In the bar turning industry, countersinking and turning operations with a single tool are routine. Unfortunately, depending on the material, traditional X-geometry inserts (Parisian cut) are not always ideal for dealing with long and bulky swarf fragments. Applitec now presents a new family of inserts combining the machinability benefits of X inserts with the ‘chip rolling’ capability of ISO inserts: The Top-Line range of ZX geometry inserts.
Applitec is a company that listens to its customers and during Pascal Kohler’s (technical manager) many visits to customers’ premises he was regularly being asked about the possibility of a countersinking/turning insert that could effectively deal with swarf. Although it is fairly easy to produce inserts with a Parisian cut by grinding, the limitations of the process itself mean that they cannot be equipped with chip rollers. Therefore, there was no real solution without a compromise.
New technology To be able to offer its new range of ZX inserts, the company implemented a state-of-the-art production process allowing it to create chip rollers on cutting edges of any shape. Thus began the production of a new generation of countersinking/turning bits. This technology also enables Applitec to offer custom cutting inserts for these operations.
Are they suitable for lead-free copper alloys? "We are learning every day" explains Pascal Kohler. He adds: "During one of my recent visits, a customer showed me the results of using the new inserts on lead-free brass. Rather than ordinary brass, this was one of these new alloys with specific properties and it was causing problems in production, in particular long pieces of swarf. The users were very positive".
Advantages of the new ZX range
- Particularly well suited to difficult materials
- Longer tool service life
- Better swarf management
- Reduced machine downtime
- Reinforced cutting edge
- Custom production of chip breakers
Asked about the price, Pascal Kohler explained: "We offer standard ZX inserts at a similar price to the "basic" inserts available on the market. Our aim is to enable our customers to adopt this new technology without increasing their costs".
An already comprehensive range The new ZX range is available in all the usual sizes: 740-760 for clockwise rotation machines and 730-750 for anticlockwise rotation machines, and the insert holders are available in cross sections from 7x7 to 20x20. The 760 family also offers a rear turner equipped with this technology. A brochure presenting the range is available from the address given at the end of this article.
Custom shapes to order Applitec can produce ZX inserts to order, with specific shapes including cutting angles and chip rollers adapted to suit particular machining and material constraints. Pascal Kohler: "We have a lot of experience in cutting and our customers often rely on us to offer them the solution that best suits their needs. The technology we use for ZX inserts even allows us to offer our customers different variants, enabling them to carry out tests and choose the most efficient solution possible".
If you would like more information, please contact Pascal Kohler at the address below:
Applitec Moutier S.A. Ch. Nicolas-Junker 2 CH-2740 Moutier Tel. +41 32 494 60 20 Fax +41 32 493 42 60 www.applitec-tools.com [email protected]
