Most shops today understand the need for coolant. In many machining operations, it is more than just a luxury. Coolant is a necessity. However, simply applying coolant with any method is not going to assure you the greatest efficiency. Many machine shops are seeing the benefits of through coolant lathe tool holder technology. Here are some reasons why.
Problems with Modern Machining
Lubricant is an essential part of aerospace machining methods. For example, modern titanium alloys are very hard and not easy to work with. However, titanium is important to the aerospace industry because of its heat resistance and other properties.
When machining hard metals, one must slow down the cutting operation. With slower cutting methods, you cannot crank out parts at a rapid rate. Once a process is slowed it can greatly add to the costs and can make it difficult to stay competitive in the market.
Besides slower operations, titanium machining is hard on tools and you can expect reduced tool life. It is also very important to keep chip build-up to a minimum, because it can cause serious damage to machined parts. How are these problems solved? It starts with the lathe tool holder.
How Do You Apply Lubricant?
Does your equipment simply dump coolant on the machined part? Dumping is not the most efficient way to apply coolant. Plus, you’ll use a lot more coolant than necessary with this method. When you flood the part with coolant, it’s more likely to produce vapors which can be toxic. Plus, there is more fluid to recycle.
Through Coolant
Direct coolant systems deliver a high pressure spray of coolant through the lathe tool holder. This method keeps the part from heating up, because coolant is delivered right to the cutting edge at all times. You can expect longer tool life and fewer chip build-up problems.
