At Dormer Pramet our product strategy is to achieve an effective mix of cutting tools for our customers. An area we have been focusing on recently has been developing new products for difficult to machine materials.
In the past, difficult to machine materials was specifically associated with the aerospace and power generation segments only. Now you can see these materials in many segments, such as medical, oil & gas, automotive, chemical and in general machining.
Most of our technical engineers face a daily demand from customers to improve machining of stainless steel, steel, nickel and cobalt based alloys, as well as titanium.
Recent development within our indexable range has focused on improving the mechanical properties of our tools, with thermal and chemical resistance the most common aim. Our overall objective is to always meet customer needs with a reliable and cost-effective option.
In November 2015, we launched turning inserts with chipbreakers SF and SM, as well as new grades. The positive geometry together with reliable grades, have gained excellent feedback.
Our SM chipbreaker, which we offer in five grades, has received particular praise from the markets, which said this was a very versatile option for a range of materials. Earlier this year, we added more double-sided chipbreakers, NMR for roughing and non-stable cutting conditions, as well as W-FM and W-NM with wiper effect, to achieve high productivity and surface quality.
Another economical and versatile addition was our new face milling family for OEHT inserts, which combines usage of octagonal and round inserts. Its low cutting force, with a wide range of positive geometries, including wiper and six grades, guarantees a smooth cutting action for stainless steel, soft steel and non-ferrous metals.
This product was launched in 2015 around the world with excellent results. The low force and heat creation offers significant benefits to customers. This success led to us add a ‘bigger brother’ option to this family – the OEHT 09 – as well as a new milling grade M6330, to offer further resistance to thermo cracks when using difficult to machine material.
We will continue to develop new products for difficult to machine material to cement our position as a professional and reliable supplier to this global market.