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Slotting recomendation(s) 303 ss - indexable or otherwise

jpf44

Aluminum
Joined
Apr 1, 2005
Location
Scranton
Greetings,

I have 2500 303 stainless .75 dia x .563 long parts that need a 3/16 wide slot .375 deep perpendicular to center axis (will look like a "U" side view. I was thinking I'd part these to length fixture them up as a gang and have at it with a slitting saw - any recommendations for an indexable saw for this application? Or other approach?

Thanks
 
Workholding is important also, they will want to collapse on you most likely.
A slitter is probably your best bet, I'd hold end to end between vise jaws on a vertical mill and cut them.
2500 is no small amount though so there are probably better options that are more efficient.
 
303 is pretty easy to machine, have you thought about spacing several out in a row and machining them with your verticals? You could literally do 100's at a time from strips of 303 and some clever fixturing. Could just full depth rough them round, slot them with an endmill, finish, deburr etc..and then use a slitting saw to "part them off". Worst case scenario you already have a slitting saw capable of a .375" DOC to try some of the other suggestions, if for some reason you struggle.

The other option is to do the first steps mentioned, but cut soft jaws that hold a smaller row of parts and just deck off the bottom instead of the slitting saw.

I'm imagining a long strip .875" wide held against a low profile locating rail, with edge clamps the length of your X-axis, with enough space between each part to get a .375" endmill in between. Once all the parts are nearly finished just run the slitting saw up one way down to the the middle of the rounds..then back up the other way as they all zip off. You could even use a dovetail cutter and deburr the bottom before parting off.

Wish Solidworks wasn't open on the work computer, online license won't let me boot myself off to do a quick sketch here at home.
 








 
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