Barrel tool technology lands in UK aerospace industry

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Gains in performance measured by the Q_max value

Most cutting tool manufacturers measure productivity benefits by calculating the Q_max value for the machining cycle, this cubic (cm/min) value is the Depth of Cut times Step Over times Feed divided by 1000. “In this demo the original Q_max value was 17.1ccm/min, using the Dormer 12 mm cutter at the recommended parameters resulted in a Q_max value of 30 ccm/min, a significant gain. However, when the Hyper-Maxx module was turned on, it gave us a value of 108 ccm/min, a 280% improvement. Compared to the first test piece, the result was a 630% improvement,” says Mr Johnson.

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“We are currently machining a structural wing component from titanium for an Open Mind and Dormer customer. Like the Open Mind customer, we are using the same Dormer S357 12 mm carbide cutter with a 3 mm radius and we extended tool life from 30 minutes to over 2 hours – a tool life improvement of over 200%. The only difference is that we are using Hyper-Maxx,” he says.

Increasing 5-axis accuracy by probing, auto-tuning

With regard to the production of the structural aerospace part, the customer was taking 40 hours to machine two sides of the component. This is now says to be 10 hours. “The aerospace subcontractor has a contract to produce over 150 parts that was taking close to a week to machine each part. To demonstrate cycle time reduction with Hyper-Maxx, one pocket was previously machined in 40 minutes. Dormer is now milling the pocket in 3 minutes. To achieve such a result and simultaneously improve tool life is exceptional,” Johnson adds.

Heat management as a key to productivity

When machining difficult aerospace grade materials, the hard and abrasive nature of the alloys generate significant heat. It is this heat, when not correctly controlled and distributed evenly, that rapidly degrades the cutting edge and reduces the tool lifespan; the consequence is that the manufacturer often has a trade off between maintaining productivity levels and excessive tool wear and its associated costs.

There are many techniques for machining challenging parts in modern highly refined aerospace materials. For many, the time honoured ‘slow and steady’ approach is no longer cost effective and leads to lost orders or very slim profit margins, forcing many to decline to quote for the manufacture of components that are well within their production capabilities. The solution may be to ‘work smarter’, adapt and apply modern toolpaths and tooling.

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