February 2024 | Vol. 76 | Issue 2 ctemag.

com

THE
PRESSURE
IS ON
When deep-hole drilling
with high-pressure coolant,
it’s oil versus water soluble

Interacting Toolholding Finishes

SAFELY PRODUCTS TO SEAL
with AGVs for your arsenal the deal
 Deep Drilling
Indexable
Gundrills
Indexable Gundrill with
No Setup Time. Minimizes
Machine Downtime for
High Productivity and
Excellent Surface Finish.

Fast Setup
Minimizes
Machine
Downtime

Supporting Pad

Diameter Range of 8-12 mm

Easy to Mount Insert
on the Drill Body

Suitable for Rotating and

Non-Rotating Applications
Guide Pad on All Types of Machines

www. i s c a r. c o m
Table of Contents
®
February 2024 Volume 76 Issue 2
121 S. Wilke Rd. Ste. 200
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
COVER STORY DEPARTMENTS 847-498-9100
www.ctemag.com / www.cteguide.com

20 A Fluid Choice 2 Lead Angle Publisher

How water-miscible fluid
4
Dennis Spaeth
and neat oil stack up when
Machinist’s Corner dspaeth@ctemedia.com
deep-hole drilling with
high-pressure coolant.
6 Cutting Tool
Editorial
Gina Stehl, Creative Director
FEATURES Technology ginas@ctemedia.com

14 Hold It Right There! 10 Safety First

Alan Richter, Editor-at-Large
alanr@ctemedia.com

34
Consider adding these
toolholding products to Contributors
Productive Times
your shop’s arsenal. Cutting Tool Engineering regularly features

30 Surface Finishes
36 Advertisers Index
writing by numerous industry experts and
practitioners, such as Jeffrey Badger,
Christopher Tate and Brandt Taylor.
that Seal the Deal
Preventing leaks in Advertising Sales
hydraulic systems requires
Kenneth Spaeth, East
a good seal and a good 847-714-0173
sealing surface. kspaeth@ctemedia.com
Tom Tobiason, Central/West
630-248-0686
ttobiason@ctemedia.com
What’s new at www.ctemag.com Dave Jones, Central
Join Cutting Tool Engineering for a one-hour webinar based on 708-442-5633
dmj_jonesmedia@yahoo.com
this month’s cover story, “A Fluid Choice.” The article examines the
options for high-pressure coolant when deep-hole drilling. CTE will William Spaeth, Sales Assistant
be inviting each of the contributors interviewed for the report to 847-714-0182
bspaeth@ctemedia.com
participate and answer reader questions in a live setting. The webinar For instant access,
is scheduled for Noon CST on Feb. 28. Click here to register for the scan with your
smartphone Corporate Staff
event, which will be hosted through our Vimeo video channel. camera.
Chief Executive Officer
Dennis Spaeth
dspaeth@ctemedia.com
Follow Us on CFO/Director of Sales
Kenneth Spaeth
The Christmas season may have faded into 847-714-0173
memory, but one Christmas icon now has a metal kspaeth@ctemedia.com
counterpart that will last for many Christmases to Digital Developer
come. Together with Emuge-Franken, CAD/CAM Tim Spaeth
developer Open Mind set itself a task: Digitally tspaeth@ctemedia.com
reproducing a 40-centimeter tall nutcracker as
accurately as possible and mill it from aluminum as Circulation
efficiently as possible. See this and more on CTE Stamats Data Management
Social Media. cte@stamats.com
800-553-8878

ctemag.com/cteguide.com 1
Lead Angle
PROMISING TRENDS & DIGITAL DELIVERY
C utting tool orders totaled $202.7 million in
November 2023, according to the latest
Cutting Tool Market Report (CTMR), which is
produced through a collaboration between
the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) and
AMT - The Association for Manufacturing
Technology (AMT).
For perspective, the November total is
down about 5% from the $213 million worth
of orders reported in October. Yet, that was
still strong enough to bring year-to-date 2023
orders up to $2.26 billion, which represents a
7.5% increase over the same period in 2022.
Just for grins, I looked at November over
October cutting tool orders throughout the
last dozen years. Turns out that the 4.9%
drop from October 2023 to November 2023
actually reflects a normal downturn for that
time of the year. What’s notable, however,
is that November 2023 cutting tool orders
represent the second highest total for
the month of November since 2012. Only
November 2018 did better with $206.6 million
total orders.
What’s more, the percentage drop from
October to November has reached double-
digits seven times since 2012. In the big
picture, a percentage drop in the single digits
is a healthy sign.
Clearly the industry continued to perform
very well toward the end of 2023. So much
for the predictions of a mild recession hitting
in the fourth quarter of 2023 and continuing
throughout this year.
In fact, Christopher Chidzik, principal
economist at AMT, noted that “the economy
has glided into what appears to be a soft
landing” as he provided some analysis of the
November 2023 CTMR in a joint news release
issued by USCTI and AMT on Jan. 18. "To
2 FEBRUARY 2024
support this steady economic activity, cutting
tool shipments have been on a reliably
upward trend since they hit bottom in mid-
2020.”
Chidzik went on to suggest that cutting
tool demand in 2024 “should continue
as long as consumer demand for durable
goods remains elevated, businesses
continue to invest in capital equipment, and
government investment in infrastructure and
manufacturing continue to come online.”
As the industry returns to pre-pandemic
success, Cutting Tool Engineering is looking
to adapt and grow as well by introducing
three digital-only issues that offer an
interactive experience for our readers. We
indeed are publishing 12 monthly issues
this year, with nine issues in print and digital
formats and three issues only in a digital
format.
In fact, you are now reading our first
digital-only issue. The digital format of CTE is
delivered via email each month to subscribers
who either wish to receive only the digital
version or who wish to receive both a digital
and print version. Given that a clear majority
of our subscribers had previously only wanted
a print version, it is extremely heartening that
nearly 50,000 of you have agreed to receive
our magazine digitally this month.
Not only does that make me personally
happy, it bodes very well for CTE’s future. So,
thank you. CTE
about the author
Dennis Spaeth is CEO and
publisher of CTE. Contact him
at 847-714-0176 or dspaeth@
ctemedia.com.
Machinist’s Corner
TAP TIPS
By Brandt Taylor
I n this article I will discuss the tap-
ping operation. There are a num-
ber of factors to take into consider-
ation for trouble-free tapping. I will
not discuss tapered threads such
as those used for pipe threads, but
rather straight threads in blind or
through holes. My goal is to make
a quality thread quickly without
breaking the tap. A tap that breaks
in the hole can be a significant hit to
profitability. Taps are made of hard
material. There are gadgets avail-
able to extract a broken tap, but I
have never had any luck with them,
and I’ve been playing this game for
50 years. There are two sure alter-
natives, remove a broken tap with
an EDM machine or scrap the part.
For trouble-free tapping, it’s
about torque applied to the tap
versus the tensile strength of the
tap. Too much torque and the tap
breaks. Taps that have a helix on the
cutting edges will shear the chip and
cause it to curl away from the cut.
The shearing action reduces the ap-
plied torque to cut. The curl causes
the chip to move away from the cut,
not ball up between the tap and the
workpiece, and jam the process.
There are two styles of taps that
have a helix on the cutting edges.
Spiral point taps cause the chips
to spiral ahead of the tap and are
good for through holes. Spiral flute
taps cause the chips to spiral up the
flutes of the tap and are good for
blind holes. Spiral point taps gen-
erally have a larger cross-sectional
area and are thus stronger. They
are also self-cleaning. Running the
tap into the hole pushes the chips
through the hole, and, on retraction,
4 FEBRUARY 2024
Figure 1: A spiral point tap
. Ta
ylor
of B
courte
sy
ges
Ima
Figure 2: A spiral flute tap
the chips are left behind. With spiral be the difference between success
flute taps the chips will wrap around and failure. A good fluid will cut the
the tap and must be cleaned away torque required and produce an
after each hole is tapped. excellent surface finish. My experi-
Figure one shows a spiral point tap ence is that all fluids that have water
and figure 2 shows a spiral flute tap. If in the mix cause problems. There
you need to bottom tap a blind hole, are a number of specialty tapping
spiral flute bottoming taps are avail- fluids on the market. Tap Magic
able. When bottom tapping, first use products work for me.
a spiral flute tap with a chamfered Finally, there is cutting speed.
end, then the bottoming tap. Slower is faster. As the cutting
The tap drill size is very import- speed goes up, the amount of
ant as the thickness of the chip metal removed per minute goes
removed by the tap impacts the up and so the cutting torque goes
torque to tap. It is an exponential up. Unless you are making a million
factor. Double the chip thickness parts, the few seconds it takes to
the torque goes up by a factor of 4. thread a hole at a slow speed are
So, use the biggest tap drill possi- not going to affect the bottom line
ble for the thread being made. much — especially if a tap breaks in
The fluid used for tapping is also an expensive part.
very important. The fluid used can Happy tapping. CTE
about the author
Brandt Taylor is owner of Berlin, Massachusetts-based
Taylor Engineering, a machine shop and manufacturer of
lathe chuck jaws. He can be reached at gbrandttaylor@
gmail.com. For more information about the chuck jaws,
visit www.stopjaws.com.
Cutting Tool Technology

