TITANIUM TI-6AL4V Speeds and feeds

[FTI2007]

I have a part coming up that is Titanium TI-6AL4V. I have 10 parts to make and I have never worked much with this stuff. I will be just using Basic Garr carbide endmills. Pretty basic part with a 1/2 hole and a couple .375 slots that are 1.5" deep. along with some contouring. I am mainly looking for a starting point for sfm and chip loads and depth of cuts for the slots and for the drill. Any tips would be great also. Thanks

[mkd]

for 6al4v you want to stay under 200 SFM, especially for only 10 parts.

chip load based on angular engagement/stepover.

for drilling; ingersoll's J05 grade worked very well a decade ago, but not sure if it is still available.

 

for the 3/8 slots go with Hanita Varimill. seriously.

[EX-wccprogrammer]

^^^ Hanita has a Varimill designed specifically for titanium. Other manufacturers probably do also, but I have used Hanita.

[Mic6]

+100 for the Varimills. Are they Widia now? Either way, I had a 1/2 incher leftover from roughing Ti pockets and still used it to rough 17-4 a few months later. I think I still have it my box for the next job

[mkd]

+100 for the Varimills. Are they Widia now? Either way, I had a 1/2 incher leftover from roughing Ti pockets and still used it to rough 17-4 a few months later. I think I still have it my box for the next job

reconfigured a 12 hr cycle into a 3 hr cycle. Varimills had chips flying like popcorn

[FTI2007]

Thanks guys for the help but it appears we lost the job becasue the customer did not like the quote management gave them to do the job. oh well..

[K2csq7]

Sorry you lost the job, but Supermill (primary cutter in berlin, ct) has a new tool designed for Ti. We just had our open house last week and one of our demo parts was Ti. We roughed at 60 IPM and 400 SFM, finished at 500SFM. The tool lasted for just under 2 hrs cut time.....

Not kidding.

[mkd]

I've never got satisfactory results running 400+SFPM. I've blown $400 cutters in 10minutes

not a good way to win popularity contests in small shops.

not that it can't be done, heck people post that on youtube.

[K2csq7]

Sorry MKD.

We did it on a brand new HCN 6800 with the hard milling package..... over 1000 ft/lbs. of torque.....

I am spoiled....

[robk]

I will vouch for Supermill. Haven't tried them @ 400sfm in Ti yet, but we are running them @ 330sfm.

[Joe788]

Sorry you lost the job, but Supermill (primary cutter in berlin, ct) has a new tool designed for Ti. We just had our open house last week and one of our demo parts was Ti. We roughed at 60 IPM and 400 SFM, finished at 500SFM. The tool lasted for just under 2 hrs cut time.....

Not kidding.

 

Keith, what were the rest of the cutting parameters? Tool dia, stepover, doc, coolant/no coolant, etc?

[mkd]

Sorry MKD.

We did it on a brand new HCN 6800 with the hard milling package..... over 1000 ft/lbs. of torque.....

I am spoiled....

no apology needed, i was just stating my lack success/ knowledge on getting it done at these lofty speeds. everybody has something to learn.

I/ We should be interested to know your exact operating parameters along with actual tool wear, so that we can make an informed value judgment on how that would fit in our shops. please, and thank you.

edit: maybe a good entry into Mr Rizzo's spreadsheet?

[K2csq7]

It was a 3/4" diameter tool, about .090 stepover and .900 DOC.

Coolant = yes

I will add it along with our high feed demo results.....

(.5" supermill "TOMCAT" .95" DOC, .075 stepover, 192IPM 6200RPM in 1018) 13.68 cubic inches per min.

[The Cathedral]

Reviving an old thread here. I have a possible titanium project on the horizon, and I have almost zero experience with the material. I have access to plenty of sweet endmills, but what I'm interested in is the holder itself. What is the best way to hold the tool without heat shrink? I wish we could heat shrink (been an ongoing battle to get into that for years.) I like to use my milling chuck holders for precise machining, but I'm worried about pull-out. Any suggestions?

[EX-wccprogrammer]

I have used conventional holders and mill chucks with no problem.

[Rstewart]

A GOOD conventional side lock will do just fine, and you won't have to worry about pull-out.

[THEE THAINZ™]

I use Technks standard set screw tool holder with coolblast (thru spindle capable) . I also put a whistlers notch on the endmill to help prevent pull out. 

[The Cathedral]

I use Technks standard set screw tool holder with coolblast (thru spindle capable) . I also put a whistlers notch on the endmill to help prevent pull out. 

 

Cool. We just bought a whole new set of those so they are fresh and undamaged. I will use those.

 

Thanks, everyone.

[robk]

We use a lot of different systems and brands here and we mainly machine lots of HRSA that are very large. I am lazy in my older years so I usually get brands that have access to their CAD models in order to save me some work modeling them in vericut. Rego Fix is a system we are testing now and it seems to be working fine, but shrink fit is still my choice.

[K2csq7]

3/8" 7 flute supermill in Ti. 

 

400sfm

.05" stepover

1" DOC

83 IPM

 

Pulled out of a sandvik corochuck 930. 

Then I realized they make a HD series for the 930.... It stayed in that one. 

And before I got my hands on the corochuck, I was holding it with an ER32 (which also performed fine). 

 

Refofix is excellent, but if you are doing heavy milling you want the secure grip... 

 

set screw holders pretty much always result in some run-out... if you can't get your runout less than a tenth or 2, you will never reach the full potential of the tool....

[Edward court]

FTI2007,

Have No fear, difficulty is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to milling titanium 6.4.

 

I couldn’t say how many times as a floor machinist and as programmer I have cut Ti6 with nothing more than the usual things most shops have; quality setup guy and button pusher, 50 taper, rigid setup, shrink fit holders, good roughing and carbide tools. I could have added programming, surface speed and so on, but you know all that already.

For about a year I have been roughing with HHS Niagara Wavecut cutters, Yes I typed HHS.  The 1.5 and .75 dia kick butt at removing Ti matl. Also, program to stay in contact with that matl as much as possible. Interrupted cutting will cost you if your not using the right tools. I like to use the least expensive End mills to get the best cut and finish. Its done like that everyday.

Keep coolant away from your insert!

 

 

[K2csq7]

^^^^ I know you typed it twice, so I doubt you meant HSS. 

What is HHS?

[The Cathedral]

Hip Hop Steel. You might have 99 problems, but burning up your cutter ain't one.