Indeed, PCD tooling can handle them all. This is due, in part, to the inherent hardness of this synthetic polycrystalline diamond cutting material, which results in PCD milling tools from Ceratizit being able to hold their own against extremely abrasive materials – both in terms of tool life and attainable quality.
With the development of additive manufacturing processes cutter geometries that were difficult or even impossible to produce with conventional technologies are now a reality, with, for example the number of cutting edges on a milling cutter can be maximised with 3D printing, which in turn significantly increases the chip removal rate. That, along with high cutting speeds and strategically placed coolant channels deliver major benefits in terms of reduced cycle times. Performance is also enhanced by the high helix angle to ensure quiet running at elevated revs/min. These screw-in type PCD cutters from Ceratizit are available in diameters from 10 to 32mm with projection (flute) lengths of 2.5xD and tool length being varied by use of appropriate toolholders. PCD milling cutters can also be supplied in hybrid form with a solid carbide base body.
For those companies machining graphite, the new Ceratizit PCD tools offer impressive performance, with up to four cutting edges they are able to run at very high cutting speeds. In addition, the end mills bring distinct processing advantages when it comes to circular milling of holes or grooves. Here, far fewer radius corrections are required before the end of the tool life in comparison to solid carbide tools. This means the milling cutters last longer, as the extreme abrasive nature of graphite has little effect on them. The result is that time-consuming toolchanges and adjustments become a thing of the past, minimising idle time and delivering consistent machining quality.
More information on the new PCD milling tools can be found in Ceratizit’s new Up2Date catalogue.