3-IN-1 THREAD MILLING SOLUTION

T he new Thrill∙tec™ TC645 Supreme thread mill-
ing cutter from Walter USA LLC, Greer, South
Carolina, is said to boost productivity by combin-
ing the machining steps of chamfering, core-hole
drilling and threading in a single tool and opera-
tion.
The TC645 Supreme orbital drilling and thread
milling cutter is able to first produce a chamfer at
the thread entry, then use helical interpolation to
create the core hole and threads.
The left-hand cutting tool is ideal for small-se-
ries and mass production jobs alike, according to
Walter. Mass production jobs benefit from long
tool life and short cycle times. Shops using the tool
on small production runs benefit from the reduc-
tion in tool changes and machine slots.
Made with Walter’s own WB10TJ grade coating,
the TC645 Supreme is suitable for machining of
steel, stainless steel, cast iron, nonferrous metal,
super alloys and titanium alloys (ISO P, M, K, N and
S material groups). A modified milling geometry

Walter’s new
Thrill∙tec™ TC645
Supreme cutter for
chamfering, drilling
and threading in one
operation.

Walter USA

6 FEBRUARY 2024
 More than tools

drilling titanium
FOR EACH TITANIUM ITS DRILL!

THAT‘S NEW!
Cool Titanium
• Two specific geometries: PTC for pure
titanium and ATC for titanium alloys
• Diameter from .039” to 1/4”
• Specially designed cooling concept

YOUR BENEFIT!
• Maximum drilling speed
• Excellent drilling quality
• Process reliability
• Up to 3 times longer tool life

Discover more!

Mikron Corp. Monroe

Monroe, CT 06468
mmo@mikron.com
www.mikrontool.com
Cutting Tool Technology

TC645 SUPREME
on the tool face and an internal coolant duct for emul-
THREAD MILLING
sion are said to maximize the tool’s life when machining
workpiece materials as hard as 48 HRC.
CUTTER
All these features combined, along with a 20° helix,
help to optimize chip removal, even when cutting at BENEFITS
high speeds and feeds per tooth, according to techni-
• Short cycle times and long tool
cal data from Walter. The company added that the tool life on long runs
can be used for blind-hole and through-hole threads in
dimensions of 2 or 2.5 x diameter deep. • Reduced number of tool changes
Walter offers the TC645 in dimensions of M4 to M12, and machine slots for small runs
UNC 8 to UNC ½ and G1/16 to G¼, with plans for ad- • Low cost per thread with fast
ditional versions coming soon. The shank is in accor- machining and indexing times
dance with the DIN 6535 HA standard. • Suitable for small-series and
In addition to maximizing process reliability and its mass production runs alike
universality, the Thrill∙tec TC645 Supreme also offers a
low cost per thread with its fast machining and index-
ing times, according to Walter.
The embedded video demonstration shows the
TC645-M5-A1D-WB10TJ tool being used to cut a vari-
ety of ISO P, M, K, N and S materials. CTE

8 FEBRUARY 2024
Indexable
Milling

Any material, all applications

Walter continues to lead the way in indexable milling with new insert shapes and
geometries. The indexable insert shapes and geometries from Tiger·tec® Gold extend
the range of applications to copy milling, slot milling, high-feed milling and slotting
cutters. Engineered to provide greater cutting parameters and longer tool life, the
expanded line of Walter indexable milling tools deliver ultimate results every time.

