50th issue of „MAPAL IMPULSE“ · PDF fileas Hiromi Uehara. Together with bass legend Anthony Jackson (New York) ... On the 50th issue of MAPAL Impulse: Exclusive interview with

Page 1 | MAPAL Impulse

Bearbeitung Lenkungs-Spurstangenanbindung, ABS Sensorbohrung und der Information, Ideas, Internals No. 50 | January 2013

Competence inISO tools furtherexpanded

Soft milling constantvelocity joints:CPMill reduces cost per part

MAPAL TOOLTRONIC®: fl exibility by honing on machining centres

50th issue of„MAPAL IMPULSE“


Producing quickly, highly precisely, as well

as totally cost effectively with continuity and growth

MANAGEMENT ISSUES

A B S O L U T P R Ä Z I S I O N

Dear reader,dear business associate,

Continuity is for us - particularly in today‘s fast-moving times - not a hollow notion, but an essential element of our philosophy in the collaboration with our customers, employees and suppliers. I am therefore pleased to be able to present you with a further element of our continuity with the 50th issue of MAPAL Impulse.

It is also this continuity that has per-mitted us to grow continuously in the past. As a consequence we were able to conclude the business year 2012 with double-digit growth in turnover. With the further expansion of production capacity by means of an investment of around € 40 million in the MAPAL Group, we have created the basis so we can address the continued increase in demand for our products and solutions.

Time and again continuous innovations have enabled us to develop ground-breaking, high technology products that make it possible for you - our customers - to produce quickly, highly accurately and totally cost effectively, and therefore give you a competitive advantage. At this point I would like to thank you for the trust you have placed in us and the partnership-based

collaboration with which we have laid a solid, stable basis for joint growth.

I look forward to the continuing suc-cessful collaboration with you.

Yours,

Dr. Dieter Kress

Sound know-how from the technology leader

MAPAL stands for technologically lea-ding solutions in the area of machining cubic parts. The new series of technolo-gy reports published by MAPAL clearly demonstrates this extensive know-how. Using these reports new technologies and methods are presented directly and in detail to customers and partners, and can provide an impetus for in-house manufacturing.

The fi rst MAPAL technology report, which is included with this 50th issue of Impulse, covers interpolati-on turning, which makes it possible to undertake turning operations on machining centres. It was prepared by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Eckehard Kalhöfer who currently holds the Chair for Machi-ning at the University in Aalen and Dr. Dirk Sellmer, Head of Research and Development at MAPAL. Please use the

enclosed fax response form to let us know whether we may continue to send you further technology reports as they are published in the future.

Trade fair marathon in autumn 2012

IMTS Chicago, AMB Stuttgart, BI-MU Milan, JIMTOF Tokyo – these were the most important highlights of the trade fair marathon in autumn 2012. 16 of the total of 29 trade fairs held in 2012 took place in the period between September and November, as well as important symposiums and in-house exhibitions. These fairs made it possible to present the key topics, new products and highlights from the MAPAL range around the globe in the world‘s most important production centres. The new products caused a stir. The key topics of energy effi ciency, conservation of resources and increasing productivity caught the spirit of the times and were approaches that attracted much atten-tion. They were heavily discussed on the MAPAL stands. Above all customers and partners value the direct contact with the MAPAL specialists. Promising, detailed discussions were held.

MAPAL will again be represented at the most important trade fairs this year, including Imtex in Bangalore, CIMT in Peking, Feimafe in Brazil and of course EMO in Hanover.

Thousands of keystrokes

On 09 November 2012 the Japane-se jazz pianist Hiromi, together with Anthony Jackson and Simon Phillips, impressed and delighted in the MAPAL canteen during the Aalen Jazz Festival.

TECHNOLOGY

REP RT


MAPAL Group MAPAL Technology Report Page 2

Trade fair marathon 2012 Page 2

Jazz festival with HIROMI Page 3

On the 50th issue of MAPAL Impulse: – Interview with Dr. Dieter Kress and Dr. Jochen Kress Page 4 – Business and technological development Page 6 MAPAL continues to grow Page 8

Product Highlights MAPAL competence in ISO tools further expanded Page 10 Honing using TOOLTRONIC® Page 13

Report from practice Soft milling of constant velocity joints at GKN Mosel Page 14 MQL machining at ZF Saarbruecken Page 16 PCD form cutters for small-scale series production Page 18

Contents

There follow extracts from the review in the arts section of the local Aalen newspaper:

It has been some time since an artist has been cheered and acclaimed as much on the festival stage in Aalen as Hiromi Uehara. Together with bass legend Anthony Jackson (New York) and drummer Simon Phillips (London) she provided an excellent concert in

the MAPAL canteen. Fusion jazz is Hiromi‘s media, that is a blend of jazz, rock and funk. She sensitively guided her audience through the individu-al pieces. Hiromi received special appreciation for her almost 20-minute piano solo with its tempo that placed some demands on her audience and that was more than worthy of the label „magnifi cent“. And while Hiromi still looked as if she had just come

out of make-up after a two-hour concert and thousands of keystrokes, her public was soaked in sweat. The visitors in the MAPAL canteen saw a real highlight of the 21st Aalen Jazz Festival that it would be good to see repeated.

