Cover shots

Small-dimensioned drill for stainless steel

With its bad thermal conductivity, high ductility, and long chips, stainless steel is not a chip removal specialist’s favorite material. Its undesirable characteristics are synonymous for material cementing at the cutting edges, jammed and blocked flutes, and often the cause for premature drill breakage. Developed for stainless and acid-resistant steels, the CrazyDrill SST-Inox answers these issues.

The small drill is made from flexible solid carbide, delivering consistent thermal shock resistance with high breakage ductility. In addition, the geometry has been revised and adapted to the pertinent requirements while reduced transverse cutting edges reduce the feed force, guaranteeing a good self-centering of the drill and generation of short chips even with long-chip-production materials.

The slightly reduced drill diameter after the short top section, reduces friction and heat development, decreasing the torque. The digressive flute, divided in two areas, is responsible for good chip removal, and the chip breakage area is a 32° flute to facilitate the chip breakup, while the area chip removal is a 12° flute allowing faster chip removal.

The coating resists thermal load while a smooth surface limits the friction and allows good chip removal. The adhesion to other materials is low, avoiding chip cementing at the cutting edges.

A version of the drill is available with integrated cooling, featuring three to four cooling channels that pass through the shaft and exit at the conical neck, providing an efficient cooling jet on the top of the drill, controlled heat, and a continuous chip removal.

CrazyDrill SST-Inox cutting tools are available from 0.3mm to 2mm (0.0118" to 0.0787") with increments of 0.05mm (0.00197") and a usable length of 8xD.

Mikron Corp. Monroe
www.mikron.com/tool

 

SW series Swiss-type turning centers

Yama Seiki-Goodway’s Swiss-type turning center SW machines provide solutions for workpieces with diameters smaller than 42mm. Machines in the SW series include the SW-20, the SW-32, and the SW-42 – with 20mm, 32,mm, and 42mm maximum machining diameters, respectively. Additionally, the SW series machines are available with sub-spindles, live tooling, and bar feeders.

The series offers flexible operations such as turning, milling, and cross drilling. With a different combination of power systems, main-spindle, sub-spindle, front-end tooling, rear-end tooling, C-axis, and live tools, the workpiece can be finished on the machine while simultaneously machining two operations.

The Yama Seiki-Goodway SW series features modular spindle construction. The spindle can be exchanged to be bush-type or bushless-type depending on different work requirements. The bushless design is suitable for machining cold-forged bar, and the remaining bar can be less than 50mm to save material cost. The bush-type can be rotated with high speed for less surface damage and to increase working performance.

Fully enclosed splashguards keep chips and coolant contained for a safe, clean working environment. FANUC spindle and servomotors ensure peak machining performance and accuracy. C3 class hardened and precision-ground ball screws ensure high accuracy and durability, while pretension on all axes minimizes thermal distortion.

Automatic lubrication is provided to all slide ways, ball screws, and vital components. Maintenance-free piston distributors deliver a precise quantity of oil to each lubrication point. Distribution automatically shuts off during idling to prevent waste. The piston distributors are non-clogging, and the design minimizes way lube consumption.

Yama Seiki USA Inc.
www.yamaseiki.com

 

Advanced clamping and gripping technologies

The e-Quipment clamping tools employ electric power instead of hydraulics to maximize control and efficiency. The tool family includes the Orange Line standardized for easy availability and attractive pricing; RRMP synthetic grippers custom-engineered for specific automation applications; the Jaw Finder jaw selection application; and micro-technology workholding products engineered for precise handling of critical small parts.

Unlike hydraulically actuated clamps, energy-efficient e-Quipment clamps for turning and milling machines require energy only during clamping and disengaging actions. The machine control electrically manages clamping forces and strokes to save time and facilitate the processing of delicate workpieces. Forces can be adjusted during an operation; for example, clamping force can be reduced during a finishing process to avoid workpiece deformation.

Expansion to the Orange Line now includes products such as the RB-M and RB-K machine vices featuring modular designs that permit them to be available with either a mechanical spindle (RB-M) or power intensification (RB-K).

Also available is automation gripping technology that includes the RRMP synthetic gripper, which combines compact size and low weight with tested endurance performance. Individually designed and manufactured to handle specific workpieces, the air-operated jaws are a solution for light workpieces.

Röhm Products of America
www.rohm-products.com

September 2014
Explore the September 2014 Issue

Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read.