www.walter-tools.com/us
Safety First
INTERACTING SAFELY WITH AGVS
A long with the rise of automated
guided vehicles (AGVs) on the
shop floor come new systems to
keep your employees safe while
walking the same floor as these mo-
bile robots. Let’s take a closer look
at two such systems.
• SICK Inc., Minneapolis, Min-
nesota, offers the safeVision-
ary2, a new compact 3D time-
of-flight camera system with a
Performance Level of “c” (PL
c), which is an indication of the
system’s safety related parts
of the control system to per-
form a safety function under
foreseeable conditions.
• A comprehensive package
for safeguarding AGV sys-
tems offered by Pilz Automa-
10 FEBRUARY 2024
tion Safety L.P., Canton, Mich-
igan. The package includes
safe area monitoring that pro-
tects against collisions be-
tween employees and AGVs.
The safeVisionary2 allows safe three-
dimensional environment perception
that you can use to increase the
safety and efficiency of your
applications.
SICK
The safeVisionary2 is
said to be effective for use
on autonomous mobile ro-
bots because the camera
provides precise 3D mea-
c.
surement data that en-
SICK In
ables AGV navigation. The
3D environment detection enables
seamless protection of numerous
applications requiring PL c, accord-
ing to SICK. With a 2 m safety range
and up to four field switching cases,
the safeVisionary2 is suitable for a
Safety First
The AGV safety package from Pilz includes the PSENscan safety laser scanners, the myPNOZ modular safety relay, the PNOZmulti 2 configurable
small controller, and the SecurityBridge industrial firewall.
wide range of applications, includ-
ing industrial mobile robots, cobots
and mobile service robots.
With safeVisionary2, obstacles
above the scanning field level of a
safety laser scanner are also reliably
detected in the direction of travel,
which translates into improved colli-
sion avoidance. In addition, the com-
pany said side protection safety is
also increased during turning and piv-
oting maneuvers of the vehicle after
loading and unloading processes.
In the world of cobots, the spec-
trum of human-motion sequences
is a particular challenge for safety,
12 FEBRUARY 2024
SICK noted. The safe 3D environ-
ment detection with safeVisionary2
reliably detects a person’s upper
body and upper limbs. In many
cases, safety distances can be re-
duced around the cobot.
The safeVisionary2 extends pro-
tection of the robot work area at
human-head height. So bringing a
cobot to a standstill is only neces-
sary when a person moves his or her
head into the work area.
In this application scenario, fur-
ther use of the sensor data is partic-
ularly suitable, as the camera per-
forms many tasks from detecting
Pilz GmbH & Co.KG
empty pallets to object localization
and measurement, according to
the company. This combination of
safety and automation reduces the
implementation effort for additional
components.
The safeVisionary2 can be config-
ured via the SICK Safety Designer,
which provides extensive diagnos-
tic functions.
Pilz
The new Pilz safety and security
package for safeguarding AGVs in-
cludes PSENscan safety laser scan-
ners that protect against collisions
between your employees and
AGVs, a myPNOZ modular safety
relay, a PNOZmulti 2 configurable
small controller, and the industrial
firewall SecurityBridge. Various con-
trol and signal devices — such as
the evaluation unit from the oper-
ating mode selection and access
permission system PITmode fusion,
PITreader, the E-STOP pushbutton
PITestop and the muting lamps PIT-
sign — complete the monitoring
package for users.
The Pilz solution also covers tam-
per protection on mobile applica-
tions. The integrated security solu-
tion via the firewall SecurityBridge
is said to protect AGVs or vehicle
systems from unauthorized access
during wireless communication. As
such, according to Pilz, the AGVs and
their map data remain protected.
The PSENscan safety laser scan-
ner enables safeguarding and pro-
duction area monitoring of mobile
platforms. On guide path AGVs,
the safety laser scanner detects ob-
jects along the route, even at high
speeds, and adjusts warning and
safety zones in a functionally safe
manner, according to Pilz.
If additional safety functions are
to be covered on the AGVs, such as
E-STOP for example, users can apply
a flexible product solution that in-
cludes PSENscan and the modu-
lar safety relay myPNOZ. Should re-
quirements change, myPNOZ can
be expanded at will to suit any fu-
ture addition to the function range.
That enables a high degree of flexi-
bility when designing mobile appli-
cations, according to Pilz.
For freely navigating mobile plat-
forms, Pilz also offers manufactur-
ers a comprehensive solution for
the safe navigation of autonomous
mobile robots (AMRs) in accor-
dance with ISO 3691-4. The pack-
age includes the PNOZmulti 2 safe
small controller with new function-
alities for synchronization monitor-
ing and activation of the PSENscan
safety laser scanners. Also, the in-
dustrial firewall SecurityBridge of-
fers protection against unautho-
rised access from outside. CTE

Scan the QR Code to Register

for Our Exclusive Webinar!

CONNECT, AUTOMATE, CREATE

ANCA Integrated Manufacturing System (AIMS) is revolutionizing

the tool manufacturing industry. It is a modular and flexible INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY
ecosystem that can be tailored to your individual needs.

Your factory, driven by the AIMS Server will help improve

productivity by dramatically reducing your reliance on labor, REDUCED COST PER TOOL
increasing uptime, and reducing scrap to drive down the
cost per tool.
IMPROVED QUALITY
Find out more: www.anca.com/AIMS

ctemag.com/cteguide.com 13
HOLD IT RIGHT THE

BIG DAISHOWA VISIT

SITE

With the introduction of its C3 program, BIG DAISHOWA recently expanded its BIG
CAPTO toolholder line with the introduction of its C3 program, which is designed to
increase efficiency and precision for small lathes.
The C3 series of MEGA NEW BABY chucks has a clamping range of 0.010” to 0.630”
with a maximum RPM of 30,000. The chucks are said to be ideal for drills, reamers, taps
and finishing end mills. Ultra-slim and strong, they provide reliable gripping for even
the smallest workpieces.
The BIG CAPTO C3 square holders for turning applications come in left- and right-hand
orientations. The C3-180-BH16R-2058 and C3-180-BH16L-2058 mono-block holders
feature insert clamps that enhance rigidity and minimize vibrations and movement
during cutting.
The new square toolholders are available in 90° and 180° types. The 90° type offers a
variety of orientations, including perpendicular to the workpiece. Its compact design also
allows for work in spaces that are tighter or have limited clearance. The 180° type allows
the tool to machine harder-to-reach areas of the workpiece.
C3 boring bar holders also are available to clamp 6 mm, 8 mm, 10 mm or 12 mm
boring bars. All turning toolholders feature through-spindle coolant.

14 FEBRUARY 2024
ERE! Consider adding these toolholding
products to your shop's arsenal

CERATIZIT VISIT
SITE

CERATIZIT recently enhanced its new MaxiLock-N

turning toolholders by incorporating the company’s
DirectCooling technology.
The MaxiLock-N turning toolholders incorporate
two internal coolant holes that aim coolant directly at
the cutting edge to prevent wear and ensure stable
processes. Using these coolant holes, nozzles direct
coolant to the clamping flat from above as well as
from below to the flank. This additional flank cooling
contributes to the tool’s ability to extend tool life by 60%
compared to tools that cool only at the clamping flat.
To avoid interference with workpiece contours, the
lengths of DirectCooling Series holders are ideally
matched to one another and offer optimal stability and
unlimited flexibility. This flexibility is further enhanced
with the HSK-T universal standard interface for turning
REGO FIX VISIT
SITE
tools that ensures a straightforward connection to
multifunction machining centers, such as those
REGO-FIX recently added minimum quantity performing both milling and turning operations.
lubrication (MQL) machining to its powRgrip (PG)
toolholding system to help shops improve production
and tool life by reducing coolant consumption and
shortening cycle times.
MQL machining is a clean, sustainable manufacturing
technique that directs an aerosol of compressed air and a
minimal amount of cutting oil (<50 ml/h) directly to the
cutting area. In addition to significantly reducing coolant
consumption, MQL machining reportedly reduces cycle
times anywhere from 25% to 85%, while also improving
chip evacuation for better surface finish and tolerance,
and increasing tool life.
The REGO-FIX standardized MQL PG collets are
designed for tool shanks according to DIN 69090-3 and
available for HSK-A 63 and HSK-E 40 toolholders. They
are designed for machines using one-channel, internal
through-spindle MQL systems and are beneficial for
virtually any machining application.
In many cases, chamber and cross-section areas within
a toolholding system create turbulence that causes an
irregular air/coolant mix ratio in the aerosol. However,
the REGO-FIX PG MQL solution uses a coolant tube fitted
with a lance that directs the mixture through the collet
and directly to the tool for reliable coolant distribution at
the lowest consumption rate.

ctemag.com/cteguide.com 15
 TOOLHOLDING PRODUCTS
VISIT
T.J. Davies SITE

T.J. Davies Co. Inc., Mantua, Ohio, produces custom

retention knobs, pull bolts and other workholding
components and accessories to fit older, or obsolete
machinery. All dimensions of knobs can be customized,
including length, diameter, thickness of collars,
dimensions between collar and knob end, thread size,
and more.
Additionally, customers can specify a coolant hole,
taper style, and whether O-rings are required. Custom
made retention knobs are sized to fit the machine tool
and spindle or toolholder to maximize the toolholder’s
performance and cutting tool life and extend the life of
existing machine tool assets.
All T.J. Davies custom retention knobs are
manufactured from American-made 8620 alloy steel,
which has a high tensile strength to withstand strong
centrifugal force, high load force and high feed rate.
Japan USA All knobs are machined in-house with single point
VISIT
SITE threading to Imperial (Class 2A UNC) or Metric (Class
Precision Tools G6) standards. After threading is completed, each
component is heat treated to 58-62 HRC then treated
The new Takezawa-Seiki FHN Series floating holders with hot black oxide to military specifications for
from Japan USA Precision Tools, Bellflower, California, are protection against corrosion.
said to follow the smallest offset to improve single-pass
honing accuracy and extend tool life.
Designed specifically for one-pass honing, the FHN
Series method compensates for small offsets such as tilt
between the center axis of the tool and the pilot hole.
By correcting the offset that occurs when attaching and
detaching tools with the holder, it is now possible to
achieve higher precision machining, according to the
company.
In honing, where very high precision is required, even
small deviations between the center of the tool and the
center of the pilot hole can have a significant impact on
machining accuracy, quality and tool life.
Takezawa Seiki's floating holder eliminates variations
in quality and load on the tool by maintaining a constant
transmission torque, according to the company.
The FHN Series is available in North America by visiting
this online shop: https://SocalSpecialtyTools.com.
Available models include the FHNS12C1 12 mm Shank
with ER20 Collet and the FHNS25C2 25 mm Shank with
ER32 Collet.