News

– Technology report– Trade fair marathon 2012 – a look back– Jazz festival at MAPAL

AMB JIMTOFIMTS


On the 50th issue of MAPAL Impulse: Exclusive interview with Drs. Kress

16 years ago the fi rst MAPAL Impulse customer magazine appeared. On the occasion of the 50th issue the editorial team spoke to Dr. Dieter Kress and Dr. Jochen Kress about the development of the business over this period and also about what can be expected over the next 50 issues.

Dr. Dieter Kress, what brought you to launch MAPAL Impulse at that time?

In the early 1990s MAPAL had developed from the manufacturer of single-bladed reamers of the highest technical level to a complete provider by making various additions to its range. With the acquisition of WWS the foundation was laid for the manu-facture of PCD tools. Although these were all tools for fi ne machining, they signifi cantly expanded the existing MAPAL range. To inform our custo-mers about this development, which was to further accelerate later, we wanted to create a medium, specifi -cally our customer magazine MAPAL Impulse.

If you compare the fi rst issue with this anniversary issue, you will fi nd some parallels. On the one hand the expansion of the company itself, on the other hand new and further technical developments. Could you state a few specifi c examples? Perhaps we should start with the subject of expansion.

MAPAL has indeed expanded signifi -cantly since 1990, both physically and in the technical area. Technically, as already stated above, the addition of PCD tools as well as actuating tools to the range of tools manufactured has been in the foreground. In parallel the company also expanded physically, as it was apparent that long-term susta-ined growth could only be obtained if we offered our products and our services worldwide. For this reason we founded subsidiaries in Italy, France and England at an early stage. With the founding of our subsidiary HTCM in Hungary we entered the service area – specifi cally tool management. MAPAL Japan was founded as early as 1996.

Was this expansion in the early 1990s not enough on its own.

As already mentioned the two deve-lopments of course infl uenced each other. We were only able to expand internationally with a broad product range. Since then further products have been added up to the present day, specifi cally chucks and solid car-bide drills, as well as setting fi xtures, such that today MAPAL offers a com-plete range for machining cubic parts. It is also crucial that we offer compre-hensive services and that, along with mature products, the customer recei-

ves a complete manufacturing process from us. With the tool management service we offer the customer, e.g., assured tool quality for the customer‘s complete machining process, and that without risk.

Was this expansion in the early 1990s

As already mentioned the two deve-lopments of course infl uenced each other. We were only able to expand internationally with a broad product range. Since then further products have been added up to the present day, specifi cally chucks and solid car-bide drills, as well as setting fi xtures, such that today MAPAL offers a com-


On the 50th issue of MAPAL Impulse: Exclusive interview with Drs. Kress

What have been the key technological developments during these years?

From my point of view the basis for the rise of MAPAL from the manu-facturer of single-bladed reamers to a complete provider of tools and complete machining processes for the machining of cubic parts was the development of the hollow shank taper. With this very precise interface as the connection between the tool and machine, manufacturing changed very signifi cantly. We understand it to be our task to develop tools for machining centres that permit manu-facture that is just as economical as on earlier, infl exible transfer lines.

In addition there have been further developments and here the rapid expansion of the market for diamond tools stands out. I am not talking here about the relatively simple tools on which a diamond edge is simply fi tted to a carbide tool. Instead I am refer-ring to complex PCD tools that are offered both for milling and for com-plete bore machining and that today are manufactured in suffi ciently high accuracy that even H7 quality can be reliably achieved.

A further crucial step forward in production technology was the introduction of minimum quantity lubrication (MQL). If you compare the large amounts of cooling lubricants consumed in the past, which were fed through the tools in ever greater quantities and at ever higher pressu-res, you can see the cost and resour-

ce-related advantages of minimum quantity lubrication. This issue is also particularly important in the face of the mega trend of the coming years, energy saving, which will become ever more important.

Dr. Jochen Kress, you have been a member of the MAPAL senior manage-ment since 2008 and are responsible for development as well as various pro-duct areas. For today‘s point of view, what can customers expect to see in the 100th issue of MAPAL Impulse?

If you look to the year 2030, when the 100th issue will probably be published, some topics will appear familiar. Quality, machining time and costs will still be the criteria used to asses new developments in 2030. However, I expect that the machining tasks addressed by MA-PAL will be more diverse. In the past the power train area has dominated at MAPAL. Due to the larger product

portfolio we can address new tasks, for example in the chassis area, in aerospace and in optics. Here the tool solutions will be infl uenced by mega trends such as digitalisation and con-servation of resources, to name but a few. However, hopefully some things will remain the same and we are wor-

king on this aspect: that we will be able to impress our customers with our solu-tions and as a consequence MAPAL will be as success-ful as today.

Thank you for the interview.

„To inform our customers about this development, which wasto further accelerate later, we wanted to create a medium,specifi cally our customer magazine MAPAL Impulse.“

Dear readers, the 50th issue of MAPAL Impulse,

after 16 years we have arrived at the 50th issue of MAPAL Impulse – for us an occa-sion to thank you for your support during the preparation, compilation and approval of the articles.

