metalmadness
Hot Rolled
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2015
Over the past year or so I have been machining a lot of super alloys. Initially I thought "oh god this is gonna SUCK"
But after awhile it really is just like....okay this is another material to cut. Maybe it is because I have had to cut such a wide spectrum of materials over my career but I would honestly rather machine inconel over any ceramic material i have touched. I have done both 3D printed and bars.
As an example I am turning a 2" 718 shaft with about 60%+ material removal. I surely expected it would be eating my "general purpose" Kennametal inserts cut after cut. Well not so...1 4 sided insert lasted the entire roughing op on the first side. .06DOC...100SFM..0.004-0.005IPR and boom, she is squeeling and yelling but it is basically doing just fine.
Monel same deal. You just get the proper tools and the proper speeds and feeds and you are going to be fine. It isn't rocket math.
I have yet to touch Stellite or some of the cobalt alloys so I don't want to say those are easy by any means.
If you're going to be cutting 718HT and some of the tougher alloys...perhaps ceramics are going to be better. Just need the right tool for the job and the proper cutting data.
Am I crazy for actually liking cutting super alloys?
But after awhile it really is just like....okay this is another material to cut. Maybe it is because I have had to cut such a wide spectrum of materials over my career but I would honestly rather machine inconel over any ceramic material i have touched. I have done both 3D printed and bars.
As an example I am turning a 2" 718 shaft with about 60%+ material removal. I surely expected it would be eating my "general purpose" Kennametal inserts cut after cut. Well not so...1 4 sided insert lasted the entire roughing op on the first side. .06DOC...100SFM..0.004-0.005IPR and boom, she is squeeling and yelling but it is basically doing just fine.
Monel same deal. You just get the proper tools and the proper speeds and feeds and you are going to be fine. It isn't rocket math.
I have yet to touch Stellite or some of the cobalt alloys so I don't want to say those are easy by any means.
If you're going to be cutting 718HT and some of the tougher alloys...perhaps ceramics are going to be better. Just need the right tool for the job and the proper cutting data.
Am I crazy for actually liking cutting super alloys?