Shop Efficiency - Part 6 : Multi-Function Tools

Multi-function tools have been around for quite a while but oftentimes are overlooked for a variety of reasons ranging from lack of understanding to shop inventory. But the truth is that in many situations, multi-function tools can be a key to reduced cycletime ... more efficient machining ... better workflow ... and that ultimate prize ... increased shop efficiency.

In this installment of our Shop Efficiency Series ... will take a quick look at some of the more common multi-functions tools ... outline some of their features and benefits ... to hopefully bring about a better understanding and start that "machinist mind" thinking about how these types of tools might be able to benefit your particular shop efficiency.

Milling : Multi-Function End Mill
Multi-function end mills are designed with two main features ... low cutting resistance and good chip evacuation when center cutting / drilling and milling at an angle. These two features give these tools the ability to perform both drilling and milling ... which makes them an indispensable part of your tooling inventory. Imagine being able to select either plunge milling or side milling when machining ... or employing a combination of both because the tool has that capability. The image below gives the whole range of machining op's that are available with this tool type ... it illustrates well their flexibility and capability ... and speaks volumes about why they should be one of your go-to tools. As you can see there are a variety of operations where they can make an impact.

Additional Information / Recommendation :

Tool Name / Manufacturer : Kyocera MEY - Ultra Drill Mill

Catalog / Brochure Link : http://global.kyocera.com/prdct/tool/pdf/e-d_mey.pdf

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Milling : Thriller - Drill / C'Sink / Tap
If you have never utilized a combination drill / thread mill ... this tools will really blow your mind. Center drilling ... drilling ... countersinking ... thread milling or tapping as means of creating a tapped hole is SOOOO NOT KOOL !! 4 tools combined with the tool changes ... stopping and starting ... tool costs ... etc. ... make this method of creating threaded holes simply NOT ACCEPTABLE when discussing shop efficiency. You may have held off on these thinking that they are really for specific types of threaded holes ... but the more you look the more they make sense as the go-to-tool .. with tapping and other standard operations as the secondary option. Our favorite tool comes from Emuge Corp. ... which also has outstanding field support BTW ... and combines drilling, countersinking and thread milling in one tool ... quickly illustrated below.

But rather than yapping about all the benefits ...we suggest watching the video link below ... it tells the story way better than words.

Additional Information / Recommendation :

Tool Name / Manufacturer : Emuge Corporation - Thriller

Catalog / Brochure Link : http://emuge.com/media-resources/brochures-catalogs/4-fluted-solid-carbide-thrillers

Video Link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdOfHEzXMMA

Video Link : https://vimeo.com/6245960

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Turning : Groove / Turn Tools
For machining operations that include both turning and grooving ... it oftentimes makes sense to combine those operations with one tool. Of course the type of material and type of groove machining play an important role here ... but when possible, using a combination groove-turn tool can be very beneficial and efficient. Eliminating the tool change and related non-cutting time can improve cycletime ... but the flexibility of the tool opens up a wide variety of machining options as well ... beyond just grooving operations.

As the illustration above shows ... machining operations such as PARTING OFF ... GROOVING ... BACK TURNING ... and STANDARD TURNING are all possible with this tool type. 

Additional Information / Recommendation :

Tool Name / Manufacturer : ISCAR - Groove-Turn

Catalog / Brochure Link : http://www.iscar.com/eCatalog/Applications.aspx?mapp=TG

Video Link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXhEtc1zl4w

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Turning : Boring with an Indexable Drill
In certain non-turning tool applications ... it is possible to utilize the same indexable drill used to drill a hole as a boring bar to open up the hole diameter. Benefits of course include decreased cycletime and the use of less tools ... but this should be considered carefully and success involves many factors. As stated many times in our blog ... we recommend Sandvik tooling quite often ... and they have a great online resources that delves into this type of machining and the options to consider before giving it a go in the link below ... just click the image to open up their information page :

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Of course there are thousands of ways to use standard type tooling as a multi-function tool ... and we are sure that your machinist mind has come up with some novel ones along the way. But we felt the need to include at least some of the more "common" options in any conversation about shop efficiency. So there you have it. Some food for thought ... and some multi-function tooling options you may not have been aware of or considered.

Please come back for our next installment in our series on Shop Efficiency.

Until next time ... Happy Chip Making !!

At Kentech Inc. we are MACHINISTS who create Real World Machine Shop Software.

