How new milling tools minimize carbon emissions without impacting output

According to Climate Watch, global industrial processes contributed to a huge 3.16Gt of CO2e emissions in 2022. There is therefore an urgent need for manufacturers to discover ways to improve sustainability without impacting productivity. Here, cutting tool specialist Sandvik Coromant explains how recent developments in milling tools are making productive sustainability more achievable than ever.

To minimize energy consumption without losing productivity, every aspect of a machining process needs to be carefully planned, right down to the specifics of each tool that is used.

With the aim of achieving environmental and business improvements, productive sustainability should be at the heart of every milling project. And, following recent advancements in tool design, it has become more achievable than ever.

One example is Sandvik Coromant’s CoroMill® MS20 tool. As we explain in more detail below, the tool’s features can lead to reductions in machining time, tool inventory and carbide usage, with reliability and versatility central to its design. It is primarily designed for ISO S and M materials, but following recent developments, it can now also be used for ISO P.

Overall, this helps those milling components to work towards sustainability goals while ensuring they meet all requirements for metal cutting, both in terms of quality and quantity.

Machining time

When aiming for productive sustainability, machine usage is a vital consideration. Inefficiencies and errors can slow down processes, having the potential to impact the output, energy consumption and carbon emissions of machinery.

CoroMill MS20 is designed to offer secure and trouble-free machining. With more reliable inserts, it allows cutting speed and productivity levels to be increased, ensuring machines are used efficiently and effectively.

Additionally, due to its secure operations, it can be used to introduce unmanned machining. This can further enhance the precision and efficiency with which steel is milled, speeding up processes, minimizing wastage and helping to keep manufacturers’ carbon footprints down.

Lower tool inventory

Both in terms of cost and sustainability, keeping tool inventories to a minimum can make a huge difference.

As a two-edged cutter, a key feature of CoroMill MS20 is its versatility. Along with handling all types of shoulder milling, it can also be used for face milling, ramping and helical interpolation, as well as full slot milling.

This allows manufacturers to reduce the number of tools they need to buy, encouraging more resource-conscious machining while streamlining the production process.

Alongside this, its robust cutter body and dependable interface boost its reliability. As the tool body can be used for longer, this again reduces the need for new replacements to be produced and minimizes the number of tools that are wasted.

And, now available with grade GC1230, the tool benefits from an enhanced edge line toughness, adding to its extended tool life. Featuring Zertivo® PVD coating process technology, it also offers excellent wear resistance to ensure it remains effective for longer.

GC1230 is an ISO P grade, expanding the range of materials that CoroMill MS20 can machine.

With GC1230, CoroMill MS20 promotes dry machining, which is preferable in steel and, without the need for emulsion coolant, the machine’s overall electricity consumption can be reduced. The need for a coolant management system is also eliminated. Further benefits include advanced substrate technologies that provide excellent wear resistance and edge line security, supporting more predictable tool life through a gradual and reliable wear pattern.

Carbide usage

By optimizing for different ISO areas, as well as using inserts with a higher security, CoroMill MS20 is designed to reduce overall carbide usage.

This in itself is a positive from an environmental perspective, leading to a reduction in the overall carbon footprint of a milling process. However, that security and optimization can also contribute to productivity successes, ensuring the tool works well in a range of applications.

When we consider these benefits in the context of the tool’s long lifespan, its advanced design can therefore offer effective, long-term sustainability and productivity improvements.

The power of correct tool section

The choice of milling tool can be the difference between a process being slow and unreliable, or being quick, efficient and accurate. Given that slower and more wasteful processes can lead to more environmentally harmful results, as well as impacting productivity, it is essential to get this decision right.

As the CoroMill MS20 shows, with the right tools, it is possible to minimize carbon emissions while ensuring productivity remains high.

With features such as higher security inserts, a robust tool body and compatibility with wear resistant, specialist grades all contributing to the tool’s reliability and effectiveness, the resulting reductions in machining time, carbide usage and tool inventory represent an excellent example of productive sustainability.

As such, when planning milling projects, tool selection is one stage that should never be rushed.

Source: Sandvik Coromant