Boring Tool Chip Issues Resolved After the First Component

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Endress+Hauser was one of the test users who were able to test Horn's new Supermini in field trials. The result was not only reduced secondary times but also increased tool life.

Horn provided the Endress+Hauser team with six Superminis featuring specific geometries for the tests. The selection of customers for the field trials was based on certain requirements. "We know our users and their machining challenges. The choice quickly fell on Endress+Hauser," explains Horn application technician Stefan Minder. In the machining production at Endress+Hauser, the team primarily machines materials such as 1.4404 (X2CrNiMo17-12-2), 1.4435 (X2CrNiMo18-14-3), and Hastelloy (2.4819, NiMo16Cr15W).

The materials to be processed offer numerous advantages for use in measurement technology, such as corrosion resistance or acid resistance. However, for economical machining, these materials require a great deal of expertise from the users, particularly in series production with high quantities. Specifically, when boring small diameters, the issue of long tangled chips arises, which wrap around the tool like a bundle during use. This severely compromises process reliability and, in the worst case, leads to tool breakage. At Endress+Hauser, during the automated production of M-forks, a stop had to be programmed after every fifth part to manually remove the chips from the tool. Furthermore, the tangled chips disrupted measurement processes and the gripping operations of the robot in the machining cell.

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From Tangled Chips to Short and Curly Chips

Previously, a Supermini without chip breaker geometry was used here. "The problem with long chips can only be solved with a chip breaker geometry. No matter the quality of the tool, this problem always exists," said Minder. After just the first trial with the new Supermini featuring geometry, the team at Endress+Hauser was thrilled.

Our problems were literally solved with the first push of a button. The chips from internal boring were no longer tangled but short and curly.

Hakan Oda, responsible for tool technology in machining at Endress+Hauser

The team kept the cutting parameters the same as with the previous tool. Overall, Minder and the team at Endress+Hauser tested the tools for four weeks on various machines and components. In all processes, the tool demonstrated its potential.

We would have liked to order more tools immediately, but we had to wait for the official market launch.

Hakan Oda, responsible for tool technology in machining at Endress+Hauser

"We worked intensively on the development of the new Supermini for over four years," said Horn CEO Matthias Rommel at the press conference during the presentation of the new tool in June 2024. In the case of long tangled chips, a chip breaker geometry can provide a solution. It guides and shapes the chip, causing it to break. Until now, specially laser-cut or ground chip breaker geometries have been used for this purpose. However, this came with a corresponding cost factor for the cutting insert.

Horn has successfully developed a universal boring tool with sintered chip breaker geometry with the new Supermini type 105. The tool provides high process reliability in use due to excellent chip control. The cutting edge geometry extends far into the corner radius of the cutting insert, ensuring effective chip control even with small depths of cut. The geometry can be universally applied to various material groups and is suitable for internal turning, face turning, copy turning, and reverse turning.

In addition to the geometry, Horn also optimized the cutting insert blank with higher rigidity and an even more stable cutting edge area. Furthermore, the cooling supply was revised. The new cutting insert is compatible with numerous holders of type 105. Horn offers the cutting inserts in three lengths (15, 20, and 25 millimeters; approx. 0.6, 0.8 and 1 inches) and in grade IG35 as standard. The corner radius is 0.2 millimeters. The tool is suitable for use starting from a diameter of 6 millimeters (approx. 0.2 inches). The wide range of applications for the cutting inserts is also reflected in their cost-effectiveness. The cost of the new Supermini is in a similar range to that of the standard cutting insert without geometry.

Suitable Clamping Holders

For the clamping holders, users can choose from a wide variety of options to find the right solution for their machining needs. These include round shank holders, square shank holders, interface clamping holders, as well as adjustable clamping holders for different machine manufacturers. Horn offers four different solutions for clamping the cutting insert: the classic screw clamping with a ball pressure screw, clamping via a face clamping element, as well as clamping via a lifting element. Additionally, for confined spaces, Horn provides a slim clamping system with clamping through a locknut.

In the fully automated production of M-forks, Endress+Hauser uses a holder with a polygon shank and a face clamping element. The M-forks play an important role in the measuring instruments. They are installed in level measurement devices and resemble a tuning fork. During operation, the forks vibrate at a specific frequency. When the level in a tank rises and the forks are submerged in the liquid, the density of the medium changes the vibration frequency. This allows the sensor to detect the reached fill level.

Endress+Hauser is a globally leading provider of measurement instruments, services, and solutions for industrial process engineering. The company offers process solutions for flow, level, pressure, and temperature measurement, analytical measurements, as well as data recording and digital communication, thereby optimizing processes in terms of economic efficiency, safety, and environmental impact. Endress+Hauser's customers operate in various industries such as chemicals, energy and power plants, raw materials, metals and mining, food, life sciences, oil and gas, as well as water/wastewater.

The collaboration between Endress+Hauser and Horn has existed for decades.

The new tool has once again shown us why we rely on Horn's tools in our production. In addition to high process reliability, we were able to reduce secondary times and also increase the tool's service life.

Hakan Oda, responsible for tool technology in machining at Endress+Hauser

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