Manufacturer of tooling inserts has invested in a wire-EDM machine tool to broaden the variety of inserts offered in polycrystalline diamond and natural diamond materials
Rugeley, UK-based Hamilton Lichfield has invested in an AC Progress 2 wire EDM machine from Agie Charmilles in Coventry. The Progress 2 wire EDM machine is equipped with a PCD module to manufacture a variety of PCD (polycrystalline diamond) and natural diamond cutting tools. Hamilton’s customers operate in the precision automotive, aerospace, oil/gas sectors and use the diamond tooling to machine a range of materials that include the following.
* MMC (Metal Composites).
* Carbon fibre reinforced plastics.
* Non-ferrous metals.
* Ceramics, wood, etc.
The types of tools manufactured by Hamilton Lichfield include the following.
* PCD and PCBN indexible inserts.
* PCD slot drills and end mills.
* PCD wear components.
* PCD twist drills and reamers.
* Natural and synthetic diamond dressing tools.
Workshop manager at Hamilton Lichfield, Kevin Bains, said: ‘We are under pressure every day to supply our customers with the optimum tooling solution.
On time delivery and guaranteed quality and performance of the tool are critical success factors - so advanced machine tool technologies that help us reduce lead times (job setup and machine cycle times) are really important to us’.
To illustrate the use and versatility of the Progress 2 EDM machine an example, sent in a report to manufacturingtalk.com, outlines the machining sequences required to manufacture a PCD-tipped milling cutter.
In this working example the Progress 2 machine is used to machine the PCD inserts/tips and the tool shank and tip seats made from tungsten carbide.
* Job setup and preparation - PCD tips - Hamilton-Lichfield receives a customer’s tool drawings and/or a detailed description of the use and application of the tool.
From this the geometries of the tip seats on the tool shank and the PCD cutting tips are generated.
The cutting contours of the PCD inserts are created using Agie’s EASYCUT facility.
The cutting technologies are selected using TECCUT - or if the job is a repeat job - the technologies are retrieved by the operator using the WORKMODEL facility.
The PCD disk is clamped in the Progress 2 EDM machine and automatic measuring cycles using 3D SETUP.
* Machining - PCD tips - the contours are machined using 0.25mm wire.
Typical machining time is 5 min employing one main cut.
The PCD tips are then removed and the PCD disk is unclamped.
* Job setup and preparation - tool shank and tip seats - there are two separate machining operations involved for machining of the tool shank and the tip seats.
Both operations use 3D SETUP to ensure accuracy and fast setup.
* Machining shanks and tip seats - the tool shanks are machined (horizontally clamped) with one cut (cutting the shaft to the required length).
Typical machining time is 5 min and 0.25mm wire is used.
Symmetrical tip seats (x 2) are machined (vertically clamped).
Typical machining time is 20 min with one main cut using 0.25mm wire.
* Final operations - the PCD tips are induction-welded into the tip seats and a final cutting contour is machined onto them to achieve the exact angle.
The tips are then polished using a diamond lapping machine.
Said Steve Sylvester, managing director at Agie Charmilles: ‘Speed, process reliability, accuracy and versatility are the hallmarks of GF AgieCharmilles EDM technology.
Precision manufacturers producing high-accuracy complex parts from hard-to-machine materials should check out what our technology can do for them.’
Tags:
CNC, CNC Cutting, CNC Laser, CNC Lasers, CNC Plasma, Wire EDM