To economically machine difficult-to-cut high-performance materials such as titanium and stainless steels, powerful precision tools for turning and milling are essential. Boehlerit has been a competent partner for customized indexable cutting inserts for many years – especially for machining difficult-to-cut materials. An important component in perfectly adapting the indexable cutting inserts to these demanding applications is CemeCon's HiPIMS coating technology. The ability to develop proprietary coatings and specifically tailor them to different applications gives Boehlerit a decisive advantage – particularly in challenging machining tasks.
Hard metals and precision tools from Boehlerit solve demanding machining tasks worldwide and set benchmarks in the processing of metal, wood, plastic, and composite materials. The success recipe of the Austrian experts undoubtedly includes the high level of manufacturing depth with state-of-the-art technologies and extensive know-how in all facets of tool production – from design to coating technology. With the CC800 HiPIMS coating system as one of the key components, Boehlerit is setting new standards in the machining of high-performance materials.
HiPIMS technology brings competitive advantages.
The HiPIMS technology significantly enhances the quality and performance of coatings: HiPIMS coatings are very smooth, while also being hard and tough. They have excellent adhesion and provide optimal wear protection for the tool due to the uniform distribution of layer thickness.
Boehlerit benefits from both the extraordinary performance of HiPIMS coatings and the flexibility of the coating systems. The ability to customize coatings to meet the requirements of specific applications makes all the difference – especially in demanding applications. The technology allows for the production of coatings with tailored residual stresses – a crucial advantage for machining difficult materials.
Titan machining at the highest level
To machine unalloyed titanium grades such as Ti (ASTM1-11), α-alloys, or α+β-alloys (e.g., Ti-6Al-4V) with high reliability, Boehlerit has developed new indexable cutting inserts. These achieve up to 40 percent longer tool life in practice compared to conventional solutions. "We owe these excellent results to the coordinated combination of selected carbide, special chip former geometry, and powerful HiPIMS coating," says André Feiel, Segment Manager Machining at Boehlerit. "The carbide base is a K10 fine-grain substrate."
It is particularly temperature-stable and shows a low tendency for plastic deformation. The specially developed chip former MT (Medium Titanium) ensures a secure chip break with sharp cutting edges during medium and light rough machining. And the icing on the cake is the 3 µm thick HiPIMS coating based on AluCon (TiB2).
The low affinity for non-ferrous metals and the high hardness make the TiB2 coating so successful in the machining of titanium with sharp cutting edges. The HiPIMS coating material optimally protects against built-up edges. The extremely smooth surface of the coating ensures efficient chip removal. Thanks to the reduced friction, the temperature in the machining process is lowered. The result: significantly longer tool life. The very good adhesion, combined with a high hardness of up to 5,000 HV0.05, enables top performance in both wet and dry machining – often at increased cutting parameters.
Unmatched in stainless steels
High abrasion wear, poor chip breaking, built-up edges – the milling of stainless steels is one of the most demanding tasks in cutting technology. "Such high requirements call for a perfectly refined tool concept. Our newly developed grades BCM35M and BCM40M for milling stainless steels provide users with the perfect solution for these challenges," says André Feiel.
Own HiPIMS coating for maximum performance
Both milling types are made from fine-grained hard metals with an optimized hardness-toughness ratio – that is, abrasion resistance combined with fracture toughness. Boehlerit has determined the chip former and edge preparation after extensive simulations and application tests. The result: excellent machinability and perfect chip flow. André Feiel: "In coating, we are taking new paths and have developed a multilayer HiPIMS coating: it consists of alternating AlTiN and AlCrN single layers. The multilayer structure leads to excellent abrasion resistance, even at higher temperatures, combined with good fracture toughness. Additionally, it delays crack formation. Extremely smooth layer surfaces minimize built-up edges and ensure excellent machining results when milling stainless steels."
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