Becker PCD inserts for aluminum - chop breaking ability?

We run a lot of aluminum. We have issues with chips not breaking, especially in OD grooves, and all internal work (this is lathe work)

DCGT3251 CCGT2151 Kennametal turn-groove with GMP breaker.

A salesmen from a local Widia distributor came in today to show me a CCGT insert. We tried it out and can't get the chips to break.

Anyway, his company also distributes Becker PCD insertsl. I watched the youtube video and it seems pretty impressive. At ~$90/insert I can't buy one unless we're pretty sure it's going to break chips reliably. A good surface finish is important too.

The video:

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If anyone has person experience with Becker or other PCD inserts with really ripping aluminum chip breakers, I'd like to hear about it. We have spent dozens and dozens of hours on this issue....

Regards,

Robin

Reply to
Robin S.
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Robin, I'd post this on Practical Machinist, Tony who used to post here has tons of experience with PCD tools.

I might lead with something that refers to PCD to pique his interest.

Best, Steve

Reply to
Garlicdude

Robin, The video showed them using a high positive insert with no chip breaker. I sometimes use an insert like this with a chip breaker on alum. with good results:

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Reply to
Garlicdude

We recently had to skim cut an Aluminum tube for the best possible finish after it is anodized. Taking a light cut with ground & polished carbide inserts worked until the birds nest wrapped around the tube and scarred it up. Ground a high Speed tool bit, nothing much better at all with the gummy tubing. Switch the a DCGT style PCD Becker insert with the chipbreaker and it did exactly what we needed. Super finish and made small chips due to the chipbreaker in it which I think they must do with a laser.

It's worth the money but you must handle with care. always put the tipped surface toward the foam in the small box it comes in. You wouldn't believe how many people push the plastic top onto the tipped surface of the insert.

Good Luck, Jim

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Reply to
JRWheels

"Robin S." wrote in news:22f2ca49-a0ec-46c9- snipped-for-privacy@u9g2000yqb.googlegroups.com:

Robin,

I posted here about the Becker inserts a year or two ago. We were turning 7075 aluminum bar on a Swiss and tried every insert under the sun. Nothing worked. When I got there the local Sandvik guy was there with insert boxes stacked up like cord wood. We tried both style chip breakers and the "medium" one actually worked better than the "finsher" on our finish cut. Probably due to the larger DOC on a Swiss than you would have on a fixed head lathe.

You'll have to play around with the cut parameters some. As little as

0.0005" per rev increase in feed rate can make all the difference. Same with DOC, which on a Swiss is all one pass, so I had varying DOC's. By changing the feed rate for the different DOC, I could keep the chips breaking through the whole turn.
Reply to
D Murphy

Thanks all for the comments.

Almost had the sales rep back with insert in hand but arrived to a broken hydraulic hose instead. Monday.

I'll try and report back on results. We'll see some major productivity improvements and better part quality if this insert works as promised.

Regards,

Robin

Reply to
Robin S.

"Robin S." wrote in news:7abbb455-79b6-439f-9cf5- snipped-for-privacy@r1g2000yqj.googlegroups.com:

Have the salesman bring both styles of chipbreakers. You'll have to play with DOC and feed rate, but once you hit the right combo, you'll be amazed.

Reply to
D Murphy

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