www.iscar.com

Sept 2017Table of Contents

www.iscar.com

Oil & Gas: Overcoming the Crisis

4

Milling Aluminium Intelligently

14

Competing with the Unbeatable!

20

A Welcome Power Cut

26

ISCAR Whisper - A Quiet Revolution in Anti-Vibration Tools

32

High-Technology Simplicity

38

Paper VS. Electronic44

3

Oil & Gas
Industry
Overcoming the Crisis

Following a long period of elevated activity
driven by high prices, the global oil & gas
industry recently experienced a time ofextreme change.
The changes in economic growth, combinedwith OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum
Exporting Countries)'s decision at the end of2014 not to reduce production, ultimately led
to a drastic drop in the price of oil a year
later - to under US$40 per barrel.
The effects on oil and gas producers weredramatic and many existing projects began to4

make little or no economic sense. Countlesscompanies reduced their expenditure in orderto help maintain profitability and assist in curtailinglosses. Many major projects were cancelledor postponed and proposed mergers andacquisitions in the oil & gas industry collapsed
as sellers and buyers were unable to settle ona mutual agreement.
While oil prices have risen again, many in theindustrial world have been confronted with an
indisputable agenda: to lower production costs
while improving efficiency and all on a huge scale.

PipesRock Bits

Coupling Sleeves

In response to the need for reducing machinedpart costs as an essential part of overall
production cost economization, ISCAR
developed a new generation of advanced
cutting tools to optimize manufacturing
processes and reduce cycle times, withoutcompromising on quality or durability.
These tools may appear to be more expensive,
but they deliver significant savings. Althoughcutting tools represent only 2-4% of total
production costs, they have a massive effecton the overall efficiency of a process.
The use of today’s minimally more expensive,
innovative tools that deliver longer life, ensure
faster cycle times and guarantee the continued
quality of machined parts, makes solid
economic sense.
The application of increased cutting speeds,
in addition to the use of custom solutions(combination tools) that enable multiple steps
to be combined into one, results in significantly
reduced cycle times.

5

Decreased machine, labor andadministrative costs deliver total costsavings as well as the benefit of improved
lead times. The result - added capacity
and improved productivity!
ISCAR offers a range of innovative toolingsolutions that are designed to simplify
production, reduce costs and maximize
productivity. Solutions with leading SUMOTEC
Grade products provide improved tool life andenhanced reliability across a range of different
materials. In addition to a comprehensive
collection of cutting tools, ISCAR also provides
superior technical support to all users.

Machining Solutions
for Oil Country Tubular Goods
Tubing, Casing, Coupling, Line Pipes,
Drill Pipes and Rotary Drill Bits
The aggressive conditions encountered in the oil& gas industries necessitate the use of the mostappropriate high-quality materials; as a result
these challenging materials require the use of
the best available cutting tools.
Innovative system solutions by ISCAR include
tools for pipe end machining seamlessly
hot-rolled or welded steel pipes, for turning,
peeling the cone, seal seat machining andthread connections.
The SUMOTEC grade technology offers a newlevel of toughness and wear resistance for a wide
range of applications and greater performance.

6Parting Tubes and Rings
Tailor-made tooling combined with therevolutionary TANG-GRIP system, an extremely
rigid clamping arrangement that ensures thehighest levels of stability along with excellent chip
control in most of materials, enables machining
at high feed rates and provides excellent
straightness and surface finish characteristics.
Included is a wide range of engineered holders
and blades for parting tubes.
Turning and Threading
External and internal rough turning operations
require a high quality surface and consistent
results. DOVE IQ TURN and HELITURN TG
is a heavy duty ISCAR range of turning inserts
ideal for high feed and rough turning operations,providing the benefits of a high depth of cut
and high feed rates.

Multifunction tools for turning and threading
operations are accurate indexing tools fora wide range of tubing and casing
applications to reduce cycle
time and increase productivity.
This product range provides tool solutions forhigh-performance thread cutting machines
for API and premium threaded tubing andcasing connections.
• Wide solution for API and premium threading• High precision engineered tooling• Optimized grade and geometry range
for different materials

7

Multi-Tooth Threading Inserts and Chasers
Multi-tooth inserts are specially designed forhigh-volume production. Less passes are needed
to cut the required thread and the cycle time issubstantially decreased. ISCAR offers a wide
range of threading inserts and chasers for the oil &gas industry, dedicated for the most common API
standard threads and premium profiles.

MILLTHREAD

External and Internal Skivingof Welded Seam
ISCAR’s scarfing solutions consist of both external
and internal tools, in addition to the comprehensive
range of indexable scarfing inserts for finishing
operations of the welded joint.
Rock Drill Bits
Drill bits are cutting tools used to remove
material through a cutting action provided bycones which have either steel teeth or tungsten
carbide bit inserts.
The SUMOCHAM Chamdrill Line comprises
a revolutionary clamping system that delivers
improvements in productivity, while enabling
more insert indexes. ISCAR offers tailor-madeinserts with the appropriate point angle, cornerradius and accuracy.

SUMOCHAM9

10

Wellheads
X-MAS Tree

Frac Pump

Pressure
Valve

Machining Solutions for Wellheads,
Valves and Frac Pumps
Wellhead and Subsea Equipment
Complex and highly engineered materials havebecome a standard demand for wellhead andsubsea components.
Valves, Pumps and Connectors
Valves, pumps and connectors arefundamental components in pressure control
systems, operating under aggressive
conditions on both surface and subsea
operations. The high strength of stainlesssteels, duplex and super duplex alloys
with their high mechanical strength, andother exotic materials have long been afocus for ISCAR.
In order to meet current and foreseeable
challenges, ISCAR offers a range ofadvanced tooling solutions, suitable
for machining exotic materials that canwithstand deep-water hostile environments.
This new generation of tools is an essential
solution for productivity improvement intoday’s oil & gas industry.

