High-Speed, Five-Axis Mold Machining Achieved via Extended Barrel Series
Air Turbine Tool spindles can machine at 50,000 rpm in high-speed steel (HSS), accelerating mold machining capabilities.
Photo Credit: Air Turbine Tools Inc.
Successful five-axis milling requires tools to reach into angles and pockets, and most machines cannot perform detail work fast enough or efficiently. The extended barrel 625HSK-L100 from Air Turbine Spindles, however, is reported to solve this issue.
Reaching 100 mm into pockets and angles, the 625L100HSK63 mills at 50,000 rpm in high-speed steel (HSS), proving 6-10 times faster cycle times in milling, marking and finishing operations. This enables mold builders to make any CNC machine a high-speed machine, Air Turbine notes, while dramatically accelerating mold machining capabilities.
As an example of the extended barrel’s features, Istanbul-based Basar Technologies auto-loaded the 625L100 to mill a HSS medical parts on a Hermle machine (see video here). Milling at constant high speed 24/7 with no duty cycle, Basar received higher surface feet per minute (SFM) and improved finish quality. This was made possible through the spindles’ patented O-Ring, which increases air flow volume to match cutting — keeping the tool at rated high speeds of 25,000 to 90,000 rpm with up to 1.4 hp available to handle tools up to ¼" capacity. At these high speeds, Basar Technologies was also able to achieve the required temperatures to extend end mill life. Now, Basar’s Hermle machines are able to perform lights-out operations at 50,000 and 65,000 rpm with a full automated toolchanger (ATC), producing parts faster with no secondary finishing required.
Air Turbine Spindles, accurate to 2 microns, operate with just two moving parts, creating no heat and no thermal effects.
Related Content
-
Treatment and Disposal of Used Metalworking Fluids
With greater emphasis on fluid longevity and fluid recycling, it is important to remember that water-based metalworking fluids are “consumable” and have a finite life.
-
6 Ways to Optimize High-Feed Milling
High-feed milling can significantly outweigh potential reliability challenges. Consider these six strategies in order to make high-feed milling successful for your business.
-
It Starts With the Part: A Plastic Part Checklist Ensures Good Mold Design
All successful mold build projects start with examining the part to be molded to ensure it is moldable and will meet the customers' production objectives.