We look forward to your active support and new, interesting issues, and are also always thankful for your suggestions and also criticism in any form – simply send us a mail to [email protected].

Your MAPAL Impulse team


Subsidiaries

Agencies

1960


1975 2000

Since it was founded in 1950 the production area in Aalen has been continuously expanded

Worldwide the MAPAL Group is present in 44 countries with wholly-owned subsidiaries and representatives

Germany

MAPAL Dr. Kress KG in Aalen

MAPAL WWS GmbH in Pforzheim

MAPAL ISOTOOL GmbH in Sinsheim

MILLER GmbH in Altenstadt

Rudolf Strom GmbH in Vaihingen/Enz

August Beck GmbH & Co. KG in Winterlingen

WTE Präzisionstechnik GmbH in Kempten

Weisskopf GmbH in Meiningen

50th issue of MAPAL Impulse:Business and technological development…

PCD, ISO,split molds, multi cutting tools

Technology Highlights

Single bladed reaming tools are in trend

Standardi-zationHSK-interface

Setting devices

Dry machining,HSC-cutting

Multicut

HPR / HFS,Tangential milling tools, cast machi-ning with PCD

Tooltronic®,CTS,Hard machining

HPR / HFS,Masterset,ball millingcutter

Technologies | Products | Impulse reported about…

International sites

Headquarters in Aalen

1975 1997 19981996 1999 2000 2001 2002

Page 7 | MAPAL ImpulsePage 7 | MAPAL Impulse

2000 2007 20122003Germany

MAPAL Dr. Kress KG in Aalen

MAPAL WWS GmbH in Pforzheim

MAPAL ISOTOOL GmbH in Sinsheim

MILLER GmbH in Altenstadt

Rudolf Strom GmbH in Vaihingen/Enz

August Beck GmbH & Co. KG in Winterlingen

WTE Präzisionstechnik GmbH in Kempten

Weisskopf GmbH in Meiningen

Australia MAPAL Australia Sales Pty. Ltd. in Ballarat, Victoria

Brasil MAPAL do Brasil – Ferramentas de preçis ão Ltda. in Belo Horizonte

China MAPAL China Production und Trading Ltd. in Shanghai

France MAPAL France S.A.S. in Le Chambon Feugerolles

MAPAL France – Bureau Villepinte in Paris

MAPAL France in Toulouse

Great Britain MAPAL Ltd. in Rugby

India MAPAL INDIA Private Ltd. in Bangalore

Italy MAPAL Italia S.R.L. in Gessate/MI

Japan MAPAL KK in Tokyo

Korea MAPAL HTT Co. Ltd. in Kyunggi-Do

Malaysia MAPAL Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. in Selangor Darul Ehsan

Mexico MAPAL FRHENOSA S.A. de C.V. in Monterrey

Austria MAPAL Technical Consultant in Steyr-Glenk

Poland MAPAL Narzedzia Precyzyjne Spólka z o.o. in Posen

Switzerland MAPAL Technical Consultant in Brittern

Singapore MAPAL Sales O� ce South East Asia

Slowak Republic MAPAL C&S s.r.o. in Dlouhà Lhota

South Africa MAPAL SPECTRA Carbide Tooling Technology in Port Elizabeth

Taiwan MAPAL Precision Tool System Co. Ltd. in Tainan

Thailand MAPAL THAILAND Co. Ltd. in Bangkok

Tschech Republic MAPAL C&S s.r.o. in Dlouhá Lhota

Hungary MAPAL Technical Consultant in Budapest

USA MAPAL Inc. in Port Huron MI

50th issue of MAPAL Impulse:Business and technological development…

Solid Carbide Tools

PerformanceMill,MMS testing device,Toolbase, CPMill,ModulBore

MonoReam,VR01,re.tooling

OptiMill®Replaceable HeadDrill TTD, Speed-Drill

TSW / TFB,FaceMill,Replaceable Head Drill TTD

Expandable reamer,Cirular milling,Interpolation turning

Chip breaker,tool and mould pro-duction, EcoMill,KS clamping cartridge,MMS machining,GIGA-Drill,MEGA-Drill-Reamer

Technologies | Products | Impulse reported about…

International sites

Headquarters in Aalen

Drill TTD, Speed-DrillEnergy savings,Ressources savings,Increase in produc-tivity

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012HSK-T Komplex process solu-

tions, light machining



In September 2011 we reported on the start of the construction work

on a production building in Aalen. The new building 7 is now in use and

underlines the commitment to the Aalen headquarters.

MAPAL continues to grow

N E WHALL 7 Figures

1 / North-East exterior view of the new MAPAL building 7. At the front is the part of the building for the new coating plant. 2/ View of fl oor 2, the new technical training centre. 3/ Part of the new coating plant. 4/ Condensing gas boiler. 5/ Absorption chiller. 6-9/ Construction of building 7 from demolition of the retaining wall to the construction of the roof.

