Tiger.tec slashes cycle times; boosts parts per edge

With two types of facing cutters in use – 63 mm and 80 mm – overall cycle times for the series of 4-/5-sided facing, milling, drilling and boring operations on the cast iron workpieces performed in a single set-up by 15-employee sub-contractor Folly Mill have been reduced from 43 mins to 32 mins – due entirely to the Tiger.tec tooling’s ability to be run at higher speed and feed rates for all facing tasks performed on the vertical machining centre. “We formerly ran the 63 mm cutter at speeds and feeds of 1,000 rev/min and 250 m/min, and the 80 mm cutter at 800 rev/min and 400 m/min,” says managing director Jim Petyt. “We have simply increased those values to 1,250 rev/min and 1,200 m/min, and 1,000 rev/min and 1,700 m/min, respectively, and the result is a dramatic reduction in cycle times as well as improved tool life.” “We are certainly achieving more components per edge than before and, importantly, the Tiger.tec inserts on the larger tool have eight edges per insert compared to four, so the extra initial purchase price per insert is far outweighed by the additional number of components we are producing.” The inserts regularly achieve up to 75 per cent more components per edge than competitor products, and in some cases double output, due to their improved process reliability courtesy of a high resistance to flank wear, cratering and thermal cracking. Two types of Tiger.tec inserts are currently is use at Folly Mill - F4033 face mill with eight-edge SNGX12 inserts for the 80 mm diameter 45O face mill; and F4041 90O facing/pocketing 90O cutter with four-edge LNGX130708 inserts – and their success has prompted Jim Petyt and his team to consider the application of Tiger.tec across other machining applications.