Extending tool life is a priority for metal cutting companies due to the high cost of tooling and the need to scrap defective parts. In traditional machining, the life of a machine tool was defined by experimentally determined parameters.
Manufacturers may achieve the most return on investment from their tooling while avoiding the negative effects of catastrophic tool failure by monitoring and maximising the life of their tooling.
What is Tool Life?
Tool life is the term used to describe how long a machine tool will be functional. It can be measured by how many high-quality pieces a certain tool can machine. It is time to replace the tool after it has reached the point of wear where the parts it is producing are no longer within specifications.
CNC machining involves the use of genuine tools with real wear, failure, and life. If they are used continuously, all tools will ultimately wear down and stop working. Manufacturers may achieve the most effective use of their machine tools, though, by effectively regulating the tool’s lifespan.
7 Best Practices to Increase Life of Tool
There are numerous elements that determine tool life, even though no tool lasts forever. Here are a few best practices to increase life of tool and shorten tool usage time.
Use Appropriate Speeds and Feeds
The cutting tool travels across the workpiece while it rotates, bores, or cuts at a predetermined cutting speed. Tool life can be considerably extended by using the proper speed and feed parameters. The right settings for speed and feed can increase the tool’s lifespan, while actual cutting time is always a factor.
Apply Cutting Fluid
Due to the metal-on-metal contact during cutting, a lot of heat is produced. Tool life can be increased by using the proper cutting fluid and applying the correct amount of fluid.
Do Not Re-Cut Chips
After cutting, the metal material can be removed from the workpiece using chips. Additionally, they remove extra heat produced during cutting. However, settings must be right to prevent re-cutting chips from increasing flank wear, crater wear, and other sources of tool wear.
Use the Right Tools
It is crucial to take into account the complexity of the workpiece, the surface roughness, the needed machining accuracy, the tolerance requirements for the completed product, and other factors. For instance, certain workpieces could be sufficiently robust to require a high-speed steel tool. Knowing these criteria will make it easier to choose the best tool for the set of circumstances.
Distribute Wear over the Cutting Edge
Programs and cutting-edge strategies should be incorporated into their design to the greatest extent possible. Tool wear can be accelerated by a persistent emphasis on one area of the cutting tool.
Control Runout
Runout in machining can be affected by equipment age. Modern machines might come equipped with an automated tool holder. This tool holder makes sure the tool is properly positioned and fastened. Runout is caused by misaligning or locking the centre of the tool shaft with respect to the central axis on older machines, and it can lead to trashed components and shorter tool life.
Control Deflection
As heat increases and cutting begins, there are enormous cutting forces at work as material properties influence both tool and workpiece. As metal is removed, chips are created, and as they build up and leave the workpiece, they press against one another. Incorrect variables can cause the tool to bend or deflect.