High Speed Steel tools

[Bruce Caulley]

I am doing a bit of a survey for my boss. Is anyone still using HSS tools for general machining. If so, what materials are you cutting?

 

The reason I ask is that I keep hearing that HSS is still commonly used when cutting titanium alloys. I understand the fact that you can keep a hss tool sharper than carbide, but surely that isn't a good enough reason to stay with it.

 

Bruce

[M. Anderson]

Bruce,

 

I do use HSS tools sometimes!

 

Plastics - UHMW, derlin, rubber, etc.. and also on some SS parts I will use a M42 Colbalt cutter.

 

Seldom, but sometimes will use a HSS or Cobalt roughing EM. But that's about it!

 

Indexable carbide or solid carbide (finishing) for most everything.

 

HTH

 

Mark

[?Mark]

quote:

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If so, what materials are you cutting?

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Air

 

Seriously though, never use HSS unless in a bind or need a special for a short run job

 

 

Mark

[Matthew]

I use mostly carbide. I will use HSS on occasion if I'm cutting softer materials (as mentioned above). I will also use them if it's a special cutter (as above also!). For example, I needed a 4 degree end mill to cut 24 parts. Solid carbide lists at $152 and HSS lists at $46. For this one job, I'm sure the HSS will work fine.

 

My 2cents.

[mcpgmr]

Use HSS all the time as well as solid and indexable carbide.Currently using HSS rough e.m.'s on 4130 Heat treated to 30-32 RC. Use M42 Cobalt on a regular basis too. At a previous job we used HSS to turn Inconel 939 when we ran out of Iscar IC328 inserts and I couldn't believe how long it held up. When you keep the heat down and optimise your D.O.C. you can get away with it for a little while. HTH !

[Jean-Simon]

We mainly cut aluminium ans use HSS (Minicut) but after doing a good research on titanium (alpha and beta alloys) HSS cobalt seems to still be a very good choice for roughing (surprisely) since that if you heat titanium over 400 degrees, microcracks can appear on surface + chemical reaction between some coatings and Ti. My .02

 

Simon

[Guest]

We use HSS on our bridgeports and manual lathes but unless it is some specialty cutter we didn't have time to have made in carbide, we use little in any on our CNC's.

[john_070]

sometimes i use hss drills.

[Kelly Burns]

Carbide X-Powers all the way. I can predict to leave my stock, at -.0005, and they actually cut to what you want them to cut too.

Aluminum, delrin, UHMW, 4140, A2, D2.

[tddglnbry]

Hi speed steel whats that? Seriously though I use drills. Thats it. Carbide is a wonderful thing.

[mkd]

hey mcpgmr,

what made you choose HSS for 4130? I've cut 4340 heat treated to about 38 Rc at 400 sfpm and .003 ipt with ingersoll inserts on a 40 taper machine. noisy but effective.

I have found HSS can be an easy fix if your setup has rigidity issues which are causing carbide chipping.

Also, HSS can beat the pants off expensive insert or solid carbide while cutting super alloys like Ti or slainless. esecially if you have alot of hogging to where you can bury the tool. engineering is 50% economics. so a 45 dollar 1-1/4 EM that can be re-ground 10 times is still an viable solution in 2005.

Yes no?

[Chris Rizzo]

quote:

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so a 45 dollar 1-1/4 EM that can be re-ground 10 times is still an viable solution in 2005

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as long as you figure into that the time and cost of regriding

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

A few drills, taps and spot drills. Absolutely ZERO endmills. HSS is pretty much a cycle time killer IMHO. With Ti and other Super Alloys, you're better off with Cermet (Ceramic/Metallic) if you want to make your stuff in a reasonable amount of time and in a profitable manner. Case in Point, I switched from a HSS tool, 1 IPM @ 45 SPM to 10 IPM @ 475 SPM. Sure the tools was 4x the cost, but it goes 10x as fast and will last 100x longer. Do the math, HSS generally does not add up. JM2C