Editorials Advanced Technologies
10/11/2017|High-end technologies

High-end technologies for the reliable production of precision tools

Additive Manufacturing
Additive Manufacturing - Generative manufacturing of tools by selective laser melting. Producing filigree light-weight structures by defined, structured internal tool construction.

The productivity of machine tools and the demand for the accuracy of manufactured parts has significantly increased in past years. Manufacturers must increasingly machine materials with extremely hard cutting materials, with ever higher machining speeds and quality requirements.

Conventional, mechanical machining processes like grinding and eroding reach their limit here soon. Here, SAUER GmbH – a subsidiary of the DMG MORI Group – with its existing product portfolio and long-standing experience in this segment, provides solutions along the entire value-added chain.

For example, in the field of additive manufacturing, tools with inner bionic design can be built up by means of selective laser melting on the LASERTEC 30 SLM. With the high-precision structure in layer thicknesses between 20 and 100 µm, filigree and completely new constructions can be realised with this procedure.

ULTRASONIC
ULTRASONIC -  Highly efficient ULTRASONIC treatment for hard metal tools with flutes, plate fits and cooling ducts as well as complete treatment of solid carbide tools in one setting. Top productivity and precision by HSC milling process for steel alloys and hardened steel.

The grinding and drilling of chip channels, pocket seats and coolant exits in basic tool bodies made of hardened steel or carbide metal becomes child’s play with the ULTRASONIC technology. The integrated CAM-TOOLKIT enables any chip channel geometries and pocket seats. The existing 5-axis kinematics of the ULTRASONIC 20 linear with swivel ranges of -15° to 130° degrees allows for 5-axis simultaneous machining of the tool blanks in one setup.

LASERTEC
LASERTEC  - Laser precision treatment of ultra-hard materials. Separation of cutter inserts from 2D circular blanks followed by geometric pre-machining after soldering. Finishing work for clearance angles, chip breakers, leading phases and cutting edge geometry in PCD / CVD-D and CBN. Machining of hard metal indexable inserts and press stamps.

Inserts made of PCD / CVD-D and CBN can be separated on the LASERTEC 20 PreCut out of circular discs. After the brazing process, a laser high-precision machining is followed on the LASERTEC 20 PrecisionTool. The cutting edge geometry with relief angle and chip breaker in PCD / CVD-D and CBN will be here final machined. This can be milling and turning tools as well as indexable inserts. Newly integrated technologies guarantee highest cutting edge quality with a cutting edge radius < 2 µm and a PCD relief angle surface quality up to Ra < 0.2 µm. With the resent new developed Advanced Mode, up to 55% faster machining processes can be achieved depending on the contour and machining task, with consistent quality.