1

2

3 4

5

6 7 8 9

The new building 7 in Aalen is now in use

The MAPAL Headquarters had been expanded by the addition of a new productions facility. Of course, an investment in a building at MAPAL is based on the situation on the market. Very short delivery time requirements even for complex tools and projects resulted in bottlenecks in production despite the economic slowdown. It was therefore important to link the new building to a further implemen-tation of the „factory in a factory“ strategy in production and to create more space and capacity for future challenges.

The new building 7 represents an investment of 8.2 million euros for the construction work. In additi-on a further 7 million euros was

invested for new machinery and plant. On the one hand the coating plant occupies 670 m² of the total 5,920 m² of fl oor area. Beside this plant, the production area for ISO tools and tool body manufacture has moved into 2,250 m², along with technical support, design and work preparati-on for these areas. The quick, direct exchange of information is therefore ensured. The areas left vacant by the move will be used for restructuring and optimisation of the production process. The building services tech-

nology has been accommodated in an area of 450 m². At 2,550 m² the largest area in building 7 is reser-ved for fi xture manufacture and the training workshop. The advanced training workshop now has twice as much space as before and signifi cant-ly updated facilities including training and seminar rooms. Dr. Dieter Kress says on this issue: „In this way we are creating an optimal environment for forward-looking, modern training.“


Investments of the MAPAL Group

– Building 7 in Aalen occupied– Weisskopf Werkzeuge, the new member of the MAPAL Group– Production site opened in South Carolina, USA– WTE moves into new production building in Ehrenfriedersdorf

Weisskopf Werkzeuge GmbH, the new member of the MAPAL Group

At the end of September 2012 the MAPAL Group was expanded with a further site in Germany. Weiss-kopf Werkzeuge GmbH in Meiningen improves the capacity and speed of response for solid carbide tools. 50 well-trained employees and the latest manufacturing facilities stand for extensive know-how and increased manufacturing output. For some time Weisskopf and MAPAL have main-tained a close partnership in the area of solid carbide tool service. Frank Weisskopf, former owner and General Manager will implement a further MAPAL investment project in the USA as Works Director.

Neues Produktionswerk in South Carolina

New production works inSouth Carolina

A signifi cant capacity expansion above all in the area of solid carbide tools has been achieved by a new production site in Greenville, South Carolina, USA. The investment of 3 million US$ has produced around 2,500 m² of fl oor space and is expec-ted to generate 30 new jobs. „The new production site is primarily intended to improve the capacity and speed of response in the area of re-grinding and service“, says David Lynch, Vice President of Finance at MAPAL Inc. A new manufacturing facility for solid carbide tools will also be integrated. The remodelling work was completed in November.

Neue Produktionshalle

New production building in use in Ehrenfriedersdorf

The Ehrenfriedersdorf production site of the competence centre WTE Präzisi-onsspanntechnik has been extended by 1,270 m² with a new building. It was possible to start using the new building in September 2012. Along with an air-conditioned grinding shop for fi nish machining on all WTE products, fi nal assembly has been re-structured in the new building and effective storage facilities created. It has also been possible to modernise and re-design logistics and shipping in the new building.

„With confi dence and trust in its own abilities“, says Dr. Dieter Kress, MAPAL is making decisions on the construction of new buildings in the corporate group worldwide, despite a „certain degree of uncertainty“ that prevents a sound forecast of econo-mic growth in coming years. „The signifi cant expansion of our capacity will help us to address the increased demand for our products.“

The buildings of Weisskopf GmbH in Meiningen.

New production building at WTE in Ehrenfriedersdorf.

Production facility of MAPAL Inc. in Greenville, South Carolina.



Through the combination of innovative technology and absolute

manufacturing precision, MAPAL ISO tools are high performance

tools.

Competence in ISO tools further expanded


ISO tools will soon form an addition to the range for roughing operations

The success story of indexable inserts started in middle of the last century in the fi fties. Even then the requirement was to reduce tool costs, a need that quickly made the replaceable inserts popular. Work on standardisation was started as early as the beginning of the sixties and as at the end of the decade, that is a good 40 years ago, CVD coating technology was develo-ped and implemented; there was no holding inserts back.

MAPAL was also already heavily in-volved in indexable insert technology at this time. The single-bladed reamer launched on the market in 1954 was equipped with a two-cutting edge, adjustable blade. In the years that fol-lowed the single-blade principle was continuously further developed and MAPAL positioned itself as a specia-list for the fi ne machining of bores. For a good machining result and high process reliability, optimally mat-ched roughing and fi nishing tools are important. For this reason and due to the requirement from customers at the

beginning of the nineties for complete machining processes and tool pa-ckages, MAPAL develo-ped and built ever more powerful boring and milling tools with ISO indexable inserts. Me-anwhile some standard ranges and a wide range of indexable inserts were now available. To a large

extent these inserts were installed in custom and complete machining tools which contributed to the key factors for effi cient machining processes.

Competence area today with leading technology

Along with the process reliability already mentioned, key issues in modern manufacturing are energy ef-fi ciency, the conservation of resources and high productivity. The usage of indexable inserts has a positive effect on the cost-effectiveness and the ef-fi ciency of the usage of resources. As, depending on the application, multiple cutting edge indexable inserts ensure the optimal utilisation of the cutting material.