11

The SUMOGUN is the only gundrill in the market
with an indexable drilling head. It features two
effective cutting edges, enabling the drilling ofdeep holes at much higher feed rates comparedto most other gundrills.
For large diameter drilling applications, theCOMBICHAM drilling system is the ideal solution
to boost productivity and efficiency in oil & gas
deep drilling applications.
COMBICHAM

Hole Making
ISCAR’s comprehensive hole making range
provides all the tools and technology neededfor oil & gas component manufacturing. In thisarea, the key is to achieve the correct balance
between the cutting edge, grade and geometry
and the material being machined. ISCAR offers
a complete package of hole making solutions forvarious machining challenges with a wide rangeof drilling tools including solid carbide drills andindexable inserts that meet all of the demands ofaccuracy and performance.
The CHAMIQDRILL features a uniquedesign, utilizing the flexibility of carbide forself-locking and eliminating the need for clamping
accessories. The robust structure of the drill
with its concave cutting edge design enables
drilling at high feed rates, providing very
accurate adherence to tolerance.

MULTI-MASTER

MillingInnovation has always been an essential partof ISCAR’s milling range. All areas of oil &gas component machining can benefit fromour knowledge. Cutters for face milling, helicalinterpolation, slotting, shouldering, plunge
milling, high speed machining and many more
solutions are available, along with the advice
needed for their successful application.
Thread Milling
Solid thread milling cutters are available inaddition to thread milling indexable inserts fordifferent thread profiles, providing a flexible andefficient approach for high-quality threaded holes.
This approach enables the production of precision
threads, eliminates the problem of broken taps,
reduces cutting forces and delivers shorter cycle
times and increased productivity.

CHAM-IQ-DRILL

12

Solid Carbide End Mills - CHATTERFREE
ISCAR's "all-in-one" solid EFP carbide cutter
is based on the most advanced machining
technology, with its high-tech design providing agreat advantage when cavity milling. A winningcombination of ISCAR's three most innovative
endmills, its unique cutting edge geometry
ensures high stability performance during cutting
and the delivery of higher feed rates, even withlong tooling overhang. These unique features
enable high metal removal rates when machining
pockets and cavities in high-temperature alloys.
As a result, the cutter delivers a significant
reduction in cycle time, increasing productivity.

Customized Tooling
ISCAR designed its standard product range tocover all of the most common applications. In
addition, ISCAR applies its extensive knowledge
to develop and produce the best solutions
for customers’ processes not covered bystandard products.
The oil and gas market continues to faces many
challenges and ISCAR believes that effective
customer collaboration plays an important rolein helping the industry meet these challenges
by 'thinking outside the box' to address theserequirements and take productivity to the next level.

increasing
productivity
reducingtime

13Milling aluminum appears to be aremarkably easy process. Often, people notdirectly involved in machining aluminum
believe that it’s enough to take a balanced,
sharp, polished tool rotate it at a maximal
speed and set at medium feed - and thematerial will cut like butter.

In comparison with machining steel, aluminumand its alloys require much less cutting force,and therefore the cutting edge of a milling tool
experiences relatively low mechanical loading.
Aluminum exhibits high thermal conductivity andthe chips produced when machining aluminumtransfer high levels of generated heat, resulting
in significantly reduced thermal loading of the
cutting edge. Due to these properties, milling
aluminum is characterized by extremely highcutting speeds and feeds. However, thisdoes not guarantee that milling aluminum isquite so simple.
The material characteristics of aluminum resultin the formation of built-up edge (BUE) whenmachined. This unwelcome phenomenon
increases the mechanical load on the cuttingedge, making efficient chip flow more difficult toachieve, affecting the balance of rotating tools
and causing the entire machining process tobe less efficient.
The evacuation of aluminum chips may also beaffected by using the wrong kind of cutting tool.
If the volume of a tool’s chip gullet (flute) is not
sufficient, the long chips during aluminum milling
will clog the tool. Overcoming this obstacle
demands the use of a tool with less teeth or14

reducing the applied cutting data; actions thatnegatively impact productivity.
From a machinability point of view, aluminum is
not a material that is uniform. Alloying elements(in particular, silicon), material type (wrought,cast) and treatment methods all affect cutting
properties. Other factors such as the shape ofa machine part, workholding conditions andoperational requirements (accuracy, roughness,etc.) add their own limitations and must be
considered when choosing machining strategies
and selecting a tool.
Machining aluminum in general and milling
aluminum in particular are often not the simple
tasks they appear to be. Tool manufacturers
need to take the specific features of milling

aluminum into consideration when developing
cutters. A key to success is the correct
combination of cutting geometry, tool material
and tool treatment, in addition to the options
for delivery. When considering applications formilling aluminum, large aircraft components,
such as wing elements, door or window frames,
etc. come to mind. Generally, these parts areproduced from whole blocks, often weighing
several tons, and it is often necessary to remove
up to 80-85% of the block weight to produce
the final required shape of a component. In
contrast, in the global automotive industry,
which is also a massive consumer of aluminum,
has introduced various hard cast aluminum
grades to their components. The increased
abrasiveness of these parts negatively
affects tool wear.

