The DMT/DMTH tool family consists of high-performance tools that can be used in the production of internal threads.

The circular motion performed by these tools during operation produces the thread hole, the actual thread, and an (optional) chamfer in a single work process. This eliminates the need to switch between tools, saving valuable time.

• No need to pre-drill holes.
• Good for both through & blind holes.
• Use the same tool for both right-hand and left-hand threads.

Features:

• Tools available for the ISO & UN thread profiles
• The thread depth can be up to 2 x Thread Diameter
• Multi (3-4) flutes
  

Made from Carmex MT7 Carbide Grade:Sub-micron grade with multi-layer TiAIN coating. This is a general purpose grade, which can be used with all materials. (ISO K10-K20)

TECH TIP: For left-hand jobs, use the M04 code in your G-Code programs.

Features:

• Tools available for the ISO & UN thread profiles
• The thread depth can be up to 2.5 x Thread Diameter
• Multi (3) flutes
  

Made from Carmex MT7 Carbide Grade:Sub-micron grade with multi-layer TiAIN coating. This is a general purpose grade, which can be used with all materials. (ISO K10-K20)

TECH TIP: For left-hand jobs, use the M04 code in your G-Code programs.

Features:

• Tools available for the ISO & UN thread profiles
• The thread depth can be up to 2 x Thread Diameter
  
• Multi (3-4) flutes
  

Made from Carmex MT11 Carbide Grade:Ultra-fine sub-micron grade with triple blue PVD coating.

TECH TIP: For left-hand jobs, use the M04 code in your G-Code programs.

by, Bernard Martin

As carbide end mills gain higher and higher speeds and metal removal rates there has also been a trend by round tool manufacturers to tighten up the tolerances on both the cutting diameter and the shank diameter to improve concentricity. At the same time, shrink fit holders have become more and more popular because they hold a tighter concentricity as well.  To achieve this both the shank and the bore now have similar surface finishes and this has led to a problem  The tools pull out in the cut.

Shrink fit holders are the most accurate for TIR as the toolholder engages completely around round shank tools with a bore tolerance of -0.0001" to  -0.0003".  As high performance end mills have tightened shank tolerances to the same range of -0.0001" to  -0.0003" they have used finer and finer grain grinding wheels which give the shanks a 'shiny' appearance. 

Shiny means that the superfinished shank has a lower coefficient of friction. So, although the TIR is tighter, the shank is more "slippery".   End mills traditionally had surface finish of about 8 μin on the tool shank. But that's changed.  It's been recommended that tool shanks used in shrink fit holders should not have a finish finer than 16 μin. for optimum holding power, but tell that to the guy who just superfinished the end mill to a super cocncentric tolerance that you don't want it looking that good.

Everyone knows that the last thing you want is for the end mill to slip in the middle of a heavy cut or on the finishing pass of a high tolerance part.  These 'hi performance' end mills, often times have higher helix angles which are great for ejecting chips but also create a higher pull out force on that slippery shank. And reducing the helix angle is not the answer.

We  already know that the gripping pressure is a function of the interference between the tool shank  and the shrink fit toolholder bore. Most shrink fit holders have a already bore surface finish of between 12 μin. and 16 μin.  So they are ground to a very high tolerance and have about the same surface finish as the toolholder shank.

End mill manufacturers and machinist have tried a variety of methods over the years to stop the tools from pulling out. This has ranged from grit blasting the shank to rubbing chalk on the shank, but most everyone in the industry has felt that the problem really needs to be addressed by the longer life toolholder rather than the replaceable cutting tool.

That's the problem that Techniks wanted to address. Techniks claims that their "proprietary non-slip TTG594 compound virtually fuses the tool shank with the shrink fit toolholder."

ShrinkLOCKED Toolholders eliminate cutting tool pull-out and provide 4X the friction drive force compared to un-treated shrink holders.

It’s not just a rougher bore finish that enhances the holding power. TTG-594 is a compound that has a much higher Brinell hardness than carbide so it can “bite” into the tool shank. But this does not affect the ability to perform tool changes.

Techniks arrived at their 4x the holding power comes from torsion testing vs. a standard shrink fit toolholder. They used a ¾” carbide gage pin in a standard holder and found the torque at which the tool will spin in the bore.