16 FEBRUARY 2024
 TOOLHOLDING PRODUCTS
Lyndex-Nikken VISIT
SITE

An advanced design of SK collet chucks from Lyndex-

Nikken, Mundelein, Illinois, are said to optimize
machine tool performance by requiring fewer collet
chuck changes and improved workpiece surface finish.
The advanced design of the SK collet chuck provides
increased rigidity and gripping force as well as the
ability to reach tight spaces. A special heat treatment,
grinding and custom slotting process enables Lyndex-
Nikken to guarantee a 5 micron run-out tolerance
for their "on size" fractional and metric size precision
collets.
A titanium nitride (TiN) bearing nut improves rigidity
as the uniquely designed gold ring reduces collet
damage and micro vibration with the collet flange,
according to the company. It also eliminates friction with
the collet.
Walter USA VISIT
SITE The taper angle provides increased gripping power
as the SK collet chuck’s 8-degree collet seats deeper in
With its new Walter Turn Swiss toolholders for turning the body of the holder, providing double the clamping
applications, the company is targeting applications on force and precision than traditional 16-degree collets.
Swiss-style automatic lathes and multi-spindle machines The narrow body of the SK collet chuck allows for access
that have up to 2,175 psi (150 bar) of coolant pressure. to tight spaces and provides better clearance making it
The holders are suitable for turning high-precision parts, ideal for machining complex parts.
longitudinal (axial) turning, facing and copy turning
small-diameter components.
The holder provides targeted clearance face cooling for
efficient chip control and increased tool life in addition
to high precision cooling on the flank face to slow down
insert heat and wear. The holders feature a flexible
coolant connection in three positions for either external
plumbing or thru-coolant introduction through lathe
turrets.
The holders accept CCGT3xx, DCGT3xx and VCGT2xx
indexable inserts and provide a high level of indexing
accuracy even when turning parts with tight tolerance
specifications. The short head dimension enables short
clamping and high stability. The shank dimensions are
12 mm × 12 mm and 16 mm × 16 mm.
Potential benefits include less downtime caused by
bird nesting of chips thanks to the targeted clearance
face cooling and long tool life even when turning heat-
resistant workpiece materials due to the cooled cutting
edge.

18 FEBRUARY 2024
OUR FAMILY
OF GRINDING
TECHNOLOGIES
NXT 5-Axis Tool and Cutter Grinder
NEW! TRU TECH Precision Grinders
TRU TECH grinding
systems are recognized
for ease of use and
ultrafast set-up while
delivering incredible
accuracy and repetitive
results.
Star Cutter has acquired
TRU TECH Grinding Systems.
Our expanded portfolio includes
machines capable of handling a
complete array of high precision
grinding applications, starting
with our NXT. This versatile tool
and cutter grinder is packaged
with industry-leading NUMROTO
or ESPRIT CAM software. The
NXT can tackle your precision
grinding needs from custom tool
manufacturing through automated
high-volume production.
Call (248) 474-8200
to find out more.
starcutter.com
 A FLUID
CHOICE
How water-miscible fluid and neat
oil stack up when deep-hole drilling
with high-pressure coolant.
By Alan Richter

W hen drilling a deep hole with high-pressure fluid,

the correct pressure and volume for the cutting
tool diameter is a key component, but more critical for
successful holemaking in the process itself. That’s ac-
cording to Tim Schneider, vice president of ATS Sys-
tems, with locations in Rancho Santa Margarita, Cal-
ifornia, and Sewickley, Pennsylvania. The company
manufactures CoolJet high-pressure coolant delivery
systems and distributes Masterall water-soluble, or wa-
ter-miscible, metalworking fluids from Etna Products
Inc. in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. “We know that brand works
with high pressure.”
He recommends a two-step process, starting with
the longest standard drill for the hole diameter being

ATS Systems

Drilling demonstration on 1018 steel. Click image to play video.

20 FEBRUARY 2024
Blaser Swisslube reports that the low viscosity of 8 mm2/sec.
(8 centistokes) at 40° C (104° F) of its Blasomill GT 8 X coolant
optimally cools and lubricates at high pressures. In addition to
drilling, the fluid is suitable for turning, milling and tapping.

Blaser Swisslube

ctemag.com/cteguide.com 21
 A Fluid Choice

produced entering the workpiece

at the highest feed rate as appro-
priate for the material and drill. That
step is followed by using the deep-
hole drill in which the high-pressure
coolant is activated but rotation
doesn’t begin until the drill tip en-
ters the hole.
“What that does is it creates a hy-
drostatic bushing, so you don’t hit
the margins on the drill and dam-
age them,” Schneider said. “Then
you can just go straight through that
hole. There shouldn’t be any peck
cycles required until you are at least
14, 15 times depth to diameter.”
The point geometry of both drills
must be the same, he added.
If a cross-hole is encountered,
Schneider noted that the feed rate
needs to be reduced by half be-
cause there is no longer a hydro-
A new 1-mm drill (left) and tool wear of less than 20 µm after drilling 3,421 holes in stainless
steel using Blasomill GT 8 X coolant.
static bushing, or pressure built into
that hole from the drill, once the
tool breaks through. In addition,
continuing at the higher feed rate
will damage the drill and shorten
tool life.
Decision Time
High pressure, however, cov-
ers a range, with 20.7 to 206.8 bar
(300 to 3,000 psi) frequently refer-
Blaser Swisslube
enced. “Most cases, 70 bar is your
best pressure all around,” Schnei-
der said, indicating a pressure that
is approximately 1,015 psi.
Although he said he frequently
receives requests for higher pres-
sure systems, the only times an
increased pressure is needed is
for certain applications in which
it is beneficial to have more vol-
ume, such as when applying small-

CERAMIC END MILLS

• Offers up to 10X higher productivity over standard
carbide solutions, bringing tremendous cost savings

• Our toughest ceramic material combined with a

unique, high-efficiency flute geometry

• Extreme versatility allows for maximum removal rates

on a wide range of material

Greenleaf Corporation
is ISO 9001 Certified
@2023 Greenleaf Corporation
Visit greenleafcorporation.com for more information!
 ‘Most cases, 70 bar is your best pressure all around.’