A key to success is the correct
combination of cutting geometry,
tool material and tool treatment

15

16

ISCAR has developed an entire comprehensive
range of indexable milling cutters, designed
specifically for the efficient machining ofaluminum. Each family of these high-quality
cutters features integral or lightweight bodydesigns, unique principles of carbide insert
clamping, structures with adjustable cartridges,
various ground and polished inserts with different
corner radii and,most popular in aluminum machining, insertswith polycrystalline diamond (PCD) tips. The
vast majority of the cutters have inner channels
for coolant supply through the body. The
ISCAR HELIALU line of indexable milling tools
enables efficient high speed machining (HSM) of
aluminum, ensuring powerful metal removal rates(MRR), high accuracy and excellent surface finish
characteristics - all of the qualities demanded by
the world’s producers of aluminum components.

17

evacuation abilities, allowing considerablyincreased productivity. The serrated edgethat chops the chips also enhances vibration
resistance and, together with the relieved neck of
the endmill, contributes to stable cutting underhigh tool overhang conditions.

Metalworking industries produce large and small
aluminum parts, and in many cases require
milling cutters with more modest dimensions.
The size of these tools is not suitable for indexable
inserts and solid carbide tools have distinct
advantages. Moreover, the high accuracy ofsolid carbide endmills renders them beyond
comparison when used in precision finishingof larger components. ISCAR remains heavily
involved in the design and development ofadvanced solid carbide tools for the milling ofaluminum. Recent progressive additions to thiscomprehensive range have further increased theirvalue to users throughout the industrial world.
ISCAR’s ECR-B3-R-C family of 3-flute, solid
carbide endmills are designed for roughmachining at high MRR. The innovative
endmills have serrated cutting edges that divide
wide chips into narrow chips that are easily
evacuated. Inner coolant channels directedto each cutting edge enables the delivery ofuninterrupted coolant flow to the cutting zone.
These two design features, in combination
with polished flutes, significantly improve chip18

Why does the ECR-B3-R-C family have 3 flutes
and no more? In milling aluminum, chatterand unwelcome vibrations that are generated
during the cutting process are a factor ofprimary importance. Various researches andmetalworking practice show that a 3 flute
configuration is the optimal design for 90° solid
carbide endmills for machining aluminum. In
high-efficiency milling, this arrangement ensures
a flute volume that is necessary for chip flow
while not increasing chatter. The majority of theendmills for use on aluminum are based on thisapproach and ISCAR’s ECR-B3-R-C
is no exception.
CHATTERFREEAt the same time, the desire to increase theproductivity of endmills led to the launch of an
innovative 4 flute ISCAR design. CHATTERFREE
ECA-H4…CF is a family of endmills that provides
an extra flute to help increase MRR for bothroughing and finishing operations. Although a
4 flute structure, these endmills have impressive
vibration dampening abilities due to the inclusionof a non-equal flute helix and the variable angularpitch of its teeth. Also, ISCAR’s tool designers
succeeded in creating a core diameter and thecross-section area of a flute similar to the alreadyexisting 3 flute endmills of the same diameterfrom the ECA-H3 family.

The MULTI-MASTER family of assembled tools,
comprising shanks of different configurations
and a great variety of replaceable cutting heads,
is ideal for milling aluminum, especially inapplications requiring the high overhang of a tool.
Long-reach solid carbide endmills are produced
from expensive carbide rods of considerable
overall length. Despite the small fluted part ofan endmill being directly involved in cutting,after tool wear or a sudden breakage, the wholeexpensive rod needs to be thrown away. This isa serious economic disadvantage. In contrast, insuch cases, MULTI-MASTER users only need toreplace the cutting head.

The die & mold and aerospace industrial sectors
need small-size milling tools for the precise
machining of 3-D surfaces. A newly introduced
family of solid carbide ball nose endmills
EBA-B2, with polished flutes and a diameter
range of 1-6 mm, is intended precisely for thesekinds of demanding applications. The new family
extends the lower range of the 8 to 25 mm
diameter MULTI-MASTER MM EBA replaceableball nose heads.

Milling aluminum is easy if performed intelligently!
Apply an efficient cutting strategy and use
ISCAR’s correctly chosen milling tools for
successful results.

MULTI-MASTER

19

Competing with theUnbeatable!
Titanium Millingwith ISCAR Tools

20

The remarkable strength-to-weight ratio
and high corrosion resistant properties oftitanium have resulted in the ever growing
use of this important engineering material
in many demanding sectors, not least the
global aerospace industry.
The production of critical structural parts fromtitanium ensures their required performance andreliability whilst significantly reducing component
mass. Although relevant to all users of titanium,
the enhanced strength and reductions in weightthat the material delivers are of particularimportance to the aerospace industry, as theseadvantages improve aircraft performance andincrease fuel economy.

The negative trade-offs produced by the use oftitanium are the many problems encounteredwhen machining this difficult-to-cut material.
When used in metalworking industries, theword “titanium” normally relates not only to puretitanium but also to titanium alloys. There areseveral groups of titanium: commercially puretitanium (unalloyed), α-, β-, α-β- and other alloys.
It is sometimes stated that titanium machinability
is similar to that of austenitic stainless steel. This
proposition is more or less true if it relates tocommercially pure titanium, although it is totallywrong with respect to treated α-β- and especially
β-titanium alloys.

