hp tooling 2021 #2

ISSN 2628-5444
high precision tooling
Machine Tools, PCD, PVD, CVD, CBN, Hard Metal 2021 - 2
■ Galvanically bonded CBN tools ■ Contact temperature during CFRP grinding ■
■ High-precision gear hobbing solutions ■ Coolants for aircraft machining ■

»Contour-profiled«
The deep grinding revolution
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More information
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editorial
Spring fever
Eric Schäfer
editor-in-chief
In many cultures spring is considered a
special season, always associated with a
hint of optimism, new beginnings and
a desire for something different. This is
particularly appropriate in these difficult
times. In this spring issue of “hp tooling”
we start straight out with a mountain bike
that has been milled from a single piece
of aluminum. How this was achieved
with the support of the experts from CERATIZIT and which tools
were used is described in our fast-paced cover story.
The first optimistic signs were already visible in Beijing in April,
where CIMT (China International Machine Tool Show) was held as
a trade fair. From our latitudes, the precision machine manufacturer
Kern Microtechnik GmbH was there, along with other mechanical
engineering companies. For all those who only dream from the home
office of visiting trade fairs, we present new machines in this issue.
For example, those from MAZAK and the Swiss Affolter Group.
At the very least the trade show in Beijing has certainly given other
trade show organizers hope that soon they will be able to welcome
visitors to their own exhibition grounds again. DeburringEXPO, for
example, has already announced its event in the fall. The importance
of burr-free, high-precision, clean surfaces is increasing. Another
report in this issue shows how excellent surface finishes can be
achieved in just one process step.
BINDERLESS CBN GRADE
FOR FINISHING OF HARD-
TO-CUT MATERIALS
SUMITOMO ELECTRIC
HARTMETALL GMBH
Let’s stay with the desire for new things. Tool and machine
manufacturers are planning to present their new developments for
the world’s largest metalworking trade show – EMO MILANO 2021.
A visit to Italy in the fall can almost be as inspiring as spring.
Eric Schäfer
editor-in-chief
FASTER.
LONGER.
HARDER.
…and why not spring to
www.harnisch.com?
+49 2154 4992 0
sumitomotool.com

table of contents
cover story
The FRACE F160 aluminum bike
Milled from a single piece of aluminum 6
materials & tools
Diamond-tipped shank cutters 9
Precise and efficient during the machining process 10
New generation of flagship turning grade 11
Grinding with galvanically bonded CBN tools 12
The perfect tool for every application 14
Option to drill into solid material 16
Partner in the mining industry 18
A drill for all materials 20
LACH DIAMANT looks back on 99 years - 8 th part -
How the “issue with the comma” turned into a success story after all… 22
processes
How to: customized gear skiving 31
Analysis of contact temperature in grinding CFRP
Dr. Marco Schneider and Philipp Esch/Yevgeny Babenko and Marcel Racs 32
Using intelligence to outperform brute force 40
Excellent surface finishes in just one process step 42
machining center
Gear hobbing machine AF160 unveiled 43
Toolmaker at the Great Lakes puts its trust in VOLLMER 44
Faster cycle times and expanded range of options 46
components
Dirt tight quick-change chuck for small to medium-sized lot sizes 47
Aviation: the triple effect of coolants 48
Convenient, informative, flexible 50
departments
fairs 5, 29
companies 26
impressum & company finder 51
4 no. 2, April 2021

fairs in alphabetical order
AMB Stuttgart, Germany
(September 13-17, 2022)
bauma CHINA Shanghai, China
(November 22-25, 2022)
CCMT Shanghai, China
(2022)
EMO Milano, Italy
(October 4-9, 2021)
EPHJ Genf, Switzerland
(September 14-17, 2021)
FABTECH Toronto, Canada
(June 14-16, 2022)
FEIMEC São Paulo, Brazil
(May 3-7, 2022)
GrindTec Augsburg, Germany
(March 15-18, 2022)
Hanover fair Hanover, Germany
(April 25-29, 2022)
IMT Brno, Czech Republic
(September 13-17, 2021)
IMTS Chicago, USA
(September 12-17, 2022)
intertool Wels, Austria
(May 10-13, 2022)
JIMTOF Tokio, Japan
(November 8-13, 2022)
METALEX Bangkok, Thailand
(November 17-20, 2021)
Metalloobrabotka Moscow, Russia
(May 24-28, 2021)
current status
2022
2022
2022
2021
2021
2022
2022
2022
2022
2021
2022
2022
2022
2021
2021
Metallurgy Russia + Moscow,
Litmash Russia (June 8-10, 2021)
Russia
2021
METAV Düsseldorf, Germany
(March 8-11, 2022)
sps Nuremberg, Germany
(November 23-25, 2021)
Stone+tec Nuremberg, Germany
(May 12-15, 2021)
Surface Stuttgart, Germany
Technology (June 21-23, 2022)
TIMTOS Taipeh, Taiwan
(March, 2023)
TMTS Taichung, Taiwan
(November, 2022)
2022
2021 + virtual
online exibition
cancelled
2022
2023
2022
trade fair dates as by end of April 2021; we are not responsible for reliability of these dates
no. 2, April 2021
5

cover story
Milled from a single piece:
The FRACE F160 aluminum bike
A work of art or
some thing to drag
through the mud? Art
comes in many forms:
it can be as transient as
a street painting or become
a cultural icon
like the Mona Lisa or a
work of Goethe. Some
things skip the maturity
phase and become
an instant classic. The
developers of a product
which, even during
the prototype stage,
is already in the same
league as other modern
classics, have simply
named it the “F160”.
Despite its reserved title, the Frace F160 – its official name – is
a top-class enduro mountain bike. It is milled from an
aluminum block weighing 70 kg, made for uncompromising
downhill trails on the toughest terrain, with a 160 mm
spring travel, 27.5 inch wheels and four-pivot chain stay.
Weld joints? None! The use of 7075 aircraft-grade aluminum
is what ulti mately makes this bike.
These specifications are impressive in and of themselves,
but its striking appearance is also unrivalled. Tricky twists
and turns one after the other, long flowing sections that
invite you to glide through
the air, to enjoy the ride...
What sounds like a ride on
the Frace is actually an attempt
to put its sophisticated
geometry into words.
More a sculpture than a
piece of sports equipment,
more a work of art than
a high-tech race-winner.
With the Frace F160 there
is no need to make difficult
choices – what you get
is a perfectly harmonised
complete package.
Frame milled from
a single piece
Anyone who selects a material
such as 7075 alumini -
um has not chosen at random – this is someone who knows
exactly what they want and exactly what they are doing.
Bernd Iwanow, managing director and owner of CNC Bike
GmbH in Finne, Saxony-Anhalt, knows exactly what he
wants to achieve. “I want to introduce a unique bike onto
the market,” Iwanow explains. “A bike that has already existed
in this same form but never made it beyond the prototype
phase.” The experienced toolmaker set off on his
mission around two years ago, having already designed a
folding bike for an East German bike manu facturer which
was never actually produced due to his client’s insolvency.
The CCR milling cutter from CERATIZIT shows its full strengths with trochoidal milling strategies;
Bernd Iwanow is saving 40 minutes on the machining time required to produce a chain stay
6 no. 2, April 2021

cover story
was particularly important for the
entrepreneur in the context of his
Frace Bike project. “My background
is in the manufacture of individual
parts, where the requirements are
different from series production. I
can rely entirely on the advice of the
CERATIZIT expert when it comes to
milling the frame cost-effectively
from a single piece and further optimising
the process."
Valuable support: Markus Brunner (regional sales director at CERATIZIT)
demonstrates the advantages of trochoidal milling to Bernd Iwanow
with the CircularLine CCR milling cutters
Bernd Iwanow, who has until now primarily manufactured individual parts
for the automotive industry, was determined despite this and decided to develop
his own bicycle. But he knew it had to be something special. Since his
business already had all the necessary equipment, it didn’t take long to decide
which production method to use: the frame of the bike was to be completely
CNC-milled. The fact that this was a daring idea became clear to him a short
time later during the course of his internet research. No other manufacturer
had previously succeeded in establishing a CNC-milled, series produced
mountain bike of this type on the market. “This made me even more determined
to see my project through,” says the passionate miller with a smile.
Tool specialists as facilitators
Bernd Iwanow called on the machining specialists from CERATIZIT for support
during his ambitious project. “I have been purchasing their tools for
some time and have a good relationship with their technical sales engineer,”
confirms Iwanow. “This is not just a salesperson but an experienced application
engineer with direct experience of working with the machines.” This
High degree of efficiency
thanks to trochoidal milling
The machining of the small pockets
on the frame is an excellent example.
These may not have posed a huge
chal lenge from a technical programming
point of view, but the previous
technology made the milling process
a real time-waster. “We had to speed
up the process,” says Bernd Iwanow.
So, he called on his technical adviser
from CERATIZIT, who presented him
a perfect solution. “Instead of using
our old standard milling cutter, he
recommended the CCR milling cutter,
which we then used in conjunction
with a trochoidal machining strategy.
When we saw the milling cutter in
action, my colleagues and I were
blown away. We stood around the machine
like big kids and watched as the
small 6 mm CCR milling cutter was
inserted 25 mm deep and the chips
began to fly. It was astonishing,” recalls
Bernd Iwanow. “Previously, we
used our milling cutter to cut in at an
angle to mill out the pockets until we
reached the required cutting depth.
Now we start by making a pilot hole,
then insert the milling cutter down to
the full cutting length and we’re off."
Completely CNC-milled:
the Frace Bike F160 designed by
Bernd Iwanow is the only one
of its kind in the world
no. 2, April 2021
7

cover story
Bernd Iwanow and his Frace F160 – the aluminum bike
milled from a single piece
CircularLine milling cutter for high RPMs
The CNC professional is also thoroughly impressed with
the cutting data. “We’re now working at a cutting speed
of v c = 300 m/min and a feed rate of v f = 2000 mm/min
with a dia meter of 6 mm – that’s quite impressive,” marvels
Iwanow. He believes that the special coating is one
of the reasons such cutting values can be achieved.
“Normal milling cutters would not be able to cope with
these high RPMs and would burn out,” says Iwanow
with certainty. Markus Brunner, regional sales director at
CERATIZIT, agrees. “Not every milling cutter can do this.
The high cutting speed and the higher radial forces place
higher demands on the tool,” he explains. In addition to a
more stable core geometry, the coating is also decisive.
Robust Dragonskin coating
“Our CircularLine CCR milling cutters are specially designed
for trochoidal milling and therefore feature the
ideal surface coating,” explains Markus Brunner. “As is the
case with all our high-performance tools, our CCR milling
cutters have also been coated with DRAGONSKIN,
which is particularly robust and wear-resistant and can
withstand strong temperature fluctuations with ease. In
the case of our CCR milling cutters for aluminum ma-
Thumbs up all round: the Frace Bike F160 not only passed the
practical test by test rider Frederik Torbiasch, but also meets the
requirements of the important EFBE test standard
chining, DRAGONSKIN means that our tools have a DLC
coating. In combination with the sharp cutting edges
and chip breakers, the milling cutter is the perfect tool
for effectively machining the pockets in the bicycle
frame – and there’s a considerable number of these."
Machining time reduced by 40 minutes
The sophisticated frame structure of the Frace F160 has
several pockets that need to be cleared out using milling
cutters. The fact that this process is now much faster
is something that Bernd Iwanow is particularly pleased
about. “With the CCR milling cutters I save 40 minutes of
machining time on the chain stay – that’s a huge saving.
I’m expecting a similar positive result when we also switch
over the machining of the seat stay to the CCR milling
cutter.” The entire manufacturing process currently takes
around 60 hours, and this comes at a price. Buyers must
fork out around € 5.000 for the frame of this exclusive bike.
But in return they get a real gem which, manufactured on
a small scale, not only has a high scarcity value but can
match the performance of any well-established downhill
bike. It’s not only professional downhill bikers who have
already put the F160 through its paces that can confirm
this. The Frace also meets the requirements of the important
EFBE test standard, which demonstrates the high
quality of the enduro bike.
First order delivered
“It really was an ambitious goal that I had. But I was able
to achieve it thanks to the active support of my technical
adviser at CERATIZIT and by converting to the optimum
CERATIZIT tools. I am now series-producing an aluminum
mountain bike milled from a single piece, which also performs
brilliantly off-road!” The first Frace F160, of course,
belongs to the developer. Bernd Iwanow has already delivered
the first customer order for the second bike; the
frame with serial number 002 was personally delivered to
CERATIZIT Deutschland GmbH in Kempten.
further information: www.cuttingtools.ceratizit.com
www.fracebike.de
8 no. 2, April 2021

materials & tools
Diamond-tipped shank cutters
No more tear-out edges and
badly cut middle layers
when CNC-sizing
The topic of finishes and decors is on the
move as never before in the furniture industry,
in shop fitting or in interior design. Digital and
direct prints on ultra-thin decors, fine haptics,
matt and high-gloss looks, nanotechnologies,
antifingerprint materials or combinations of
plastic and wood derived material dominate the
mate rial trends.
However, as fine as the material finishes are, the true art of
perfection can only be seen in the quality and appearance
of the final edges. This presents many users with difficulties,
especially when sizing and grooving on CNC machining
centers. After all, the perfect edge has to be produced
without bringing the cost-benefit ratio into an unbalanced
position. The solution: diamond-tipped shank cutters from
the Diamaster EdgeExpert series from Leitz.
Tear-outs on both sides of the edges, unclean cut finishes
and lots of time-consuming reworking – this scenario
alone makes many CNC users break out in a sweat. And
when the tools start to fail excessively, good advice is often
needed. This is not the case with the Diamaster
EdgeExpert shank cutters from Leitz. Perfect edges, absolutely
flawless middle layers and up to 30 % longer tool life
become reality. This is a fantastic savings potential compared
to conventional solutions – with relatively low purchase
costs and particularly low service costs.
The main attraction here is the special, spiral-shaped arrangement
of the cutting edges. With alternating cutting
angles between 45 and 54 degrees, they always machine
the material at the perfect working angle. Lower cutting
angles used in conventional cutting tools allow cleanly cut
middle layers, however, the edges break out much more frequently.
The opposite is the case with cutting angles that
are set too high. In this case, the edge quality increases,
but the vibrations that occur on the workpiece prevent the
perfect cut of the base material. Defective middle layers
are the result.
The CNC shank cutters of the EdgeExpert series from
Leitz are available from stock in three different performance
categories. The Diamaster PRO EdgeExpert,
for example, is available as a Z1+1 version in two working
lengths, each with a diameter of 16 mm. As a starter
model, it is perfectly suited for small and medium batch
sizes and can be resharpened up to four times.
The Diamaster QUATTRO EdgeExpert is the all-rounder
for medium to large batch sizes. The Z2+2 version with a
diameter of 20 mm allows much higher feed rates and thus
shorter machining times. It can be resharpened up to six
times and thus provides a perfect cost-benefit ratio in its
category. For very large batch sizes and extremely high
feed rates, the Diamaster PLUS3 EdgeExpert is the perfect
choice. Available with a diameter of 25 mm, in various
cutting lengths, it is the perfect solution when perfect
cutting quality is required, such as on machining centers
with zero-joint edging technology. This Z3+3 cutter makes
this possible primarily due to the Real-Z3 technology developed
by Leitz and can be resharpened up to eight times.
The diamond-tipped shank cutters of the EdgeExpert series
are suitable for use in all types of chip and fibre materials.
No matter if it is raw, plastic-coated or with sensitive
decorative papers, foils or veneers. Even laminated
woods such as plywood or multiplex with delicate finishes
can be machined perfectly and highly economically with
the EdgeExpert shank cutters. Another advantage is the
optimal chip removal, which results in significantly less
wear on the cutting edges. Even more advantages and time
savings are achieved by users who order their Leitz tools
as a complete system in combination with a high-performance
shrink fit chuck. Perfectly assembled, balanced and
in cluding the supplied setting data, these tool systems are
ready for use immediately after delivery – as a new tool ex
works or also after sharpening in manufacturer quality,
in one of the more than 120 Leitz sharpening services
around the globe.
All in all, these solutions in new dimensions show why
Leitz simply offers more. Knowledge and reliability for
more quality, efficiency, productivity and flexibility and
thus for more success of the users of Leitz products.
further information: www.leitz.org
no. 2, April 2021
9

materials & tools
Precise and efficient during the
machining process
Minimal deviation, a longer tool life and advanced
machining efficiency – Kyocera’s EZ Bar
Series is perfect for small manufacturing and it is
constantly expanding to offer a wide variety of
applications.
The manufacturing and internal machining of small parts
requires precise quality tools – such as Kyocera’s EZ Bar
Series, which has just been expanded with a new item: the
EZBF type is able to make a one-shot boring process making
a 90° step, which makes it a perfect addition to the innovative
series. The whole EZ Bar series is ideal for high
quality products due to their minimal deviation, the longer
tool life and advanced machining efficiency compared
to conventional tools. Especially with its unique EZ adjust
function high precision indexing is easier than ever
before: a wide variety of ID processes is possible – boring,
back turning, grooving, facing and even threading – by
just changing one tool. The latest addition to the line-up
even allows for hole bottom face finishing processes.
Overview of the common ID processes:
1. Boring
For great boring and back turning results chip breaker,
neck length and grade can be selected for the individual
purpose – even PCD and cBN are available. Also suitable for
boring is the EZ Bar Plus, a reversible boring bar that offers
a unique solution to minimise tooling costs. This indexable
bar can perform boring processes with a minimum
cutting diameter of 5 mm.
2. Grooving
Face grooving and internal grooving processes can be
performed by the EZ Bar as well. It supports minimum
adjustment pin is moveable
bar end (slant)
Adjustable overhang length (EZ adjust structure)
adjustment
pin
EZ Bar with sleeve
bore diameters of Ø 3-8 mm and cutting widths of 0.5-
2.0 mm. With its high rake angle, the EZ Bar is designed
for stable machining without vibration and shows good
chip evacuation.
3. Facing
For facing applications, the EZ Bar Series has the EZVB
type in the lineup. While up facing is not recommended,
the EZVB type can be expanded to be able to perform hole
bottom face finishing processes.
EZ Bar and EZ Bar Plus during machining processes
4. Threading
The EZ Bar Series is also able to perform threading processes.
There is a wide range of applicable thread types in
small ID processes: Metric, Unified, NPT, Whitworth, Parallel/Tapered
pipe. The EZT type for threading has a bore
diameter of Ø 3 mm and is available for threading M4
metric screw threads.
For an even better high-quality finish the EZ Bar can
be combined with the new PR1725 grade which is a
PVD coated carbide grade. This original development of
Kyocera named MEGACOAT NANO PLUS tackles several
customer challenges at once: producing a better surface
finish, providing a cost-effective solution with a long tool
life and integrating tools for steel and stainless steels. With
its superior wear and adhesion resistance it also results in
reduced cracking while machining.
To give customers more and better machining possibilities
the EZ Bar lineup is constantly expanding. EZ Bar
45° Chamfering and EZ Bar Copying type are in the pipeline
and will be released in early summer 2021 for a wider
variety of applications.
EZ Bar’s large tooling lineup for a wide application range
further information: www.kyocera.co.uk
10 no. 2, April 2021

