Seco’s Research and Development Team Reveals Tool Longevity Technique for Truck Manufacturer

The R&D team at Seco Tools has found a technology that supposedly enhances the lifespan of a single tool by a factor of 20. The discovery occurred when the team was machining a new cast iron for use in engines made by the Swedish truck manufacturer Scania. The discovery of a new, lighter type of cast iron opened the door to lighter, more efficient engines.

“The background was this new form of cast iron, which offered many advantages – it’s more environmentally friendly and stronger, which means they can make the engine walls thinner and lighter,” said Stefan Frejd, R&D Specialist Drilling at Seco. “The issue that Scania wanted to investigate was the fact that this material increased wear on the production tools, which, of course, shortened the tools’ life.” The task was to figure out how to increase the tool life of the milling cutters, drills, and reamers that would be used on this novel material.

“We met with Scania’s engineers and discussed some of the issues and applications they were using, and then we returned with some new tools to be tested.” The first drilling tool we examined had a tool life that was more than 20 times that of the current one, which was a significant improvement.”