They then tested the ShrinkLOCKED holder using the same test.

According to Greg Webb, at Techniks,
"We actually could not find the point at which the tool would spin in the ShrinkLOCKED holder as we broke the carbide gage pins at 4x+ times the torque of the standard holder. The holding power is greater, we just have not found a way to measure this, so we kept our claims conservative at 4x."

Champion Tool Storage  has designed a complete stainless steel cart to help cleaning crews battle the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Champion Tool Storage Stainless Series was designed to provide environments requiring corrosion-resistant, clean tool storage and maintenance solutions.

With the Versa Cart option, traveling distances effortlessly, 360 degree rotation in tight spots, entering and leaving elevators is made easy.

Proudly made in the USA, the Stainless Series is also built to withstand the harsh conditions of the job site and to protect the tools you use every day.

​All units are constructed with thick gauge welded stainless housings, drawers, steel ball-bearing drawer slides, brushed finishes. Optional stainless slides and stainless casters

FMPS5411MCS - 5 Drawer Cabinet with Maintenance Cart Features:

• Ball bearing drawer slides
• Full width ergonomic handle
• 6" X 2" roller bearing heavy-duty swivel casters 10" Center Wheel with axle
• Tip proof
• Drawer liners included
• Heavy duty tubular lock

NTK developed this latest game changing ceramic material NTK CeramiX HX5 to replace CBN. As a ceramic cutting tool specialist, NTK has been researching new advancements for ceramics in the industry for decades.

They recently introduced a new grade that matches CBN on performance.
The new CeramiX "HX5" grade provides a cost saving solution for hard turning applications.  It's designed for Hard Turning with continuous cut in the Hardness range of 55 to 66HRc

The first step toward understanding thread milling is knowing its advantages and exploring where it could fit in your operation. Although many operators would have no trouble visualizing the use of thread milling on larger size parts, advances in the technology have made it an extremely advantageous choice for even the smallest holes.

Most of our customers discovered thread milling — and Carmex — when they consulted their industrial distributors about problems they were having with taps. As parts have become more complex and materials harder to machine, the disadvantages of tapping has become more apparent.

By virtue of their design, taps are prone to breakage. The extraction of a broken tap can cause real problems in high-value parts that demand precision thread finishes — not to mention the lost man-hours involved.

A frequent cause of breakage involves chip overload, and chip removal has continually been a problem in tapping. For this reason, the use of taps on NC equipment has always presented challenges due to breakage and thread quality. A further disadvantage is the inability of a tap to thread to the bottom of a blind hole. This requires an extra allowance for clearance that is both undesirable and unnecessary.

Shorter tool life is another problem and, in automated situations, requires redundant tooling that takes up space in the tool magazine.

Thread milling, on the other hand, avoids the difficulties associated with tapping since it not only delivers better chip control but can proceed unimpeded to the bottom of the blind hole.

Because of thread interpolation and the use of solid carbide and indexable tooling, breakage is eliminated, vibration is reduced, and a more precise thread and better finish are generated. This in turn translates to greater economy through longer tool life and increased dependability, especially on CNC machines or automated equipment.

Versatility is likewise a consideration. Thread milling can be utilized on holes as small as 0.25″ up to the largest sizes. All standard thread profiles are available and, for specialized applications, custom-made tools can be produced, tested and delivered to match tight production schedules.

Besides the advantages inherent in thread milling, Carmex offers customers further benefits.

Years ago, Carmex engineers perfected the tool design they refer to as their “Helical Advantage™.” By smoothing the engagement of the tool, their products can operate at higher speeds, ensure precision threads, and deliver better overall finish. The Helical Advantage is also a major factor in extending tool life.

Before we forget, its also worth mentioning that you should also check out the Carmex Tool Wizard software to speed your start-up.

Most important, our Next Gen Tooling team is thoroughly trained and ready to assist you, not only in getting started, but in selecting the right tools for your applications.

Whether your operation involves large transfer type equipment, conventional CNC machines, automated lines, or high precision Swiss-style machining, we’ll be happy to work with you to develop the best solutions to your individual needs and advance your processes to the latest in thread milling technology.

A guest blog from BIG KAISER.

