 to 11 in Düsseldorf.
Author: Nikolaus Fecht, Gelsenkirchen
Size: around 7000 characters incl. blanks
Contact persons:
VDMA Precision Tools
Alfred Graf Zedtwitz
Lyoner Str. 18
60528 Frankfurt am Main
GERMANY
phone +49 69 6603 1269
alfred.zedtwitz@vdma.org
www.pwz.vdma.org
Helmut Diebold GmbH & Co.
Goldring Werkzeugfabrik
Martina Diebold
An der Sägmühle 4
72417 Jungingen
GERMANY
phone +49 7477 871 57
m.diebold@hsk.com
http://www.hsk.com
Hartmetall-Werkzeugfabrik Paul Horn GmbH
Christian Thiele
Horn-Straße 17
2072 Tübingen
GERMANY
phone +49 7071 7004 1820
Christian.Thiele@phorn.de
www.phorn.de
WBA Aachener Werkzeugbau Akademie GmbH
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Boos
Campus-Boulevard 30
52074 Aachen
GERMANY
phone +49 241 990163 02
w.boos@werkzeugbau-akademie.de
www.werkzeugbau-akademie.de
Zecha Hartmetall-Werkzeugfabrikation GmbH
Hope Lutz
Benzstraße 2
75203 Königsbach-Stein
GERMANY
phone +49 7232 3022 187
hope.lutz@zecha.de
www.zecha.de
Background
METAV 2022 will take place from 8 to 11 March in Düsseldorf. It will showcase the entire spectrum of production technology. The main focuses are on machine tools, tools, accessories, measuring technology, surface and computer technology for metalworking, software, machines and systems for additive manufacturing, production systems and components for medical technology. In addition, METAV 2022 will highlight specific solutions in four theme areas: Additive Manufacturing, Medical, Moulding and Quality. The last METAV 2018 attracted 562 exhibitors and roughly 27,000 visitors. METAV 2020 had to be cancelled due to the COVID pandemic.
Detailed information, offers and registration documents for METAV 2022 are available at www.metav.de
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