Vargus delivers 10-fold improvement in threading of titanium tube

In an example involving a titanium flanged tube (pictured), not only did the switch to the Vardex MilliPro thread milling tool initially produce at least a 10-fold increase in output, but the tool also showed no sign of wear and was ready to process the next batch! Produced formerly by a competitor’s helical thread milling tool on the vertical machining centre, each end of the flange tube requires eight threads of 5 mm diameter, 0.80 mm pitch and 9 mm deep. The component is run in batches of 30, equating to 480 threads per batch. Before adopting the Vardex Threading Solution, only 47 threads (5.8 components) could be produced before insert breakage, due in part also to high tool loading and vibration. The Vardex MilliPro thread milling tool was applied at a cutting speed of 30 m/min and a feed rate of 0.03 mm/flute – to effectively reduce loading and vibration - and immediately produced 480 threads (30 components) with no sign of insert wear. The Vardex tool took just 36 secs to produce each thread – 9.6 mins per 16 threads – and the thread milling tool was ready to process the next batch.