Shaping the future of manufacturing

Silent Tools in machine with tablet

Global tooling solutions provider Sandvik Coromant's engineering solutions and technical expertise for turning and digital machining were designed to increase operational efficiencies to help manufacturers improve cycle times and parts per run while decreasing machine downtime, eliminating duplicate work and scrapping expensive materials.

Shaping the future together

At IMTS 2018, the company presented turning reinvented which includes products devised for the future factory yet are available today. It includes the new Y-Axis parting product and the inventive PrimeTurning solution. The new CoroCut QD blade for parting-off operations improves stability during cutting and realigns the cutting force by feeding in the Y direction to improve productivity and surface quality while reducing noise levels. The top face of the insert now is placed parallel to the end of the blade, rotating the insert seat 90 degrees counter clockwise and the blade cuts its way into the workpiece with its front end, which roughly aligns the resultant vector of cutting forces with the longitudinal axis of the blade.

PrimeTurning includes the introduction of two dedicated CoroTurn Prime tools and the PrimeTurning code generator, which supplies optimised programming codes and techniques. CoroTurn Prime inserts have three edges per corner; one edge each for longitudinal, facing and profiling thus distributing the wear over a longer edge and not just the insert tip. It also moves heat away from the cutting zone helping inserts last substantially longer.

The tooling company’s digital solutions are designed for smarter machining and workshop efficiency. Solutions include CoroPlus ToolGuide which provides quick and accurate tool recommendations based on a given task and material type. CoroPlus ToolLibrary allows users to integrate tool assemblies directly into their digital machining environment. Both solutions are downloadable from the company’s website as online or offline versions.

CoroPlus Process Control allows customers to increase control of their machining process through the implementation of hardware and software solutions inside their machines. Within CoroPlus Process control there is CoroPlus Collision Detector, which helps avoid or minimise machine tool and workpiece damage in case of a collision, CoroPlus ToolGuard, which enables the operator to monitor the machining process in real-time and interact with the machine tool and CoroPlus Machine Health Inspector which performs condition analysis on a machine tool’s spindle, slide, and bearings, enabling predictive maintenance.

Jeff Rizzie, Digital Machining Manager, said, “No longer will manufacturers need to take a ‘rear view mirror’ approach to machining. It’s time to swap our stop watches and clipboards for user-friendly solutions that provide insight on hundreds of parameters for truly efficient machining.”

New paths to success

Customers and partners can achieve significantly higher productivity levels, more flexible machining processes and more sustainable production under the strapline ‘Shaping the future together’. For instance, the global specialist in cutting tools and tooling systems revealed during the recent AMB exhibition in Stuttgart, Germany how it is revolutionising the world of turning, improving the entire manufacturing process with digital connectivity solutions and offering fascinating possibilities for the automotive and aerospace industries.

Sandvik Coromant presented digital solutions designed for smarter machining and greater manufacturing efficiency, which enables users to integrate tool assemblies directly into their digital machining environment. Along with software that helps improve design and production planning, the company showcased connected tooling solutions and process-control solutions.

Trade visitors also discovered the latest technologies in the fields of turning, milling and drilling. Included are turning solutions, such as CoroCut QD for cutting with the Y axis. This product uses the potential of modern turning centres and multi-tasking machines to guide the tool in the Y direction, positioning the upper side of the indexable insert parallel to the end of the blade. This capability enables faster feed speeds and the machining of longer overhangs without loss of stability.

Manufacturers in the automotive and aerospace industries, in particular, can benefit from PrimeTurning, a process for turning in all directions, which is extremely versatile. The process is suitable for turning short, compact components, for longitudinal turning, and for machining contours and front-end geometries.

Dr. Niklas Kramer, Product & Industry Segment Director at Sandvik Tooling Deutschland, sees digitalisation as an opportunity to provide our customers with application know-how in a direct and purposeful manner. However, it is still unclear which paths and platforms are best for getting information to the customer. The precondition for good advice is in any case the exact knowledge of the starting situation: "Specific context data from the machine tool are a huge step forward in this respect. The simpler and more uniform the data available to us are, the greater the user benefits."

CoroTurn products