diameter drills for Swiss-style ma-
chining. Not only are higher pres-
sure systems more expensive than
one that provides 70 bar of pres-
sure, but they can be more danger-
ous to operate.
Schneider noted that one Tier 1
manufacturer requested a 3,000-
psi system, but ATS performed a
test cut and determined that chip
formation and overall performance
was better at 1,000 psi. “Most ma-
chine tool spindles and turrets can’t
go over 70 bar anyway.”
A more recent request, he said,
was for a 300-bar (4,351-psi) sys-
tem. “I’m like, ‘I don’t know what
you need that for, but we’ll see.’ A
lot of times people will get a num-
ber out there and think that’s their
magic bullet. I’ve had a number of
occasions where I proved that 1,000
psi rules in most cases.”
The use of neat oil when deep-
hole drilling presents a slightly dif-
ferent scenario.
While 1,000 psi is ideal and typi-
cal for water-miscible coolant, pres-
sures up to 138 bar (2,000 psi) are
commonly used for neat oil, said
Brett Reynolds, senior application
engineer, and certified metalwork-
about the author
Alan Richter is
editor-at-large
of CTE. Contact
him at alanr@
ctemedia.com.
ing fluids specialist (CMFS) for Bla-
ser Swisslube Inc. The Goshen,
New York-based company’s metal-
working fluids include a host of wa-
ter-miscible coolants and neat oils,
as well as fully synthetic coolants.
For example, Blaser offers neat oils
with fast air release to reportedly
provide optimal lubrication and
heat dispensation of the tool/work-
piece interface. Entrained air does
not allow optimal lubrication, which
leads to poor cutting performance
and decreased tool life.
“We have developed two brand
new neat oils, Blasomill GT 8 X and
Blasomill GT 16 X, that are dedi-
cated gundrill oils, and they’re really
formulated to meet the demands
that are being placed on these oils
in today’s machine tool market,”

NEW SOLID END MILLS

CARBIDE END MILLS

• Provides 25-50% higher performance in most applications,
from full slotting to heavy profiling to fine finishing

• Its sub-micron carbide offers toughness combined with high

wear resistance to allow for longer tool life

• The PVD coating provides capability for higher speeds,

especially in HRSA materials

Greenleaf Corporation | 18695 Greenleaf Drive | Saegertown, PA 16433 | 800-458-1850 | 814-763-2915

sales@greenleafcorporation.com | www.greenleafcorporation.com
 A Fluid Choice
Reynolds said.
In addition, the Blasomill GT 8 X
is suitable for producing small holes
with the addition of a high-pres-
sure oil delivery system. Its fast air
release properties and unique ad-
ditivation package, provides effec-
tive heat dispensation and optimal
lubricity at the cutting edge, Blaser
Swisslube reports.
As with virtually every metalcut-
ting decision, application is every-
thing. There is a give and take with
every fluid, he noted. Deep-hole
drilling with oil requires additional
effort to clean the parts after ma-
chining than when using water-mis-
Philipp Marschall, a technician at Blaser Swisslube’s technical center, prepares a small drill for holemaking with the company’s Blasomill GT 8 X
coolant.
24 FEBRUARY 2024
cible fluids, but the latter poses the
risk of corrosion as well as poor cut-
ting performance and decreased
tool life if the coolant concentration
is not maintained properly. Typical
concentration ranges for water mis-
cible coolants are usually from 10%
to 15% to provide enhanced lubric-
ity for deep-hole drilling.
“Straight oil is going to win every
time from a lubricity standpoint and
tool standpoint for the simple fact
that it doesn’t rely on anybody to
mix it,” Schneider said. “It has its
viscosity, and it is what it is.”
Reynolds said: “Typically with wa-
ter-miscible coolant, you can go
quite a bit faster because of the
cooling properties of water that
they’re mixed with, versus a neat oil
where you are limited. You can only
go so fast until you start ‘smoking
the oil’ and then you’ve pretty much
reached the limit and should con-
sider backing it off at least 5% at
that point. If you continue to push
the limits of the oil, you’re going to
set the oil on fire, then you’ve re-
ally got a problem. This is why there
is no ideal metalworking fluid for
universal application developed
yet. That’s always been the goal,
but I don’t know if that will ever be
achieved in my lifetime.”
In the Mix
A lot of the problems end users
experience with water-miscible flu-
ids is because they don’t mix them
properly, according to Schneider.
Blaser Swisslube
 THE NAME TO KNOW FOR...

LIVE TOOLS / ANGLE HEADS / SPEED MULTIPLIERS / SWISS COMPONENTS

MARKING TOOLS / KNURLING TOOLS / BROACHING TOOLS / SHRINK FIT TOOLS

Platinum Tooling is proud to be the importer of Heimatec Live Tools and Angle Heads,
Tecnicrafts Swiss Collets and Guide Bushings, Henninger Spindle Speeders,
Quick Knurling and Marking Tools, Rineck Shrink Fit Tool Holders and REV Broaching Tools.

Platinum Tooling offers a wide selection of machine tool accessories for most machine brands,
including standard and custom tools to help with the most challenging applications.

If you need live tooling, we’re here to help.

16 E. Piper Lane, Ste.128 | Prospect Heights, IL | 847-749-0633

info@platinumtooling.com | www.platinumtooling.com
Here Come the Cool Jets
To meet a variety of customer metalworking fluid delivery
requirements, the CoolJet high-pressure coolant system
from ATS Systems provides “complete functionality,” said Tim
Schneider, the company’s vice president.
One element is the modular design that enables a customer
to add an aftermarket chiller or mist collector or both on the
same footprint, he explained. “When you have an automated
process, you have to have temperature control with your
coolant, good filtration and mist collection all built into one
platform.”
That capability enables a manufacturer that just purchased
the high-pressure system to add a chiller, for example, if
thermal issues occur, Schneider said. “It’s a plug-and-play
option.”
In addition, the system is available with a fixed or variable
coolant flow. A fixed flow is suitable when an end user is using
the full volume, for example, of a 9 gpm system, he noted.
However, if only 4 gpm are going through a cutting tool, 5 gpm
travel through the bypass mechanism. “That creates 750 watts
per minute of additional heat that goes back into your coolant.
It can create thermal issues.”
In contrast, the variable-flow system automatically pumps
the volume of coolant required to maintain the specified
pressure, Scheider added. Although the variable-flow design
costs $3,000 to $5,000 more, it reduces power consumption,
making it less costly to operate than the fixed-flow design. “So,
instead of, say, running at 60 Hertz all the time, it’s going to run
at 15 or 20 Hertz.”
Having a variable-volume unit is beneficial when a machine
tool uses a large number of cutting tools, he noted. “The simple
rule of thumb is always use variable if you’re going to have wide
variety of tool orifices and sizes. You can go with a fixed-flow

‘There’s an acronym called OIL and what that means is oil in last.’