Who creates the machine shop software guiding your shop's future ??
Check out all our REAL WORLD CNC & MACHINE SHOP titles at 

www.KentechInc.com

Shop Efficiency Part 5 : Re-Thinking Your Height Offset Strategy

As we have been stressing throughout this Shop Efficiency Series ... keeping your spindle running and the green cycle light lit is one of the main keys to making money and profits. In Part 5 we're going to shift our attention back to the VMC and HMC world and send out some thoughts regarding Tool Height Offsets ... "touching off" tools ... and how to get that inevitable task done quickly, easily and efficiently ... so that the spindle stays running and the tools gets in the chip.

Tool breakage or the need to replace dull or ineffective tools can cause huge loss of cutting times and spindle on time. With the implementation of the simple system we outline below ... you can insure that replacing or setting up your tools for machining can be done quickly and efficiently with as little disruption to cutting time as possible. There are some initial costs involved ... but the ROI is fast and you'll see the results immediately.

We'll take you through the Set-Up and Process first to show you how it works ... then highlight some of the Features and Benefits that can achieved by utilizing this system. The basic idea is to utilize a MASTER TOOL to set the part Z0 position ... and use the HEIGHT OFFSETS to calibrate the distance difference from the MASTER TOOL and EACH CUTTING TOOL. This system leaves us only the MASTER TOOL to re-calibrate for each workpiece ... and allows us to leave the cutting tools unchanged no matter what part we're running. Setting up ONE tool is obviously faster than setting up multiple tools.

What You'll Need :

1. Height Gauge ... digital gauge will obviously function the best.
2. Master Tool ( more details below )
3. Tool Holder Adapter or Setting Fixture

The Master Tool :
In order to utilize the features of this system, you'll need to create a MASTER TOOL. What we refer to as a master tool would be a piece of stock, say a piece of turned, ground and polished stock or drill rod loaded and secured into a tool holder. It should be secure in the holder ... the best way is with a shoulder butting against the tool holder face so it has a positive stop. Another feature is to make this master tool close to the length of the machine specs longest tool. This way you'll know that no cutting tool can be longer than this master tool.

Tool Holder Adapter or Setting Fixture :
Once you have created your stable Master Tool ... the next stable component should be your setting fixture. With a little thought and work you can turn a standard tool tightening fixture ... such as the ones pictured below ... into something suitable for this purpose ... with the main criteria being the stable repeatability of the tool holder positioning.

The Process :
On a surface plate, set up your height gauge and tool holder adapter to allow for the measuring of your tools. To measure a tool :

• Place the MASTER TOOL in the setting fixture and set zero at the top of the master tool.

• Place a cutting tool to be measured in the setting fixture and record the reading at the top of the tool's cutting edge. This is the distance from the master tool tip to the cutting tool tip. This dimension is the value that is to be entered in the machines height offset table for the measured tool.

• Repeat the second step above for each tool to be measured, recording the value on the height gauge for each tool.
• Load the tools in the magazine and enter the measured height offset values from Step #2 above into their respective height offset table positions.
• Using the MASTER TOOL, touch the Z0 surface of the workpiece and record the value from the home position to the Z0 location. This value should be entered in the Z table for the work offset (G54 - G59) to be used in the program.

That's it. 

Your program is ready to run. Your program will call up the G54 - G59 work offset or similar and will know the distance from the master tool to the Z0 location. Using the H value call in the program, the machine will calculate the difference between the master tool and the measured tool and adjust as required.

Now that we've set the thoughts and ideas in your mind ... feel free to deviate and expand on the basics outlined here.

Some Features and Benefits :

1. Let's suppose you're going to set up a new job next but will utilize some of the tooling from the previous job. The only set-up required is to use the Master Tool to touch the new Z0 surface, changing the value in the work offsets with this new value. Your cutting tools and their height offsets can remain the same. Save time by touching off one tool instead of many.
2. You can set-up a spare tool or replacement tool off the machine using the master tool and the height gauge ... insuring that your spindle will be back in the cut faster.
3. You can load say a nice cutting carbide mill in the magazine and use it for a variety of different jobs. No need to touch it off all the time, just use the master tool to get your work offset in Z.
4. Measuring tools becomes easier, allowing more people to assist with the tool setting . Setters don't need to know how to operate the machine.

From experience, once you try this method you'll find it saves you all kinds of time. The best advantage is being able to call out set tools that stay in the magazine. This really speeds up the set-up and changeover process.

Please come back for our next installment in our series on Shop Efficiency.

Until next time ... Happy Chip Making !!

At Kentech Inc. we are MACHINISTS who create Real World Machine Shop Software.

Who creates the machine shop software guiding your shop's future ??
Check out all our REAL WORLD CNC & MACHINE SHOP titles at 

www.KentechInc.com