MAPAL tools with ISO elements meet the requirements stated above to a signifi cant degree because they are primarily manufactured using tangen-tial technology. In comparison to the usage of radially mounted indexable inserts, this technology permits the usage of more cutting edges with the same power consumption. The conse-quences are higher machining values

and higher material removal rates, resulting in shorter machine running times and therefore also lower energy consumption. The very smooth run-ning of the tools provides excellent tool life and very good component quality.

Leading for complex custom tools

Intelligent, multi-stage and multi-bladed ISO combination tools for boring are having a sustained impact on the productive and non-productive times in a machining process. In this way the cost per part can be signifi -cantly reduced. By means of process analyses and the design of combina-tion tools, the MAPAL specialists with their sound knowledge of machining processes tap signifi cant savings po-tential and at the same time meet the requirements for process reliability, part quality and simple handling.

ISO combination tools shorten productiveand non-productive time of the machining process.



Customer benefits

– Reduced machining costs due to complete machining tools– Process reliability and straightforward handling– High performance standard tools for short machining

Arc shaped land makes possible vibration-free machining

Support for the tool in the bore is crucial for vibration-free machining. While with normal ISO indexable inserts the tool is only supported to a limited degree during machining due to the clearance angle, MAPAL has a developed a special geometry to address this aspect. This arc shaped land is a support surface on the cut-ting edge that supports the tool in the bore.

Finishing machining possible

Manufacturing precision and special technological features make it pos-sible to also use MAPAL ISO tools for operations with higher accuracy requirements. One possibility is to increase the accuracy of the insert seats and the indexable inserts. To achieve this accuracy MAPAL mills

highly precise insert seats on the latest five-axis machines and fits indexable inserts ground to the highest accuracy in these seats. The other way to higher accuracy is via adjustable indexable inserts. MAPAL offers a special, simple adjusting system for this purpose that at the same time is accurate to the µ. The adjusting element is actuated by a left-hand - right-hand screw and moves the indexable insert exactly and very sensitively to the required diameter. It is ensured the insert is se-curely retained as it is in contact with the completely embedded adjusting element over the entire width.

Leaps in productivity through new process: Helix milling and interpolation turning

While in the finishing area and during the machining of workpieces that are manufactured using the near net shape method, higher accuracies are

required, the issue during a typical roughing machining operation is a high material removal rate. Here helix milling is the champion when it co-mes to pre-machining large bores. On the usage of the MAPAL helix milling cutter, an additional axial feed mo-vement is superimposed on a circular movement. With the specially arran-ged tangential indexable inserts, the tool plunges into the workpiece at full cutting depth. With this method up to 50 % higher material removal rates are achieved compared to conventio-nal circular milling.

Interpolation turning also offers productivity advantages over circu-lar milling; interpolation turning is used on the machining of internal or external recesses or contours on components. This is a process where the intelligent aspect is above all in the programming of the machine tool. It ensures the cutting edge cuts during Continues on page 12

The sensitive adjusting system permits finishing machining.

A high material removal rate and fle-xibility are the strengths of the MAPAL helix milling cutter.

Your contact person for further information:

Marc Debler | [email protected]




the entire machining process, as it does on a lathe. Hereby the cutting edges travel through on a path similar to that of archimedean screw. The ma-chining time reduces signifi cantly. The machining quality and the tool life are also signifi cantly improved compared to circular milling. You will fi nd more on the topic of interpolation turning in our technology report „Interpolati-on turning“.

Milling range completed

The many years of experience in the area of ISO tools is now also ma-

nifested in the restructured milling range from MAPAL for all milling applications. Cutting edge geometries perfectly matched to the specifi c case, high performance coatings and highly accurate insert seats characterise the PerformanceMill range.

MAPAL specialists understandprocesses

The MAPAL specialists with their sound knowledge of machining pro-cesses utilise the numerous possibi-lities offered by ISO tools to prepare high performance, reliable production

processes. In this way real progress is made possible. Tools, fi xtures and CNC programs are optimally matched. The MAPAL specialists provide sup-port at the start of production and are also available to assist the customer during the production phase. They op-timise parameters or tool details and ensure the continuous improvement of the process. MAPAL helps to keep production at a high level with its complete range of services, including tool management.

Continued from page 11

Effi cient combination tools reduces the number of tool changes.

Comprehensive, new compe-tence catalogue A complete overview of the extensi-ve range of boring and milling tools as well as ISO indexable inserts will be provided in the MAPAL catalogue „Tools with ISO elements“ due to be published shortly. A clear layout and detailed explanations make it easy to fi nd the required product and provi-de extensive useful information for correct usage.

Customer benefi ts

– Process planning and implementation from a single source



Customer benefi ts

– No separate honing machine necessary– Improved surface quality and dimensional accuracy– Shorter processing and machining times


Michael Hils | [email protected]

Honing using the MAPAL

TOOLTRONIC® on standard ma-

chining centres

NEW DEVELOPMENT

Customer benefi ts

– Process planning and implementation from a single source

Usage of a honing tool with TOOLTRO-NIC® on standard machining centres signifi cantly increases cost-eff ectiven-ess and quality.