A Fluid Choice
“There’s an acronym called OIL
and what that means is oil in last.
What a lot of people do is they’ll put
the concentration in their mixing
bucket, then they’ll put water in and
that will create what’s called a re-
verse emulsion and cause foaming.”
Steven Lowery, executive vice
president of oelheld U.S. Inc. in
West Dundee, Illinois, offered the
analogy of making chocolate milk
with a syrup. If the syrup is poured
before the milk, some of the syrup
will likely remain on the bottom of
the glass even after a thorough stir-
ring. When milk is added first, it’s
easier and quicker to evenly dis-
tribute the syrup throughout the
drink. “That’s one of the downsides
of water miscible is a lot of people
don’t mix their products properly to
create that tight water/oil bond of
the molecules. We call it a loose, or
sloppy, emulsion.”
In addition, many end users think
they need an oil skimmer to remove
way oil from the coolant. While this
is true, much of the skimmed prod-
uct is actually separated coolant
concentration that’s floating to the
top, he noted. “They mix it wrong
and that’ll damage tool life and all
the things in the facility and within
the process.”
To tackle foaming, Lowery says
oelheld formulates its oil and wa-
ter-miscible products with ingredi-
ents to minimize or eliminate foam,
with the option to treat tank side
with defoamers. He added that a fa-
cility’s water hardness also impacts
the amount of foam a fluid gener-
ates, where a very soft water has
a higher propensity to foam com-
pared to hard water. “We can in-
duce artificial hardness to the water
if it is too soft for the application.”
Additional additives for both
types of products include ex-
treme-pressure agents, Lowery
noted, including sulfur, phospho-
rous, chlorine and boundary film
additives, such as esters or fat. “Ba-
sically, they keep metal-to-metal
contact from happening.”
The EP agents activate at differ-
ent temperatures, he added.
In addition, chlorine-free, ad-
vanced-generation additives pro-
vide extreme-pressure lubricity,
which are required for challeng-
ing holemaking applications, Low-
ery said.
Fine Filtration
Obviously, big chips must be re-
moved from any recirculated metal-
working fluid to prevent them from
being re-cut, but finer particles also
should not make their way to the
tool/workpiece interface deep in a
bore to properly maintain the fluid.
A paper bed filter can get the job
done, according to Lowery, and
some use cyclone filters to centrifu-
gally remove fines.
He recommends a filter that re-
moves particles down to a sin-
gle-digit micron level, particularly
when the surface finish has a tight
specification. However, even with
a correctly mixed coolant, filtration
that’s too fine can break the mo-
lecular bond and remove critical

26 FEBRUARY 2024
system, and if you’re using all the volume, you’ll never have any
issues with heat.”
One customer, however, had a fixed-flow system on a small
gundrill but was experiencing thermal issues, Schneider said.
The regional manager inquired whether he should sell him a
variable-flow system to fix the problem, which would have fixed
the situation but at a significant price. Instead, ATS calculated
how much volume was going through the drill and then put a
T-fitting in the high-pressure line with a correctly sized bleeder
orifice.
“The drill was using two gallons a minute, and we put a
bleeder orifice on for seven gallons a minute back to the
machine tank and now he’s using all the volume, still drilling
the hole but not creating heat,” Schneider said. “We solved this
problem with a $5 Home Depot fix.”
—Alan Richter

ATS Systems reports that its CoolJet ms

Syste
high-pressure coolant system enables end ATS

users to increase their speeds and feeds by

at least 20% and tool life 3 to 10 times.

Tooling Technology
Measuring and
Shrinking Technology Balancing Technology Presetting Technology

HAIMER Cool Flash

For optimum coolant delivery to the cutting edge www.haimer.com

ctemag.com/cteguide.com 27
Counter Rotation Maximizes Deep Hole Concentricity
By UNISIG
In a routine drilling operation on a milling machine or
drill press, a drill’s cutting edges rotate against a stationary
workpiece. The opposite is true in holemaking on a turning
machine where a stationary drill advances into a rotating
workpiece. Either of these drilling methods produce sufficient
reliability and hole quality for a wide range of applications.
However, other tactics are necessary to produce more exacting
tolerances and larger depth-to-diameter ratios.
Drill and workpiece rotation has a major influence on a hole’s
concentricity – a key measure of drilling accuracy. When the
drill alone rotates in a horizontal setup common for deep hole
drilling, accuracy will vary as gravity acts on the drilling tool. A
rotating drill can produce sufficient concentricity in relatively
shallow holes, but performance will suffer as holes become
deeper and less forgiving tolerance wise.
On the other hand, because the direction of gravitational
forces relative to the workpiece constantly changes when the
drill is stationary and the workpiece rotates, that arrangement
can produce holes approximately twice as concentric as the
rotating drill approach. While shops can perform rotating-
workpiece deep hole drilling on a turning machine, a dedicated
deep hole drilling machine using what’s known as counter-
Deep-hole drilling with high-pressure coolant. Click image to play video.
28 FEBRUARY 2024
rotation will net much better results.
Benefits of counter-rotation
A drilling setup that involves both the drill and workpiece
rotating in opposite directions will balance out drilling forces,
which are never static in a constant net direction. The balanced
forces keep the drill from drifting for a much more concentric
hole. With the right equipment and setup, counter-rotation
Drill and workpiece rotation has a major
influence on a hole’s concentricity – a key
measure of drilling accuracy.
is possible for smaller gundrilled holes as well as larger holes
drilled with BTA tooling.
In counter-rotation testing, UNISIG drilled a ¼"-dia. hole in
a 30"-long, ¾"-dia. OD, 4140HT steel workpiece. This 120:1
depth-to-diameter application is one typically found in the
production of power transmission shafts or aerospace linkages.
Drill drift at the 30" hole depth was measured via ultrasound.
With a rotating drill and stationary workpiece, drill drift was
0.026"; a stationary drill and rotating workpiece exhibited
0.015" drift; and when both the drill and the workpiece were
ATS Systems
rotating, drill drift was only 0.009". It should be noted that interfaces that provide detailed process information and
results will vary due to many factors, including material, depth- maximize control over drilling parameters to enable accurate,
to-diameter ratio and the specific tooling involved. efficient and repeatable production.

Dedicated deep hole drilling machines Basic application guidelines

Even with careful application of drill and workpiece counter-
rotation techniques, typical machining centers – if equipped for
counter rotation – usually do not have the alignment capabilities
needed to consistently produce high-quality holes of 20:1 or
greater depth-to-diameter ratio. Superior alignment is critical in
maintaining concentricity.
In dedicated deep-hole drilling equipment, the machine
base, rotating bearing groups and spindles as well as tool and
workpiece supports are all designed with alignment as a first
priority. Deep-hole drilling machines also emphasize control of
other machining and environmental factors such as consistent
temperature maintenance.
Some machines not originally engineered for counter-
rotation operation can be retrofitted with a secondary counter-
rotating group, but the alignment processes needed to make
the arrangement work will be challenging and expensive.
Additionally, a machine originally designed to employ counter-
rotation will be manageable for nearly any operator. Dedicated
deep hole drilling machines, for instance, include operator
Every deep-hole drilling application is essentially unique.
However, general application guidance for counter-rotating
operations includes allowing one-third of the total drilling
speed to come from workpiece rotation and two-thirds from the
drill. Operating parameters can then be adjusted to maximize
drilling speeds and accuracy.
Such counter-rotation techniques provide a way to achieve
accuracy and production requirements in deep-hole drilling
and are especially effective when drilling holes of 40:1 depth
to diameter ratios or more. Counter-rotation generates higher
levels of concentricity that enable use of optimal feed rates
while also extending tool life. The result is production of more
parts per hour with fewer tool changes.
Learn more about counter-rotation and what it can do for you
at www.UNISIG.com.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Versions of this article first appeared on the
UNISIG and CTE websites on Sept. 19, 2022, and Feb. 23, 2023,
respectively.

