High-precision tools Coating technology: Cutting-edge solutions for titanium and stainless steel

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Boehlerit is redefining performance in titanium and stainless steel machining with its latest precision tools and customised Hipims coatings. Developed in collaboration with Cemecon, the high-tech coating solutions deliver significantly longer tool life, improved wear resistance and outstanding results in demanding applications.

High-performance precision tools for turning and milling are essential for the cost-effective machining of difficult-to-cut high-performance materials such as titanium and stainless steels. Boehlerit has been a competent partner for customised indexable inserts for many years — especially for machining difficult-to-cut materials. An important component in perfectly matching the indexable inserts to these demanding applications is Cemecon's Hipims coating technology. The ability to develop its own coatings and tailor them specifically to different applications gives Boehlerit a decisive edge — especially when it comes to demanding machining tasks.

Carbide and precision tools from Boehlerit solve demanding machining tasks worldwide and set standards in the machining of metal, wood, plastic and composite materials. The Austrian experts' recipe for success undoubtedly includes a high level of vertical integration with state-of-the-art technologies and extensive expertise in all facets of tool manufacturing — from design to coating technology. With the CC800 Hipims coating system as one of its key components, Boehlerit is setting new standards in the machining of high-performance materials.

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Hipims technology brings competitive advantages

Hipims technology significantly increases the quality and performance of coatings: Hipims coatings are very smooth, yet hard and tough. They have excellent adhesion and, thanks to their uniform layer thickness distribution, ensure optimum wear protection for the tool.

Boehlerit benefits both from the exceptional performance of Hipims coatings and from the flexibility of the coating systems. The ability to tailor coatings to the requirements of specific applications makes all the difference — especially in demanding applications. For example, the technology makes it possible to produce coatings with customised residual stresses — a decisive advantage when machining difficult materials.

Titanium machining at the highest level

Boehlerit has developed new indexable inserts for the reliable machining of unalloyed titanium grades such as Ti (ASTM1-11), α alloys or α+β alloys (e.g. Ti-6Al-4V). In practice, these achieve up to 40 percent longer tool life than conventional solutions. “We owe these great results to the coordinated combination of selected carbide, special chipbreaker geometry and high-performance Hipims coating,” says André Feiel, Segment Manager Machining at Boehlerit. "The carbide base is a K10 fine-grain substrate. It is particularly temperature-stable and has a low tendency to plastic deformation. The specially developed MT (medium titanium) chip former with sharp cutting edges ensures reliable chip breaking during medium and light roughing operations. And the icing on the cake is the 3 µm thick Hipims coating based on Alucon (TiB2)."

The low affinity to non-ferrous metals and high hardness make the TiB2 coating so successful in machining titanium with sharp cutting edges. The Hipims coating material provides optimum protection against built-up edges. The extremely smooth coating surface ensures efficient chip removal. Thanks to reduced friction, the temperature during the machining process is lower. The result: significantly longer tool life. The excellent adhesion, combined with high hardness of up to 5,000 HV0.05, enables top performance in wet and dry machining — often with increased cutting data.

Unsurpassed in stainless steels

High abrasive wear, poor chip breaking, built-up edges — milling stainless steels is one of the most demanding tasks in machining technology. “Such high requirements demand a perfectly refined tool concept. Our newly developed grades BCM35M and BCM40M for milling stainless steels provide users with the perfect solution for these challenges,” says André Feiel.

Both milling grades consist of fine-grain carbides with an optimised hardness-toughness ratio — in other words, abrasion resistance combined with fracture toughness. Boehlerit determined the chipbreaker and edge design after extensive simulations and application tests. The result: optimum cutting performance and perfect chip flow. André Feiel: “We are breaking new ground in coating technology and have developed a multi-layer Hipims coating consisting of alternating AlTiN and AlCrN single layers. The multilayer structure results in excellent abrasion resistance, even at higher temperatures, combined with good fracture toughness. It also delays crack formation. Extremely smooth coating surfaces minimise built-up edges and ensure excellent machining results when milling stainless steels.”

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