Best Manufacturing Tips on Carbide Tools, Cutting Tools, Threading Tools & Boring Tools

There are multiple reasons Machine Shops Fail in this terrible economy, the main reasons include:

1. The Quality and price of Raw Materials
2. The Operational Cost of your machine shop
3. The quantity produced per item/ order
4. The marketing strategies involved in getting new clients
5. Always give out few samples for clients to test and evaluate

To survive and thrive in this economy, your machine shop must focus on 5 main important things,

1. The Quality and price of Raw Materials

Procure raw materials from approved sources only along with material test certificates. The price you pay for your raw material is one of the main drivers for your profit.

2. The Operational Cost of your machine shop

To thrive in this economy, every machine shop needs to keep its operating costs as low as possible. Do not try to rent or invest in new machinery to carry out large orders, rather get the work done from reliable sources at affordable rates.

3. The quantity produced per items
Focus on large orders to save set up times on machines which will lead to improved productivity

4. The marketing strategies involved in getting new clients

The most important thing for a machine shop is on new ways of business development. Focus on the internet to get new clients all over the world. Inbound marketing strategies are successful ways to gain new clients.
Maintain your web site regularly and ensure fresh content is added frequently to improve your google ranking.

5. Always give out few samples for clients to test and evaluate

Once you have a lead, always try and provide free samples to the lead for them to get a clear understanding of the quality of products they would get once an order is placed. This will definitely speed up the process for the client to place orders and will help in increased top and bottom lines.

1] Bright drawn steel rods of 30x20 mm to AISI 1018 specification.

2] Carbide tips as per ISO B 16 of P30 grade.

Procurement of Raw materials:

1] Procure steel rods from approved sources only along with material test certificates.

2] Procure carbide tips from the approved source in Europe or from Kennametal in India. Tectools a manufacture of Carbide tools & Lathe Tools sources its carbide from Europe.

Inspection of Raw materials:

1] Carry out chemical analysis of the steel rods and check against specifications

2] Visually inspect the steel rods for defects such as cracks, deep dents and heavy scoring marks and clear materials if ok for all the above checks for manufacture.

3] Check the grade of the carbide tip to ascertain that the right grade is being used for manufacture of the tools.

Manufacturing Procedure.

1] Set and cut steel rods to lengths of 127+ 3 mm and check.

2] Set and mill the shank portion from 30 mm to 20 mm and create a head of 22 mm length and check.

3] Set and Mill the inside approach and clearance angle of the turning tools at 35 deg x0 deg and check.

4] Set and mill the outside approach and clearance angle of the turning tools at 35 deg x0 deg to maintain width of 18 mm at the front end of the shank and check.

5] Set and mill the front clearance angle of 5 deg x 8 deg to maintain front width at  19 mm.

6] Mill a positive top rake angle of 12 deg parallel to the front clearance angle to a width of 13 mm and maintain height over the front edge at 19 mm and check.

5] Set and mill the tip pocket of the cutting tool shank parallel to the top rake face and front approach angle to ensure that the carbide tip protrudes outside the steel shank by at least 0.8 mm, maintain height over carbide tips between 19.8 and 20.2 mm and C dimension at 9.8 to 10.2 and check.

6] De burr the cutting tool shanks and stamp the designation as ISO 5 R 2020 P 30 or as DIN 4977 R 20x20 P30 and check.

7] Carryout inspection of all operations done so far.

8] Grind the B 16 P30 carbide tips to remove the sintered surfaces on the brazing area.

9] Degrease the shanks of the turning tools and the carbide tips and ensure that the brazing area is free of rust.

10] Procure Silver foil of 0.1 mm thickness having min of 49% silver content and devoid of any Tin or Lead from Degussa in Germany or from an approved source in India

11] Apply suitable brazing flux on the tip seat area, build up a sandwich of 2 silver foils and a copper foil in between with brazing flux in between them and place them on the tip seat area, apply brazing flux to the area of the tip that gets brazed, place the tip to be brazed on top of the sandwich of foils. Allow to dry.

11] Set the Induction brazing machine with a suitable induction coil and power tapping points.

12] Insert the turning tool to be brazed with the carbide tip into the induction coil and start heating. Stabilise heating when the steel shank turns from blue to mild red in colour. Start heating again to take the carbide tip and the steel area surrounding it to the melting point of silver. Press the tip into position with a pointer rod and allow the turning tool to cool to about 200 deg C. Remove the tool from inside the induction coil and place it in pre heated sand and allow it to cool to the room temperature.

13] Inspect the joint to ensure that the carbide tip is brazed properly onto the shank and that the silver has flown properly and that there are no gaps in the joint.

14] Set and grind the top rake angle, front clearance angle, side clearance angle and corner radius of 0.4mm on the carbide tips as per drawing and check.  