A Fluid Choice
ingredients from the fluid.
Filtering finer than 5 µm (0.0002")
will start shearing critical mol-
ecules from the coolant, accord-
ing to Schneider, with an upper
limit of 10 µm being appropriate for
through-spindle coolant.
“That’s one of the advantages
of our cyclonic-style filtration be-
cause it’s rated to 5 µm. Since it
doesn’t go through a bag, it can’t
pull any properties out of the cool-
ant,” Scheider said, adding that cy-
clonic filtration is better for “dirt-
ier processes” such as when deep-
hole drilling cast metal.
In addition to the risk of strip-
ping the additives from a fluid by
filtering finer than 5 µm, depend-
ing on the formulation, filtration be-
comes “rather expensive” once you
go below that threshold, Reynolds
said. When in doubt about the spe-
cific filtration level required, he rec-
ommends consulting with the fluid
manufacturer.
With proper filtration and mainte-
nance, part manufacturers can max-
imize the life of their liquid tools.
When that’s the case, water-misci-
ble coolants should last at least a
year if not longer, Reynolds said.
contributors
ATS Systems
800-321-1833
www.atssystems.us
Blaser Swisslube Inc.
845-294-3200
blaser.com
oelheld U.S. Inc.
847-531-8501
www.oelheld.com
However, the lifetime of wa-
ter-miscible coolants can be cut
in half or more when they are not
properly mixed to maintain the rec-
ommended refractive index, Low-
ery noted, adding that a life of 18
months to two years is possible. If
only water is added to compensate
for evaporation, the EP additive
package and anti-foam additives
are reduced. “You’re constantly di-
luting all those key ingredients.”
That dilution process is not pos-
sible for straight oils, he added.
“You’re constantly putting, let’s call
it, the good stuff back into the oil.”
As a result, neat oil lasts longer,
Lowery said. “We see some sys-
tems run five, seven years.”
Like perishable tooling, wa-
ter-miscible fluids and neat oils have
a finite life, Reynolds said. “Eventu-
ally, there’s going to come a day
when it has to be disposed of.” CTE

ctemag.com/cteguide.com 29
 SURFACE FINISHES
THAT SEAL THE DEAL
Preventing leaks in hydraulic systems requires
a good seal and a good sealing surface
By Christopher Tate
H ydraulic cylinders and similar fluid
power devices are integral to our lives.
We find them on bulldozers, aircraft, auto-
mobiles and lawnmowers. Regardless of the
application, performance and reliability of
the fluid power system is dependent on ef-
fective seals.
Experts will tell you that preventing leaks
in dynamic hydraulic systems not only re-
quires a good seal it also requires a good
sealing surface. For this reason, the surface
finish of components that mate with hydrau-
lic seals must have proper surface finish.
Sealing surfaces must have finishes that
30 FEBRUARY 2024
are fine enough to prevent high pressure oil
from passing between the seal and surface
of the sealed component but also rough
enough to allow proper lubrication. If the
surface is too rough or the lay of (directional
orientation) the tool marks is incorrect, flu-
ids can pass between seal and component.
Conversely, should the surface be too fine,
then there is no way to retain lubrication and
the seal will be abraded leading to failure.
Static and dynamic sealing surfaces typ-
ically have surface finish requirements
between 8 μin and 12 μin. Common ma-
chining operations like reaming, turning
and boring cannot reliably achieve these
finish requirements. Therefore, abrasive
Don’t miss our March send!
In high volume shops centerless grinding might be the first choice for parts like rods for hydraulic cylinders.
Surface Finishes
that Seal the Deal
operations like honing and grind-
ing are the most common machin-
ing processes used to finish sealing
surfaces.
Many applications like hydraulic
cylinder rods are also hardened and
have coatings like hard chrome ap-
plied to enhance wear resistance.
These factors also preclude the use
of non-abrasive machining.
The most common finishing pro-
cess for sealing surfaces is grinding.
Component geometry, production
volumes and component size are
going to dictate the process that is
used. Surface finish requirements
and material properties will dictate
the size, shape and type of abrasive
wheel that is selected.
In repair shops, tool rooms or
specialty applications when vol-
umes are low a shop most often
relies on processes like cylindri-
cal grinding and possibly tool post
32 FEBRUARY 2024
grinding on a lathe to finish com-
ponents.
In high volume shops centerless
grinding might be the first choice
for parts like rods for hydraulic cyl-
inders. Centerless grinding allows
the part to flow through the ma-
chine from end to end. This through
feed process is unique to centerless
grinding and is exceptionally fast.
Centerless grinding also produces
very round parts and very fine fin-
ishes.
Other forms of abrasive finishes
are often used when the applica-
tion is critical, and the manufacturer
wants some insurance in the man-
about the author
Christopher Tate
is manufacturing
engineering man-
ager at Unified
Brands Inc. in
Vicksburg, Mis-
sissippi. Contact
him at chris23tate@gmail.com.
ufacturing process. Automotive
manufacturers that produce power
steering gears will often use super
finishing after centerless grinding
to improve the finish and breakup
the tool marks left from grinding.
Super finishing forces solid abra-
sive stones held in oscillating heads
against a part that is rotating. The
abrasive action helps eliminate the
leak paths that might have been
left from grinding and it also re-
moves any blemishes that might
have been created during the op-
erations after grinding.
Finishing internal sealing surfaces
is more challenging than finishing
outside surfaces. Internal grinding
is one option and works much the
same way OD grinding works. Like
OD grinding it is usually reserved
for low-volume work. There are re-
ports of people using centerless ID
grinding, but, much like Sasquatch,
it is talked about yet only few have
seen it.
Honing is the predominant finish-
ing process for ID surfaces. Honing
not only provides excellent round-
ness and the optimal surface finish
for a sealing surface, it is also excep-
tionally cost effective in low-volume
and high-volume environments.
Honing and superfinishing are very
similar processes both use abrasive
stones to remove small amounts of
material to finish the sealing sur-
face. Honing, unlike superfinishing,
is done with rotating stones while
the part is held stationary.
Honing is also applicable in all
volume scenarios. There are inex-
pensive manual honing machines
available for low-volume applica-
tions and there are automated and
sophisticated honing machines for
high-volume manufacturers. There
are variations in machine size and
part orientation depending on the
application. However, there is little
difference in the honing tools and
the process. In all cases the parts
are held stationary, and the rotat-
ing stones are stroked axially to
achieve the fine finishes required
for sealing.
This article, up to this point, has
focused on common dynamic seal-
ing surfaces where the designer
must balance the need for a fine
finish to prevent leak paths and the
need for the surface to carry some
fluid to prevent abrading the seal.
In other situations, the components
must be sealed without the use of
gaskets and similar components.
Hydraulic pumps and motors for
aerospace applications are a good
example. Aerospace hydraulic
pumps are high-pressure, high-vol-
ume units that operate in very harsh
conditions. Engineers design them
to seal without the use of gaskets,
o-rings and similar sealing materi-
als to reduce risk of failure. Creat-
ing these mechanical seals requires
surface finishes that are mirror like.
Flatness requirements of the sur-
face can be 0.000040” or better.
When the surfaces are assembled,
fluids cannot physically travel be-
tween the faces of the components.
Lapping is the only process avail-
able to produce surfaces to these
requirements. Lapping is done in
several ways depending on the
part shape, but the basic process
is the same. Parts are rotated on or
against a relatively soft surface like
cast iron while an abrasive slurry is
applied. The abrasive materials are
extremely fine and the cutting ac-
tion is slow, and that delivers the
mirror finishes that are required.
All sealing surfaces require fine
surface finishes and accurate ge-
ometries, which is why abrasive pro-
cesses dominate the finish machin-
ing of seal surfaces. Unlike other
manufacturing processes, abrasive
finishing processes used to create
sealing surfaces are common re-
gardless of scale or industry. CTE
ctemag.com/cteguide.com 33
Productive Times
KNIFE MAKER SHARPENS PRODUCTION
M ention the name Connor Toor
to most knife aficionados and
you’ll receive a knowing nod. That’s
because the founder and CEO of
Toor Knives Inc. has developed a
product line of which any entrepre-
neur would be envious, and he did
so in less than a decade. Add to
that, in 2018 the U.S. Marine Corps
sent the rifle squad leader to Af-
ghanistan for a year-long deploy-
ment just as his fledgling business
was beginning to take off.
Once he was back home in El
Cajon, California, Toor picked up
where he had left off — developing
and manufacturing a leading line of
tactical, sportsman and every-carry
knives that Toor estimates has a
1.5% to 2% global market share of
fixed-blade knives.
“It was probably back in 2013 or
so that I built a forge in my backyard
and started tinkering around mak-
ing fireplace hooks and random cool
stuff, so I decided to try my hand at
knife making,” Toor said. “I watched
some YouTube videos, made a few
trips to Home Depot for some mild
steel and got pounding. I scrapped
a lot of metal along the way, but it fi-
nally started coming together.”
Toor admits that he knew little
about manufacturing when he first
fired up his forge.
He’s since attended the machine
technology course at San Diego City
College, where he learned how to
write G code and what machine to
use for which process, adding to his
bachelor’s degree in accounting and
business management from Califor-
nia State University San Marcos.
Toor initially only made knives
for friends. But those friends told
their friends, and it wasn’t long be-
34 FEBRUARY 2024
END USER
Toor Knives Inc.
SOLUTION PROVIDER
Kent Industrial USA Inc.
619-238-6118 800-536-8872
www.toorknives.com www.kentusa.com
To boost accuracy and throughput when manufacturing
CHALLENGE fixed-blade knives by developing a formal manufactur-
ing process and bringing surface grinding in-house.
Buy machine tools, including two automatic feed grind-
SOLUTION ing machines.
CEO Connor Toor
operates one of
the two Kent USA
automatic surface
grinders to make
blade blanks for his
company’s line of
knives.
Kent Industrial USA
fore Toor began posting photos more seriously. He brought in a
on the craft marketplace Etsy. He friend and traded the storage unit
built a website, started earning a lit- for “some real commercial space,”
tle money and, over the next year Toor said. “We knew then that we’d
or two, realized he might be on to have to develop a formal manufac-
something much more than a hobby. turing process and figure out how to
“So, I moved out of the backyard make these things at a larger scale.”
and into a U-Haul storage unit,” Part of that process involved ma-
Toor said. “I had two 110-volt out- chine tool and equipment pur-
lets and was chronically short on chases, which included grind-
power, swapping out the drill press ers. Toor noted that his company
for the grinder, the grinder for the started with belt grinders that had
bandsaw, and so on. But it worked. I surface grinding attachments and
was making knives.” were manually fed. To overcome is-
He decided to take his venture sues with accuracy, Toor Knives out-

