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FlatBall takes the rub out of copying style inserts
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February 2008
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LMT’s Kieniger tooling division’s FlatBall indexable insert combines the advantages of both ball and toroidal style indexable inserts for die and mould and aerospace type applications in what is described as a ‘double-edger’ geometry.
The design of the FlatBall, which has a 2 mm flat on a 10 mm diameter insert, totally overcomes the absence of cutting speed as the spindle rotates around the centre line of the tool which causes a normal carbide insert to suffer from the rapid rise in temperature created by ‘rubbing’ rather than the cutting action. Rubbing action also leads to wear that progressively changes the insert’s geometry leading to lost machining time to check components and input offsets at the machine control or even having to change tools more frequently.
LMT’s solution flattens the shape of the ball or more technically, reduces the radius of the insert until it becomes a double-edged cutter. This modification of form means that the insert works at a constant speed in its centre but without loss of any advantages gained by the ball shape. This design also prevents accumulation of chips or a built-up edge at the tip of the ball when an initial cut is made into a slope or a helix. In addition, it can also reduce the number of individual cutting paths required, thus shortening cycle times when complex contours have to be machined.
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Author
Celia Cadwallader
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