New generation of flagship turning grade
materials & tools
Dormer Pramet has upgraded its flagship PVD
grade T8330 with a new coating generation, providing
increased durability and performance.
The T8430 will become the global manufacturer’s most
versatile grade for general turning and heavy roughing,
even in unfavorable conditions. Developed for steel and
cast steel, the Pramet grade also performs well in stainless
steel, cast iron and super alloys.
A multi-layered PVD coating optimised for increased
productivity, the T8430 provides up to 69 % more durability
compared to the previous T8330. This is especially the
case when machining raw steel blanks or difficult materials,
such as Inconel and Stellite.
A unique Titanium-Boron-Nitride (TiBN) top layer offers
build-up edge reduction and improved performance, while
a thick TiN coating gives low compressive stress for crater
wear resistance.
The T8430 is Dormer Pramet’s most versatile grade
for general turning and heavy roughing
In addition, the hard AlTiN of the T8430 secures flank
wear resistance, with a bright gold TiN layer to support
wear detection.
further information: www.dormerpramet.com
High-performance grinding wheels with precision
The Blue Moon TM TZ is an innovation developed
by the R&D department of Krebs & Riedel.
The Blue Moon TM TZ extends the Blue Moon product
family. It is characterized by high cutting
performance and high metal removal rates.
The abrasive grain used in the Blue Moon TM TZ is very
sharp-edged, microcrystalline and has an elongated trapezoidal
rod shape. Blue Moon TM TZ grinding wheels are particularly
impressive due to their very low thermal load in
the contact zone. The high profile retention of our grit
combination leads to extended dressing intervals at high
stock removal rates and increases economic efficiency.
lens Z20:X100 100,0 μm
The advantages are particularly evident when processing
long contact lengths. Typical applications include full cut
grinding, raceway grinding and profile grinding of gears
with large modules.
Your advantages at a glance
The advantages are particularly evident when processing
long contact lengths. Typical applications include full cut
grinding, raceway grinding and profile grinding of gears
with large modules.
« very low risk of overheating while grinding
« high removal rate
« self-sharpening abrasive grain
« short grinding times
« reduced cost per unit
« extended dressing intervals
« long tool life
Features
« individual specifications to your process
by adjusting the grain concentration
« homogeneous, controllable pore space design
« high friability during the dressing process
Applications
« deep grinding
« raceway grinding / centerless grinding
« applications with huge contact zones
« gear grinding: profile grinding for large modules
further information: www.krebs-riedel.de
no. 2, April 2021
11

materials & tools
Whenever it matters:
Grinding with galvanically bonded
CBN tools
There’s life in the old dog yet – this could be a
summary of the last decade in terms of gear and
profile grinding with non-dressable galvanically
bonded tools using CBN (cubic crystalline boron
nitride) as a cutting material.
When considering dressable grinding processes, there are
of course advantages in correcting profile errors quickly, as
well as reconditioning the cutting performance of the grind -
ing wheel. In addition it is of course also possible to carry
out a profile optimisation there and then. These are all clear
advantages compared to galvanically bonded non-dress -
able CBN wheels. But still, the CBN wheel maintains its
place in day-to-day gearbox manufacture. Especially where
there is only a limited amount of space for the grinding
wheel for reasons of geometry or where special profile modi
fications are required, where changing the tool diameter
by dressing is not an option due to collision-related or com -
ponent-specific reasons, where it is absolutely necessary
that quality remains high and constant and where it is important
that grinding burn is avoided, the galvanically
bonded CBN wheel is still the undisputed leader.
The basis of non-dressable CBN wheels is a high-precision
hardened steel base body, into which the active grinding
profile of the tool is incorporated. In ad dition to the grain
equidistance, the required gearing mo difications such as
profile corrections and tooth root form must be taken into
account in the steel base body. Gal va nic processes are now
used to coat this base body with a single CBN layer, which
provides a highly accurate repro duction (µm range) of the
required profile in the subsequent machining process. It is
non-dressable, meaning that the tool diameter remains con -
stant during machining for the entire operating life of
the wheel, as it is not reduced by wear. Once the grinding
process has been set up with such a wheel it remains dimensionally
stable through out the entire service life. The
figure 1: External cycloid machining on the
KAPP NILES Gear centre KX 300 P
result: CBN grinding
wheels meet industry
demands for a constant
and traceable
ma chining process of
the highest quality.
Since 1980 KAPP
has been an absolute
trailblazer on the
mar ket with the development
and manufacture
of profile
grind ing wheels with
the CBN cutting material.
Since 40 years
the KAPP NILES tool
figure 2: Profile curve of a
cycloidal external gear with a
tolerance band of 5 µm
specialists have routinely dealt with the most complex
components, a wide range of profiles and the highest quality
requirements. In the meantime, simpler CBN grinding
tasks have been replaced by more cost-efficient dressable
solutions, in particular in the automotive industry. Nevertheless
there is a wide range of application areas where
non-dressable CBN solutions are indispensable. As example
the robotics industry, specially the cycloidal drive used
there, which is being machined on the KX 300 P Gear centre
(figure 1). Here the relevant criteria is above all the high
positioning accuracy, the static and dynamic robustness of
the drive and the low wear behaviour under high load.
These special requirements for cycloidal drives can only
be guaranteed if the rotating components are ground with
extremely high precision. The corresponding profiles of the
cycloidal internal and external gears must precisely follow
the decisive pin diameter during rotation. The smallest deviations
in the rolling behaviour can ultimately result in
important angle positions not being reached precisely during
operation, increasing wear in the drive and thereby reducing
its service life.
The decisive criterion for the component quality is the
precisely ground profile curve of the cycloidal external
and radius-shaped internal profiles. For high-quality end
products, shape deviations over the entire profile curve are
expected to be significantly less than 5 µm in series production
(figure 2). And of course this is not only required
for the first ground part, but also over the entire course of
the guaranteed tool life of the grinding wheel, which can
reach well over 1,000 workpieces depending on component
geometry. A time-consuming dressing process for sharpening
and profiling the grinding wheel is no longer necessary.
As a tool manufacturer KAPP NILES guarantees the
quality of the profile through the precisely manufactured
profile shape of the galvani cally bonded CBN wheels.
12 no. 2, April 2021

materials & tools
Additional examples of application areas
for CBN tools include grinding tasks
in the aviation industry:
tool arbor
è The machining of the gears for double helical cut
planetary stages which are located between the
slowly rotating main rotor and the quickly rotating
turbine, ensuring improved efficiency and thus higher
performance. As shown in figure 3, the distance between
the two gears is only a few millimetres for so-called
herringbone gearing of the planetary transmission,
leaving little room during machining for the overrun
of the grinding wheels. As a result, the maximum
possible external diameter of the tools is significantly
limited, to prevent them from grinding into the
second gearing during grinding strokes.
collision clearance to counter gearing only 0.6 mm
wheel diameter is only 28 mm
figure 3: Machining of a double helical cut planetary gear
è With internal gearings, the maximum external
diameter of the CBN wheels is limited by the available
clearance in the component. This can range from
sufficiently large, as is the case with ring gears of the
planetary transmission, to very small in case of splines.
Figure 4 shows the comparison of the different
external wheel diameters.
è The landing flaps on the wings of a plane are used to
increase lift during take-off and landing. When they
are retracted and extended, the flaps are controlled
using so-called actuators, which are driven via a joint
central gearbox using tandem motors. This also involves
the use of triple pinions in the gearbox. The left and
right gearings on the pinion are identical. The gearing
in the center differs from both in terms of gearing data,
e.g. the number of teeth. Figure 5 shows that here too,
only grinding wheels with a very small external
diameter can be used, due to the small size and the
interfering contours from the respective adjacent
gearing. The high dimensional stability of the CBN
wheels ensures excellent grinding quality throughout
the entire tool life despite the small tool diameter.
figure 4: Comparison of the different external wheel diameters
figure 5: Machining of a triple pinion
Depending on the required precision as well as the quality of
the upstream production chain in relation to profile errors,
line errors and especially runout errors, the CBN grinding
process can either be carried out in a single stage or in several
stages. Two-stage processes are typically used today, using
coarsely coated roughing and finely coated finishing wheels.
Their sequential use makes it possible to achieve both a high
material removal rate and a high final quality of the ground
gearing. (see figure 6)
Experience in recent years has shown that a high quality,
yet economical production process is only possible if
all para meters are taken into account. In addition to highquality
galvanically bonded CBN wheel, this also includes
the corresponding grinding technology. This is the only way
to rea lise the actual performance of the galvanically bonded
CBN wheels to the benefit of the user, not only in relation
to profile quality and tool life behaviour, but also significantly
shorter machining time when compared to dressable
profile grinding.
figure 6: Galvanically bonded CBN wheels
in roughing and finishing version
KAPP NILES takes up this challenge anew with every
application of non-dressable CBN grinding tools and as
a system supplier of machine, tool and technology,
also assumes overall responsibility for the performance
and cost-effectiveness of your machining tasks.
further information: www.kapp-niles.com
no. 2, April 2021
13

materials & tools
The perfect tool for every application
The cut-off wheel range for
professional users, for fast, thin
cuts with minimized burr formation,
optimum tool life and efficiency
with unrivalled cutting
convenience.
Whether cutting metal, profiles and solid
material or cutting out holes, the PFERD
range offers thin cut-off wheels in many
different types and therefore the perfect
tool solution for every application – they
are efficient, ergonomically optimized
and designed to the highest level of safety.
The thin cut-off wheels from PFERD
are characterized by their special abrasive
grain and bond formulation. Intensive
research, development and targeted
implementation in state-of-the-art production
facilities guarantee PFERD’s premium
performance and safety standards.
advantages:
« thin cuts with minimized burr formation
« maximum efficiency thanks to fast cutting
and maximum tool life
« convenient and safe
PFERD offers three performance lines of
cut-off wheels:
¤ Universal Line PSF: the entry-level range
Universal Line PSF includes robust tools for
processing the most common materials.
Universal Line PSF tools achieve good results
with high efficiency.
¤ Performance Line SG: the broad range Performance
Line SG offers a high-performance tool solution
for every application and every material.
Performance Line SG tools achieve optimum results
with maximum efficiency.
¤ Special Line SGP: Special Line SGP tools are specially
developed for specific tasks and offer the user
key advantages over conventional products.
Furthermore, the Special Line SGP includes tools
that offer ultimate efficiency thanks to their
particularly high performance during use.
All PFERD tools are developed, manufactured and tested
in accordance with the strictest quality requirements. As
a founding member of the Organization for the Safety
of Abrasives (oSa), PFERD has committed to conform to
tougher inspection requirements that even go beyond
EN 12413 and EN 13743. PFERD quality management is
certified according to ISO 9001.
PFERDVALUE:
PFERDERGONOMICS recommends thin cut-off wheels to
sustainably reduce the vibration, noise and dust development
that occurs during use and to improve comfort when
working.
PFERDEFFICIENCY recommends using thin cut-off wheels
to achieve perfect results in no time.
further information: www.pferd.com
14 no. 2, April 2021

Medical technology day
“Full immersion”
into the world of chip removal machining
materials & tools
Last September, a medical day took place
at Mikron Tool’s Technology Center – of course
under strict compliance with the safety regulations
that were still in force. A “full immersion”
day into the MedTech world, jointly orga -
nized by DMG MORI and Mikron Tool.
The presentations focused on the machining of medical
components made of titanium and stainless steel,
realized with Mikron Tool cutting tools on various
high-performance machines from DMG MORI in 1 /3
of the time normally required for machining such
workpieces.
Near the action, not on the sidelines: from theory to
practice on the machine it’s only few minutes at the
TechCenter. This made it easy for the experts to demonstrate
live the machining of medical components
using concrete examples and explain the advantages
of the tools and machines used.
For example,
the hemostatic
clamp
made of
martensitic
stainless
steel (17-4 PH), which was completely machined in a single
clamping in only 35 min on a DMU 60 eVo, known for its
high dynamics and its extreme solid and stable structure.
The result with CrazyMill Cool tools and the 5-axis high
performance machine guaranteed high precision and excellent
surface quality.
We continued with deep hole drilling using the “mad”
CrazyDrill Flex, in which cooling plays an essential role.
The participants could witness how the tool drilled in
stainless steel
and titanium
up to a depth
of 50 x d,
starting from
a diameter of 0.3 mm. The results impressed all partici -
pants, as they showed that it is possible to create the
smallest holes up to ten times faster than with spark
erosion methods or single-flute drills. Customers are
already using this tool today, for example to machine
phaco tips.
Or CrazyDrill Cool SST- Inox, which achieves a
depth of up to 40 x d in a single step and without chip
evacuation, all this from Ø 1 mm and with high performance
in terms of tool life and machining time.
Thanks to these capabilities it is used, for example,
machining of nailing systems.
No time to rest, because the next presentation followed
immediately, with the machining of a bone
screw made of titanium grade 5 in only 3 min on a
compact, flexible Sprint 32/8 from DMG MORI. The
focus was on the creation of the Torx ® shape with the
CrazyTool Hexalobe machining concept. This enables
a turnkey solution with a 50 % shorter machining
time, while guaranteeing the highest profile accuracy,
excellent surface quality and nearly burr free results.
The striking conclusion of the
event was a bone plate (Volar
Distal Radius Plate) made of
grade 2 titanium, milled from
the solid in only 26 min on a dynamic
5-axis machine (DMU 70)
designed amongst other for the
medical component industries
and with a CrazyMill Cool. All
this resulting in an outstanding surface quality of Ra 0.4
(grinding quality). The users benefit is a reduction of machining
time from the original 128 min to 42 min (time
saving 86 min per piece).
The icing on the cake: at the end of the event the guests
received information on the new, interesting services offered
by Mikron Tool’s Technology Center. It offers customers
active support from tool testing through to the development
of complete chip removal machining projects.
Thus, he can free up capacities and concentrate on large
series production output.
further information: www.mikrontool.com
no. 2, April 2021
15

materials & tools
Option to drill into solid material
Horn provides the profiled cutting inserts based on the 117 tool system to customer specification for use on turn-mill centers
With the latest development of the 117 form
drilling system, Paul Horn GmbH now offers the
option to drill into solid material. The profiled
tools provide economic advantages in series production
and make it possible to reduce tool costs
for large-diameter holes.
Horn provides the profiled cutting inserts from a diameter
of 16 mm (0.630") based on the 117 tool system to customer
specification for use on turn-mill centers. The patented,
The accurately
ground inserts of
the 117 form drilling
system allow a
high degree of
manufacturing
precision
pre cision insert seat of the 117 system guarantees high concentricity
and axial run-out accuracy as well as highly precise
changeover to within microns. The accurately ground
inserts allow a high degree of manufacturing precision,
with tolerances up to 0.02 mm (0.0008") and high surface
quality. This is also reflected in the production of precise
grooves for O-rings.
Cost savings arise due to the ability to change the insert,
the lower tool cost and the reduced machine downtime, as
the inserts can be changed quickly. Furthermore, the coating
cost is lower, as only the insert is coated. The internal
coolant supply via the round shank at both cutting edges
ensures cooling in the contact zone and efficient removal
of chips.
Horn offers the tool system in widths of 16 mm (0.630"),
20 mm (0.787") and 26 mm (1.024"). Special profiles are
precision-ground in accordance with the requirements of
the application. The profile depth is tmax = 9 mm (0.354"),
12 mm (0.472") and 13.5 mm (0,531"). Maximum profile
width is 26 mm (1.024"). The tool coating is specially
selected for each application and is available for the
material groups P, M, K and N. The round shanks are available
with diameters 16 mm (0.630"), 20 mm (0.787") and
25 mm (0.984") in designs A and E as standard. Horn also
offers special holders with greater support for the inserts.
All variants have an internal coolant supply.
further information: www.phorn.de
16 no. 2, April 2021