Toor Knives produces thousands of heat-treated knife blanks on its two SGS series automatic
surface grinders from Kent USA, including the SGS-2040AHD.
sourced grinding, with blades being
ground on double-disc, Blanchard
and large feed surface grinders.
When the time was right to bring
grinding back in-house in 2019,
Toor said he purchased a used
SGS-1640AHD automatic feed sur-
face grinder built by Tustin, Califor-
nia-based Kent Industrial USA Inc.,
which the company uses to make the
blade blanks flat after heat treatment.
The hardened steel workpieces have
a hardness of about 60 HRC.
After becoming familiar with the
Kent USA brand, Toor Knives pur-
chased a new Kent SGS-2040AHD
automatic feed surface grinder
Kent Industrial USA
in early 2023. “We knew the con-
trols, so we just stuck with it,” he ex-
plained.
“We run both of them 10 to 12
hours a day, so we probably grind a
couple of thousand blanks a week,”
Toor said, noting that the 50-person
company runs two shifts in its ap-
proximate 2,787-sq.-m (30,000 sq.
ft.) facility. “It’s a fairly basic process,
but it’s an important step that we
rely on for our downstream opera-
tions. We’re very happy with them,
as well as the level of support we’ve
received from Kent USA.”
Surface grinding, which is the
sixth or seventh process in a 20-
step procedure, removes 0.763 mm
(0.030") of material from multiple
blades in about four hours within a
tolerance of ±0.051 mm (±0.002"),
Toor explained. After a worker sets
up the grinders, an operator mon-
itors them as they run unattended,
and the company’s equipment list
also includes a double-disc grinder.
“One person can run multiple
grinders instead of having to kind
of babysit each individual machine.
That’s important for us.”
The Toor Knives brand has 20 re-
tail SKU numbers and is looking to
add more, with the company pro-
ducing batches of roughly 500 of
each product monthly. Toor Knives
also makes larger quantities for
partner companies, which are sold
under a private label.
“We aim for 12 inventory turns per
year and remain committed to mak-
ing everything here in El Cajon,”
Toor said. “One of the things that set
us apart as a company has been our
ability to design and implement new,
creative textures across all of our
handle patterns. That’s something a
lot of our competitors overlook.”
As manufacturers are aware, find-
ing skilled labor continues to be a
battle. So, to attract top-notch peo-
ple and remain competitive, Toor
Knives consistently sells its products
at a higher price than what is typi-
cally expected for a knife.
“Part of that premium is due to
our shift in focus from being a prod-
uct-first company to a people-first
company, which began during the
COVID-19 pandemic,” he said. “By
prioritizing our employees, they
have in turn supported our pro-
cesses, resulting in improved prod-
ucts. Yes, it also required reorga-
nizing our initiatives and priorities,
adopting a fresh perspective, and
working closely with our staff, but I
feel we are on the right path.” CTE
ctemag.com/cteguide.com 35
Ad Index
ANCA Inc. 13 J.W. Done Co. 17
Greenleaf Corp. 22-23 Mikron Corp. 7
Haimer USA LLC 27 Platinum Tooling Technologies Inc. 25
IMTS 11 Royal Products 5, 33
Ingersoll Cutting Tools 3 Star Cutter Co. 19
Iscar Metals Inc. Inside Front Cover Walter USA Inc. 9

Reviewed by the Engineering Index. Cutting Tool Engineering® (ISSN:0011-4189) is published 12 times a year with nine issues avail-
able in print and digital formats, and three issues available only in digital format. Copyright 2024 by CTE Publications Inc., 121 S. Wil-
ke Rd., Suite 200, Arlington Heights, IL 60005. All rights re­served. Periodicals postage paid at Winnetka, IL 60093 and additional mailing
offices. Circulated in the U.S.A. to qualified individuals concerned with the material-cutting function in industry. For others, subscriptions Produced in the U.S.A.
are $94 per year in the U.S.A.; $160 in Canada. Other foreign subscriptions are $160 per year; overseas delivery via airmail, $248. Edito-
rial and advertising offices: 121 S. Wilke Rd., Suite 200, Arlington Heights, IL 60005. Phone (847) 498-9100. This magazine is protected
under U.S. and international copyright laws. Before reproducing anything from this publication, call the Copyright Clearance Center Inc.
at (978) 750-8400. CTE Pub­lications makes every effort to ensure that the processes described in Cutting Tool Engineering conform to
sound machining practices. Neither the authors nor the publisher can be held responsible for injuries sustained while following­proce-
dures described herein. Postmaster: Send address changes to Cutting Tool Engineering, PO Box 2061, Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-1487.
Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40065725. Canada returns to be sent to 2835 Kew Dr., Windsor, ON N8T 3B7.

36 FEBRUARY 2024