Helix bore tooling question

[Greg_J]

I'm looking to helix bore a hole 16 inches deep and between 4 inches to 7 inches in diameter. Do you guys have any tooling preferences or a tooling system that you use? If so please tell and post a link if you can.

 

On another machine I use to run we would use a bolt on holder and we could mill 48 inches deep but the machine I'm on doesn't have a bolt hole pattern on the spindle, this machine has a 50 taper.

 

I'm also looking for a broaching tool to go that deep as well, any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Dave Ball]

I used a SECO 2.5 Dia Highfeed mill to helical bore a 4.5 Dia, 14 inches deep in two places per part. ONE edge of the insert was good enough for BOTH bores. Chip evacuation is important but flood coolant on our horizontal was enough to get the job done. This was a production job on 30 pieces and it worked beautifully however it sounded like all H&11. I will try to find the specific insert I used.

[Greg_J]

Sounds good Dave.

 

In the past we would buy or make an extension to fit in to a 2" holder. We would get a 3 flute 2" weld-on tool that had a 1.25 shank and as long as the extension was that was how deep we could go. When we go real deep we went to bolt on holder.

 

Looks like the SECO site is down.

[Dave Ball]

Im no longer with the company where I did this at and I cant find the exact specs, but just select the carbide grade for your material and use an MD11 chipbreaker

[Goldorak]

i run iscar feedmill 2.0 dia up to 10in deep without any problem in 4340 HT

 

1200 rpm 250IPM and .025 ramp

 

i use air only , no coolant

[Greg_J]

Thanks Martin.

 

I few things I know that make a sucessful deep helix bore are the tip radius needs to be small not a button cutter but more like a high feed cutter. Second little carbide contact something with 3 or 4 flutes is better then 6 or 7. Thirdly chip evacuation through the tool air is best but the chips need to get out of the pocket or bad things can happen.

 

I hoped some tooling mfg company would have a modular system for such an application.

[bob flat]

look in mc helix bore toolpath help. it recomends a dapra, felix tool.