Page 58 - MetalForming May 2012

Tooling Technology
While climb cutting is the correct technique for milling with carbide and high-speed steel cutters, operators should avoid this method when hard milling with CBN. With CBN, optimum results come from easing into the materi- al and producing a larger chip as the cutter exits the part.
Hard machining has been a part of the manufacturing world for decades. However, when look- ing at the hard-machining practices of today, turning greatly overshadows milling by some 85 percent. Hard milling, while highly advantageous if performed correctly, is not widely embraced by manufacturers due to its
Chad Miller is product manager– advanced materials for Seco, Troy, MI: 248/528-5200, www.secotools.com.
While hard milling of stamping tooling can be tricky, manufacturers that follow the right protocol stand to benefit more from this machining practice than if they were to employ grinding, wire EDM or die-sinking EDM operations.
BY CHAD MILLER
high upfront costs, various unknowns and hearsay from those who have applied it and failed.
While hard milling of stamping tool- ing can be tricky, manufacturers, by following the right protocol, stand to benefit more from this machining prac- tice than if they were to employ grind- ing, wire EDM or die-sinking EDM operations. Not only are grinding and EDM machines more costly than milling equipment, but they also require significantly more time to set up. When compared to grinding, hard milling can reduce a manufacturer’s cutting time by as much as 60 percent.
Embracing and Benefitting from
illing
56 MetalForming/May 2012
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