21

Machinability rating depends heavily on the typeof titanium and its treatment. The machinabilityof the widely used annealed titanium TiAl6V4
is approximately 35-40% less than annealed
stainless steel AISI 304. However, if we take themachinability of the aforementioned titanium
grade as 100%, the so-called “triple 5”, titanium
5-5-5-3, a major manufacturing headache formany machine shops, features machinability
characteristics that are twice as difficult.

one-hit production methods. However, thetypically low cutting speeds used in the machiningof titanium severely limit machine tools’ efficiency
potential and results in the cutting tool becoming
the weakest element of the whole technicalproduction system. In short, the cutting tool
determines the productivity boundaries
when machining titanium and, as such, has
become a major factor in the quest for aradical improvement of this situation.

Machine tool manufacturers
continue to introduce innovations
and developments that make thecutting of titanium more effective
Machine tool manufacturers continue tointroduce innovations and developments thatmake the cutting of titanium more effective.
Modern machine tools allow operators to apply
advanced machining strategies and to employ

22

Due to the low thermal conductivity of titanium,
the main problem in cutting this material is thegeneration of heat. Poor heat transfer leads
to considerable thermal loads being directlytransferred to the tools cutting edge.

In addition, titanium’s modulus of elasticity contributes
to vibration during cutting and, as a result, surface
finish and accuracy problems can be encountered(This is less of a problem when machining steel).
Cutting tool producers continue to place a greater
emphasis on developing progressive tools for theefficient machining of titanium. Manufacturing titanium
parts is a process with significant buy-to-fly ratio,
when a large amount of metal needs to be removed.
The eventual weight of a finished titanium part may
be only 10%, or less of the original weight of aworkpiece. Frequently, these parts will have cavities,
pockets and ribs that dictate milling as the main
method for manufacturing. As a consequence, every
new tool that is intended for the milling of titanium
creates intense interest amongst the global technicalcommunity. The latest products from ISCAR, an
acknowledged innovator in the field, always attract
the attention of the world’s manufacturers involved inmachining titanium.
Tool material is of fundamental importance in the
success of cutting tools, especially for use withindexable milling difficult-to-cut aerospace materials,
in particular titanium. Within this challenging field,
ISCAR has developed a new carbide grade IC840.
The word “new” relates to all grade elements: IC840 ischaracterized by a newly cemented carbide substrate
and an innovative hard PVD coating.
The grade substrate is highly resistant to thermal
cracks; the bronze-color, “chocolate”, coating boasts
high oxidation and chipping resistance whilst
an advanced post-coating treatment improves
overall toughness. The advantageous
combination of IC840 provides users withgreat opportunities in milling titanium.
ISCAR believes that the new“chocolate” will definitely suit thetaste of the manufacturer oftitanium components andincrease the performanceof indexable cutters.

23

MILLSHRED P290

Milling titanium usually involves removing
considerable stock. True “workhorses” inthis field are extended flute indexable tools(porcupines) that are intended for the roughcutting of deep pockets, cavities and wide
edges. For these operations, ISCAR has
developed the HELITANG T490, a familyof advanced milling tools with tangentiallyclamped inserts, and also the MILLSHRED
P290, a range of milling tools carrying serrated
inserts that provide an efficient chip splitting(even chip chopping) effect. In addition, thecompany offers HELITANG FIN, a familyof tangential porcupines that was designed
especially for semi-finish milling.

inserts? The deceptively simple, new extended
flute tools feature a well-designed structure
resulting in significantly improved dynamic rigidity
and anti-vibration strength. In addition, radial
insert clamping enables the inclusion of a chipgullet with a generous volume that answers
the requirements of free chip flow when millingat high metal removal rates (MRR). Also, thetools of more popular diameters have internal
channels, which are specially designed formachining with a high-pressure coolant (HPC)
supply. Even these “simple” square inserts arecharacterized by a progressive cutting geometrythat provides effective titanium milling.

EXTENDED FLUTE P290

While HELITANG T490 and MILLSHRED
P290 are intended for productive roughing,and HELITANG FIN for qualitative semifinishing of titanium workpieces, the new
HELIQUAD (real HELIQUAD) extended flute
shell mills provide high-efficiency milling withresulting surface conditions close to semifinish conditions.
Ti-TURBOHELITANG FINHELITANG T490

ISCAR has recently introduced a new groupof extended flute shell mills related to theproven and popular HELIQUAD family. Thesemills carry one-sided square inserts, which areclamped radially. Why has the company, sowell known for its commitment to innovativeadvantageous cutting geometries, equipped
the new mills with “traditional” simple square

24

ISCAR recently introduced the Ti-TURBO familyof solid carbide endmills in a diameter rangeof 6 to 20 mm. The new family was designed
for finishing operations and also for high-speed

machining (HSM) of mainly slots, with the useof the trochoidal technique. Trochoidal millingfeatures a small width and significant depth ofcut, combined with a tool path dictated by atrochoid curve. Under such conditions the tool“slices” metal up at a high rate. The engagement
angle here is small and produced chips are verythin. This results in dramatically decreasing thethermal load on the tool. Ti-TURBO endmills,of unique patent design, have 7 or 9 variableflutes with variable angular pitch (similar to
CHATTERFREE solid carbide tools) that ensurespowerful resistance to vibration. That is why the
new family is considered a true turbo booster in
the area of titanium milling.
ISCAR’s MULTI-MASTER versatile line ofassembled tools with replaceable solid carbide
cutting heads, has been recently enhanced by
the introduction of new, six-flute, fast feed millingheads with central coolant holes.
The ultra-fine grain carbide substrate of theheads protected by the advanced AL-TEC
coating technology, provides outstanding wear
resistance and toughness. The heads are usedin productive high feed milling (HFM), resulting
in significant reductions in the cycle times ofroughing operations.

