🎧Innovative tools for creative metal-cutting

Companies that manufacture one-off parts and small batches primarily for the mechanical engineering industry require tools that are versatile all-rounders. Just as important is a tool partner who understands what metalcutting is all about and can ‘read’ the production process. If the partner just happens to be located in the region, then they are just the right partner. Otto Beckert Feinmechanik GmbH & Co. KG discovered this when it turned to ARNO Werkzeuge not only to supply turning, milling and drilling tools but also advice and assistance.

“We think European and that’s how we buy. Even if our work is focused on products and applications for the world market, we aim to keep the added value here in the region. After all, most of our customers are also from this region,” stresses Ralf Beckert, Managing Director of Otto Beckert GmbH & Co. KG in Kirchentellinsfurt. The medium-sized manufacturer is an innovative solution finder and most of its customers are located within a 50km radius.

Customers include well-known machine manufacturers as well as suppliers to the semiconductor industry, powertrain specialists and other global market leaders, of which there are many in the Stuttgart region. The company’s management attaches great importance to regional responsibility and a stable supply chain with rapid response and personal dialogue. This is why ARNO Werkzeuge GmbH with its universal cutting tools has been a dependable partner.

With 40 employees and 19 CNC machines that produce high-quality components from all conceivable materials, batch sizes range mostly between one and 100 or small runs up to 2,000 parts. Customers come from the motorsport, medical, drilling platform and chip production industries. “Frequent tool changes foul up any calculation,” says Kevin Göhner, Industrial Mechanic and CNC operator at Otto Beckert.

The aim is not to squeeze the last hours, minutes or metres of tool life out of a tool. The essential thing, he finds, is universal tools that can be used for as many processes as possible and a wide range of materials. Here is where Tobias Breitling from ARNO Werkzeuge has arrived with the right products.

The technical consultant also comes with a wealth of application knowledge and universal products for efficient machining. One highlight is the patented DuoMill FD milling system. With only one basic body, the tools can be used for corner and high-feed milling operations on steel, stainless and aluminium. “And you can even do this from a corner radius of just 0.2mm, which is virtually unrivalled,” assures Breitling. The fact that corner and high feed inserts are mounted in one insert seat is unique and patented. To machine non-ferrous metals, the indexable inserts are precision-ground and polished around their entire circumference. In addition, the nickel-plated long-life basic holders with four cutting edges per insert allow a high feed rate.

Efficient milling with unique patented tools

Universal tools with these features not only have a positive effect on tool change times but also the cost of the tool holders. They simplify handling, storage and stocking. “The fact that two different types of indexable inserts can be mounted on the same tool holder provides our customers with enormous flexibility,” says Breitling. “And flexibility is our top priority,” adds Beckert. The product range includes screw-in end milling cutters from 25 to 42mm diameter, as well as shell-type cutters with diameters of 40 to 160mm.

The differential pitch of the tool holders significantly reduces vibrations during milling. Four efficient cutting edges at 90° angles ensure high efficiency in corner and high feed milling operations. “This is the real strength of the DuoMill and produces very smooth surfaces as a result,” says Göhner. Breitling explains that in some cases, it can even eliminate downstream work steps. “If you want to work both rapidly and at high precision, you should opt for our FD milling system.”

Showing the workpiece more teeth

Milling, roughing and finishing at 90° requires a lot of material removal, so Otto Beckert switches to the all-around BLN corner milling system. When a solid tool holder, large and stable indexable inserts and an infeed of up to 12mm come into play, there is no stopping them. “The machine is more likely to fail than the tool,” surmises Breitling.

Göhner also enjoys using the FT face milling systems 09 and 12 with the same enthusiasm. They consist of stable tool holders with more teeth and smaller indexable inserts to match. Here too, the tool holders have a differential pitch that also ensures a smooth milling process with less vibration. “We can run at significantly higher feed rates and achieve a higher metal removal rate, especially with small allowances,” says Göhner, adding that time and flexibility are crucial factors.

“Despite the small diameter, we can place more teeth in the tool,” explains Breitling. Whereas previously there was only room to fit six indexable inserts, now up to nine can be installed. This reduces throughput times and costs. The indexable inserts also cut very softly and this reduces wear on the spindle and machine. So, when the FT face milling system is tooled with cutting edges and matching smaller indexable inserts, it covers a diameter range of 20 to 125mm.

Parting off and grooving

In process optimiser, Tobias Nagel’s opinion, the SA parting-off tools with flange-mounted holders that Breitling has in his bag are indispensable for lathes. He likes to use the two-edged SA parting and grooving system with grooving widths of 1.5 to 10mm for grooving and parting off at large grooving depths of up to 140mm in diameter. “That’s important for us, so we don’t have to change so often,” explains Nagel. The parting-off tool, together with its many modules, holders and blades, is ideal for many applications at Otto Beckert. Nagel also appreciates the wide variety of matching flange-mounted holders for various machines.

The patented ACS (ARNO Cooling System), which the manufacturer developed specifically for parting off, is an extremely important factor. In the ACS 2 variant, the coolant channel at the insert seat is coupled with a second jet that sprays coolant from the bottom onto the tool flank. The coolant channel is a 3D-printed variant and has a triangular optimised-flow shape which supplies coolant across the full width of the insert right through to the edge of the cutting edge. Nagel is therefore delighted with the tool life that is three times longer.

Icing on the cake for drilling

The machining specialists are also thrilled about significant savings when it comes to drilling. That’s because Breitling introduced the insert drilling system. The core drills are designed for stationary or rotary operations. Depending on the application, ten types of coated and uncoated inserts in four geometries can be attached to a range of twelve spiral or straight-fluted tool holders.

They do not need the full diameter range from 14 to 32mm by any means. “But they replace our solid tungsten carbide tools for diameters from 14 to 20mm. That cuts our costs by a huge amount,” says Beckert happily.