Revolution for fine bore machining

Horn "Supermini": An icon of tool technology now with chip breaker Revolution for fine bore machining

2024-06-19 From Matthias Böhm* | Translated by AI 5 min Reading Time

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The latest chip breaking revolution in micro internal turning, the new Horn 'Supermini' type 105, has been available since June 12, 2024. After years of development work, the tool specialists from the Horn Group have succeeded in sintering a chip-breaking geometry directly into the internal turning tools. This is a huge impact for internal machining because long chips are now a thing of the past with micro-internal turning. This means that long-chipping materials such as lead-free brass, stainless steels or nickel-based alloys can now be machined with a chip-breaking geometry and thus better process control. One of the first prototype users, Rich Precision, achieves outstanding results with the new internal turning system.

The "Supermini" tool system - now with chip breaker geometry - can be adapted and used for numerous machining operations.(Image: Horn) — The "Supermini" tool system - now with chip breaker geometry - can be adapted and used for numerous machining operations.
(Image: Horn)

When Paul Horn first examined the prototype of the 'Supermini,' he thought, "This will revolutionize bore machining." That was 35 years ago. The 'Supermini' system was launched in 1989 and remains one of Paul Horn GmbH's most successful products to this day

"With the latest chip breaker development, which is directly integrated into the 'Supermini' tool during the manufacturing process (pressing/sintering), the developers and process engineers of the Horn Group have achieved the next step of revolution in micro-internal fine machining.

Gallery

Horn has managed to develop a universal boring tool with a sintered chip shaping geometry with the new "Supermini" type 105.(Image: Horn)

Markus Kannwischer, Head of Technology and member of the executive board of the Horn Group, in discussion with prototype user Wolfgang Rich, co-managing director of Rich Precision GmbH.(Image: Matthias Böhm)

Problem solver for long-chipping materials: The chip image on the right without chip breaker and on the left with the new Horn Supermini with chip lead-in step.(Image: Matthias Böhm)

Gallery with 7 images

Managing Director Markus Horn said: "With a lot of hard work, we have managed to economically solve the problems with long chips in the internal machining of small bore diameters." This development process took several years and requires enormous process know-how in the field of hard metal processing.

Micro-internal turning chip problems now solved

One of the biggest challenges in internal machining is long chips. In this context, the quality of the tool used does not matter. Depending on the material, hole machining often leads to long chips. They wrap around the tool, clog holes, or in the worst case, lead to tool breakage. A chip shape geometry can help here. It guides and shapes the chip, causing it to break. Until now, specially lasered or ground chip shape geometries have been used. However, this was associated with a corresponding cost factor of the cutting plate. With the new 'Supermini' type 105, Horn has succeeded in developing a universal boring tool with sintered chip shape geometry. The tool offers high process reliability in use due to the good chip control. The cutting edge geometry extends far into the corner radius of the cutting plate. This ensures chip control even with small feeds. The geometry can be used universally for different material groups and is suitable for internal, face, copy, and reverse turning.

In addition to the geometry, Horn also optimized the blank of the cutting plate for higher rigidity and a more stable cutting area. The cooling supply was also revised.

First prototype users see enormous advantages

As a supplier, the company of 'Rich Präzision' has been working for Horn for several years. The company produces the basic body of the precision interface for the Horn SX tool system.

The cutting head is connected to the contact surface of the tool body via a stable, robust, yet highly accurate thread. "The manufacture of the tool holders was initially a great challenge. The requirements for precision from Horn are very high," explains the Rich production manager, Wolfram Stiefel. Stiefel also uses Horn tools for the Horn component. For the machining of critical features, the fitting thread and several very tightly tolerated fits are of importance. In addition, there is a further focus on the roundness and flatness of the various contact surfaces.

Long chips were a problem

For turning operations on the component, several different Horn systems are used. The "Supermini" system is fundamentally used at Rich for the internal boring of small diameters. In addition to a precision thread, a cone and another fit are used for µ-accurate centering of the SX interface.

The turning of the cone and the fit is done by a "Supermini" of type 105. "The turning process of the very tightly tolerated dimensions runs stable. A problem we always had with internal boring of small diameters was long chips, which wrap around the tool. No matter which tool manufacturer, everyone has this problem," explains Wolfgang Rich.

"The problem with wrapping chips was solved immediately"

With the new generation of the "Supermini" type 105, Horn solved the problem that otherwise could only be dealt with by specially laser-cut or ground special cutting plates. The advantages of the new system become apparent when in use. "The problem with wrapping chips was instantly solved. Where we previously had to manually pull the chips from the tool with the previous system, due to the new geometry the fine chips are barely visible in the chip bucket," says Wolfgang Rich. The service lives are in the same range as the cutting plates without chip breaker geometry.

"Another milestone in the 'Supermini' development."

Over the last 35 years, the "Supermini" tool system has undergone numerous development steps and solved a wide range of machining challenges around the world.

Boring, profile turning, internal grooving, thread turning, chamfering, axial grooving, drilling and slot cutting: The "Supermini" tool system can be adapted and used for numerous machining operations. The solid carbide cutting plate is used for hole machining from a diameter of 0.2 mm to around 10 mm.

Horn developed the blank, or shank, of the tool as a teardrop shape. This shape allows precise form and position stable contact surfaces in the tool holder, which results in a higher rigidity of the overall system.

The droplet shape prevents the cutting plate from twisting, resulting in a consistently precise position of the tool's tip height. For long tool protrusions, it reduces deflections and minimizes vibrations during the turning process. Depending on the application and the diameter to be machined, Horn offers the cutting plate in three different sizes (type 105, 109 and 110) and various blank types.

All variants allow internal coolant supply directly to the active zone. The Horn tool portfolio contains around 2500 different standard variants of the "Supermini". In addition, Horn solved the tasks of users with countless special solutions.

Technological Details

The new cutting plate is compatible with numerous clamping holders of type 105. Horn offers the cutting plates in three lengths (15.0 mm, 20.0 mm and 25.0 mm) and in grades TH35 and IG35 as standard. The corner radius is 0.2 mm. The tool is suitable for use from a diameter of 6 mm. The wide range of applications for the cutting plates is also reflected in their cost-effectiveness. The cost of the new "Supermini" is in a similar range to the standard cutting plate without geometry. The new "Supermini" is available from stock from 12.6.2024.

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Various holder systems

The user can choose the suitable solution for their machining from a variety of different clamp holder variants. These include round shaft holders, square holders, interface clamp holders, as well as adjustable clamp holders for different machine manufacturers. Horn offers four different solutions for clamping the cutting plate. The classic screw clamping using a ball pressure screw, clamping via a face clamp element as well as tensioning via a lifting element. For confined spaces, Horn also has a slim clamping system with clamping by an overlock nut in its program.

*Matthias Böhm is Editor-in-Chief of SMM - Schweizer MaschinenMarkt (Swiss), a brand of Vogel Communications Group

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