Over 15,000
Combinationsof Assembled Endmills

Manufacturers of titanium parts are constantly
placing new demands on cutting tool producers.
In order to meet these challenges, cutting tool
producers are forced to think out of the box ona regular basis. ISCAR’s R&D team continues
to cooperate with many of the world’s leading
manufacturers of titanium parts to ensure thatthe company retains its lead within thischallenging sector.

25

A Welcome
Power Cut
The quest for reducing levels of
power consumption in the global
metal cutting sector is not a new trend;
today it has become an essential
technical requirement. Industry’s
greater understanding of its
environmental protection
and sustainability
responsibilities has
ensured the developmentof processes, materials
and machines thatsignificantly reduce
power consumption
during machining
operations.
In addition to ensuring
more efficient machining
strategies when compared totheir heavy-duty predecessors,modern machining centersrequire less power whilst delivering
improved performance capabilities.
Previously, a typical production process
was divided into primary and final cutting tasks
that were performed on two machines. The firstpowerful machine removed most of the stock,
and a more precise procedure was then used toachieve the final required shape and to create thenecessary surface finish. Today, a single processoften achieves these results in half the time. Fastand less load machining results in increased
productivity and consumes less cutting power. In
addition, the reduction of power means that theforces acting on the machine’s main units (spindle,
26

guidelines, etc.) are cut, which improves tool lifeand makes machining much more accurate andpredictable.
Cutting tools have a major role to play inthis area. Total power requirements can bemoderated by the use of advanced new tools
and innovative milling tools offer promising
opportunities in particular.
Leading-edge cutting geometry
When milling, power consumption depends on
several parameters, including workpiece material,
depth and width of cut, cutting speeds and feeds.
A combination of these influences defines thematerial’s resistance to machining, and the total
cutting force generated during the process. Thereis another important factor closely connectedwith these forces – the geometry of the tool being
used; more specifically, the tool rake angles inboth normal and axial directions.
The standard rake significantly affects thetangential cutting force and is the main
determinant of the cutting power required if allother parameters are equal. The axial rake has
an effect on resolving the total cutting forces into
components and acts on the tangential cutting
force as well. With respect to milling cutterscarrying indexable inserts, the rake angles aredefined by the topology of the insert rake face andthe insert positioning in the cutter. The
topology is a key factor in varying rake angles.
In the early nineties, ISCAR introduced the
HELIMILL – a family of milling tools carrying
indexable inserts with a helical cutting edge.

HELIMILL withhelical-shaped cutting edge

The highly effective edge was generated by theintersection of the shaped insert top (rake) face
and the helical insert side (relief) surface. The
design of the HELIMILL tools formed a constantpositive normal rake and a positive axial rake along
all cutting lengths. This feature immediately caused
a significant reduction in power consumption andensured a smooth cut. HELIMILL heralded a new
design approach that is considered today as theacknowledged format in indexable milling, and put
the shaped rake face of an insert into the forefront.

27

Grade Powders

When attempting to increase the rake, a tool
designer seeks to incline the rake face of an insert
more aggressively with respect to its cutting edge.
However, in this area there is a serious limitation inthat this incline weakens the insert’s cutting wedge
and therefore has a negative impact on strength.
The helically-formed edge causes a difference
between the heights, which are measured inadjacent corners of the insert. Producing such
uneven sintered products is not a simple task andits creation requires serious technological efforts.
TRIGON with steeply
inclined rake face28

Today, advances in powder metallurgy provides
many more opportunities for increasing both theinclination of the rake face and the helix angleof the cutting edge, all without loss of strength.
ISCAR’s insert H690 WNMU 0705 is a good
example of a steeply inclined rake face of an insert
with a difference in heights that enables lower
power consumption. The increasing use of theterm “high positive”, when describing modern
milling inserts, emphasizes the dynamic changes
in indexable topology. Such a definition reflects
the current state of the art. As the productionof tools with cemented carbide inserts does notdeplete topology resources, the “high positive“ oftoday could be considered as “normal” tomorrow.
Increased optimization of the topology will lead toan additional reduction in cutting power.

Faster with lower power demand
It is commonly believed that machining at full
capacity is an effective means for improving
productivity. Rough milling deep cavities withthe use of extended flute cutters or face millingby large-sized shell mills at a large axial depthof cut, when stock per pass is considerable, aretypical examples of such an approach. These
operations provide a high metal removal rate(MRR) but are power-intensive, as milling undersuch conditions requires a significant cutting
force and necessitates the utilization of machine
tools with heavy-duty main and low feed drives.
In this case, high efficiency is ensured byremoving material of maximum possible crosssection at low to medium feeds.

extremely high feeds guaranteeing efficient
metal removal. This energy-saving shallow-cut“fast” technology provides a good alternative
to power-consuming deep-cut “slow”
technology. High feed milling (HFM), which canbe successfully realized on modern, light-duty
fast moving machines, has delivered a serious
and sustainable alternative to the traditional yet
power-consuming approach.

At the same time, another rough milling
technique proposes a diametrically opposite
principle: the combination of a rapidly running
tool with a shallow depth of cut. In this case,power consumption drops dramatically with noloss in productivity – the tool works at

In addition, ISCAR has introduced inserts
that, when mounted on general-use indexable
endmills or face mills, turn into HFM tools.
Such a transformation is a way to simply
adjust various cutters from ISCAR’s
standard line for fast feed milling.