15] Carry out final inspection of the tools for dimensions and defects on carbide tips prior to painting.

16] Apply a cloth tape on the tips or hot dip the carbide tips in a plastic medium and wash the tools in a chemical that cleans, degreases and phosphates the shank prior to painting.

17] Paint the tools and apply colour code at the back end to identify the grade.

Dark Blue for P20, light blue for P30, Red for K20 and Yellow for M20.

18] Pack the turning tools in a suitable corrugated box and ship out     

Raw materials Used:

1] Bright drawn steel rods of 20x20 mm to AISI 1018 specification.

2] Carbide tips as per ISO C 20 in P30 grade.

Procurement of Raw materials:

1] Procure steel rods from approved sources only along with material test certificates.

2] Procure carbide tips from the approved source in Europe or from Kennametal in India.

Inspection of Raw materials:

1] Carry out chemical analysis of the steel rods and check against specifications

2] Visually inspect the steel rods for defects such as cracks, deep dents and heavy scoring marks and clear materials if ok for all the above checks for manufacture.

3] Check the grade of the carbide tip to ascertain that the right grade is being used for manufacture of the tools.

Manufacturing Procedure.

1] Set and cut steel rods to lengths of 127+ 3 mm and check.

2] Set and Mill the front clearance angle of the recessing tools at 0 deg x 8 deg and check.

3] Set and mill the side clearance angle on both sides of the recessing tools at 3 deg x8 deg to maintain width of 19 mm at the front end of the shank and check.

4] Mill a positive top rake angle of 12 deg parallel to the front clearance angle to a width of 20 mm and maintain height at the front corner at 19 mm and check.

5] Set and mill the tip pocket of the cutting tools & threading tools shank parallel to the top rake face and front approach angle to ensure that the carbide tip protrudes outside the steel shank by at least 0.8 mm, maintain height over carbide tips between 19.8 and 20.2 mm and check.

6] De burr the cutting tool shanks and stamp the designation as ISO 4 2020 P 30 or as DIN 4976 20x20 P30 and check.

Carryout inspection of all operations done so far.

7] Grind the C 20 P30 carbide tips to remove the sintered surfaces on the brazing area.

8] Degrease the shanks of the cutting tools and the carbide tips and ensure that the brazing area is free of rust.

9] Procure Silver foil of 0.1 mm thickness having min of 49% silver content and devoid of any Tin or Lead from Degussa in Germany or from an approved source in India

10] Apply suitable brazing flux on the tip seat area, build up a sandwich of 2 silver foils and a copper foil in between with brazing flux in between them and place them on the tip seat area, apply brazing flux to the area of the tip that gets brazed, place the tip to be brazed on top of the sandwich of foils. Allow to dry.

11] Set the Induction brazing machine with a suitable induction coil and power tapping points.

12] Insert the recessing tool to be brazed with the carbide tip into the induction coil and start heating. Stabilise heating when the steel shank turns from blue to mild red in colour. Start heating again to take the carbide tip and the steel area surrounding it to the melting point of silver. Press the tip into position with a pointer rod and allow the cutting tool to cool to about 200 deg C. Remove the tool from inside the induction coil and place it in pre heated sand and allow it to cool to the room temperature.

13] Inspect the joint to ensure that the carbide tip is brazed properly onto the shank and that the silver has flown properly and that there are no gaps in the joint.

14] Set and grind the top rake angle, front clearance angle, side clearance angle and corner radius of 1.2mm on the carbide tips as per drawing and check.  

15] Carry out final inspection of the tools for dimensions and defects on carbide tips prior to painting.

16] Apply a cloth tape on the tips or hot dip the carbide tips in a plastic medium and wash the tools in a chemical that cleans, degreases and phosphates the shank prior to painting.

17] Paint the tools and apply colour code at the back end to identify the grade. Dark Blue for P20, light blue for P30, Red for K20 and Yellow for M20.

18] Pack the cutting tools in a suitable corrugated box and ship out     

2] Keep all raw materials, cutting tools, carbide tools, consumables and inspection instruments in appropriate places and maintain a clean floor.

3] Ensure all machines are fitted with automatic or hand operated lubricating systems which will keep the machines in good condition through their working life.

4] Carry out and record inspection of raw materials, in-process materials and finished products prior to dispatch.

5] All inspection instruments and gauges must be periodically calibrated before use to avoid rejections of components and to ensure consistently good quality.

6] Set a target to reduce internal rejections after doing an ABC analysis and review A and B items frequently and C items once every month.

7] Draw up a preventive maintenance plan for all machines and carry out checks daily or weekly or monthly depending on their importance.

8] Record all verbal or written complaints and take corrective action immediately and set and meet target dates for preventive action to ensure that the complaint does not recur.

9] Purchase only required raw materials, tools and consumables that are essential for the manufacturing activity.

10] Create a good environment and motivate people to work efficiently.