O/T What is High Speed Machining

[pip]

I would like to hear from some profesionalls, how they would define HSM. I have just been to a one day seminar, by Seco, and was pleased to hear that, for once, my definition was right. The Swiss do not like being wrong. Some stated it was all to do with RPM.

 

P.S. I am not after prooving anybody wrong, or after a fight. I would just like to hear from other people.

 

Thanks

[Lucky]

HSM usually refers to a milling technique involving high RPMs, shallow depth of cut, small stepovers and very high feedrates. The best results are obtained with cutting tools designed for HSM with proper coatings. The machine tool must be very rigid with high mass stationary components and low mass moving components permitting high acceleration characteristics. It is a technique particularly well suited for machining hardened tool steels with fine finishes and small detail.

 

We are using our Mikron HSM to cut hardened steels (M2, D2, A2, H13, 420SS, etc.) and graphite. The largest cutter we use is 1/2" dia. and have successfully cut 60Rc M2 with 0.010" cutters. RPM varies from 15k when roughing with the 1/2" cutter to 42k when using tools 1/16" and under.

 

These methods work well for us given the type of work we do and capabilities of our machine tool. Other materials cut on a different machine will require a modified approach to HSM. The book on HSM is still being written!

[Müřlıń®]

I'm in no way an expert on HSM.

 

But I read somewhere that one of the reasons to take fast small passes, is to have the heat that is generated by a cut to be dispersed in the chip, instead of absorbing it in the cutter.

 

By doing this, the small cutters used will last longer.

 

Murlin

[Jimmy Wakeford from Barefoot CNC]

Pip,

Maybe the guys you were talking to were thinking of "High Feed" machining. High feed is great with machines with lower rpms say 8000 for material removal. You can reduce the roughing cycle times a great deal (50- 80%!). ON the same machine you are still restricted on your finishing passes because of the low rpm and machine accel/deccel.

 

Keith,

Did Katie call you about the HSM/HFM seminar coming up WEDS in Morganton? There is a tooling guy and a coating guy coming in to talk about tooling for both. When they get done then I'm going to show the different paths/stratagies in MC. If You come I'll let you do that! Just Kidding, but would love to have you come out.

 

Jimmy

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

HSM is not just about Speeds/Feeds. It is an entirely different approach to machining and techniques are evolving every day.

 

What may be HSM for Inconel/Waspalloy? etc... may not be HSM for say H13. There are lots of factors to consider.

 

Generally High Speed Machines have Linear Ways as opposed to Box Ways. They don't need the same amount of Vibration Dampening because they are not taking heavy cuts with large tools.

 

JST2C

[Jammer™]

Accuracy, feed, cutting speed, block rate, and chip generation.....All related to HSM.