Kennametal 6 flute ceramic endmill in Inconel 625?

[[email protected]]

So I am sure we have all seen the Titans of CNC video or seen it first hand perhaps. I'm talking about the glowing orange chips flying off while high speed machining the outside of a cylinder. Particularly an Inconel cylinder with ceramic tooling. So are the numbers in those video to be trusted and used for production? I am assuming not considering they were probably just going insanely fast for entertainment and awe factor. What SFM, chipload and radial stepover do you guys recommend? I have a Kennametal KenCut™ HT EADE Radiused  6 Flute Ceramic endmill coming it's 3/8 diameter with .281 LOC. I am going to be roughing the back side of an Aerospace cover that will be mounted to an aluminum fixture block held inside a v562 5th axis vise. It's being held with 6 Brass(not my idea on mtrl) #10 fine thread screws and banking on three .125 dwl pins. along with support from the fixture throughout the ID radius of the cover...Anyway please let me know this is my first time with a ceramic cutter.

[crazy^millman]

Have their tooling representative come in and work directly with you.

[CEMENTHEAD]

36 minutes ago, crazy^millman said:

Have their tooling representative come in and work directly with you.

true,  They will be happy to explode one of their endmills for you. (the old blow it up then back it off 10% trick)

[GoetzInd]

Solid ceramic end mills rarely make economic sense in HRA's IMO. Most tooling companies won't even supply them on test since they understand this. Indexable is a different story. Also, the unpredictability of tool life with solid ceramics is a big drawback. Slow but consistent carbide milling usually ends up being more economical. At least we've found it is.  

Mike 

[crazy^millman]

33 minutes ago, CEMENTHEAD said:

true,  They will be happy to explode one of their endmills for you. (the old blow it up then back it off 10% trick)

Well I have always made any tool representative working with me know I will do what they ask, but if it tears up using their speeds and feeds then I am not paying for the tool! 6-8 minutes would be the window I have seen for these types of tools what do they recommend? They have data on cutting this material so what it is? Turning with it is proving for one customer the way to meet the time required with a 200% increase in tooling costs. They have high delivery demands with short delivery times so they had no problem spending the increased amount because of it. With these tools 80/20 is the rule unless the process allows me a inspection point every 30 seconds into the cutting process. I will stop at 80% of the tool life of a tool when using it if the 20% longer could result in damaging the part, holder or machine. If I have away to check things up to 100% of the tool life then I have no problem burning up a tool, but normally I am not making a $2 part where that is an okay practice.

[[email protected]]

Thanks everyone.... yes the part's worth $20k I only have one piece of Inconel and my setup guy didn't even finish running the aluminum setup on the 1st op. I am planning on using the ceramic cutter just to rough some of the dovetailed excess stock off in the beginning of OP2. I think my company wants to see it make sparks and glowing chips like in the Titans video cause they want to use it for promotional stuff....Not really the time for it, on a 1 off 20k part but you know got to keep the higher ups happy!

[crazy^millman]

1 hour ago, [email protected] said:

Thanks everyone.... yes the part's worth $20k I only have one piece of Inconel and my setup guy didn't even finish running the aluminum setup on the 1st op. I am planning on using the ceramic cutter just to rough some of the dovetailed excess stock off in the beginning of OP2. I think my company wants to see it make sparks and glowing chips like in the Titans video cause they want to use it for promotional stuff....Not really the time for it, on a 1 off 20k part but you know got to keep the higher ups happy!

Safe strategy and yes it will send glowing chips ever where real quick. I was dry cutting some SS years ago in a shop. It started throwing red chips out of the machine and the owner was running for the fire extinguisher.  I couldn't help laughing assuring him I was not going to burn his machine to the ground.