HFM (“fast feed”) tools feature specificgeometry. ISCAR offers them in all of thecompany’s milling lines: indexable, solid carbide
and Multi-Master (a family of assembled tools
with replaceable cutting heads produced from
cemented carbides).

29

Alternative machining strategies challenge
deep-rooted techniques
Substantially expanded opportunities formodern machining tools have led to new milling
strategies that, amongst other advantages,
reduce power consumption.

An example is turning heavy-weight parts. When
turning, cutting speeds are traditionally ensured
by rotating a part. If the main drive of a machine
tool is unable to rotate a part of large mass withthe required velocity, the achieved cutting speed
will fall short of the necessary range. Such alimitation causes a loss in performance inturning operations.
Today, advanced multifunctional machining tools
offer an effective solution: turn-milling, a method
combining milling and turning, where a milling tool
cuts a rotating workpiece. The majority of ISCAR
indexable face mills and endmills can be applied
to turn-milling; however, correct tool positioning

30

and the calculation of cutting data require a more
profound understanding of the specificfeatures of this process.
The conventional milling of slots or grooves starts
from the machining of solid material directly
at full tool engagement. Milling with full tool
engagement requires increased cutting forces
and, as a consequence, consumes more power.
A high speed trochoidal milling technique can be
an effective alternative to the common slot milling
strategy. In trochoidal milling, a rapidly rotated toolmachines the slot by arc motion at a significant
depth of cut and very small width of cut. The toolslices thin layers of material with both high speed
and high feed rates.
HELIDO for high speed
trochoidal millingThis method enables a noticeable reductionin power consumption. It is no wonder thattrochoidal milling has been utilized successfullyin manufacturing parts with complicated slots
and grooves, such as blisks (bladed disks), blings(bladed rings), impellers, etc., especially those withrelatively thin walls.
ISCAR has recently introduced Ti-TURBO – afamily of solid carbide endmills ECK H7/9-CFR
that have a unique cutting geometry with 7 or 9
flutes, different helix and a variable angular pitch.
The main application of the new family is trochoidal
milling workpieces, which are made from difficultto-cut titanium grades.
Applying new machining strategies with correctly
chosen milling tools creates new opportunities
for power-saving. Reducing machining power
is one of the necessary conditions of modern
manufacturing. The latest machine tools provide
the metalworking industry with the means
suitable for high performance and energy-efficienttechnology. The sustainable cutting tool not only
cuts metal productively but also cuts power
consumption – a major factor in ISCAR’s success.

TI-TURBO with unique cutting geometry

The sustainable cutting tool
not only cuts
metal productively
but also cuts
power consumption
31

ISCAR Whisper

A Quiet Revolution in
Anti-Vibration Tools

Throughout the world, machinists haveto deal with the presence of problematic
vibrations on a daily basis. To help solvethese difficulties, ISCAR’s Research andDevelopment department has developed
a wide range of anti-vibration tools thatare able to reduce or even eliminate thischallenging phenomenon, across a wide
range of machining disciplines. Today,
ISCAR’s acknowledged expertise in thedesign and development of anti-vibration
tools has been applied to the boring bar.
One of the most common turning applications
is the boring of components, a function also
known as internal turning. The most widespread
tools used for this type of machining operation
are boring bars. Boring bars’ shapes enable
them to operate through previously drilledholes, and to efficiently enlarge and accurately
profile holes according to their specificrequirements. The correct application of aboring bar enables a bore’s internal profile to
be machined according to specification, an
accurate hole diameter to be achieved and therequired surface finish quality to be realized.
In order to cover the complete range ofapplications for internal turning, ISCAR has

developed a comprehensive series of highquality internal boring bars for different insert
geometries, covering all machining applications
from 4xBD to 10xBD.
ISCAR offers three types of boring bars:
solid steel, solid carbide and anti-vibration.
The maximum overhang for solid steel boringbars is up to 4xBD. This limitation is due tothe fact that machining with a longer lengthof steel shank (more than 4xBD) can induce
unwelcome vibrations due to the elasticity andcharacteristics of the steel.
In order to limit the vibration on a higher
overhang of more than 4xBD and up to
6xBD, the use of solid carbide boring bars
is recommended. Solid carbide boring bars
represent an excellent, highly efficient option forboring applications of up to six times the tool’s
machining depth. This capability is attributable tosolid carbide possessing a coefficient of elasticity
that is three times higher than that of steel.
However, when the machining of high overhangsof more than 6xBD is required, even the useof a solid carbide shank can cause vibrations.
Therefore, in these cases the use of solid carbide
can be somewhat limited.

33

Deep turning
Deep turning solutions for machining high depth todiameter internal applications include special antivibration boring bar systems with a ‘live’ vibration
dampening system located inside the tool body.
ISCAR’s innovative WHISPERLINE anti-vibration
boring bars have been designed to significantly
reduce and even totally eliminate vibrations whenworking with a high overhang from 7xBD to
10xBD. Situated inside these ingenious tools isa unique damping mechanism that consists of aheavy mass that is supported by a rubber springelement containing oil to increase the required
dampening effect.
In addition, the system contains other elements
which help to further reduce vibrations. The
reactive damping mechanism comes into action
during machining with high overhang work depths
and acts as an effective counter to vibrations.
The highly effective, anti-vibration damper effect isapplicable for large D.O.C and high feed rates, andensures continuous, efficient machining.
ISCAR’s inspired WHISPERLINE anti-vibration
tools considerably improve machining stability
and enhance insert life. These factors enable

