Diamond tooling

Citation

(2006), "Diamond tooling", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 78 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2006.12778eab.007

Diamond tooling

Diamond tooling

Keywords: Machine tools, Production engineering

S D Tooling UK, the Chelmsford, Essex-based technical tooling solutions specialist, has been appointed exclusive UK agent for the range of cost-effective and highly productive diamond cutting tools manufactured in the USA by SP3 Cutting Tools, Inc.

The agreement means that the SPS's diamond coated and fabricated PCD and TFd tooling can now be easily accessed by UK companies of every size in all types of production applications – in particular those involved with high- volume and difficult-to-machine abrasive materials where extended tool wear is critical to both bottom line costs and component quality. Indeed, in terms of carbon fibre machining, diamond tooling is often the only practical solution.

In the USA, SP3 tooling is consistently generating substantial benefits in the machining of silicon aluminium diecastings.

Commenting on the development, Steve Dunster, Managing Director of S D Tooling – an established tooling distributor with an impressive blue chip client list – said: “SPS's exciting portfolio will appeal to every company that has an eye on reduced cycle times, extended tool life and improved surface finish, and that means every manufacturer and subcontractor, especially high-volume machinists.”

“The highly-abrasive nature of certain machining operations – for example, as encountered with the carbon fibre composites increasingly being used in aerospace sectors – are very testing, and we know that the significant benefits being enjoyed by the leading edge UK users of SP3 tooling will soon become a de facto standard throughout these UK industry sectors, as well as in tool and mouldmaking.”

Erik Koik, President of SP3, added: “Testament to the dramatic reductions in terms of tooling costs achieved through reduced cycle times and increased parts per cutting edge with diamond tooling is a transfer line that formerly stopped for tool change every three hours after producing just 300 components. Now, with SP3 tooling, more than 13,000 parts are being produced before any changeover is required.

The tooling is said to be particularly effective on non-metallic materials such as graphite, green ceramics, filled plastics and carbon fibre, ceramic matrix, glass fibre and Kevlar composites, as well as non-ferrous metals like high-silicon aluminiums, metal matrix composites, copper, brass and bronze.”

SP3's extensive standard stock range of 500 products embraces indexable inserts, profiling inserts, grooving, cut- off and threading inserts, as well as ball nose and square end mills, profiling end mills, mouldmaking cutters, drills and routers.

In addition to also manufacturing the Ultra-Mill family of face milling bodies, as well as industry-standard cutter bodies, 40 per cent of SPS's output is accounted for by special-purpose tooling.

The company employs three main diamond application technologies to suit users' production demands and budgets:

1. 1.

   Thin-film. DIAbide carbide tools are coated with up to a 50 microns thickness of diamond via chemical vapour deposition – ideal for aluminium, ceramic and carbon fibre machining.

2. 2.

   Thick film. TFD, a 750 microns layer is laser-cut into tool tips and carbide and steel-based tools – targeted at high-volume/high- accuracy machining.

3. 3.

   PCD. Polycrystalline diamond inserts and cartridges – ideal for automotive sector milling, for example.

CBN tooling can also be supplied.

“SP3 offers the broadest range of tools and the most material-specific applications knowledge of any tooling company in the world,” said Erik Koik. “We are all about solving machining problems and helping customers reduce costs and make better components. We look forward to working with UK companies to achieve the kinds of gains that we have helped US companies obtain.”

Details available from: S D Tooling UK Ltd, Tel: +44 (0)1245 471807, Fax: +44 (0) 1245 575884, E-mail: steve@.sdtools.freeserve.co.uk