materials & tools
New geometry for finishing grooves
Paul Horn GmbH is proud to present FB geometry,
a solution for finishing grooves. By standardising
the special cutting geometry, Horn is responding
to users’ requests for even better surface
quality on the flanks and at the base of a groove
or recess.
This geometry has already been in use successfully for
some time as a special solution for producing grooves for
sealing rings and shaft seals. High surface quality is possible
without any problems in the finishing process,
even when the conditions are unstable. Horn offers the
geo metry for a variety of systems for external and internal
grooving.
The geometry is available as a standard tool for the 224,
229, S34T, 315 and 64T systems for precision machining
of external grooves. For internal machining, it is available
for the 105, 108, 111, 114 and 216 systems. Further insert
types are available as special tools and can be delivered
quickly via the Greenline system, whereby it is possible to
deliver up to 50 customised inserts, depending on the design,
within five working days after approval of the drawing
by the customer.
Horn presents FB geometry, a solution for finishing grooves
Horn offers the geometry for a variety of systems for external and internal grooving
further information: www.phorn.de
no. 2, April 2021
17

materials & tools
Partner in the mining industry
Mining is as old as human history itself. Even
during the Stone Age people mined mineral resources
– in the form of flints. Today, MAPAL also
makes a small contribution to mining in the modern
era as a partner to manufacturers of mining
drilling tools.
All over the world, miners extract mineral resources, such
as coal, oil, gas, metals, precious stones and salts from the
earth. The construction of tunnels, pipelines or wells also
falls within the scope of modern mining. This is also true
for work carried out in quarries. Back in the early days
primitive tools were used to dig for the mineral resources,
whereas today high-tech superstructures, equipment and
tools are used for mining.
Drilling tools are an important part
of modern mining
The drilling tools that break the rock and carry it out in
chunks are an essential part of the process when blast
drilling, drilling for pipelines or creating new shafts in
mines, for example. Rotary bits are often used for larger
diameters in a range of applications. These usually consist
of three movable rollers. These rollers rotate and press
against the rock. In this way, the rock particles are gradually
broken off.
The use of drill bits has also already proven its worth in
the field of mining, especially for smaller diameters. They
work hand-in-hand with the corresponding tool holder
and the machine according to the same principle as a
hammer drill.
Both types of tools (rotary
bits and drill bits) have in common
that their steel tool bodies
(cold-work steel, alloyed tempering
steel or special steel) are
equipped with bit inserts made
of carbide in order to break even
very hard rock. After all, the bit
inserts are literally at the forefront
when it comes to creating
the different cavities in the various
types of rock and soil.
Machining the seats
for the bit inserts with
μm precision
To ensure process reliability in
mining, a correspondingly high
value is placed on the highprecision
manu facturing of the
tools. The drilling tool manufacturers
for the mining industry
therefore machine the seats
for the bit inserts with μm precision.
MAPAL has developed
the Rockbit-Drill made of solid
carbide especially for this application.
Together with the
MAPAL hydraulic expansion
chuck, customers machine the
seats for the bit inserts with
high precision.
The Rockbit-Drill is available with
a tip angle of 141° for machining the drill bit seats and with
a tip angle of 180° for machining rotary bit seats
The Rockbit-Drill in detail
The Rockbit-Drill comes with
an innovative coating that
18 no. 2, April 2021

materials & tools
ensures high wear resistance, and thus a long tool life.
Specially designed chip flutes ensure optimum removal
of the chips. Thanks to its quadruple-bevel geometry, the
tool generates an optimal bore quality in terms of alignment
and position accuracy. The Rockbit-Drill is available
with a tip angle of 141° for machining drill bit seats and
with a tip angle of 180° for machining rotary bit seats.
Successful use in practice
One of MAPAL’s customers is successfully using the new
Rockbit-Drill with a diameter of 16 mm for their drill bits.
The manufacturer produces the drill bits from low-alloy
steel on a machining center with a hollow shank taper
A63 spindle. The drilling depth is 1xD-1.5xD.
Cutting values:
‣ cutting speed 80 m/min
‣ spindle speed 1,600 rpm
‣ feed 0.2 mm
The Rockbit-Drill can reliably process 1,618 bores. The
customer is delighted: “We used to use a different tool
from a competitor, but we could only machine 600 bores
with that”. The customer was able to double the feed rate
compared to what they could achieve using the previous
tool. And, in this way, they could significantly increase
the number of cycles. In addition, the MAPAL tools produce
an optimum surface quality of Ra (average roughness
value) = 0.8 μm. The Rockbit-Drill has convinced the customer
in every respect – both with the accuracy of the
bores and the low burr formation.
Massive savings, more process reliability
and a higher degree of automation
The customer also mentions another benefit that they are
able to achieve thanks to the tool from MAPAL. Depending
on the bore diameter achieved, different bit inserts are
pressed into the tool body. The mining tool manufacturer
has various diameters of bit inserts in stock for this. The
higher the variations in bore diameter, the more different
inserts the manufacturer must have in stock. “Thanks
to the high dimensional accuracy with the MAPAL Rockbit-Drill,
we can significantly limit this variety of bit
inserts, and thus save costs. The bores are within a much
narrower tolerance range”, the customer is pleased to say.
In addition, the process reliability increases. And what’s
more: “We are able to achieve a higher level of automation
as a result”.
further information: www.mapal.com
Milling competence
right down the line
■ 45° Milling - Smooth cut and high metal
removal at extremely smooth running
■ 90° Milling - Highest productivity, cost
reduction and optimal distribution of cutting
force
■ HFC-Milling - High metal removal under the
most difficult conditions
■ 3-D Milling - Universal applicable tool
system for mould and die
■ Solid carbide milling - Over 1000 products
for every application
www.boehlerit.com

materials & tools
A drill for all materials
Korean automotive manufacturer sees 1,150 % increased tool life
with CoroDrill ® 860-GM
It’s said that life is a marathon, not a sprint.
For automotive manufacturers, longer lasting
tooling solutions are integral to more profitable
production – but often, manufacturers see
little reason to change their existing tool set-up.
Here James Thorpe, global product manager at
Sandvik Coromant, the global leader in metal
cutting tools, explains why the benefits of longer-lasting
tools – like the latest addition to its
CoroDrill ® range – shouldn’t be underestimated,
particularly for reducing costs-per-part or increasing
overall output.
Unpredictable tool life is one of the biggest threats in mass
automotive production, particularly as its operations are
so highly-automated and use some of the world’s most advanced
robotics and automation systems. Downtime is
time-consuming, disrupts production and is also expensive,
so it goes without saying that tool failures should be
avoided at all costs.
In some instances manufacturers set the tool change interval
to less than the maximum tool life. This approach
is normally preferred because material variations in automotive
components are minimal. It follows that the
tool changes should be predictable, and safer, than trying
to extend the tool life to manufacture a few more
components.
Multi-material drilling
For Sandvik Coromant’s specialists the key to longer tool
life is not limited to the amount of time a tool spends in
use, but also the drill design itself. This approach led to
the development of the CoroDrill ® 860 with enhanced
-GM geometry, a new design solid carbide drill that’s optimized
for a wide range of materials and applications,
across all industry sectors.
For the CoroDrill ® 860-GM, Sandvik Coromant applied
its machine tooling and metal cutting expertise to develop
a new grade, a unique fine-grained carbide substrate
known as X1BM. The fine-grained carbide is imbued with
increased hardness while maintaining toughness.
Furthermore, the drill is tip-coated with a multi-layer
physical vapor deposition (PVD) thin Ulm coating. This is
a key to improving the drill’s productivity and delivering
a consistent tool life across a variety of materials. The result
is a tool with excellent stability, machining security
and improved tool life when machining cast iron, steel,
stainless steel, hardened steels and non-ferrous metals.
Assessing tool life
A better way to assess tool life is by measuring the amount
of material removed. To aid productivity, the CoroDrill ®
860-GM has an innovative, polished [ute design that improves
the evacuation of chips and
yields greater hole quality. This also
helps to reduce heat build-up in the
tool, and further benefits are high core
strength and reduced cutting forces
while drilling.
The 860-GM forms part of Sandvik
Coromant’s CoroDrill ® range of solid
carbide drills. They are designed not
only for optimized performance but
also versatility, which means they can
be deployed in a variety of applications
and materials across multiple industries.
This includes use with the following
material groups: ISO-P, the largest material
group in metal cutting that ranges
from unalloyed to high-alloyed material;
ISO-M that includes difficult-tocut
stainless steels, austenitic steels and
duplex steels; ISO-K grey, nodular and
compacted graphite cast iron; ISO-H
20 no. 2, April 2021

materials & tools
steels with a Rockwell hardness of between 45-65 HRc; and
ISO-N for softer, non-ferrous materials such as aluminum,
copper and brass.
Advanced geometry
As mentioned, the CoroDrill ® 860-GM has an enhanced
design, but what exactly does this entail? Much of this relates
to the design of the drill itself that includes an advanced
optimized point and [ute geometry, reinforced core
and corner chamfers, edge preparation to remove cutting
edge micro defects, and a double margin to enhance drilling
stability. The drill’s point is also designed with refined
clearance angles and improved surface quality.
Overall these design features stabilise the drill, reduce
entry and exit burr and improve the hole tolerance, fin ish
and straightness. The drill also gives stable wear progression
and delivers excellent hole accuracy.
Improved tool life
For automotive manufacturers, the CoroDrill ® 860-GM has
proven useful for drilling engine blocks, casings, flanges
and manifolds. Beyond automotive and general engineering,
the drill is also suitable for all applications where hole
quality is critical – such as in aerospace, oil and gas, nuclear
and renewable power.
Among the most striking results achieved so far with the
860-GM was reported by an automotive manufacturer in
Korea. The customer’s operation was to drill through holes
in a production batch of automotive transmission connectors.
Overall eight 8.2 mm (0.32") diameter through holes
were drilled into each component that measured a depth
of 10 mm (0.39").
The existing solution produced 200 components, 1600
holes in total, with a cutting speed (V c ) of 80 m/min
(3102 RPM) and cutting feed (V f ) of 381 mm/min. In comparison,
the CoroDrill ® 860-GM produced 2300 components
(18400 holes) with a V c of 100 m/min (3878 RPM)
and V f of 814 mm/min. The result was a significantly improved
tool life of 1150 % and a productivity increase
that helped significantly lower the costs-per-part. Similar
impressive results have been reported by other Sandvik
Coromant customers within the automotive segment,
around the world.
Solid choice
The CoroDrill ® 860-GM’s abilities go beyond its machining
security and improved tool life. Because the solution
delivers one drill for all materials stock holding can be
reduced and greater machine flexibility is provided, which
leads to reduced set-up times and cost reductions. These
advantages show that automotive manufacturers should
consider the positive impact of enhanced drills, like the
860-GM on their bottom line – particularly the longerterm
benefits for when life is a marathon, rather than
a sprint.
further information: www.sandvik.coromant.com
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materials & tools
LACH DIAMANT looks back on 99 years – 8 th part
Poly – poly – or what?
How the “issue with the comma” turned into a success story after all…
Horst Lach, managing director and CEO of
LACH DIAMANT, agreed to write an ongoing
series of articles about the development of diamond
and CBN tools and grinding wheels in modern industries.
Horst Lach is known as a true industry veteran,
and we are excited to have this pioneer of technology
share some insights from his 60 years of professional
experience in the diamond tool business.
True to the motto “Quo vadis – where are you going…?”,
you can accompany him bach to the beginnings
of forming and rotating PCD tools and
to the hour of birth of mill dressing.
Let’s look back. Could it be that the world’s first presentation
of a dia-compact ® monoblock milling cutter for aluminum
machining at FAMETA in 1980 already laid the
foundation for large-scale use within the automobile industry
in the 80’s? Actually yes, if the aforementioned
“stumbling blocks” were not there (see part 7 of this article
series “Poly – poly – or what?”).
As we know, the wood and plastic manufacturing industries
were already several steps ahead in this regard – especially
when focussing on manufacturers of furniture/
kitchen furniture, laminate flooring, door and particle
board industries. One obvious advantage for industrial
mass production was the diamond cutting edge, soldered
tightly to the carrier, creating quasi monoblock tools.
Without the need to re-tip used cutters with carbide plates
after each shift, the dia-compact ® tool could show its full
capacity – 250 to 300 times longer tool times, compared to
carbide, became a calculable reality. No wonder that the
related machine industry – particularly manufacturers of
routing machines and double end tenoners – embraced this
new technology enthusiastically. In the 1980’s and 1990’s,
European trade shows (in Hanover and Milan) and shows
in the United States (IWF in Atlanta in particular) presented,
parallel to the developments of NC/CNC technology,
amazing performance increases every two years. This
was one side of the story.
The company LACH-SPEZIAL-WERKZEUGE GmbH,
founded forty years ago, as well as LACH DIAMOND INC.
in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, can pride themselves as
the worldwide only pioneers when implementing the idea
“diamond for all wood and plastic materials”. You may now
ask me about LACH DIAMANT, the long-standing company
dedicated to metal machining. Analogous to a rising
demand for “precision and efficiency”, sales – in other
words revenue – steadily increased from one year to the
next, more or less evenly divided between the polycrystalline
diamond and CBN tool programme, diamond and
CBN grinding wheels, diamond dressing tools and more
for the demand in the automobile and airplane industries,
machine and tool industry etc.
But I often bemoaned the not-yet-existing use and therefore
sales potential of diamond monoblock milling machines
for the automotive industry. Was this a “toothless
tiger”? Did we already miss this chance due to the development
of PCD inserts for use on cutter heads which started
almost a decade ago?
As so often in life – and when contemplating our “pioneering
beginnings” – a lucky coincidence proved to be
helpful. Although the core of the solution was so near,
even if it would not necessarily be most expedient to “aluminum
machining”.
“Yes – almost aluminum” – “No – machining”
In any case another topic for “Poly – poly – or what?”. I only
had to put two and two together. Diamond milling cutters
– also with profiled cutting edges and axis angles – already
were inevitably starting to be established as superior
machining tools in the wood and composite industry.
The first presentation of a profiled PCD monoblock milling
cutter at FAMETA 1980 put a “dot on the i” and created
the basis for future use in the automotive industry. However,
the PCD material could do even more: for example, it
could be used for dressing conventional grinding wheels.
The already
available PCD
material could
do even more,
for example
«dressing of
(conventional)
grinding wheels»
22 no. 2, April 2021

materials & tools
Diamond milling rolls were
first introduced under the name
«drebojet ® » at EMO 1981 in Hanover
Dressing tool for machining abrasives
with a rotating dressing roll or a linearly
moved dressing block as well as a
number of subsequently, in cutting
direction arranged protrusions on the
circumference of the dressing roll or the
edge of the dressing block; with inserts
preferably made from polycrystalline
synthetic diamond, cubic crystalline
boron nitride, carbide or ceramics, which
partially overlap to form the profile of
the dressing tool, characterized in that
cutting inserts, of at least two subsequent,
in cutting direction arranged
protrusions, differ in shape
The combination of two PCD tools, both first presented
at this trade show, caused a stir. One was the dia-compact ®
monoblock milling cutter for machining aluminum with
high silicon content, the other trade fair novelty was
drebodress ® with the slogan “the beginning of a new technology
for dressing grinding wheels”. All in all, this was
the birth hour of “mill dressing” for dressing conventional
grinding wheels; an international patent was pending and
promoted under the proprietary name drebojet ® .
By the way, the European patent N o _0 038 929, registered
on April 30 th , 1980, did not only protect the dressing
roll drebojet ® but also drebobloc ® , the PCD dressing block
which was named at the same time. LACH DIAMANT
first presented this new technology for dressing and
profiling conventional grinding wheels at EMO 1981 in
Hanover. A video about milling dressing with drebojet ®
also premiered at this trade show. You can watch it at:
https://vimeo.com/207282861.
Out of many press publications from that time, two excerpts
should be mentioned: “The area ‘Research and Technology’
in hall 7 at Hanover Trade Show 1982, featured the
best inventions submitted for the Inventor’s Prize 1982.
drebojet ® , technologically world-wide an absolute novelty
tool based on synthetic diamonds for serial dressing of
grinding wheels, particularly for use in the automotive
and automotive accessories industry, submitted by innovator
Horst Lach, CEO and co-owner of the Hanau enterprise
Lach Diamant – Jakob Lach GmbH & Co. KG, was
one of them. The drebojet ® diamond mill dressing roll, first
presented during the international machine tool exhibition
EMO in Hanover in the autumn of 1981, provides
a new technology for serial dressing of grinding wheels
in serial production. So far, with diamond dressing rolls,
the profile of e.g. a crankshaft had to be tediously worked
into a grinding wheel in 20 minutes or more; now this
takes a maximum of 120 seconds.” (see «Hanauer Anzeiger»
May 5 th , 1981)
“Dressing becomes a milling procedure. Conventional
diamond dressing rolls will be manufactured in different
procedures and in multiple precision stages. They all have
one thing in common: their shape, no matter which geometry,
is a closed shape. The diamond mill dressing roll
in the picture (above, left side) is different in this regard.
As during milling, the ‘chip space’, placed intermittently
between the cutting teeth, allow for maximum insertion
into the grinding wheel […]. Afterwards, the milled
grinding tools are – unlike in previously known dressing
methods – completely stable and available for the next
grinding operation. […] By changing the cutting speed of
the diamond milling roll, it is also possible to influence the
subsequent surface roughness of a grinding wheel dressed
in this way. […]” (see «Der Betriebsleiter» November 1981)
“Milling instead of
conventional dressing of grinding wheels!”
This was the slogan which caught on like wildfire after the
first presentations of drebojet ® at EMO 1981. A milling cutter
tipped with polycrystalline diamonds (PCD) in competition
to traditional diamond dressing rolls? A challenge
– especially for the world-wide very few diamond
tool manufacturers who had been involved in design and
production of diamond dressing rolls.
The implementation of the milling technique could possibly
multiply the number of roll manufacturers, particularly
in an industry which had up to this date nothing to
do with dressing grinding wheels: namely all carbide tool
manufacturers and sharpening companies, all of which
were just beginning to profit from the success of diamond
tools in the wood industry.
At that time also, the leading manufacturer of super
abrasives, General Electric, took notice of the demonstrated
success of polycrystalline cutting materials in the wood
and plastic industries. So it was no surprise at all that, even
before EMO 1981, I received a personal invitation from
no. 2, April 2021
23

