TECHNOLOGY

BY CHRISTER RICHT

GREEN LIGHT FOR

LIGHT TURNING
CHALLENGE: HOW DO YOU MINIMIZE STOPPAGES WHEN TURNING WITH SHARP
CUTTING EDGES?
SOLUTION: MAKE USE OF DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE RESULTED IN UNIQUE,
NEW COATED INSERT GRADES.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS in insert PVD-coated insert grades are advanta- deposition) process involves higher
technology have brought about unique geous for sharp cutting edges because of temperatures and has been limited to
solutions for turning where sharp, durable the edge-line strength they provide. PVD providing the insert with a coating
cutting edges are needed, as is often the coatings can be applied only a few thickness several times that of PVD
case in finish turning involving lower microns thick on a suitably tough inserts, resulting in a blunt edge, unsuit-
cutting data and smaller components. substrate, which helps to keep the edge able for light turning.
Cutting edges need to be sharper and line intact. The CVD (chemical vapour But there are advantages to CVD-coated
tougher than ever in the area of light inserts, such as their high abrasive wear
turning because the machines are lighter resistance, thermal barrier and resistance
and smaller and use less power. Increas- SHORTER CUTTING TIMES to chemical breakdown in combination
ingly components and setups are unstable, with good insert bulk strength. Recent
requiring lower cutting forces. Some GC1515 is a CVD-coated grade for developments in insert technology have
workpiece materials and components can sharp inserts. It was developed changed the conventional order of CVD-
primarily for light turning in steel but
only be machined satisfactorily by sharp, and PVD-coated grades and made available
also as a complement for stainless
positive cutting edges. Meanwhile, a cutting edge for light turning.
steel. One step to achieving this PVD-
competitive demands are requiring that like insert, thinly coated through the
machines maintain longer uninterrupted CVD process, has been the reduction BOTTLENECKS IN machining areas that
runs, often lasting throughout a shift. of the heat barrier. Cuts within this include light turning are often created by
Sandvik Coromant calls this ”green-light area are relatively short, with not excessive machine stoppages for tool
production.” enough cutting time passing for high changing, usually because the edge line of
temperatures to be reached. an insert has not remained intact. Until
ACHIEVING A SHARPER cutting edge has in However, the characteristic CVD now, an all-round insert grade, providing a
the past been dominated by having uncoat- capacity of superior resistance to satisfactory compromise between wear
abrasive and chemical wear has been
ed and, in more recent years, thinly coated resistance and toughness to cover a broad
included in the insert grade. It is
inserts. The PVD (physical vapour area, has been the solution.
proving especially advantageous for
deposition) process, initially used on more straightforward cuts and where However, an all-round tool is always a
smaller, solid high-speed steel and carbide added wear resistance is advanta- compromise as regards performance. Now
tools, has evolved so that it is now used geous in achieving shorter cutting more dedicated, optimum insert grades are
broadly on indexable inserts as well, times. being developed that better suit applica-
especially those with a sharp cutting edge. tions and workpiece materials.

16 METALWORKING WORLD
In turning, the state of the edge line of an indexable insert determines the surface finish and
precision of the component being machined. The sharper the cutting edge, the harder it has
been to maintain an intact edge line during a long tool life. The familiar balance of wear
resistance and toughness basically determines how sharp the edge of a tool can be and still A TOUGHER GRADE
perform satisfactorily in different applications.
GC1125 is a new-generation PVD-
coated insert grade that supersedes
previous all-round grades. Its main
Now also, a unique new CVD grade has and materials. However, new demands are application area has been limited to
been developed that combines the wear being made in manufacturing that can’t be that of light turning of stainless steel
resistance of CVD inserts with sharp-edge met by a single versatile grade. Super- but with strong opportunities for
toughness of PVD inserts – a development sharp inserts, which have an almost non- complementary optimization of both
that represents one of today’s more existent nose radius, can now be provided steel and super alloys. It is part of a
significant steps forward in light turning with even more optimized cutting edges growing chain of new, more dedicated
performance. for good chip control, higher precision and PVD-coated grades for turning that are
minimized cutting forces at the smallest of being developed today. The advantage
THE OTHER significant step is the develop- cutting depths and feeds. of the grade over previous grades is
that it provides a higher degree of
ment of even sharper PVD grades. Until
toughness for even sharper positive
now, one all-round PVD grade has been ❯❯ FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact your
cutting edges.
used to cover a broad area of operations local Sandvik Coromant representative.

THE COATINGS THAT MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

SUMMARY
With the new generation of insert
grades the goal is to enable what
Sandvik Coromant calls “green-light
production” between planned
stoppages. The newly developed
Sandvik Coromant PVD- and CVD-
coated grades complement each
other in the area of light turning.
This means some tool dedication is
now reached to achieve desired
The fine-grain carbide substrate of the new Traditionally CVD coatings are more than
machining effects with just a few
PVD-coated grades provides the necessary 10 microns thick. The new advances in
wear resistance and toughness needed to insert technology have meant that the insert grades, insert geometries and
retain a very sharp edge line throughout a coating of GC1515 is thin, between 3 and 4 the right application technique,
long production time. GC1125 is especially microns. This in turn means that edge resulting in uninterrupted production,
advantageous for smearing materials such rounding can be reduced to lower values,
maximized predictable tool life,
as stainless steel, contributing to a enabling sharper edges for good cutting
resistance against built-up edge action and chip control at small depths of consistent quality, minimized scrap
formation. cut. and shorter cycle times.

METALWORKING WORLD 17