Cutting tools
Special Attention! When deciding on the appropriate cutting tool for a particular application, it is difficult to determine whether a standard tool or a special tool is preferable.. A special cutting tool is designed for specific operations on a particular part, made of a specific material, and used on a machine that requires a specific work holding fixture. This custom- engineered tooling solution aims to provide the best possible performance and outcome.
A special tool is not readily available and requires significant engineering effort, including concept design, coordination with the customer, detailed design, and production. Due to this the delivery time for special tools is significantly longer, which can impact project timelines. The question remains: which tool will provide the best solution? Should shops rely on readily available standard tools or opt for a highly efficient special tool with a longer delivery time? Naturally, economic factors such as cost per unit and tool costs should be taken into consideration. Special tools vary in their design complexity. Some are simple modifications of standard tools, such as changes to the corner radius or tool length. These modifications fall under the category of “semistandard” products, which can be manufactured relatively quickly. The design complexity of a special tool is determined by a pre-design study that assesses the customer’s manufacturing limitations, accompanied by cost calculations and production time. An alternative to engineered special tools is modular tooling, such as ISCAR’s MULTI-MASTER which features rotating tools with exchangeable solid carbide heads. This tooling system includes a wide range of tool bodies (referred to as “shanks” in the family nomenclature), adapters, extensions, and reducers that enable the configuration of the required tool for diverse machining operations. Metalworking shops can quickly customize a special tool if an appropriate off-the-shelf product
is not available. However, they may not have the means to complete the full cycle of toolmaking. In such cases, tool manufacturers can provide semi-standard tools as standard items, which can be adapted by the customer to their final shape. These semi-finished products can include blank bodies, blank inserts, and blank heads. ISCAR, offer this option and include blanks in their standard product range. The MULTI-MASTER family offers extra-long shanks with an inner MULTI-MASTER thread on the front face and a center hole on the back face, which can be cut and shaped by the customer. Recently, ISCAR introduced uncoated carbide blank heads with two sections: a disc-form front area with a hexalobular (TORX) recess on the face, and a rear area with an outer MULTI-MASTER thread. These heads are intended for producing special items to be mounted on MULTI-MASTER shanks at the customer’s machine shops for different machining operations such as milling slots, grooves, threads, splines, gears, and more. n www.iscar.com
Machinery & Manufacturing 44
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