As reported by Aerospace Manufacturing and Design in their article “5 Things You Need to Know About Thread Milling Challenging Aerospace Materials,” thread milling requires precision and the right tools, especially when dealing with difficult aerospace materials like Inconel 718, Haynes 25, and titanium alloys. By focusing on key elements such as tool geometry, coatings, and carbide edges, manufacturers can significantly improve tool life and productivity.
Here are five critical insights to enhance your thread milling operations:
- Left-Hand Helix Flute Design:
For greater stability and performance, use thread mills with a left-hand helix design and a clockwise spindle rotation. This combination creates a climb milling effect that improves tool life and enhances the stability of the interrupted cutting process. - Three-Tooth Pitch Design:
Thread mills with a three-tooth pitch design simultaneously rough and finish the threads. The first cutting tooth removes most of the material, while the subsequent teeth refine the threads. This design is highly effective in increasing tool life when cutting tough, wear-prone aerospace materials. - Carbide Cutting Edges:
Carbide cutting edges are essential for machining superalloys, as they extend tool life and reduce cycle times. By distributing the load across three cutting teeth, carbide tools experience slower wear, minimizing the need for operator intervention and improving machine uptime. - Multi-Function Tools:
Opt for versatile thread mills capable of handling through or blind holes, STI threads, and different tolerances by adjusting programming instructions. High-performance tools like Emuge-Franken ZGF-S-Cut thread mills come equipped with internal coolant supply to optimize performance and precision. - Tool Coating and Rigidity:
Proprietary coatings such as TiAlN-T46 help protect the cutting edge from heat during machining. These coatings, combined with rigid tool holders and optimized geometry, provide stability, efficient chip evacuation, and secure high feed rates, even when machining high-temperature alloys used in jet engine components.
By implementing these strategies, manufacturers can achieve exceptional thread milling performance and tackle even the most challenging aerospace materials with precision and efficiency.
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Article with all rights reserved, courtesy of Aerospace Manufacturing and Design.