materials & tools
The drebojet ® system; the new
technology for dressing of grinding
wheels in serial production
drebojet ® -PLUS during
path-controlled dressing of a grinding wheel
The drebobloc ® system; the new
technology for dressing of grinding
wheels in serial production
Louis Kapernaros, general manager at GE Superabrasives,
and was asked to present all of our special activities in the
United States of America.
The start of a long friendship
There were a lot of wishes from our side. For example, the
provision of larger PCD circular blanks. Up to this point,
we had to be content with blade lengths of max. 10-13 mm
for tool production, and cut from 13 mm blanks with EDM
wire (keyword: overlapping cutting edges). Even in retrospect
I can say that this meeting with Louis Kapernaros
was very successful. For General Electric and the subsequent
development of further PCD sizes and types, as well
as regarding the following decade-long, intensive cooperation
with LACH DIAMANT. Ultimately, these conversations
were the start of a long friendship with an always
pleasant and cultivated conversation partner.
After the presentation, I was promised full support by
the entire General Electric staff for research and development
for the drebojet ® mill dressing project. I will later get
back to other results from this visit.
Support for research and development – knowledgeable
readers will have guessed this already – there was something
else! The previously mentioned article in the magazine
“Der Betriebsleiter” suggested this already. And here it
comes: “The issue with the comma”.
“Chip spaces” between individual teeth – or the distance
from tooth to tooth – cause an unwelcome and unacceptable
“comma” during plunging when machining/milling
a grinding wheel. This is independent of the milling direction
(see below, left side).
synchronous milling
up-cut milling
Schematic diagram: development of the different commas during dressing
in synchronous milling and up-cut milling
24 no. 2, April 2021

materials & tools
What now – what to do?
As chance would have it, I met Prof. Dr.-Ing. Günter
Warnecke in early 1982. At that time, he was preparing for a
new position as professor at the University of Kaisers lautern
(chair of Production Technology and Business Organi sation). It
goes without saying that we started discussing dressing of
grinding wheels with rolls and we also talked about my
new, patent-pending idea of mill dressing. First tests at
Elb-Schliff in Babenhausen, at that time a leading manufacturer
of surface grinding machines, had already provided
advantageous insights. For example, that up-cut milling
had an advantage over synchronous dressing. And the undeniable
“comma issue”. Consequently, we commissioned
the university of Kaiserslautern or rather Professor Dr.-Ing.
Günter Warnecke to conduct research regarding the “optimization
of operating conditions during dressing of grinding
wheels with patent-pending diamond milling tools”.
Much to my regret, Dipl.-Ing. Franz-Josef Grün, assigned
to this project by Professor Dr.-Ing. Warnecke, focussed
his initial research on extensive wear tests of existing
polycrys talline diamond types (General Electric and
deBeers) – in comprehensible to me
be cause my focus was to find a solution
to the annoying comma issue
and to see sales revenues as fast
as possible. I do not intend to discuss
the pros and cons of this research
project, which was eventually
evaluated as Dipl.-Ing. Franz
Josef Grün’s dissertation. I shall
limit myself to some basic assessments
taken from his publication
“Kinematic and technological
foundations of mill dressing”, published
in 1988 by VDI, volume 152:
“4.1 Process principle of
mill dressing.
During mill dressing, the dressing
procedure is done with a dressing
roll which, unlike traditional
diamond dressing profile rolls, is
tipped with one or more geometrically defined polycrystalline
diamond blades (PCD). The dressing roll has a larger
effective width than the grinding wheel, and it is possible
to work in synchronous or up-cut mode.”
Furthermore, an excerpt from summary and outlook
on page 120:
“Evenly arranged blade inserts over the entire circumferential
surface of the grinding wheel, resulting from an appropriate
choice of speed ratio and dressing time, produce
a completely dressed grinding wheel with a wavelike circumference
profile”.
When this research did not provide any practical solution
to avoid “commas”, even after the third progress report,
we discontinued financial support from LACH DIAMANT.
At the same time, it became apparent that Professor Saljé,
together with grinding machine manufacturer Blohm in
Hamburg, was also investigating the new technology of
Classic diamond dressing roll,
manufactured by LACH DIAMANT
via negative process
“mill dressing”. From the start on his work was meant to
find the ideal relative velocity for specially developed drive
systems during synchronous milling and up-cut milling in
order to avoid “commas” altogether.
Comma or no comma
In my opinion, this approach was absolutely right. If only
we would already have had today’s computer power and
programming abilities in the mid 1980’s. Of course I kept
pondering the issue. Comma or no comma, simply put,
the real “issue” originated from the nature of milling:
there was a chip space between each pair of successive
teeth; after this type of mill dressing this space imprint
would more or less show on the grinding wheel. Why not
fill the gap between the individual PCD teeth with diamond,
and in this case, tightly attached to the body?
No sooner said than done
The result was a patent application on February 6 th , 1985
with the simple title “dressing tool” – short description:
“The invention relates to a profiled dressing tool, a dressing
roll in particular, for rotating grinding tools with
an effective surface, consisting of
scattered hard grains.”
Many other development steps
preceded the final result which
was first introduced in 2015 under
the name of drebojet-plus ® . Today’s
drebojet-plus ® diamond rolls incorporate
all of them. Today the actual
PCD milling tooth of the original
drebojet ® roll serves as stabilizer
in the current dressing roll,
coated with diamond grain. Usually
its modern design makes reprofiling
(service), for example
during path-controlled dressing of
grinding wheels, unnecessary.
Now, finally, the aforementioned
additional success story
relating to mill dressing. In any case an economic success
story for LACH DIAMANT.
With the support of former manufacturers of polycrystalline
diamonds (PCD), LACH DIAMANT’s innovations
(patent applications) and pioneering achievements
had become a topic of interest, such as the development
of spark erosion EDM/EDG for machining PCD and the
new technology of “mill dressing of grinding wheels”.
Thus in March 1982 the Japanese diamond tool manufacturer
Asahi Diamond Industrial Co, Ltd. under president
Arihisa Tanaka signed a license agreement for both technologies.
This provided the base investment for the new
company headquarters building in Donaustrasse in Hanau
where we moved in 1984.
Horst Lach
further information: www.lach-diamant.de
no. 2, April 2021
25

news & facts
companies
Celebrating 125 years of gear technology
in Munich
The 125 th anniversary of
Gleason-Hurth Tooling GmbH,
April 3, 2021, marks a proud
legacy of innovation dating
back to when mechanic and
tinkerer Carl Hurth founded
his first workshop on Munich’s
Viktualienmarkt. Today,
Gleason-Hurth Tooling
GmbH is an important part
of global leader Gleason
Corporation, producing advanced
workholding and
pre cision tools for the
world’s gear manufacturing
industries.
The 125 th anniversary of Gleason-Hurth Tooling GmbH, was
celebrated in Munich, Germany, a significant milestone
in its rise from a small workshop on Munich’s Viktu a li enmarkt,
to one of the world’s leading innovators in the production
of high-precision workholding and tools for the
glo bal gear manufacturing industry. Today products include
some of the most advanced and productive shaving
cutters, chamfering and deburring tools, master gears and
setting masters, honing and grinding tools, as well as dia -
mond-plated dressing tools for a wide range of applications.
Most recently, the company’s plant facilities in Munich
Milbertshofen have been completely renovated with stateof-the-art
equip ment and extremely efficient workflow and
quality proces ses. In addition to the ultra-modern, digitized
production, the newly designed office environment
offers employees all the amenities and benefits of a creative
and flexible working environment.
Company officials credit much of Gleason-Hurth Tooling
GmbH’s continued success to its workforce of skilled and
dedi cated employees. The company continues to train its
own ap prentices to hand down critical skills and methodologies
to the next generation of co-workers. Today a large
part of the company’s workforce learned at the Gleason-
Hurth Tooling plant. It's also a training center for the
global Gleason Academy with an extensive program of
training, seminars and webinars.
Today, Gleason-Hurth Tooling GmbH is poised for significant
future growth, and well positioned to meet fastgrowing
demand for innovative new drive concepts for
electric vehicles, and other emerg ing products using increasingly
complex, high quality gears.
Historical background
In 1896, mechanic and tinkerer Carl Hurth founded his
first workshop in a backyard at Frauenstrasse 19, Munich.
With the development of his own gear hobbing machine
1904 he began to specialize on gear manufacturing. In
1911 the Carl Hurth Maschinen- und Zahnradfabrik was built
at Holzstrasse 19 in the Glockenbach district, Munich.
In the 1920’s Carl Hurth’s son Hans Hurth took up the
manufacturing of motorcycle gearboxes. The company
then employed 800 people. In 1935, cylindrical gear shaving
was added to the manufacturing program. In the
following decades more than 100,000 shaving cutters
were produced and globally shipped .
From 1958 on machine tool building activities con tinued
in Moosacher Strasse in Munich Milbertshofen. Six years
later the plunge shaving process was developed, which – to
this day – is one of the most widely used processes for gear
finishing. Supported by the rapid econo mic growth employment
increased to over 3,000 people in 1969. 1983 the
two Munich plants in Moosacher Strasse were merged to
bundle activities related to gear tech no lo gy. Hurth achieved
world fame with transmissions for tractors, marine applications
and rail traffic, including those for Munich’s
subway and commuter trains. With the in tro duc tion of
“Power Honing” in 1993, Hurth heralded a trend-set ting
development in hard finishing of cylindrical gears.
In 1995, the machines and tools division was acquired
by Gleason Corporation. Gleason leveraged the long-standing
rela tion ships of both companies to drive the group’s
expansion in the global marketplace. The company now
operates as Gleason-Hurth Machinery and Tools. Within
the Gleason group, the Munich site became the competence
center for fine finishing of cylindrical gears. The
pro duct range of gear manufacturing machines includes
cham fering, shaving, honing and threaded wheel grinding
machines as well as corresponding automation, workholding
and tools. With the reorganization of Gleason’s
European Competence Centers in 2015, machine building
is relocated to the Gleason-Pfauter facility in Ludwigsburg.
The Munich site now concentrates on workholding
systems and gear manufacturing tools and operates as
Gleason-Hurth Tooling GmbH.
The planned open house and company celebration is
postponed to 2022 due to the pandemic.
further information: www.gleason.com
26 no. 2, April 2021

companies
news & facts
EMAG Group acquisition
About Samputensili
For over 50 years, Samputensili has been developing and
producing a wide range of machine tools at the company’s
headquarters in Bentivoglio close to Bologna, Italy –
recently under the umbrella of the independent
company Samputensili Machine Tools. The focus has been
on rough and fine machining of gears, shafts, worms,
rotors and other screw-type workpieces used in machine
manufacturing, aerospace technology, the automotive
industry and robotics. With its outstanding innovative
solutions – for example for generating grinding, shaving and
shaping – Samputensili offers its customers a competitive
edge and a quick return on investment. High-tech features,
such as linear drives, energy-saving concepts, parallel
processes and integrated measuring and dressing units are
evidence of the high standard of the company.
Samputensili continuously invests in research and
development, with a focus on efficiency and minimizing
the effect of the machine on the environment.
In 2019, Samputensili Machine Tools acquired the Italian
company CLC, a traditional manufacturer of hobbing and
shaping machines. Since then the new company has been
producing gear hobbing and shaping machines in
Cadelbosco di Sopra in the area of Reggio Emilia.
Samputensili CLC supplements the portfolio of
Samputensili Machine Tools with gearing-related products.
The acquisition of Samputensili Machine Tools and
Samputensili CLC by the EMAG Group – in cluding
the 87 employees across two sites near Bologna
and Reggio Emilia, Italy – took place on February
3, 2021. The two companies will be legally integrated
into the newly founded EMAG technology
company, EMAG SU Srl. In the long run the plan is
for the two plants of Samputensili Machine Tools
and Samputensili CLC to physically merge, with
a shared location near Bologna, Italy. The new
company is aiming to reach 35 million Euro in
sales by 2025.
EMAG has decades of experience in an extremely diverse
range of technologies and applications. The machine builder
from southern Germany controls the entire process chain
from soft to hard machining – a key factor in its ability
to successfully manufacture individual production solutions
and complete production systems. With the acquisition
of Samputensili Machine Tools and Samputensili CLC,
EMAG is systematically expanding its scope of technology
by adding a range of gear production processes: shaving,
gear shaping, tooth flank grinding as well as profile grinding
and generating grinding. These methods perfectly
supplement EMAG’s existing portfolio, which already includes
hobbing, chamfering and deburring. The be ne fits
of this addition are bigger than just the individual technologies,
it shapes EMAG’s entire mechanical engineer ing
process by making new, holistic production solutions possible.
These include everything from the first turning and
gear cutting operations on a blank, to the grinding of diverse
shoulders, and even the final tooth flank grinding
step – the latter with Samputensili technology.
By acquiring Samputensili Machine Tools and Samputensili
CLC, EMAG is not only expanding its technologies,
but also its customer base. This is because the tech no lo gy
of the Italian machine manufacturers is also used in the
production of pumps and compressors as well as components
for wind turbines, aerospace applications, shipbuilding,
industrial transmissions and agricultural machinery.
Win-win for both companies
Samputensili Machine Tools technology is in high demand
all over the world, in industries ranging from aerospace,
automotive, shipbuilding and more. These industries profit
from the expertise and experience that the Italian machine
manufacturer has in gear machining. Within these
industries, high-precision grinding, shaping and shaving
machines are used, and few companies can match the wide
variety offered by Samputensili. With this background and
wide ranging level of experience, Samputensili has an excellence
chance of continuing its success within the market.
Also because each of these industries are undergoing technological
transformations, while still striving to stay compe
t i tive on a global level. These changes require very specialized
mechanical engineering, with many users requiring
increasingly powerful production solutions that reduce
costs per unit, while also meeting growing demands
on component quality, within the micrometer range. In
this area, Samp utensili will profit from the global reach of
the EMAG Group. The South German machine manufacturer
handles the global distribution of machines, laying
the foundation for a successful future, by supplementing
and expanding existing sales and service structures within
Samputensili.
When it comes to application areas for certain EMAG
technolo gies, customer consulting is vital. “Most markets
and industries are very tight-knit, and having a presence
close by to provide advice and support for individual questions
or concerns is critical. With EMAG’s global sales and
service organization we are guaran teeing that. We have set
a goal for ourselves to open up new application areas for
EMAG SU, and are focused on continued growth,” says
Markus Heßbrüggen, CEO of EMAG GmbH & Co. KG. Additionally,
the companies are combining their production
network: in the future various subassemblies and parts for
Samputensili machines will be manufactured at EMAG’s
production site in Zerbst – one of the most sophisticated
tool factories in Europe. The final assembly of machines
will remain in northern Italy. With this system many
Samputensili solutions will be completed faster and more
efficiently.
further information: www.emag.com // www.samputensili.com
no. 2, April 2021
27

news & facts
companies
Kern and KLM at CIMT 2021 in Beijing
German precision machine manufacturers have
their sights set on the Asian market.
One of the largest shows for machine tools took place in
Beijing from April 12 to 17, 2021. Machine manufacturers
from all over the world showed their technologies live
and on site at CIMT 2021. The two established German
manu facturers Kern Microtechnik GmbH and KLM Microlaser
GmbH were on site as well.
For a long time the focus of Kern Microtechnik has been
on this region. Three years ago Kern Microtechnik has set
up its own sales and service location in Shanghai, Kern
Asia Pacific (KAP) and works closely with DKSH China.
Participating in the Asian machine tool show CIMT 2021
is a logical consequence, according to Kern CEO Simon
Eickholt: “Our leading technology for highest precision and
surface qualities in the µm range will be on display”. The
exhibition machine Kern Evo is representing our entire
product range up to the Kern Micro HD – our benchmark
when it comes to precision, surface and dynamics.
In the same booth, KLM Microlaser presented the capabilities
of their new laser machining center “E1”. There
were some exciting sample parts on display, for example
a carbide heading tool. With an ultra-short pulse laser,
the machine processes hard materials with the highest
precision. The process is without any heat input and is
extremely energy-efficient.
When machining small parts, this process is almost
unbeatable in terms of productivity, long-term precision,
freedom from wear and usability. In addition, the software
of the high-tech laser machine is easy to use. According
to KLM founder and CEO Ekkehard Alschweig, the E1 has
already proven its efficiency often: “Since we can replace
two different machining processes – eroding and milling
– with one single process we achieve incredible advantages
in the production process while the quality remains
on the highest standards possible.” For example, a press
punch out of sintered carbide can be produced with the
KLM-E1 in two hours. To date, this has taken an average
of eight hours.
further information: kern-microtechnik.com
Oerlikon Balzers opens customer center
in Vietnam
Oerlikon Balzers, a leading provider
of surface solutions for the metal and
plastics processing industry, has further
expanded its coating ser vices in Asia
by opening its new customer center in
Bac Ninh, north east of Hanoi, to serve
customers across the country.
The new coating center is an important
milestone in the company’s expansion strategy
in Asia and will create new opportunities
for Oerlikon Balzers to offer its high-quality
and well-established coating services in Vietnam’s
emerging economy. In recent years,
Vietnam has developed into a key economic
hub within Asia, allowing Oerlikon Balzers to serve various
industries with its coatings. The new coating center
will mainly focus on cutting tools and forming tools, but
it will also serve the growing market for high-tech components
in mobile phones, electronics and semiconductors,
as well as for plastic and aluminum products in con -
sumer goods.
In 2017, Oerlikon Balzers established a representative
office in Hanoi to meet the high demand across the South
East Asia region, and has also served local customers in
The new customer center in Bac Ninh, north east of Hanoi
various applications from the customer center in Thailand.
Since then, development and expansion has been actively
supported by the Balzers sites in India and Thailand, even
throughout the challenges of 2020. From the new customer
center in Vietnam, Oerlikon Balzers can now offer
an enhanced service to its local customers, with quick
delivery times and short transport routes for an improved
environmental footprint.
further information: www.oerlikon.com
28 no. 2, April 2021

