The blade wins the trick – in grooving

Tübingen, 2014 – The grooving blades and internally cooled toolholders for the new Walter Cut-SX single-edged grooving system are now immediately available in two additional dimensions and designs.

Process reliability is the top priority for grooving and parting off, particularly when the tool cuts deeper grooves into the workpiece. The Walter Cut-SX grooving system, launched in the autumn of 2013, ''cuts its grooves'' precisely into this gap in capability; the cutting depth is no longer limited according to the insert length, as it was previously with double-edged systems. This makes it possible to achieve the deeper grooving and parting-off cuts that are increasingly common in many sectors of industry. At the same time, a new self-clamping system ensures that the cutting inserts are securely located, even under conditions of high stress.

The right tool for each job also plays its part in providing process reliability in any application. The Walter Cut-SX grooving system is therefore being continuously enhanced, in order to provide solutions for as wide a range of machining situations as possible.

In future, Walter will offer its Walter Cut-SX G2042R/L grooving blades with strengthened shank in four variants: As a left- or right-handed tool, each in a standard and a contra version. This makes it possible to work in any position required, even where space may be limited. Because the tool shank reduces available clearance when grooving in the immediate vicinity of the spindle the mirror-image design of the contra version provides an easy solution to this potential problem.

Walter Cut-SX G2012-P toolholders with through coolant have been available in the shank sizes of 20 and 25 millimetres since 2013. The Tübingen experts in machining have now added the shank sizes of 12 and 16 millimetres for smaller diameters. These are particularly suitable for use on multi-spindle machines, automatic centre lathes, because the dimensions of the tools have been specially adapted to these types of machine. With machines like these in particular, ''room to manoeuvre'' is often limited.

Markus Stumm, Product Manager for Grooving and Thread Turning at Walter AG, knows three ''incisive'' arguments in favour of the two new representatives of the Walter Cut-SX series:

Good blades: The key feature of the of Walter Cut-SX tools is the self-clamping of the inserts: Precisely matched grooving inserts and insert holders, a positive locking insert shape with form fit underside and a sturdy top clamp. A major advantage of this design: In comparison to conventional inserts fitted at a straight angle, process reliability is significantly increased, because a positive locking insert cannot be lost during machining. With parting off, in particular, there is always a risk that an insert can be pulled from the holder by the action of the workpiece and the bar separating.

Keeping a cool head: In some areas, the grooving or parting application may restrict externally applied coolant reaching the cutting edge. Therefore, it is all the more important that the internal supply of the G2012-P delivers the coolant directly to the cutting edge, both with and without high pressure – and, as tests show, with great effect, which surprised even us. Initial customer findings show that tool life can be increased by as much as 200 percent. At first, the temperature in the cutting zone and in the chip is extremely high. Thanks to the targeted cooling between the chip and the chip breaker, the temperature is steadily reduced and the chips are flushed away out of the groove. As a result, chips cannot become jammed and the cutting edge is also not damaged. Furthermore, built up edge formation and crater wear is effectively minimised.

Pooling competence: Although the form fit shape of the new SX grooving inserts may appear simple at first glance, it brings together many years of development work. As an alternative, we had at first also thought about an angled variant without form fit. This insert shape, however, was not stable enough and handling was also more difficult. In the end, we came up with the right idea in the form of rounded positive locking, and that was the breakthrough. The rounding not only gives the insert stability but is also very simple when it comes to handling. So far on the market, comparable single-edged systems have been impossible to find – except at Walter. That is real, patented engineering competence.