CERATIZIT takes on milling of HRSA materials with new ceramic inserts

Team Cutting Tools from CERATIZIT has introduced two new Ceramic insert grades and associated cutter bodies developed specifically by CERATIZIT Group to meet the growing demand for the milling of heat resistant super alloys (HRSA) such as Nimonic, Waspaloy, Hastelloy and Stellite often found in the burgeoning aerospace sector, particularly turbine blade manufacture.

The benefits of ceramic over carbide inserts are the greater heat resistance of ceramic which allows cutting speeds up to 20 times higher than could be achieved previously, with surface speeds up to 1000 m/min possible. While carbide inserts remain as the cutting material of choice for finish machining these materials the development of ceramic insert technology is highly cost-effective for ‘rough’ machining due to the significant cycle time reductions brought about by elevated cutting data. Team Cutting Tools has two new ceramic grades for this purpose, these being the Silicon Nitride (SiAlON) based CTIS710 and CTKS710 a whisker reinforced ceramic, which benefits from greater toughness than the Silicon Nitride based inserts. These newly developed grades as well as delivering high surface speed also provide extended tool life, for example machining a turbine blade from Nimonic 80A at 1000m/min speed and a feed per tooth of 0.1mm with a 3 mm depth of cut using a CTIS710 insert, tool life was 50 per cent greater than the customer had experienced with its existing ceramic inserts.   

To complement the new inserts CERATIZIT has developed the MaxiMill 261 series of milling cutter bodies. Available with either a positive or negative approach angle the cutter bodies, with the positive cutter bodies capable of supporting helical plunge and ramping machining operations. Swarf removal and cooling is enhanced by the design of the tempered steel clamping claw, which directs the compressed air directly to the cutting edge. “With the demands of the aerospace sector and their use of HRSA growing, the challenge to provide ever more efficient and cost-effective metal cutting solutions is vitally important. Therefore, the development work the CERATIZIT Group is undertaking and the delivery of that technology by engineers within Team Cutting Tools is playing an important role in keeping cycle times to a minimum and delivering productivity gains to our customers,” says Tony Pennington, Managing Director, CERATIZIT UK & Ireland.