Honing is a chip removal process using a geometrically undefi ned cut-ting edge. Using this method, bores in particular are fi ne machined in a fi nal production step on a separate honing machine. The objective is to further improve the surface quality, dimensi-onal accuracy and the accuracy of the shape. The primary application area ofthe honing production process is the entire metal machi-

ning industry. The key areas here are automotive and vehicle manufacture, tool and machine tool manufacture, the hydraulics industry, as well as the aircraft industry. One of the best known applications is honing the surfaces along which pistons travel in combustion engines.

Flexibility by honing on machining centres

The continuously increasing require-ments in industrial manufacture on the quality of the individual compo-

nents and very close manufac-turing tolerances in produc-

tion, as well as the wish for increased fl exibility

in production, are inevitably resulting in the relocation of machining processes away from special cus-tom machines to fl exible standard

machining proces-ses. This trend has

now also reached the honing manufacturing

process.

The intention of many custo-mers to move the honing production process from a special honing ma-chine to a machining centre gave MAPAL the incentive to use elements from the modular mechatronic system to solve this challenge. The objective is not only to simulate the honing process on a machi-ning centre, but in addition

to directly infl uence the wear on the honing bars and the required material removal rate. It is exactly these aspects that can be realised by using the MAPAL TOOLTRONIC®. It reliably compensates for the wear on the honing bars and as a result makes possible the requi-red material removal rate. By means of a very sensitive, highly accurate actuating movement by the TOOLTRO-NIC®, the diameter of the honing bars is optimally adjusted to the machining and a high surface quality and dimen-sional accuracy achieved.

Unlike honing tool systems that are only actuated via the coolant pressure, with the TOOLTRONIC® it is possible to integrate a regulated honing pro-cess in a standard machining centre and to fully machine the workpiece saving time and costs. As a conse-quence signifi cant advantages in re-lation to quality, time and cost-effec-tiveness are possible. Major potential for saving and quality can be realised particularly in the cases of small and medium-scale series production runs.

Additional added value is provided by the ability to realise the honing fi ne machining process in the same clam-ping position as the pre-machining steps. The operation on a separate honing machine with time-consuming setup processes and a large honing stock due to the positioning inaccura-cies are eliminated.


The usage of MAPAL CPMill ball nose milling cutters for soft milling

made it possible to reduce the cost per part (CPP) at GKN Mosel by

40 %.


Soft milling of constant velocity joints with signifi cant increases in productivity

NEW DEVELOPMENTIn a car the drive shaft transmits the torque from the differential to the driven wheels; a connecting shaft connects the constant velocity joint at the gearbox end and the wheel end. The development and manufacture of this drive technology and of drive sys-tems in general is the domain of GKN Driveline. The leading manufacturer of drive systems and solutions for the automotive industry employees 22,000 staff worldwide on 57 sites. An im-portant development and production site in Germany is the GKN Driveline Mosel works in Zwickau. The GKN Driveline portfolio covers four areas: AWD Systems (development and manufacture of complete four-wheel drive systems), Trans Axle Solutions (manufacture of open differentials for gearboxes and axles, and of LSD and self-locking differentials), eDrive systems (pioneer and system leader for modern electrical and hybrid drive trains) as well as CVJ Systems which are drive systems and solutions for drive shafts.

The joints are designed as constant velocity joints and comprise the input shaft and the cage. The ball races on the joint parts must reliably meet the highest quality requirements in relation to race-play, osculation and contact angle. The tolerances on the end product are in the µ range. The ball races are therefore manufactured in several steps. Following soft milling and pre-machining, the components are hardened. The highly precise fi ne machining is undertaken on the har-dened component.

MAPAL CPMill ball nose milling cutter as uniform solution

MAPAL has been involved in the ma-chining of constant velocity joints for a long time and has already initiated several signifi cant developments for all tasks. The latest generation of ball nose milling cutters from MAPAL is the CPMill replaceable head system with the CFS connection, which was pre-destined for milling. CFS offers enormous handling advantages and ensures the quick, straightforward re-placement of the head with very high accuracy of repetition. The milling heads are clamped and released from the front so the tool holder can re-main in the machine. Due to the high precision of the connection, the even usage of all cutting edges is ensured. Together with the high stability of the connection, the pre-conditions are created for the high performance and the long life of the tools, and for the perfect geometry of the ball races in the workpiece. To provide customers with a uniform system for machi-ning the constant velocity joints, the CPMill ball nose milling cutters are available for both soft machining and hard milling.

Tool life increased by 150 %

GKN Driveline works together with MAPAL in the area of the ball races. Erich Kuhli, Senior Manager in homo-kinetic tools sales, reports from a very successful application for the MAPAL CPMill ball nose milling cutter at GKN Driveline Mosel in Zwickau:

„In the area of soft milling we have been able to very successfully replace a competitor product with our CPMill milling system on several workpiece variants.“ The responsible engineer at GKN, Katrin Jenkner, adds: „The tool lives have been more than doubled, the cost per part signifi cantly redu-ced. We are very satisfi ed with this development.“

Here is a replaceable milling head made of coated solid carbide is meant, that is mounted in the machine using the CFS connection. The milling head has four cutting edges and is of a helix design, while the system used previously only had two cutting edges and had straight fl utes. Unlike the tool used previously, the MAPAL system features internal cooling. All work-piece variants saw signifi cant increases


Soft milling of constant velocity joints with signifi cant increases in productivity

Customer benefi ts

– Cost savings of 40 %– Fewer tool changes– More through-put on the machine– Quality and cycle time improvements

in tool lives due to the change – in one specifi c case the increase was from 800 to 2,000 pieces, that is 150 %! With a production volume of way over two million parts per year, it was possible to reduce the cost per part by 40 %, the number of milling heads required per year was reduced by 60 %.