fairs
news & facts
4 th DeburringEXPO
Increasing importance for
burr-free, highly precise, clean surfaces
The business climate and the order situation are
improving for industrial enterprises. Now is the
time for companies to generate fresh impetus with
new and further developed solutions.
DeburringEXPO offers an ideal platform to this end in
the fields of deburring technology and precision surface
finishing, and will be held at the Karlsruhe Exhibi tion
Center from the 12 th through the 14 th of October, 2021.
With theme parks covering “Cleaning after deburring”,
“Automated deburring with industrial robots” and “AM
parts finishing”, highly topical issues will also be addressed
at the 4 th leading trade fair for deburring technology and
precision surface finishing. The expert forum, which is in
great demand as a source of knowledge, will also offer information
concerning the latest trends and developments,
as well as practical solutions.
Demand is rising in many industry sectors such as machinery
manufacturing, medical and pharmaceuticals
tech nology, toolmaking, metrology, precision engineering,
sensor and drive technology, as well as in the automotive
industry. Amongst other factors, this trend is also being
driven by export. As a result, investments that were put on
hold last year are back on the agenda once again. Issues such
as deburring, edge rounding and the production of precision
surface finishes also play an important role in this regard.
Stricter as well as changing requirements must also be met
in some cases during the production and reconditioning
of products in these work steps.
As the only technology platform for deburring, rounding
and the production of precision surface finishes, DeburringEXPO
provides a complete overview of the current
state of the art, developments and trends, processes and
methods, as well as quality assurance and services.
Knowledge as added value
The integrated 3-day expert forum at DeburringEXPO is
a source of knowledge. Solutions for actual applications,
as well as current developments, trends and future strategies
will be at the center of attention at the simultaneously
interpreted presentations (German English).
further information: www.deburring-expo.com
GrindTec 2022
First meeting of the industry after four long years
It has been such a long time – in March 2018, the
last big meeting of the grinding technology industry
took place at the Augsburg Trade Fair Center.
At the same time, this GrindTec 2018 was also the most
successful to date since its premiere twenty years earlier.
With 19,100 top-class trade visitors from around 50 countries,
the leading international trade fair for grinding technology
achieved its third best result – following the new
exhibitor and exhibition space record. To date, around
40,000 international industry experts are part of the
network – and the trend continues to rise. GrindTec 2020
was well on its way to continuing this success story for the
industry.
Looking ahead: GrindTec 2022
In recent years, GrindTec has established itself as the most
successful meeting for international grinding technology.
In 2022, it will finally once again offer the urgently needed
platform for the presentation of innovations, for the initiation
of new contacts and for the cultivation of existing
business connections. In the past, GrindTec has always
been regarded as a source of impetus for the industry
economy – all the more hopes are now resting on the signal
effect expected from this first major meeting of grind -
ing technology.
Significant advantages for exhibitors
until June 30
GrindTec organizer AFAG is offering a whole range of
benefits to companies that register by June 30, 2021 at
the latest. In addition to an early bird rate for stand rental,
these exhibitors are guaranteed a refund of the stand
rental paid in the case that the trade fair is cancelled due
to the pandemic. Regular conditions will then apply from
July 1. This new two-tier pricing model will also be continued
in the future.
further information: www.grindtec.de
no. 2, April 2021
29

news & facts
fairs
EMO MILANO 2021
“The magic world of metalworking”
A press conference for the Chinese
market was held to present EMO
MILANO 2021, the world exhibition
dedicated to the metalworking world,
scheduled at fieramilano Rho, October
4 to 9, 2021.
The conference was organised by
UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE, the
Italian Machine Tools, Robots and Automation
Systems Manufacturers’ Association, in cooperation
with ICE-Italian trade agency, Beijing
office. The speakers were Gianpaolo Bruno,
trade commissioner of Beijing office and coor -
dinator of ITA offices in China and Mongolia;
Mao Yufeng, director of CMTBA, China
Machine Tool and Tool Builders’ Association,
and Luigi Galdabini, General Commissioner
of EMO MILANO 2021.
The meeting, which was web-streamed, involved about
fifty guests among Chinese operators of the sector and representatives
of the local media.
Promoted by CECIMO, the European Association of
Machine Tool Industries, and organised by the operational
structures of UCIMUSISTEMI PER PRODURRE, EMO
MILANO 2021 is the most important trade show for the
operators of the world manufacturing industry.
To date, there are 28 countries represented among the
exhibitors of the next edition of EMO. Italy, Germany,
Taiwan, Spain, Switzerland, Japan, Korea, China and the
U.S.A. are the nations with the largest number of exhibiting
companies. The list of registered exhibitors is increasing
day by day thanks to the applications that are continuing
to be sent to the Organisation Secretariat and are likely
to become more numerous in the next two months, as the
vaccination campaign is going on worldwide.
Luigi Galdabini, general commissioner of EMO MILANO
2021, stated: “Availability of vaccines, forecasts of growth
with regard to demand for machine tools in all the main
areas of the world and the important incentive measures
for investment in new production technologies established
by the Italian government make up a really favourable
context for EMO MILANO 2021, to the benefit of all those
who will exhibit at the event”.
According to the data processed by Oxford Economics,
after the collapse in consumption registered in 2020, in
2021 the world demand for machine tools should grow by
18.4 % to 61 billion Euro, (Asia 33 billion Euro, + 15.6 %;
Europe 17 billion Euro, + 23.5 %; Americas 12 billion Euro,
+ 19.7 %). The growth should continue in 2022.
With specific reference to Europe, in 2021 both Italy
(3.1 billion Euro, + 10 %) and Germany (5.7 billion Euro,
+ 20.9 %) should again experience a consumption increase.
This trend should go on even in 2022 and 2023.
Great business opportunity
The Italian Government established special tax incentives,
which consist of tax credit up to 50 % for investments in
new machine tools, robots, automation systems, 4.0 and
digital technologies, for companies investing in Italy in
2021 and 2022.
This is a great business opportunity – stressed Luigi
Galdabini – for all the exhibitors of all over the world and,
in particular, for Chinese manufacturers that, from 2012
to 2019, reported a constant increase in the sales to Italy,
reaching 70 million Euro in 2019, corresponding to 31 %
more than in the previous year.
The reasonable certainty that the situation in Italy will
enable the exhibitions to take place without particular
restrictions is proven by the fact that from September
fieramilano will be the stage of leading international
events. Before EMO MILANO 2021 Milano will host the
fashion and furniture & design trade shows, capable of
attracting thousands of visitors from any part of the
world.
Metal forming and metal cutting machine tools, production
systems, enabling technologies, solutions for interconnected
and digital factories and additive manufacturing
will be in the limelight at EMO MILANO 2021, which
will transform fieramilano Rho into the biggest digital
factory ever set up within an exhibition centre.
CECIMO has already conveyed the calendar of the
world travelling exhibitions that will take place after EMO
MILANO 2021. After the editions in Germany in 2023
and in 2025, EMO will be held again in Italy in 2027,
thus confirming the already established period, in which
Milano and Hanover will alternate in the organisation of
the world machine tool trade show.
further information: www.emo-milano.com
30 no. 2, April 2021

processes
How to: customized gear skiving
Gear skiving is over 100 years old and has recently
been experiencing a renaissance as a flexible
and economical alternative to other gear cutting
methods. However, this complex process frequently
presents great challenges to users.
In addition to Skiving3, a “complete package” consisting
of machine, tool and technology, Liebherr now also offers
skiving tools for suppliers and contract gear manufacturers
– and the appropriate consultation, if desired.
The almost forgotten method of gear skiving has again
gained momentum through technological advancement.
Modern, fast direct drives increase the cutting speed
and therefore the productivity. Low-wear cutting materials
and innovative coatings ensure a long tool life. Gear skiving
is considerably faster than shaping and, in many cases,
more economical than broaching. The combination
of crossed-axis angle, cutting speed, feeding and other
customer buys a machine or tools from Liebherr, he is buying
precisely this expertise and process reliability at the
same time.
Economical in contract manufacturing as well
In times of fluctuating and generally decreasing batch
sizes, gear skiving is also increasingly of interest to contract
manufacturing – as a flexible and economical addition
to the established gear cutting methods. However,
many contract manufacturers shy away from investing
in a new machine. An economical alternative is to use
Liebherr tools on existing equipment. In Kempten,
Liebherr uses an open concept and offers its own manufactured
tools independently of the machines – with consultation
on request.
Liebherr also offers skiving tools
independently of the machines
kinematic parameters make the method very flexible: particularly
for internal gears in medium batch sizes and external
gears with an interfering contour, gear skiving is an
additional “ace up your sleeve” in the gear cutting range.
It’s all about the process
So far, so good. Except that the highly complex process has
to be mastered. The extreme dynamics and the complex
axis arrangement demand a lot of the tool and make the
method very challenging for users: “Gear skiving doesn’t
forgive any errors. Deviations in manufacturing tolerances
often decide whether the machining will work or not. You
have to know precisely which setting screws you have to
turn”, explains Dr. Oliver Winkel, head of technology application.
“We at Liebherr have taken the time and can
justifiably claim that we understand the process.” If the
Whether they are in the supplier industry or contract
manufacturing, all customers ultimately want to be optimally
equipped for future market requirements and to
enjoy the benefits offered by gear skiving. With the tried
and tested, comprehensive all-round package Skiving3 and
the open tool concept, Liebherr is a suitable partner for
both groups.
further information: www.liebherr.com
no. 2, April 2021
31

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Analysis of contact temperature in grinding CFRP
written by Dr. Marco Schneider and Philipp Esch
(Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA)
Yevgeny Babenko and Marcel Racs
Abstract.
This study reports on measurements of the cutting
temperature in abrasive cutting CFRP with
thermocouple elements. A connection strategy for
coupling both thermal wiring components in process
via heat sealing is proposed and evaluated.
The gained temperature signal and response indicate
temperature load up to 740° C. It is also evident,
that temperature load is vastly dissipating
due to high thermal conductivity of CFRP and
short contact time. No thermal degradation or
pyrolysis was registered in edge inspection after
abrasive cutting and the process was assessed feasible
for edge trimming in CFRP.
1. Goal
Investigating contact temperature in grinding CFRP applying
abrasive tools and evaluation of edge quality.
2. Introduction
Fiber reinforced plastics offer high potential for lightweight
applications in all production branches. Parts of carbon fiber
reinforced plastics (CFRP) save up to 80 % of weight
compared to conventional steel providing similar stiffness,
tensile strength and chemical resistance (Babenko
et. al. [2017]; VDI Zentrum [2015]). Current issues concerning
CFRP relate to a material adequate recycling method
and an optimization in costs regarding machine finishing
jobs of CFRP parts. Since carbon fibers reach up to 5000
MPa in strength, CFRP is difficult to cut (Jäger and Hauke
[2010]). Moreover, the fibers have an abrasive effect on the
tool, which results in severe tool wear in conventional machining.
Propagating tool wear is detrimental to workpiece
quality causing delamination, fiber fraying and break outs
(Feldhoff [2012]; Che et. al. [2014]). In order to avoid swelling
of polymer matrix, CFRP parts are mainly cut under
dry conditions, which is normally associated as an aggravating
factor for cutting processes (Weinert and Kempmann
[2004]). On the other hand, dry machining ensures
process stability of subsequent production steps (coating,
joining, painting) (Babenko et. al. [2017]).
As an alternative to conventional machining, which
here means cutting processes with defined cutting edges
as in milling tools, of CFRP, tools with undefined cutting
edge geometry can be applied. This technology is well established
in processing ceramics and cemented carbides.
Abrasive machining is characterized by high quality performance
without delaminating the material and greater
running smoothness (Sheikh-Ahmad [2009]). With first
applications of edge trimming CFRP being limited to special
cases, the use of abrasive tools is increasing. Driven by
low costs (Klingelhöller, C. [2016]), abrasive milling tools
are not only exclusively used in finishing of composites
(Soo et. al. [2012]), but also for edge trimming (Colligan
and Ramulu [1999]; Sheikh-Ahmad [2009]).
Despite having many advantages, the use of abrasive
tools is limited in its application due to critical disadvantages.
Friction as well as multiple abrasive interactions between
tool and workpiece are held accountable for high
cutting temperatures which might degrade the polymer
matrix (Sheikh-Ahmad [2009]; Biermann and Feldhoff
[2012]). It is assumed that matrix degradation happens
at temperatures exceeding glass transition temperature
(120...200° C according to the polymer), but in contrast to
this assumption, SEM images proof that there is no pyrolysis
occurring at the CFRP edge despite drilling CFRP at
high temperature in cutting (Merino-Pérez et. al. [2015]).
Another disadvantage associated with abrasive tools is
the phenomena of clogging up chip space (Arisawa et. al.
[2012]), especially at fine grained tools. By means of optimized
tool macro geometry, bond properties and corn protrusion
these issues can be addressed.
The effect of temperate in machining CFRP with abrasive
milling tools has been investigated by Boudelier et. al.
[2013], Sultana et. al. [2016] and Biermann and Feldhoff
[2012]. Acquired temperature data from studies (Boudelier
et. al. [2013] and Biermann and Feldhoff [2012]) refer to
wet cutting and are therefore not applicable for dry cutting.
Moreover, the mentioned studies acquired data by
means of thermography. This method does not allow direct
measuring at the contact interface (Liu et. al. [2016])
and valid data is only ensured when using the appropriate
emission coefficient of the material.
The state of the art suggests that further studies have to
be carried out in order to determine the effect of temperature
on abrasive machining of CFRP and gaining profound
knowledge on contact temperature. This study is about
contact temperature in edge trimming of CFRP with diamond
grinding points. Measurements were performed under
industry related performance conditions. In variating
cutting parameters, effects are identified and explained.
Edge quality has been assessed using optical mi croscopy
and a machined surface was analyzed with SEM.
32 no. 2, April 2021