High-speed machining started getting popular in the ‘90s, especially in aerospace where they replaced fabricating processes with machining monolithic parts like wing struts from billets. Machine tools capable of spinning cutting tools at tens of thousands of RPM made it easier to produce these parts quickly.

Like machines, holders adapted. The centrifugal forces they had to manage in order to keep tools cutting correctly became extreme. The toolholding systems available at that time were found not to be as effective as the shallower 1-to-10 taper ratio of the German hollow taper shank, hohl shaft kegel (HSK) in German. The HSK has since been standardized to ISO specifications (12164-1, -2). 

HSK is now available in several sizes and forms to fit with small to large machines. For the most part, the market has settled on the form A for general milling. It has been adopted in Japan, North America and Europe and is truly one of the only worldwide-side toolholder standards. Form E or F is for high-speed machining. The forms have different features depending on the standard they follow.  
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In the end, to achieve efficient tool life, proper finish and productivity in high-speed work, holders need to be as rigid, compact and short as possible to keep the whole assembly stable. 

When it comes to balancing holders, the quality G2.5 is widely used in the industry and is described in the ISO 1940-1 (issued in 2003) standard. However, this quality class is often over-specified and is in many cases not economically or technically feasible, especially when applied to smaller and lighter tools. Standards often applied to tools are more suited for rigid rotors and are practical in a broader use for balancing.

However, it cannot be applied to a complete system of spindles, tool holders and tools adequately and within technical constraints. For example, a tool to be compliant will have to be balanced to less than 1 gmm/kg at a speed of 25,000 rpm, which in turn corresponds to a mass eccentricity of less than 1 μm. This allowable tolerance is less than the interchange accuracy for even HSK, essentially negating all the costs and time for balancing the tool to such a strict tolerance. 

For this reason, all BIG KAISER tool holders are balanced according ISO 16084 (issued in 2017) specifically developed for rotating tool systems. ISO 16084 focuses on the interaction between spindle and tool factoring in the allowable load on the spindle bearings generated by the tool’s imbalance. This load must not exceed one percent of the dynamic load capacity of the spindle bearings. 

According to ISO 16084, the allowable unbalance tolerance is specified in [gmm] and is not expressed using a special quality grade [G]. In conclusion, BIG KAISER does not indicate any G-values for balancing quality, but rather the maximum rotational speeds of the individual tool holder. 

The BIG Kiaser MEGA holder program includes a variety of styles that can be used up to 40,000 RPM. They guarantee 100 percent concentricity and runout accuracy down to .00004" at the nose. They are built specifically to withstand speed and forces required in today’s high-throughput environment.
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For more information on BIG KAISER's approach to balancing tool holders, click here. To learn more about our high-performance tool holders here.  

Not sure which level of precision you need to order for your workholding collet? Tecnicrafts has put together this easy to understand chart that explains the difference between "standard" precision and "ultra" precision for both round stock and hex stock. The tolerance is based upon your ore size.  We hope you find this helpful! Call us with questions!

Tecnicrafts Industry is an ISO 9001:2015 Certified Company

• In the production processes, the blanks are processed carefully & inspected at each stage in order to obtain a high quality Guide Bushing or Collet.
• The Technicrafts In-house specialized Heat treatment plant ensures multi-stage processing in order to achieve best mechanical properties such as hardness, springing properties.
• Technicrafts Special Purpose machines for each process supports in achieving Best Quality output consistently.
• Technicrafts is fully aware that their products are used in critical processes across industries and commit themselves to ensure uninterrupted work flow.

The anti-lift jaw system from 5th Axis is available for those customers requiring higher precision and accuracy during secondary operation machining.

The system uses a cleat and angled soft jaw to pull the jaw in and down when torque is applied to the lead screw.

Step 1
Loosen shoulder bolts and remove the standard master jaws from the vise base.

Step 2
Take the shoulder bolts and utilize them to bolt the cleats onto the vise base.  Torque shoulder bolts to 20 ft lbs.  (27.11 Nm)

Step 3
Take anti-lift soft jaw and insert the soft jaw into the cleat.  It helps if you insert the soft jaw at a 45 degree angle.  Ensure that soft jaw seats properly into cleat.

Step 4
Take soft jaw covers and place them on the backside of the jaw.  Tighten bolts to secure covers to the soft jaw.  These covers ensure that no chips on debris enter the anti-lift soft jaw.