34

meaningful increases in productivity to beachieved, improvements in surface quality onhigh overhangs to be attained, scrap levels to be
reduced and users’ profitability to be enhanced.
WHISPERLINE anti-vibration tools enable thedelivery of internal coolant to be supplied directly
to where it is required - the insert’s cutting edge.
The efficient distribution of coolant increases theinsert’s tool life by reducing temperature and also
improves chip control and chip evacuation.
The WHISPERLINE anti-vibration turning toolline enables the fitting of a wide range of cutting
heads with a range of different insert geometries,
including all ISCAR standard ISO turning inserts fordifferent applications; thus offering great flexibility.
The WHISPERLINE boring bars represent a costeffective, modular system with a wide range ofstandard shanks with diameters of 16, 20, 25, 32,
40, 50 and 60mm. The flexible boring bars areable to carry eight different interchangeable boringheads: CCMT, VCMT, TCMT, DCMT, TNMG, CNMG,
WNMG, TNMG, DNMG, SNMG and VNMG.

Insert geometry
Correct insert geometry is a very important factor
when using anti-vibration boring bars. The mostrecommended insert geometry for successful
anti-vibration use, is a positive geometry insert
with a positive rake angle, as this shape exerts alower tangential cutting force when machining.
Choosing the appropriate nose radius of the insert
is also a vitally important consideration. A lower
nose radius is recommended as this configuration
significantly reduces the cutting forces, due to thelower contact between the insert and workpiece,
which helps to limit and reduce vibration.
A greater nose radius creates much larger radial
and tangential cutting forces that can produce
unwelcome vibrations.

The
WHISPERLINE
boring bars
represent a
cost-effective,
modular systemwith a wide rangeof standard
shanksInserts with the benefit of appropriate chipbreakers are recommended for improved chip
evacuation, as the production of long and curledchips can cause a range of problems whenworking with long overhang tools. In addition
to increasing vibration during machining, longand curled chips are liable to spoil or damage
the surface quality of the workpiece. Highly
recommended ISCAR chip breakers for antivibration tools are the F3P/F3M for finish
machining applications using a small D.O.C.;
and the M3P/M3M, for medium applications.

These highly-efficient chip breakers ensure
excellent chip control and the creation of small
chips which can be evacuated more easily withthe help of the coolant supply.
An additional, very important factor in reducing
vibrations is ensuring the clamping stability of
the anti-vibration boring bar. Secure clamping
helps users to achieve the correct workpiece
dimension, which results in excellent workpiecesurface quantity and assists in avoiding vibrations;clamping length should be 4XBD.
ISCAR’s anti-vibration boring bars join theever-growing ISCAR WHISPERLINE family of
ingenious tools that are designed for anti-vibration
turning and grooving applications. These antivibration turning tools can be referred to as tuned
or damped tools, which provide effective solutions
for the reduction and elimination of vibrations.

M3M

36

Reducing vibrations
ensuresclamping stability

37

High-Technology
Simplicity
A new standard of indexable
inserts: a carefully designed
complex shape for effective
cutting action
Cemented carbide indexable inserts are
an integral part of cutting tools today.
Cemented carbide inserts were introducedin the early '60s and have substantiallychanged tool designs, putting tools withbrazed carbide tips on the back burner.
Mechanical clamping of the indexable
inserts provided significant advantages
in productivity, efficient use of carbide
and tool maintenance.
Advances in technology and metallurgy
have facilitated the development of indexable
inserts that are far more advanced than theirpredecessors, and complicated shapes
which have replaced the simple forms thatcharacterized inserts in the past.
The shape of an insert is a key factor for cutting
geometry of a tool as a whole. For example, whenmilling, geometry variation by means of changing
the position of the insert in the tool is very limited,
and the results are far from optimal.

Effective machining demands constant rake andrelief angles along the cutting edge, which inturn necessitate complicated contours of the topof the insert (and also bottom for double-sided
inserts) and its periphery. A land that strengthens
the cutting edge and a minor edge for better
milling by ramping further increases thedesign's complexity.
The insert must ensure precise control of the flowof chips produced by the cutting action, and so thechip breaker on the rake face adjoining the cuttingedge must be specifically shaped.

This is particularly important for turning,
especially if a machined material produces
long chips; here, the chip breaker controls
the direction of the chip flow so that the chip
overturns and breaks into smaller segments.
Finding the optimal insert shape for efficientcutting and chip control is not a simple task,
and tool manufacturers have leveraged newtechnologies to develop successful solutions.

39

The indexable inserts are sintered products.
Integrating dedicated automated and computer
controlled systems into the tool fabrication
facilities ensured both stability and repeatability
in the powder metallurgy processes. As a result,pressing complicated forms became possible
without fear of cracks, and a technological basefor forming challenging geometries of inserts
was developed.
A surface that ensures satisfactory chip control,
particularly chip breaking, is a combination of
concave and convex elements: grooves, bosses,
etc. Manufacturing this surface by grinding is bothvery limited and expensive. This is one of the main
reasons why the first generations of the indexable
inserts featured flat forms. In contrast, with theuse of powder metallurgy the rake face of an
insert can be configured as desired.
Today, cutting tool design engineers have attheir disposal advanced working tools such as
computer-aided design (CAD) and modeling,which have essentially changed the processof insert development. The new methods haveopened up the possibility of simulating various
processes, such as chip formation and chip
flow. Consequently, an optimal geometry may
be designed on a computer by changing various
parameters of the virtual insert.
Progress on both fronts - manufacturing
technology and design methods - has led toimportant breakthroughs in the production ofindexable inserts.

