Tool optimisation leads to £17,000 saving in Milling application
Helix Tools worked with its customer in the oil and gas sector to improve tool life and metal removal rates in a milling application. Demonstrating its holistic approach, further improvements were also made in work holding.
The challenge
Working with Inconel 718, a high-strength, corrosion-resistant nickel chromium material the customer’s set up was a standard milling cutter which only lasted two passes of the material at a slow material removal rate of 0.15cm2/min.
The solution
Helix Tools’ application engineer designed a 30-degree special angle milling cutter with an extra tooth and a pocket capable of using the latest technology inserts. This achieved the added benefit of being able to use more optimum carbide grades at a material removal rate of 0.61 cm2/min – four times faster.
The result
The previous method needed two cuts but with the specially designed angle milling cutter the new process needed only one, improving tool life and process time by more than 50%. As part of the benchmarking process the work holding was also reviewed. This was subsequently changed from an angle plate to a hydraulic vice. This change resulted in the number of component loads reducing from four to two, with handling time and process time reducing also. While a modest annual carbide saving was achieved the real value was a £1700 saving in the annual batch cost which was then repeated across ten other similar components. This project amounted to an annual saving of £17,000 for the customer, giving an immediate payback.