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3. Evaluation, selection and construction of
temperature measuring technique
With respect to grinding temperature measuring, two
methods can be distinguished: in-contact and non-contact
methods. In-contact methods are based on the thermodynamic
balance between the measuring device and the
thermodynamic system. Thermal capacity and conductivity
of the contact measuring device may influence the
accuracy and must be considered. Non-contact methods
utilize thermal radiation characteristics of the material
in order to deduce the temperature of the object. Table 1
shows the advantages and disadvantages of available temperature
measuring methods (Bernhard [2014]; Czichos
and Hennecke [2008]; Klocke and König [2008] and
Herwig and Moschallski [2014]).
4. Experimental setup
4.1 Diamond grinding points
The tools used in this study were two diamond grinding
points provided by DIT Diamanttechnik GmbH. The geometrical
features are: diameter of 10 mm, a diamond grain size
of 355/425 μm (tool: D427) and 150/180 μm (tool: D181)
respectively. The CNC machining center was 5-axis
HOMAG BMG 611 fitted with a hydraulic tool holder.
tool D427
tool D181
figure 1: Analyzed tools with different diamond grain size
In accordance to the outlined advantages and in consideration
of the constraints, thermocouple elements are selected
for measurement of grinding temperature. The possibility
of engaging the thermocouple elements in the direct
contact area predestines this method for investigating
the process temperature directly in the contact area.
advantages
+ small design
+ long-term stability and resistance against
most chemicals
+ measuring range 0 °C - 850 °C
è
resistance thermometer
4.2 Composite system
The investigated workpiece material is a laminate system
consisting of nine layers of uni-directional carbon fiber
pre-pregs stacked in 0°/90° order and epoxy “E022” resin.
The plate is covered by a thin woven top layer. Material
designation is named “PR-DU CS 600/1250 FT 109 35”
and was fabricated
by the company
disadvantages
Weißgerber GmbH.
− measuring current leads to self-warming
effect and hence measuring inaccuracy
− no direct application in contact area
no direct temperature measuring in the contact area is possible
thermocouple
+ small design
+ high sensitivity
+ fast response time
+ low inaccuracy
+ wide measuring range,
-200° C to 1,200° C possible
+ applicable in contact area
(loss of couples in machining)
è
− signal amplification necessary
− preparation of specimen required
− limited measuring range due to
reduced heatresistance of isolation
temperature measuring in contact area is possible and exact process temperatures
can be identified
thermocolor method
+ no primer necessary
+ light- and chemical resistant, non-erosive
+ feasible for large areas
è not suitable for direct measuring
+ reactionless
+ large measuring range up to 3000° C
+ high responsive on changing temperatures
è
pyrometer/thermography
− inaccuracy in color-temperature assignment
− no direct application in contact area
− ±5 % tolerance of activation temperature
− elaborate process of calibration and set-up
− sensitive to background radiation
not suitable for direct measuring; only applicable on back or front side
table 1: Overview of temperature measuring methods and evaluation of pros and cons
The laminate features
a carbon fiber
volume content of
60 %. Testing specimen
dimensions
are set to 290 mm x
80 mm x 5 mm by
milling, creating a
non-damaged edge
surface.
4.3 Thermocouples
Temperature measuring
was performed
with a set
of thermocouples
“IEC-GG-K-SLE-JU”
from the company
OMEGA Engineering
GmbH. It is specified
as type K (NiCr-
Ni) providing highest
measuring accuracy.
The elements
are isolated by a
glass silk wrapping,
which is heat resistant
up to 480° C.
Both elements measure
0.5 mm in diameter.
Full crosssection
dimension
is 1.3 x 2.0 mm. In
order to amplify
the low voltage signals
of the thermo-
no. 2, April 2021
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couples, an amplifier of type “AD8495” from the company
Adafruit was used. It allows temperature recording in a
range from -250° C up to 750° C. The linearized thermovoltage
has been amplified to a value of 5 mV/° C. Reference
temperature was determined to 25° C. The sampling
rate had a frequency of 200 Hz.
4.4 Development of temperature measuring method
To study the temperature impact on grinding CFRP it was
necessary to develop an experimental setup to reproducibly
machine the specimen and successfully engage the selected
measuring device. In order to clamp the thermocouple
safely, the specimen had been prepared with a notch
on the top side. The dimensions of the notch were 3.5 mm
in width and 2.5 mm in depth. The thermocouple was
placed in the upper half of the specimen and 70 mm away
from the tool entry. With this arrangement stabile temperature
and process conditions were realized and warm-up
or running-in effects of the tool were eliminated. For fixation
the thermocouple was glued in with “Penlock GTI”
adhesive.
The thermocouple effect requires a physical connection
of both metals. Since a continuous machining procedure
is intended, no premanufactured pellistor can be used as
the first cut would remove this pellistor for good. For this
reason and by means of an iterative development process,
an alternative method was applied and validated for CFRP
in a pilot study. The method uses the grinding process itself
to physically connect the two metal wires in a sense of
pressing and friction welding. Best results were produced
with this thermocouple integration layout:
CFRP
thermocouple
‣ wiring next to each other in short distance,
parallel wiring (no twisting)
‣ complete removal of the isolation of one wire for
reaching of optimal distance
‣ glueing of both wires in as shortest distance
as possible
thermocouple element 1 thermocouple element 1
4.5 Test procedure and experimental layout
Temperature measuring was carried out with varying process
parameters and lateral tool engagement of 1 mm, as
shown in table 2. The parameters studied are cutting speed
v c = 3; 6; 9 m/s and feed rate v f = 1; 3; 6 m/min, whereby full
fractional parameter variations were conducted.
n° tool
cutting speed
v c /(m/s)
rotational
speed n/
min -1
feed rate
v f /(m/min)
infeed
a e /mm
H1.1 D427 3 5730 1 1
H1.2 D427 3 5730 3 1
H1.3 D427 3 5730 6 1
H1.4 D427 6 11460 1 1
H1.5 D427 6 11460 3 1
H1.6 D427 6 11460 6 1
H1.7 D427 9 17190 1 1
H1.8 D427 9 17190 3 1
H1.9 D427 9 17190 6 1
H1.1 D181 3 5730 1 1
H1.2 D181 3 5730 3 1
H1.3 D181 3 5730 6 1
H1.4 D181 6 11460 1 1
H1.5 D181 6 11460 3 1
H1.6 D181 6 11460 6 1
H1.7 D181 9 17190 1 1
H1.8 D181 9 17190 3 1
H1.9 D181 9 17190 6 1
table 2: Design of experiment
For statistic reasons, the experiments have been performed
five times and in a random order. As illustrated in
figure 3, the procedure is performed accordingly. The test
specimen has been clamped at an overlapping distance of
25 mm. The diamond grinding point cuts the edge with
an infeed of 1 mm in down-milling and in five repeating
steps. Afterwards a stripe of the test specimen was cut off
by means of a milling tool for the optical quality inspection
of the grinded edge of the specimen.
physical connection
figure 2: Thermocouple implementation (left) and connection
of the two wires after the diamond grinding point has
machined the CFRP and two wires of the thermocouple
As can be seen in figure 2, both wiring elements are machined
and a connection has been established. Applying
the abovementioned conditions, reproducible results could
be achieved.
measuring
device
specimen for optical
quality inspection
five repeats for
temperature measuring
applied thermocouple
figure 3: Schematic experimental setup
CFRP specimen
clamping system
cutting area
milling tool
diamond
grinding point
34 no. 2, April 2021

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9 m/s in dependency of varying feed rates. The graphs are
smoothed by means of consecutively arithmetic averaging
of three measured values.
figure 4:
Cutting temperature for cutting speed 3 m/s and varying feed rate
As can be seen from the figures 4-6, both tools exhibit a
distinct temperature behavior. It is obvious that for higher
cutting speeds temperature indication is at a higher level.
This can be attributed to the fact that at higher cutting
speeds the tool is engaged more frequently over the same
distance as compared to lower speeds. The proportion of
friction induced temperature is therefore higher. It is noteworthy
to refer to the systems constraints as the temperatures
at high cutting speeds do not exceed 740° C, which
marks the upper range limit of the thermocouple. It is assumable
that temperature will exceed this degree but recording
above the maximum temperature of 740° C was
not feasible due to technical limitations of the measuring
device. For the tool D427 with fine grain size of by 427 μm
the recorded temperatures are less pronounced compared
to the tool D181 with grain size of by 181 μm, see figures
4-6.
5.2 Results of edge quality investigation
Edge evaluation was conducted according to the new DIN
SPEC 25716:2017-02 and both quality criteria, delamination
and fiber fraying, have been measured. In the sense of
delamination index, grinding point D181
fiber fraying index, grinding point D181
figure 5:
Cutting temperature for cutting speed 6 m/s and varying feed rate
figure 7: Cutting edge quality assessment for tool D181
delamination index, grinding point D427
fiber fraying index, grinding point D427
figure 6:
Cutting temperature for cutting speed 9 m/s and varying feed rate
5. Results
5.1 Results of temperature investigation
The scope of this research was to identify the processing
temperature occurring at edge trimming with diamond
grinding points. Figures 4-6 show the temperature recorded
with the thermocouple for two types of diamond grinding
points (D427 and D181) at a cutting speed of v c = 3; 6;
figure 8: Cutting edge quality assessment for tool D427
no. 2, April 2021
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the newly proposed inspection key figures, resulting indices
of 1 indicate best quality. Values between 1 and 0 allow
reworking and negative values below 0 signify un-rectifiable
rejects. Tolerance limit for both quality criteria was set
to 200 μm ± 100 μm. The critical limit was set to 5 mm for
delamination and 3 mm for fiber fraying in both dimensions
length and width respectively.
It is obvious that both tools cause severe damage at parameter
constellation of H1.3 and H2.3, which reflects the
lowest cutting speed at highest feed rate. Tool D181 which
provides finer grain size achieves best quality output in six
out of nine cases, whereas tool D427 achieves only once
optimum quality for both indices, refer to figures 7-8.
5.3 Tool grain inspection and working condition
Evaluation of temperature and quality performance is further
supplemented by microscopic tool inspection. Since
cutting CFRP causes dust and small chips, clogging is likely
to happen. Figure 9 and 10 show a comparison of both
tools before and after cutting tests. As can be seen, CFRP
adhesion is quite severe. Both tools are covered by CFRP
dust and chip room is noticeably occupied.
The figures show that tool type D181 is characterized by
almost complete sealing. In contrast, type D427 reveals
some open spaces in between the individual grains. The
dust capacity for the tool with larger grain size is noticeable
higher.
6. Discussion
Main aspect of this study was to provide a validated experimental
testing method for temperature measuring and
investigation in diamond cutting of CFRP with abrasive
points. High temperatures in machining CFRP are held accountable
for matrix degradation and pyrolysis is expected.
Temperature evaluation shows that temperature can reach
up to 740° C, which also marks the upper end of the recordable
range. In fact, temperature may reach higher up
to 850° C with extrapolating the temperature for tool D181.
Assuming that D181 shows a comparable response surface
as D427, temperature for factorial combination of v f = 3m/
before cutting
after cutting
figure 9: Tool grain clogging after cutting tests at tool D181
before cutting
after cutting
figure 10: Tool grain clogging after cutting tests at tool D427
36 no. 2, April 2021

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tool D427
tool D181
Figure 11 shows the effect of varying process parameters on temperaturet is evident,
that the variation of feed rate does not exhibit a linear effect on cutting temperature
min and v c = 9 m/s is calculated considering the profile of
factor feed rate on level v f = 1 m/min and v f = 6 m/min. Recorded
temperature for v f = 1 and v f = 6 m/min exhibit an
increase from factor level 6 to 9 m/s with around 110° in
average. Based on this side line profile, the temperature
which most likely exceeded the measuring range for factor
stage of v f = 3 m/min and v c = 9 m/s is estimated to upward
direction with 850° C as an extreme limit. All recorded
temperatures are way above 200° C and may have an effect
on matrix degradation and can be seen critically.
As was expected from the theory of grinding of conventional
materials and referring to the main factor analysis
it can be derived that the variation of cutting speed has a
distinct influence on cutting temperature. On each level,
cutting speed causes an increasing of the mean temperature.
The effect of increasing cut ting speed on mean cutting
temperature is more pronounced for tool type D181;
figure 12.
Contrary to the effect of cutting speed, a variation of
feed rate does not exhibit a clear and linear effect on mean
temperature. Cutting tem perature peaks at 3 m/min for
both tools and then drops again. Again, tool type D181
exhibits higher temperatures than tool D427. The higher
temperature level caused by tool type D181 can also be explained
by the strongly occupied chip room. The disability
to eject the dust particles may be seen as one factor for increasing
friction and thermal storage.
In order to estimate the temperature effect on the cutting
edge surface, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was
effect of cutting speed D181
effect of cutting speed D427
mean temperature
mean temperature
effect of feed rate D181
effect of feed rate D427
mean temperature
mean temperature
figure 12: Effect diagrams for varying process parameters on cutting temperature
no. 2, April 2021
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figure 13:
Cutting edge
surface at
different
magnifications,
tool D427
figure 14:
Cutting edge
surface at
different
magnifications,
tool D181
figure 15:
Surface
integrity
in milling
undertaken. It is crucial to note that the temperatures affected
the cutting edge only on a microsecond timescale.
As illustrated in Figs. 4-6 the temperature impact happens
on a time scale of less than half a second and strongly depends
on the cutting parameters as stated above. SEM imaging
does not show any form of thermal degradation for
any type of tool. This interpretation is in accordance to
the studies of Yashiro et. al. (2013) in which matrix degradation
was observed after more than 20 min heat exposure;
figure 13 and 14.
The machined surfaces do not show any distinctive feature
associated with thermal degradation or critical heat
impact. Considering the quality inspection it is more likely
to cause mechanical damage due to inadequate process
guidance then thermal damage.
Under all conditions tested in this study, no surface thermal
degradation occurred. The short time of impact allows
the heat to dissipate quickly. Exceeding the critical glass
transition temperature of the matrix is not harmful in consideration
of this short-term thermal load. Also figures 13
and 14 do not present any fiber “debonding”, which might
indicate material decomposition. Comparing the cutting
surface integrity processed by milling to abrasive tools, it
can be stated that there is no significant difference apparent.
This further proves that short term temperature load
does not affect the material in a negative way; figure 15.
7. Conclusion
This study presented a validated method for temperature
measuring in abrasive machining of CFRP. The recorded
temperature exceed critical glass transition temperature
but the time-wise impact is too short to degrade the matrix
or decompose the laminate structure.
The investigations showed a clear effect of cutting speed
on the cutting temperature for both tools. Referring to the
quality inspection, low feed rates in combination with
high cutting speed should be avoided. Based on the obtained
experimental results, the conclusion can be summarized
as follows:
38 no. 2, April 2021

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« Cutting speed shows a clear effect on temperature. As in grinding of metals, increasing the machining speed
of CFRP causes an increase in the contact temperature.
« Contrary to the effect of cutting speed, a variation of feed rate does not exhibit a clear effect on
mean temperature. Cutting temperature peaks at 3 m/min for both tools.
« Cutting temperature exceeds glass transition temperature. However, impact is negligible as the impact time
is very short. In SEM imaging no thermal degradation or “debonding” was evident.
« A test scenario was developed and validated, proposing integrated thermocouple method with one
fully detached wiring isolation and parallel wiring up to the cutting area.
« Grain size of 181 μm easily clogs up compared to rougher 427 μm grain size.
Acknowledgements: We would like to thank Mr. Marcel Racs for gaining the experimental data.
References
Arisawa, H.; Akama, S. and Niitani, H. (2012):
High Performance Cutting and Grinding Technology
for CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics)
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review, 49(3)
Babenko, Y.;Schneider, M. and Gebhardt, A. (2017):
Temperaturanalyse beim Trennschleifen von CFK
wt Werkstattstechnik online, 107(1/2), page 87-93
Bernhard, F. (2014):
Handbuch der Technischen Temperaturmessung
2. Auflage, Springer Vieweg, Berlin, Germany
Biermann, D. and Feldhoff, M. (2012):
Abrasive points for drill grinding of carbon fibre
reinforced thermoset CIRP
Annals - Manufacturing Technology, 61(1), page 299-302
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Investigation of CFRP machining with
diamond abrasive cutters
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page 425-436
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Machining of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics/Polymers:
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Colligan, K. and Ramulu, M. (1999):
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Diamond Abrasive Cutters
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Hütte: Das Ingenieurwissen:
Jubiläumsausgabe 150 Jahre Hütte
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Feldhoff, M., (2012):
Modellgestützte Werkzeug- und Prozessentwicklung
des Bohrschleifens faserverstärkter Duromere
Schriftenreihe des ISF, 68, Vulkan-Verlag, Essen, Germany
Herwig, H. and Moschallski, A. (2014):
Wärmeübertragung: Physikalische Grundlagen,
illustrierende Beispiele, Übungsaufgaben mit
Musterlösungen
3. erweiterte und überarbeitete Auflage, Springer Vieweg,
Wiesbaden, Germany
Jäger, H. and Hauke, T. (2010):
Carbonfasern und ihre Verbundwerkstoffe:
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München, Germany
Klingelhöller, C. (2016):
Trennschleifen von CFK-Schalenbauteilen mit
räumlich gekrümmten Konturen
Ph.D. Dissertation; Technische Universität Hamburg-Harburg,
Hamburg, Germany
Klocke, F. and König, W. (2008):
Fertigungsverfahren 1: Drehen, Fräsen, Bohren
8. Auflage, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, Germany
Liu, D.; Wang, G.; Nie, Z. and Rong, Y. (2016):
An in-situ infrared temperature-measurement method
with back focusing on surface for creep-feed grinding
Measurement, 94, page 645-652
Merino-Pérez, J. L.; Royer, R.; Ayvar-Soberanis, S.; Merson, E.
and Hodzic, A. (2015):
On the temperatures developed in CFRP drilling using
uncoated WC-Co tools Part I: Workpiece constituents,
cutting speed and heat dissipation
Composite Structures, 123, page 161-168
Sheikh-Ahmad, J. (2009:
Machining of Polymer Composites
Springer
Soo, S. L.; Shyha, I. S.; Barnett, T.; Aspinwall, D. K.
and Sim, W.-M. (2012):
Grinding performance and workpiece integrity when
superabrasive edge routing carbon fibre reinforced
plastic (CFRP) composites CIRP
Annals – Manufacturing Technology, 61(1), page 295-298
Sultana, I.; Shi, Z.; Attia, M. H. and Thomson, V. (2016):
Surface Integrity of Holes Machined by Orbital Drilling
of Composites with Single Layer Diamond Tools
Procedia CIRP, 45, page 23-26
VDI Zentrum Ressourceneffizienz GmbH (2015):
Bestandsaufnahme Leichtbau in Deutschland: Kurzstudie.
Projekt I C 4 - 10/15
im Auftrag des Bundesministeriums für Wirtschaft und Energie,
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for further information please write to:
marco.schneider@ipa.fraunhofer.de
philipp.esch@ipa.fraunhofer.de
no. 2, April 2021
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How the fox outsmarted the hare:
Using intelligence to outperform brute force
written by Tom Nathan, ANCA PCD erosion product manager
When ANCA decided to create the ANCA EDG
(Electro Discharge Grinding) machine in 2011, the
mission was clear. The company wanted to create
a high-performance Rotary Electro Discharge
Machining (EDM) platform that was not only able
to produce best-in-class tool geometries but also
have market leading cycle times.
It was the brainchild of Pat Boland, ANCA founder and
managing director, who realised that to outperform the incumbents,
brains were needed over brawn. “The erosion
process is simple in its complexity. The basis of the process
uses positive and negative electrodes with electrolyte
to create sparks along a material. ANCA has a 45-year history
in making the world’s best carbide and HSS tools and
we wanted to use that skill set in PCD tooling,” said Pat.
The main drivers behind the ANCA EDG machines
were that it needed to be simple enough for all types of
brazed shear-fluted tools, but complex enough to enable
the creation of the infinite variety of helical solid-tipped,
veined and chevron tools. Pat adds: “We realised early on
that with the complexity of tool geometries we wanted to
allow our customers to create, the 5-axis interpolation
while maintaining the precise erosion gap distance was
going to be a challenge.”
Maintain the optimum spark erosion gap
with IAC
The ANCA EDG is able to maintain the optimum spark
erosion gap for both simple 2D and complex 3D path interpolations,
which is fundamental to the process working
with high efficacy. This is very simple for 2D paths, however,
when 3D path interpolation involves 4- or 5-axes moving
simultaneously; surface area, volume and path variation
become a challenge. From testing, we knew that the
standard was to set the machine feedrate to the lowest allowable
to maintain a useable spark gap distance; how ever,
this leads to a lot of “air-time” and drastically lowers efficiency.
To allow the feedrate to remain high and maintain
the optimum spark erosion gap, the idea of Intelligent Adaptative
Control (IAC) was born.
Intelligent Adaptive Control (IAC) is an in-time, servocontrolled
feature that automatically monitors and controls
the erosion gap distance, in-process. Utilising the
EtherCAT functionality of the ANCA Motion AMD5x control
system, IAC synchronises the machine moves with the
generator performance. IAC adjusts and maintains the optimum
spark gap which is vital while eroding 3D geometries
such as PCD flutes and gashes on drills and endmills.
With geometry changing in up to 5-axes at once, IAC
automatically adjusts the gap distance and machine feedrate
to optimise the erosion speed and surface finish. This
involves not only speeding up feedrates when erosion is
along linear paths but also slowing down feedrates when
path changes occurs.
Twists and turns along the erosion path leads to scenarios
where the electrode wheel is likely to come into close
contact with the tool, or comes off the tool. This can lead
to optimal, bad and missed sparks along the trajectory.
IAC automatically accounts for this and maintains the
fastest possible feedrate along the length of any changeable
path. This results in increased feedrates, minimum
thermal damage, superior surface finish, increased MRR
and decreased cycle time.
An added benefit of IAC is the ease in which PCD and
carbide micro-tools can be manufactured. Since IAC maintains
the optimal distance, the chance of wheel collisions
and hence tool breakage is very low which is critical when
eroding tools under 0.5 mm.
Optimise the erosion process with ASC
The current, voltage, duration, time-off and therefore intensity
of sparks changes based on the material that is being
eroded. That is, PCD will require certain parameters as
opposed to carbide (HM) and High-Speed Steel (HSS). The
challenge is that PCD wafers are generally 0.6 mm PCD
with a 1 mm carbide backing – sintered PCD, chevron tools
and solid-tipped tools are formed onto carbide backing
also. When aggressively eroding along the PCD-carbide
border, erosion parameters optimised for PCD can inadvertently
over-erode the carbide backing. This in turn leads to
over-erosion at the PCD-carbide border, named an “undercut”
as it selectively erodes the carbide under the PCD. Additionally,
it can lead to “cobalt leeching” which is when
the PCD binder, cobalt, is preferentially eroded away.
Simple and very complex PCD tooling;
note the solid tipped PCD drill
40 no. 2, April 2021