INSERT FOR STAINLESS STEEL

40

INSERT FOR STEELISCAR’s insert IQ845 SYHU 0704 for face milling
cutters is a good example of how computermodeling and advanced pressing have resulted
in a successful product.
Computer modeling the chip flow has contributed
significantly to optimizing the rake face shape forthe family of ISCAR inserts CNMG-F3M that was
designed especially for the finish turning of ISO M
materials (austenitic, precipitation hardening andduplex stainless steels).
Powder metallurgy is applied to the face of theinsert as well as its cutting edge. For example, theinserts P290 ACKT of the ISCAR MILLSHRED
family possess serrated cutting edges that areused as sintered. The serrated cutting edge
shreds the chip and so greatly improves milling
results in unstable conditions.
The concept of a cutting tool with mechanicallyclamped inserts pushed aside brazed cuttingedge applications once the industry learned
to produce sintered inserts with acceptableaccuracy and dimensional stability. However, for
high-precision cutting, rotating solid carbide andalso brazed tools still retain the lead. A onepiece integral cutter, ground with strict tolerance
limits, always has the advantage in accuracy
in comparison with an assembled tool withinserts. There is a viable indexable alternativethat not only overcomes the lack of accuracy but
improves the tool by making it both versatile andeconomical: an innovative yet simple modular
cutter that can incorporate various replaceable
solid carbide heads.
MILLSHRED Insert

41

ISCAR's tool families target different types ofmachining: R (milling and drilling); T-SLOT (millingslots and grooves); SUMOCHAM, CHAMIQDRILL
and CHAMDRILL (drilling); BAYO T-REAM(reaming). Manufacturing replaceable heads forthe tools is based on technologically-advanced
pressing and sintering processes. There are twokinds of heads. One is a tool of decreased length
usually made of solid carbide, whereas the second
head features a specific pre-sintered shape that isbrought to final dimensions by fine grinding.
Advances in powder metallurgy have influenced thesecond type of head, while technological progresshas succeeded in producing highly specific shapes for
improved cutting action and chip control that are very
difficult or even simply impossible to reach by using
grinding operations.

The growth of modern technology opened thedoor for producing both the indexable inserts
and the replaceable heads from cemented carbide
in diverse shapes. This reflects the outcome ofyears of research and development in the field,
and further illustrates ISCAR's commitment to thedevelopment of machining performance. Essentially,an indexable cutting tool comprises only threecomponents: the tool body, the inserts (the insert)or the head, and a clamping element.
The carefully shaped cutting area of this modern
tool removes material directly despite its small
dimension and uniform structure. ISCAR's
research and development division is committed
to the evolution of smart cutting tool solutions
and technologies to improve production
processes in metal cutting.

42

The growth ofmoderntechnology
opened thedoor forproducing boththe indexable
inserts and thereplaceable
heads from
cemented
carbide43Paper VS.
Electronic
With the launch of the Internet in themid 1990’s, many companies in themetalworking industry discovered thatcatalogs could be adapted for the World
Wide Web. However, they were extremely
expensive to publish in this new format
and the return on investment could not bejustified for that era. Most orders continued
to emanate from those people who usedpaper catalogs. In time, the web catalog
proved to be an ordering mechanism andnot an effective sales medium.
We learned that customers treat ISCAR’s
catalogs much like a magazine: they areinteresting to read and the assimilated information
provides a basis for making intelligent purchasing
decisions. In addition, a new ISCAR catalog
has always provided a good reason to visit acustomer. The catalog can be carried aroundand has a shelf life of days, weeks and evenyears. Many shop floors around the globe do nothave internet capabilities, so the paper catalog
continues to represent a more popular tool for
cutting tool data searches.

device screen. It does not reach out to say ‘readme’, and most people are not even aware when a
new version has arrived.
Over time, catalog users have increased theiruse of the Internet as the data is accessible at
all times. Online catalogs have proved to be amore efficient ordering tool for customers, as the
optimized search option enables finding the rightproducts quickly and easily. Yet browsing catalogs
on the web does not provide the same user
experience as does leafing through a high quality
paper catalog. This is another reason why the
web might not be a great shopping medium for
cutting tools, but is a great ordering medium.
E-commerce platforms promise to induce thedevelopment of ISCAR’s electronic catalog, notonly as a medium for acquiring information but asa platform to increase the company’s sales.

A web catalog on the other hand is a very passive
device that can be read on a computer or mobile

44

paper
electronicOver time, catalog users
have increased their use of
the Internet as the data isaccessible at all times

45E-commerce is gaining
ground quickly and promises
to change methods ofacquiring information

46

ISCAR’s mobile application software or mobile
apps were launched in 2012 to run on mobile
devices such as smartphones and tablets.
Incorporating a similar design to the paper
catalog, the mobile device user interface acts as
an electronic extension of the hard copy version.
The CMS catalog apps are very popular amongusers, showing high download numbers.
From the surveys which we conduct at ISCAR
headquarters, we can summarize that paper
catalogs are here to stay. Of the different ways
to search for information related to ISCAR tools,
about 35% of ISCAR’s customers prefer paper
while 25% of the customers use the electronic
catalog in conjunction with the paper version.

You cannot conduct a successful catalog sales
operation without them. Web catalogs appear to
be viewed primarily as an ordering mechanismand not a sales medium.
E-commerce is gaining ground quickly andpromises to change methods of acquiring
information and ordering when integrated
with the electronic catalog.

25%

35%

47

www.iscar.com

48
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