PCD tools Up to 70 percent lighter tools through AM

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DMG MORI Global Marketing GmbH

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A rapidly growing segment of the Neher Group is special tools for applications in electromobility. To reduce the weight of sometimes heavy tools, they rely on DMG Mori's powder bed technology for manufacturing tool bodies.

The Neher Group has been realizing complex designs for many years with innovative manufacturing technologies from DMG Mori—from machining to additive manufacturing on Lasertec SLM machines, cutting of blanks on a Lasertec 20 FineCutting, to automated cutting edge processing on Lasertec Precision Tool machines.

Additive manufacturing on the Lasertec 30 SLM offers absolute freedom in design—whether contour-close cooling channels for durability or bionic structures ensuring high stiffness and optimal vibration behavior. Additionally, the weight savings compared to conventional tools are between 30 and 70 percent.

Gerd Neher, Owner and Managing Director

Customer-specific PCD and CVD tools for e-mobility

"Our core competence lies in the complete development of demanding PKD or CVD special tools," explains Gerd Neher, who leads the Neher Group in the second generation. Polycrystalline diamond is a very hard cutting material that gives tools high service life. "When a customer wants to manufacture a specific component, we realize the optimal tool for exactly this application." A rapidly growing segment is special tools for applications in electromobility.

Gallery

The precision machining of a stator housing—the housing in which the rotor of the electric motor rotates—requires comparatively long and therefore heavy tools. "For many existing machine tools, as they are mostly used, the weight is too high to ensure vibration-free and precise machining," explains Tobias Niess, responsible for tool development, describing the challenge. The weight can be reduced in two ways: "Through lighter materials such as titanium and through new approaches in design and especially with the help of the innovative manufacturing technologies of DMG Mori."

One of these technologies is additive manufacturing. For the production of tool bodies, the Neher Group uses DMG Mori's powder bed technology—a Lasertec 30 SLM and a Lasertec 30 Dual SLM. "The layer-by-layer construction is done directly on a previously milled interface," says Tobias Niess. Additive manufacturing allows for absolute freedom in design. "On one hand, we can integrate cooling channels close to the contour, which contribute to the durability of the tool. On the other hand, we can realize bionic structures inside the tools using the finite element method, which ensure maximum stability and optimal vibration behavior." Compared to conventional tools, the weight savings are also between 30 and 70 percent.

Precision machining of cutting edges

The cutting segments of the tools are initially cut out of PKD or CVD discs and then soldered on. The Neher Group uses a Lasertec 20 Fine Cutting from DMG Mori for cutting. "The laser penetrates discs up to 3.8 millimeters thick," says Tobias Niess. The diamond tools receive their final "polish" in the form of laser finishing. Here, a Lasertec 20 Precision Tool and a Lasertec 50 Precision Tool from DMG Mori are used. The two 5-axis precision laser machines can economically produce cutting edges sharp to 1 micrometer, a defined cutting edge rounding of 3, 6, 9, or 15 micrometers, and negative chamfers. Thanks to High Speed Mode 3.0, the laser operates at a speed of up to 3.0 millimeters per minute. Compared to electrical discharge machining (EDM), the technology is therefore up to 210 percent faster and unit costs decrease by 56 percent. Moreover, the service life of the tools is increased by a factor of 2.5 through laser processing.

As a programming solution in cutting edge processing, DMG Mori has implemented the industry standard GTR, which allows the import of EDM projects and requires minimal training when switching to laser processing. Special software features also facilitate the programming of rotary and stationary tools as well as chip guide geometries and negative chamfers.

Unmanned shifts thanks to automated laser processing

The processing of cutting edges becomes even more economical through the automation solutions installed by DMG Mori. For example, the Lasertec 20 Precision Tool features a PH 10 handling system with space for up to 54 HSK tools. The Lasertec 50 Precision Tool is equipped with automation that can change tools weighing up to 30 kilograms. "This way, we can keep both machines running unmanned at night and on weekends," adds Tobias Niess.

The comprehensive product portfolio of DMG Mori is an important argument for the long-term collaboration for Gerd Neher: "The example of tool manufacturing shows very well that we have installed innovative manufacturing solutions from DMG Mori across the entire process chain." With a new DMU 200 Gantry for mold making as well as a DMU 50 3rd Generation and a CLX 350 for the training workshop, he emphasizes the good cooperation. He goes a step further: "In the future, we want to organize our production paperlessly—with Planning & Control from Istos."