processes
A 0.4 mm solid-tipped
PCD drill
This is akin to digging under the
foundations of a paved pathway. If
you dig too much material away from
under the path, eventually the path
will collapse. Machine testing showed
that the undercut and cobalt leeching
during heavy roughing lead to
a brittle border along the cutting
edge and premature tooling wear. To
avoid this happening and to optimise
the erosion process, Adaptive
Spark Control (ASC) was created.
ASC uses the DSP (Digital Signal Processors) and FPGA
(Field Programmable Gate Arrays) on the generator itself.
The EDG erosion generator is able to monitor and process
every spark, in real time. The waveform of each spark is
automatically monitored and categorized based on material
being eroded, erosion gap distance and other factors
essential to optimal erosion process. The generator can
then dynamically adapt the energy level of each-and-every
spark (current, voltage, duration and time-off) to suit the
material being eroded.
Boost the power electronics with
ANCA Motion SparX Erosion Generator
ANCA leant on the expertise from their sister company,
ANCA Motion to optimise the electronics to enable even
higher and more aggressive erosion all-the-while maintaining
very high surface finish results. When compared
to equivalent componentry, the “mega-amp per pulse”
technology enables ANCA customers to broaden the power
range they can access and utilise. The ANCA Motion SparX
Erosion Generator exhibits superior performance over the
range of Extra-Heavy Roughing to Ultra-Fine Finishing
operations, utilising Pico-pulse technology for high energydensity
ablation. This enables vastly superior controllability,
providing customers with optimised feedrates, superior
surface quality and drastically reduced cycle times.
This pulse precision allows erosion that ranges from ultralow
energy pulses for exceptional ultra-fine finishing,
through to high energy pulses for fast material removal.
In the PCD erosion process, cycle time is directly related
to the Material Removal Rate (MRR). The ANCA
Motion SparX Erosion Generator delivers unrivalled increases
in MRR utilizing the new Extra-Heavy Roughing,
Super Fine Finishing and Ultra-Fine Finishing operations.
What this equates to is an unsurpassed increase in MRR
and a 50 % decrease in cycle time compared to competitor
machines – arguably the fastest cycle times in the market.
Additionally, erosion surface quality also sees an improvement
across all power modes. Polished surface finishes of
Ra < 0.1 μm and Rz < 0.5 μm can be easily achieved using
the newly release “Ultra-Fine Finishing” process with Picopulse
technology. These operations enable the production
of superior cutting edges necessary for the most demanding
of cutting tool applications.
ASC optimises the erosion process leading to less cobalt
leaching and a reduction in undercut at the PCD-carbide
border. This leads to a stronger cutting edge and a finished
tool that is less prone to chipping. This helps achieve longer
tool life, less tool wear and lower tooling costs. Testing
on tooling suited to the machining of CFRP (Carbon
Fibre Reinforced Plastic) showed a tool life increase of up
to 100 %.
Combining intelligence in a domain once dominated
by brute force electronics, not only gives ANCA customers
an edge over the competition but enables a smarter
approach to tool making. The difference between our
approach and the approach of our competitors is that
ANCA focusses on what our customers want to achieve
with their erosion process. They strongly told us that they
wanted a process optimised for helical and round PCD
tooling. We worked closely with ANCA Motion to design
our erosion generator to suit not only shear tooling but
the infinite array of highly complex geometries, rather
than re-using generator technology originally created for
Wire Electro Discharge Machining (Wire-EDM). Our approach
turned the industry on its head. We let the geometries
dictate the process, not the process dictate the
geometries available.
We used intelligence to outperform brute force, like the
fox outsmarting the hare.
further information: www.anca.com
no. 2, April 2021
41

processes
Excellent surface finishes in just one process step
CCDia ® CarbideSpeed ® can save costs
and increase productivity in the
production of punches and dies
Flawless pun -
ches and dies are
i nd ispensable
for the production
of highquality
components.
If the carbides
sintered
for this purpose
are eroded, the
required low
roughness values
can usually
only be
achieved with
complex postprocessing
steps.
Milled surfaces,
on the otherhand,
are now of first-class quality after only one
work step. This is made possible by the new diamond
coating material CCDia ® CarbideSpeed ®
from CemeCon.
the EDM process is enormously time-consuming. If the
carbide is milled, the punch or die is ready in only a fraction
of the time. This also offers enormous potential in the
development of new insert geometries, for example. Prototyping
can be completed in no time at all, and the insert
can be tested.
Unfortunately, tool and die makers had previously few
tooling solutions available for milling sintered carbides,
which also balanced out the cost of EDM including
post-processing due to the sometimes high milling cutter
prices. “With our new diamond coating material
CCDia ® CarbideSpeed ® this is changing. With it, we are
giving tool manufacturers who were previously limited
by a lack of coating solutions in this area the chance to
change the market,” Manfred Weigand is certain. “Because
with CCDia ® CarbideSpeed ® they can develop extremely
high-performance and stable precision tools that significantly
undercut existing solutions in terms of cost and can
reduce the overall process by an estimated one-third.”
Sintered carbides are the first choice for punches and dies.
After all, they have to produce thousands and thousands
of components in the same quality every time. And carbides,
with hardness levels between 900 and 2,200 HV,
high wear resistance as well as heat hardness, guarantee a
service life many times that of steel. But what makes them
so successful in application presents tool and die makers
with enormous challenges in their machining. This is because,
in addition to the tough machining conditions,
tight shape tolerances must also be maintained and the
best surface finishes achieved.
Milling hard metals instead of eroding them brings many
advantages here. During EDM, the material is slightly
damaged on the surface by the heat input. This results in
a so-called white edge zone, which has a different hardness
than the base material. As a result, it has to be removed
by time-consuming polishing. “In machining, there are
no such ‘changes’ to the edge zones. This produces a very
good surface quality in just one process step. In addition,
the machining is extremely precise – to the µm. This is difficult
or impossible with EDM. An additional advantage
of milling is that the range of complex 3D contours that
can be produced is expanded enormously,” says Manfred
Weigand, product manager Round Tools at CemeCon.
Benefiting from economic advantages
with CCDia ® CarbideSpeed ®
Machining is also ahead in terms of economic efficiency:
the direct production of the component eliminates another
process step, the production of electrodes from graphite
or copper, in addition to post-processing. In addition,
Improved surface finishes, extremely high contour
accuracies and complex component geometries –
precision tools with a premium coating based on
CCDia ® CarbideSpeed ® bring tool and die makers
significant advantages when milling sintered carbides
Conclusion
In just one process step, precision tools with a premium
coating based on CCDia ® CarbideSpeed ® now enable signifi
cantly improved surface finishes, extremely high contour
accuracies and complex component geometries. Initial
pilot projects during the development phase already
showed that they also achieve better performance in terms
of productivity and cost-efficiency than existing solutions.
Manfred Weigand: “All this makes CCDia ® CarbideSpeed ®
a real game changer!”
further information: www.cemecon.de
42 no. 2, April 2021

machining center
Ultimate versatility
Gear hobbing machine AF160 unveiled
Precision, productivity, flexibility: the experts
of the Swiss family enterprise Affolter Group, a
world technology leader in high-precision gear
hobbing solutions, introduce their newest machine:
the AF160 is the most versatile Affolter gear
hobbing machine to date.
“The AF160 is designed for high precision manufacturers
that need versatility and maximum efficiency,” explains
Vincent Affolter, managing director of Affolter Group.
“With eight-axes, a state-of-the-art digital CNC control,
a variety of automation solutions and a maximum module
of 2 mm it is ideal for manufacturers in industries
such as automotive, aerospace, aircraft, gearbox, medical
or robotics.”
The AF160 can process parts with an outside diameter
of up to 60 mm and a length of 250 mm. The machining
length is between 110 and 180 mm. The eight-axes – all
of them independent – make the AF160 the most flexible
Affolter machine to date. It can produce straight gears,
helical gears, straight bevel gears, face gears, straight or
helical crowned gears, worm screws, worm wheels, cylkro
gears, and internal gears. Power skiving, the milling of
worms and shafts, as well as chamfering is possible, too.
Vincent Affolter: “The AF160 enables manufacturers to produce
an impressive variety of high precision gears, worm
screws and worm wheels on the same, compact machine.”
The footprint of the machine is only 4 m². Including the
loader AF72 it is a little more than 6 m².
Not only a machine – a solution!
With the AF160, Affolter does not only introduce a
ground breaking new gear cutting machine. “We think of
it as a solution, not a machine – a solution that meets the
needs of our customers. Thanks to the new CNC Control,
various automation systems and peripherals, and the ver-
satility of the
AF160, we can
offer maximum
productivity
for high-precision
manufacturers
in a very
broad range of
applications,”
emphasizes
Vincent Affolter.
Eight independent axes make the AF160
the most versatile Affolter gear hobbing
center on the market
Intuitive
CNC Control
The engineers of
Affolter Group cooperated
with Beckhoff Automation to launch the brand-new
CNC Control Pegasus. The high processing power ensures
extremely fast regulation. “It controls all machine axes as
well as a multitude of peripherals for various options and
automations,” says Mr. Affolter. Programming is simple,
intuitive, and user-friendly with a 19-inch touch screen.
The new CNC control integrates IoT. Data can be shared
on the cloud, streamlining after-sales service and preventive
maintenance, and therefore minimizing downtimes.
Software updates can be done remotely.
Automation boosts productivity
Depending on the application and production pro -
cesses, manufacturers need automation solutions to facilitate
an autonomous operation for 12 to 24 hours. Affolter
provides a range of such automation solutions: the universal
multi-axes part loading and unloading system AF72
was especially designed for the AF160. It features a double
gripper system for parallel loading and unloading and offers
different methods of feeding based on the volume,
product, and application. The AF160 can also be equipped
with the deburring unit AF54, integrating the deburring
process into the gear production. Different clamping
systems provide for added versatility. Customizable coolant
systems and chip extraction conveyors are available
as well.
AF160 technical characteristics
The flexible AF160, with a maximum module of 2 mm,
is ideal for manufacturers in various industries from
automotive and aerospace to medical and robotics
« 8 axis CNC
« max. module 2.00 m / 12.7 DP
« max. cutting length 110-180 mm / 4.33-7.08 in.
« max. part diameter 60 mm / 2.36 in.
« spindle rotation B 9’000-16’000 rpm
« spindle rotation C-C’ 5’000-12’000 rpm
« dimensions l x w x h 1’500 x 2’010 x 2’650 mm
« weight 3’900 kg / 8.598 lb
further information: www.affoltergroup.ch
no. 2, April 2021
43

machining center
Toolmaker at the Great Lakes puts its trust
in VOLLMER
The name of the US company Great Lakes
Custom Tool Manufacturing (GLCT) says it all:
GLCT produces special tools and is situated at
Lake Michigan, one of North America’s five Great
Lakes. In order to machine tools and circular saws
that are tipped with carbide or PCD (polycrystalline
diamond), the toolmaker uses 19 VOLLMER
machines in total.
Recently, the Swabian sharpening specialist supplied GLCT
with a VPulse 500 wire erosion machine and a VGrind 360
tool grinding machine, amongst others.
Just a stone’s throw from Lake Michigan is the small
town of Peshtigo in the US state of Wisconsin, which has
almost 4,000 inhabitants. A good 80 of them work at the
toolmaker Great Lakes Custom Tool Manufacturing (GLCT), a
company founded more than 40 years ago by Russ Martin.
He is still guiding the fortunes of GLCT today together
with his son Ray Martin. The Great Lakes toolmaker has
been developing custom tools and circular saws tipped
with carbide or PCD since 1979. In its early days, GLCT
Founder and owner Russ Martin (left) guides the fortunes of
GLCT today, together with his son Ray Martin (right) – along
with a total of 19 VOLLMER sharpening machines
primarily supplied
the woodworking industry,
since 2004 increasingly
also companies
in the metalworking
industry.
“We have developed
from a local
sharpening service
into an international
manufacturer of special
tools for woodand
metalworking,”
says GLCT CEO Ray
Martin. “Our combination
of products,
services and support,
along with a company
culture of investment
and innovation,
is the reason
behind our success,
both on the American
market and
globally."
A VOLLMER VPulse 500 wire erosion machine is a recent addition to the manufacturing
halls of US toolmaker GLCT, based in the small town of Peshtigo (Wisconsin)
on the shores of Lake Michigan
In the manufacturing
halls of GLCT,
there are now more
than 50 CNC-con-
44 no. 2, April 2021

machining center
trolled machines and a wide variety
of manual machines, as
well as instruments from testing
and measurement technology.
The toolmaker uses this
machinery to develop around
70,000 products for sawing and
machining wood, metal or composite
materials. Since its foundation,
the US toolmaker has put
its trust in the sharpening expertise
of VOLLMER, the Swa bian
machine manufacturer from Biberach.
It is primarily VOLLMER
erosion machines that GLCT uses
to machine its PCD-tipped circular
saws and cutting tools. Since
the company has been focusing
its attention on the PCD-tools
market, a new VOLLMER machine
has been delivered to Lake
Michigan almost every year – including
numerous erosion machines
with automations, such as
the QXD 250 with a loading system
so that it can be used around
the clock without human intervention.
When GLCT expanded
its business premises to almost
10,000 square metres in 2018, five new VOLLMER machines
arrived at the factory, including a VPulse 500 wire
erosion machine with an external loading system for up
to 16 tools. The successor to the QWD range can sharpen
significantly more quickly than its predecessor thanks
to a new type of generator technology for PCD cutting
edges. “Thanks to the VPulse generator, the new machine
is at least 20 % more productive than our previous QWD
machines”, says Ray Martin. “What’s more, the surface
quality of the cutting tools is better than ever, and the
A VOLLMER QXD 250 disc erosion machine with loading system ensures that
PCD tools can be produced at GLCT around the clock without human intervention
VPulse 500 has the latest VOLLMER programming system,
which offers an intuitive user interface. This means that
we no longer save production time, but also avoid machining
errors.”
Even in 2020, a year when COVID-19 was wreaking
havoc across the world, a new VOLLMER machine reached
Lake Michigan: a QR 270 disc erosion machine was delivered,
which can be used to sharpen the tooth tops of
PCD-tipped circular saw blades. GLCT now has a total of
19 VOLLMER sharpening machines to enable tool production,
repair and resharpening to run seamlessly.
At GLCT, VOLLMER is the first port of call not only for
machining PCD-tipped tools and circular saw blades, but
also for tool grinding. GLCT acquired a VGrind 360 grinding
machine for its subsidiary AAA Precision Tool & Cutter
Grinding LLC, which is 2,700 kilometres west of the Great
Lakes, in Orofino in the US state of Idaho. Using both its
vertical spindles, the VGrind 360 can machine carbide
tools more quickly, while AAA Precision Tool could also
significantly increase the surface quality of its tools. “The
North American market is very important for VOLLMER.
We first increased our presence in the US by building a
new company building in Pennsylvania in 2019, which
was completed in June 2020” says Jürgen Hauger, CEO of
the VOLLMER Group. “The new building enables us to further
expand our growth throughout North America, as
well as offer our customers more services and showcase
more innovation.”
Aerial view of Great Lakes Custom Tool Manufacturing (GLCT)
further information: www.vollmer-group.com
no. 2, April 2021
45