Other workpiece variants also saw signifi cant increases in tool life. Erich Kuhli: „We are very satisfi ed with the

results that we were able to achieve at GKN Mosel. Of course, we continue to

work on further im-provements. The good, close collaboration with the responsible individuals at GKN enables us to identify and tap new potential time and again.“

F.L.T.R.: Guido Kuhli (Technical consultant MAPAL), Katrin Jenkner (Tooling Engineer Ingenieurin GKN Mosel), Erich Kuhli (MAPAL Senior Manager „homo-kinetic tool sales“).


Michael Neumann | [email protected]

MAPAL programme for the soft-milling of ball races in AC/UF Joints and VL joint outer race.

MAPAL hard and soft milling heads for machining ball hub Inner Race (right).

Finished mill component.

Competition MAPAL CPMill

Milling parameters:vc [m/min] 150 200n [min-1] 4.014 5.375fz [mm] 0,15 0,15vf [mm/min] 1.204 3.225

Tool life: 800 2.000Number of tools: 100 % 40 %CPP: 100 % 60 %

NEW


From the initial idea to series production and beyond – MAPAL

supports the customer during the entire MQL process.


Gearbox valve body manufacture using MQL

ZF Friedrichshafen AG is one of the world‘s leading suppliers to the au-tomotive industry. The organisation founded in 1915 produces drive and suspension components for cars and commercial vehicles and is present in 27 countries on 121 production sites. The organisation‘s turnover in 2011 was more than 15 billion euros. The division for car drive systems is based in Saarbruecken. With around 7,000 staff, ZF develops, produces and mar-kets around 1.5 million gearboxes a year on this site. The current state-of-the-art technology in relation to fuel economy using automatic gearboxes is the 8-speed automatic gearbox (8HP) from ZF. Since the start of the production of automatic gearboxes there have been strong links and good collaboration between ZF and MAPAL. Thanks to innovative tool concepts and machining strategies, high cost-effectiveness and reliable processes are achieved during gearbox manufacture.

During process planning with MQL, ZF relies on the collaboration with MAPAL.

In the machining process, cooling lubricant costs represent up to 17 % of production costs. The cooling lubri-cant must be provided, purifi ed and disposed of; representing a signifi cant portion of the investment costs. The alternative to conventional fl ood coo-ling with emulsion is machining using minimum quantity lubrication (MQL). During the planning of a new building to expand its production, ZF deci-ded for MQL technology. There were many reasons for this decision. On

the one hand was the reduction in the costs for both investment and energy consumption, as expensive plant and the necessary pumps are no longer required. On the other hand, MQL also offers signifi cantly more fl exibility in the arrangement of the machines, as fi xed connections to a central sup-ply are not required. A further very important reason was that, due to the removal of the cooling lubricant mist, which is produced in the ambient air during rotary machining, the quality of the air for the people at the work-place is considerably improved.

MAPAL support customers during the implementation of machining processes with minimum quantity lubrication right from the start. A dedicated project team (TET | Tool Expert Team) checks feasibility, plans the machi-ning process and optimally designs the tools to suit customer requirements. After the manufacture of the tools, the MQL machining processes can then be tested in the well-equipped development depart-ment. The next step is commissioning at the customer. The team of MAPAL MQL specialists is also available to pro-vide support during this process and can also provide staff training in the new technology. Customers can also continue to count on

MAPAL after the successful commis-sioning of the MQL process. The MA-PAL sales force is always available to answer questions as a competent point of contact assisted by the TET and the product specialists.

Optimal processes and tool concepts increase productivity and reducecosts – reliable processes with MQL

A specifi c example is the machining of valve bodies. In automatic gearbo-xes this part is the central component that operates the clutch and the brakes in the gearbox through the load on the engine to change the gears. On valve body housings the machining of the valve bores is a key element. The housings are made of AlSi9Cu3Mg.

Tight manufacturing tolerances such as cylindrical forms


Customer benefi ts

– Reliable process with MQL– Everything from a single source, from the planning through to serial production– Productivity increase

F.r.t.l.: Klaus Hellmann (tool planner in the control unit area at ZF) and Matthias Schaller (fi tter in manual gearbox part manufacturing at ZF) as well as Jörg Hemmerling (MAPAL sales team).

< 3 µm, circularities < 2 µm and sur-faces with Rz < 2 µm must be reliably, constantly manufactured. MQL cons-tantly provides a fresh oil-air mixture at the cutting edges; this mixture is consumed during the machining process. Contamination of the coo-ling lubricant and increasing fouling, which could reduce the machining quality, are therefore excluded.