machining center
Horizontal machining center
Redesigned machine delivers even faster cycle times and
expanded range of options
Mazak
Corporation
announced the release
of the latest version of its popular
HCN series of horizontal machining centers,
the HCN-6800 NEO.
Introduced and demonstrated during the February 23
broadcast of All Axes LIVE, Mazak’s online event series, the
new model features a fully redesigned enclosure, best-inclass
standard and optional equipment and improvements
throughout the machine, all of which result in a fast, optimal
solution for an even wider range of part-production
applications.
The HCN-6800 NEO received numerous upgrades that
take the previous generation’s performance to a new level
of efficiency and ease-of-use. The standard spindle, table,
and magazine have all received significant improvements,
including an upgraded, new standard 43-tool drum-type
magazine that reduces tool exchange times. A redesigned
ATC door is now servo-driven and faster; the new design
will now also accommodate a longer tool. Likewise, for
ease of maintenance, the machine incorporates hydraulic/motorized
pallet changer mechanisms and an easier-toaccess
maintenance panel.
The machine’s MAZATROL SmoothG CNC has expanded
functionality with the Windows 10 operating system. In
addition to the standard suite of SMOOTH TECHNOLOGY
solutions and full EIA/ISO and MAZATROL compatibility,
the HCN-6800 NEO provides users with access to the new
Ai Thermal Shield technology first debuted on the new
MAZATROL SmoothAi CNC. This advanced system uses
machine learning and modeling to compensate instantly
for changes in machine and ambient temperature over the
course of operation, ensuring the highest degree of accuracy
even over long machining cycles.
In addition to newly enhanced standard features,
the new NEO model offers many new options. The hightorque
8,000 rpm spindle now provides even greater
torque. The new machine also boasts an optional directdrive
motor table that offers the fastest indexing time
in its class and, thanks to its rotary scale, high-accuracy
positioning.
The HCN-6800 NEO can accommodate parts weighing
up to 3,306.93 pounds and as part of the NEO configuration,
the machine enclosure itself has been reduced in
size; with a chip conveyor, the new model has a width of
134.06" and depth of 266.61". These redesigned machines
feature enhancements that further reduce cycle times,
increase maximum part and tool capacities, reduce required
floorspace, extend part processing versatility and
streamline automation.
further information: www.mazakusa.com
46 no. 2, April 2021

components
Lathe Chucks
Dirt tight quick-change chuck for
small to medium-sized lot sizes
The SCHUNK ROTA THW3 chuck with
quick-change jaws and patented
sealing, ensures consistent
clamping forces, long
maintenance intervals
and a high reliability
If you want to manufacture turned parts more efficiently, lowmaintenance
and fail-safe precision clamping devices are required.
These can be quickly and easily converted, and, if necessary, can
also be used for automatic loading. With this in mind the SCHUNK
ROTA THW3 chuck with quick-change jaws and patented sealing
of the chuck mechanism has been designed for.
Users benefit from a permanently high process reliability, constant clamping
forces and long maintenance intervals.
The all-rounder for different applications
Equipped with a quick-change jaw system, the ROTA THW3 can be quickly
converted for a new range of parts on CNC lathes, pick-up lathes and turn/
mill centers, and has an excellent jaw repeat accuracy of up to < 0.02 mm. Previously
turned out sets of jaws can be repeatedly used, even for applications
where the tolerances are challenging. The jaw stroke of the straight-serrated
base jaws amounts from 6.7 mm to 10.5 mm – depending on the jaw size. A ring
piston transmits the force transmission directly and therefore ensures a high
degree of efficiency: the clamping force of the smallest size, the ROTA THW3
200 is 64 kN, and as of size 400, the
chuck achieves a clamping force of
240 kN. The chuck’s base body is
hardened and extremely rigid, and
even in case of heavy-duty machining
precise and reliable machining results
can be achieved. Due to the optimized
outside contour, the chuck is
perfectly designed for milling tasks.
Versatile use of the chuck is ensured:
it has a large through-hole of 52 mm
(size 200) up to 165 mm (size 630),
center sleeves that can be exchanged
from the front, and the option of I.D.
and O.D. clamping. Furthermore, the
power lathe chuck can also be complemented
with an adjustable workpiece
stop.
Quickfinder for chuck jaws
Searching for the matching chuck
jaws for the SCHUNK ROTA THW3
chuck is child’s play with the jaw
quickfinder: it takes just four clicks
to get to chuck manufacturer, chuck
type, chuck size and product details.
The user receives a list of all matching
chuck jaws from over 1,200 jaw types
of the world’s largest standard chuck
jaw program from SCHUNK. The
matching chuck jaws can be directly
selected within the quickfinder.
further information: www.schunk.com
no. 2, April 2021
47

components
Aviation
The triple effect of coolants
Precision and high tech, stability and weight
reduction: the demands placed on components
for the aviation industry are extremely high.
They are accompanied by high performance requirements
in the production of parts – for materials
such as aluminum, titan and composites,
as well as for machines and tools in machining
processes. It is particularly important that the
manufacturing process runs smoothly.
Lubricant expert Rhenus Lub ensures better component
quality and simultaneously reduces tool costs with its coolants
specially developed and approved for the machining
of aviation components.
Manufacturers of aircraft components are increasingly
focussing on innovative lightweight materials, such as
carbon-fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP), aluminum and
titanium – with the clear aim of building more efficient,
kerosene-saving aircraft. Besides process safety and the precise
timing of processes, component quality is a top priority
in manufacturing. For example, if too much heat is produced
during the machining process, microcracks, staining
or residual porosity can appear on the machined components
and specified manufacturing tolerances cannot
be complied with. This results in excessive waste and – just
like machine tools that wear too quickly – a key cost driver.
If, due to faulty or missing components, aircraft construction
grinds to a complete halt, all those involved in the
manufacturing and supply chain will incur substantial
costs from that point on.
On the one hand, precise knowledge of the manufacturing
process and the resulting component properties is indispensable
in the manufacturing of safety-critical aircraft
High component quality, low tool costs:
decisive factors for aircraft manufacturers and suppliers
components to ensure the best results in terms of quality
and cost. On the other hand, the key to optimising the
machining process also lies in the use of special coolants.
Aircraft: machining with
minimal manufacturing tolerances
Special coolants are used to achieve demonstrably fewer
deviations and increased dimensional stability in machining
processes. They contribute towards significantly improving
the surface qualities, reduce the amount of rework -
ing and increase the component quality. There is an additional,
decisive advantage for manufacturers on the machine
tool side: using special coolants results in signi ficantly
improved tool life, which reduces expenses for tools.
This is a particularly decisive cost factor, especially with
regards to high-strength materials machined in the aviation
industry such as titanium or nickel-based alloys. Machining
operations often entail extremely high tool costs.
Targeted increase in quality:
proper use of coolants
Be it the milling, turning, drilling or grinding of components
for fuselage, ribs, turbines, landing gear or wings:
“It is quite common for lubricants to be used in all traditional
machining operations in the aviation industry,”
Lightweight materials such as CFRP can be processed cost-efficiently and to a high quality
with special coolants (left), here in comparison to traditional dry machining (right)
48 no. 2, April 2021

components
explains Daniele Kleinmann, director of product management
for coolants at Rhenus Lub. “However, selecting the
right coolant is a decisive factor. Only then can manufacturers
achieve maximum production reliability and improved
quality with more productive times.” As a leading
lubricant manufacturer, Rhenus Lub has more than
20 years of industry expertise in the aviation industry.
This experience enables it to develop suitable products for
the wide range of operations and materials in this challenging
industry and offer customers reliable advice.
Jörg Kummerow, head of coolant sales for southern
Germany and aviation industry specialist at Rhenus Lub,
illustrates how important this is using the manufacturing
process of a turbine as an example: “Nickel-based alloy
turbine blades (e.g. Inconel 718), titanium ventilator discs
and Waspaloy motor housings are all machined differently.
It is important to consider all factors in order to optimise
each machining process with the right coolant. Expertise
is our key to success. We can only make the right
selection if we know everything about the manu facturing
process and the properties of materials and com ponents.”
Another advantage of Rhenus coolants:
environmental protection and
occupational safety
The use of coolants has also received a positive response
in terms of safety and protection, with particular regard
to composite machining. It normally takes place in a dry
state, which has significant disadvantages including short
tool life, inadequate component quality and the formation
of fine dust which is harmful to health. Rhenus Lub also
offers exemplary solutions for composite machining: its
special coolants rhenus XT 46 FC and rhenus XY 190 FC
for the wet machining of carbon and other combined
lightweight materials.
Any fine dust released during machining is automati cally
collected and flushed away by the coolant. This avoids
the need for additional extraction and filter systems that
would have to be installed for dry machining – cost-intensive
equipment that is, however, necessary and mandatory
in order to ensure adequate protection against fibre dust.
For example, a coolant should have particularly effective
lubricating properties for the machining of nickelbased
alloys (such as Inconel or Waspaloy). Titanium machining
calls for a high-performance combina tion of cooling
and lu bri ca tion – rhenus TU 560 is particularly recom -
mended for this.
This is precisely what the experts at Rhenus Lub determine
by intensively coordinating the machine tool, tools
and coolant so that the customer ultimately benefits in
terms of substance and sustainability.
Quality assurance in aviation –
strict requirements and approvals
For the use of coolants in the manufacturing of some components,
aircraft manufacturers place clearly defined requirements
on high-performance lubricants. These include
è a long service life to achieve the best possible
economic results
è cost-efficient flow properties that ensure
efficient use of the coolant
è good washing and rinsing characteristics that improve
the cleanliness of components and machines
A coolant often can be used only once, it has what is
known as an aviation approval. “Our coolants are rigorously
tested in combination with the materials for approval
to ensure that they do not cause any damage to
components that would result in waste,” explains aviation
expert Kummerow. The aviation approval procedure assures
suppliers and manufacturers that the coolants used
do not negatively impact the processed materials.
A number of high-performance lubricants from Rhenus
Lub have such aviation approvals from various industry
leaders, such as Airbus, Rolls-Royce, MTU, Safran, Premium
Aerotec and Embraer. “And we are constantly upgrading our
approvals,” adds Kleinmann.
Particularly challenging in aircraft component manufacturing:
nickel-based alloy turbine blades (source: Adobe Stock, bbbastien)
Thanks to their good skin compatibility, the absence of
SVHC substances and GHS pictograms, and their classification
in the water hazard class (WGK) 1, many Rhenus
Lub coolants also contribute to environmental protection
and occupational safety and thus to broader acceptance
in the aviation industry. “Furthermore, coolants that do
not contain any boric acid or formaldehyde are popular in
aviation. These substances can also be harmful to
health,” adds Kummerow.
From production to assembly –
Rhenus Lub provides constant support
From use during machining of stable lightweight materials
and improvement for milling with micrometre precision
to easier handling during final assembly work, highperformance
lubricants from Rhenus Lub provide support
throughout the production process of an aircraft. Coolants
from Rhenus Lub therefore play an important role in the
quality assurance of aircraft components and help manufacturers
and suppliers to achieve cost savings, thereby
making them more competitive.
further information: www.rhenuslub.com
no. 2, April 2021
49

components
Update:
Convenient, informative, flexible
The user-friendly designed TOOL FINDER supports users
with their tool selection
It has been two and a half years since the online
shop of ZECHA Hartmetall-Werkzeugfabrikation
GmbH was launched. Two and a half years of confirmation
for a webshop in the field of precision micro cutting,
stamping, and shaping tools.
Two and a half years to gain experience, plan extensions, and
complete optimizations – all with the aim of providing an intuitive,
user-friendly ordering and (technical?) service platform.
Ordering a tool online may be easy but selecting the right tool
for your specific application and implementing it properly in
practice can become a challenge online. For this reason, additional
information about the tool and its use is of central importance.
Tool filter improved
To find the ideal tool for the application among the many tools
that are available, the dynamically designed tool finder supports
users with their tool selection. For even more specific results, the
tool finder has been enhanced with additional filter values – e.g.
carbon, lead-free brass and copper beryllium under materials,
shaft cooling in cooling solutions, or the corner radius, the insert
depth or free length for free input.
Choice of ordering methods/options
For quicker filling of shopping carts, existing functions such as
saving the cart, uploading the cart via csv file, or quick capturing
of items, offer a variety of ways to order. With the updated fast
entry screen, prices and availability of entered item numbers can
now be seen immediately instead of first being viewable in the
cart, as was previously the case. Another innovation is the “action
items” menu tab, which displays technically updated items or
items that are being discontinued.
Parlez-vous français?
Until now, visitors of the ZECHAshop could choose
between German and English. As part of the current
up grade, a third language has been added:
now all content in the ZECHA -shop is also available
in French.
Single login for cutting data
calculator & ZECHAshop
Previously the search for the right tool use parame
ters was done by two different approach es:
either directly in the cutting data calculator area
or in the ZECHA-shop via link to the cut ting data
calculator.
Thanks to the ZECHAshop update, the cutting
data calculator is now fully integrated, via a single
access, into the online shop and users can benefit
from the extensive functions of the ZECHAshop.
The highlight of this innovation is that, based
on the company’s individual structure, not only
can any number of employees be registered under
one customer number, but it is possible to choose
between two access types – with or without an order
function.
In addition to the corresponding tool parameters
– such as cutting speed, feed rate, or rotational
speed, for example – for easy integration into CAD
programs, DXF, STP, and now XML files are also
available for download
further information: www.zecha.shop
50 no. 2, April 2021

impressum
company finder
ISSN 2628-5444
Publisher
Benno Keller
tel: + 49 (0)911 - 2018-200
fax: + 49 (0)911 - 2018-100
keller@harnisch.com
editor-in-chief
Eric Schäfer
tel: +49 (0)911 - 504 98 82
fax: +49 (0)911 - 506 38 32
eric.schaefer@harnisch.com
managing editor
Christiane Ebner
tel: +49 (0)911 - 2018-260
fax: +49 (0)911 - 2018-100
ebner@harnisch.com
editor
Tanja Pinke
tel: +49 (0)911 - 2018-130
fax: +49 (0)911 - 2018-100
pinke@harnisch.com
Publishing company
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tel: +49 (0)911 - 2018-165
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mlynarik@harnisch.com
advertising Europe
Britta Steinberg
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tel: +886 (0)4 - 232 973 18
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editorial
Affolter Group SA..................................... 43 Lach Diamant
Jakob Lach GmbH & Co. KG.............. 22
ANCA............................................................ 40
Leitz GmbH & Co. KG............................... 9
CemeCon AG.............................................. 42
Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH..........31
CERATIZIT Deutschland GmbH............ 6
MAPAL Dr. Kress KG.................................18
DeburringEXPO........................................ 29
Mazak Corporation Headquarters...... 46
Dormer Pramet..........................................11
Mikron Tool SA Agno..............................15
EMAG GmbH & Co. KG...........................27
Oerlikon Balzers GmbH......................... 28
EMO MILANO 2021................................. 30
Paul Horn GmbH.................................16, 17
Fraunhofer Institute for
Manufacturing Engineering
PFERD-Werkzeuge
and Automation IPA.............................32 August Rüggeberg GmbH & Co. KG.14
Gleason Corporation............................... 26 Rhenus Lub GmbH & Co KG................. 48
GrindTec 2022........................................... 29 Sandvik Coromant................................... 20
KAPP NILES GmbH & Co. KG............... 12 SCHUNK GmbH & Co. KG......................47
Kern Microtechnik GmbH..................... 28 VOLLMER WERKE
Maschinenfabrik GmbH..................... 44
KREBS & RIEDEL SCHLEIFSCHEIBEN
FABRIK GMBH & CO. KG.....................11 ZECHA Hartmetall-
Werkzeugfabrikation GmbH............. 50
KYOCERA Fineceramics Ltd..................10
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Copyright © 2021 Dr. Harnisch Publications
advertising index
CERATIZIT Deutschland GmbH .............................................................................. cover
Boehlerit GmbH & Co. KG.............................................................................. page 19
Dr. Harnisch Publications.................................................................................... page 21
Lach Diamant Jakob Lach GmbH & Co. KG.........................................inside front cover
SUMITOMO............................................................................................................ page 3
Hartmetall-Werkzeugfabrik Paul Horn GmbH.................................................back cover
no. 2, April 2021
51

THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN PRECISE
AND SUPER-PRECISE
HORN TOOLS
HORN stands for technology at the cutting edge,
plus outstanding performance and reliability.
Our tools make the difference – helping you
conquer challenging machining tasks.
www.PHorn.de