From multi-stage machining process to the „one shot solution“

The machining of the mostly stepped valve bores was originally divided over several machining sequences. Here different tools were used for piloting, intermediate machining and

fi nishing. By means of the continuous optimisation of the machining process, it was possible to reduce the number of tools required. On one specifi c valve bore it was possible to replace the four tools required originally with just one multi-stage PCD tool in two optimisation steps. In addition to the positive effects due to the change to

minimum quantity lubrication, these measures increased the productivity without degrading the process stabili-ty and further reduced the workpiece costs.


Matthias Schneider | [email protected]

Very high precision in manufac-ture permits gear changes in 200 milliseconds on this gearbox.

By means of stepwise optimisation it was possible to reduce the number of tools required for a specifi c valve bore from four to one.



Diamond cutting edges make the machining of aluminium

rotor hubs for air-conditioning fans particularly successful.

Complex PCD form cutters for small-scale series production

PCD tools are the fi rst choice during the machining of aluminium and ma-gnesium alloys, particularly in series production. The special hardness and wear resistance of the cutting material make possible the highest possible tool lives and allow the performance of modern machine tools to be fully ex-ploited. The result is short machining times and high cost-effectiveness.

The production specialists at Leimeko, Leichtmetallgießerei Walter Koch & Sohn GmbH & Co. KG, in Berlin have therefore relied on the quality and performance of MAPAL PCD tools in their precision CNC manufacture / au-tomotive area for years. Cast alumini-um parts such as steering or gearbox housings are fully machined here in series production using PCD tools.

Founded in 1939, the light alloy foundry Leimeko is still a family-run business with over 220 employees. Divided between the light alloy found-ry and precision CNC manufacture, Leimeko produces around 400,000 high quality cast aluminium parts per year using the latest production plants; these parts are cast and sup-plied fully machined directly to the customer‘s assembly line. The range of services includes one-offs, prototy-ping, pre-production, small and large-scale series production parts.

High contour accuracy and shape ac-curacy through diamond cutting edges

In prototype manufacture and small-scale series production the focus is mostly not on long tool lives or short machining times but on the selection of the correct cutting material. During milling operations in aluminium, normally standard solid carbide tools are used.

On the other hand, to machine the more complex joint contours on a hub for clamping rotor blades Leimeko re-lies on a custom MAPAL PCD circular milling cutters to manufacture proto-type parts with the highest shape ac-curacy for the approval process at the end customer. The rotor hub comprises two parts, a front piece and a rear pi-ece, and is installed in fans for use in ventilation systems. In future the hub is to be produced for an end customer in the air-conditioning industry in small-scale series production.Both parts of the rotor hub made of AlSi9Mg have the same contour. When these parts are screwed together in assembly, they accurately enclose the rotor blade connection and clamp the rotor blade. There are various reasons why the circular milling cutter was designed with fi xed, brazed PCD cutting edges. A solid carbide tool design would not prove cost-effective due to the cost of the carbide for a milling cutter of this size. Indexable insert technology is not used, as a closed contour without

shoulders is not possible. Although a milling cutter with fi xed, brazed solid carbide cutting edges provides the necessary quality, its price is almost at the same level as a PCD tool with a signifi cantly longer tool life. Also the PCD milling cutter operates at twice the cutting speed of a solid carbide variant. This aspect saves costs even for small-scale series production as expensive machine hours are saved.

Due to the intelligent cut distribution of the fi xed, brazed PCD cutting edges, the complete connection contour can be designed as a three cutting-edge tool. The stock removal on the cast


Customer benefi ts

– Pre-machining and fi ne machining using one tool– Short machining time reduces machine hours– High contour accuracy and shape accuracy

F.l.t.r.: Heinz Jürgen Schroeter (Head of Production at Leimeko), Sandro Walter (work preparation CAD/CAM Leimeko) as well as Detlef Weiger (technical consultant MAPAL).


Andreas Wittenauer | [email protected]

With one roughing cut and one fi nishing cut the PCD circular milling cutter machines the largestock removal on the aluminium blank.

blank fl uctuates between 5 - 10 mm. For this reason the fi nal contour less 0.2 mm is prepared using a roughing cut, the fi nal contour is then comple-ted with a second cut. Different tool lengths are necessary to machine the two parts due to tool restrictions. The PCD circular milling cutter is therefore of modular design. As a result only one milling cutter is required for the small quantity of components; this tool is mounted on machine adapters of varying lengths. The tool can also be exactly aligned axially and radially via the Module connection. In the meantime qualifi cation has been successfully completed at the end customer and the part is reliably

produced at Leimeko in small-scale series production of approx. 500 parts per year, up to now without any signs of wear on the tool.

Responsible for the content:Hermann Steidle

Editorial team: H. Steidle, O. Munz, K. Rehor,S. Schmick, M. Schwenninger, T. Zimmermann

Design: I. Rettenmaier

Publisher:MAPAL Präzisionswerkzeuge Dr. Kress KGP.O. Box 1520 D-73405 AalenPhone +49 7361 585-0 Fax 07361 [email protected] www.mapal.com

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