Turn More Profit With Directed High-Pressure Coolant Tooling

By Don Halas, Product Manager – Threading & MDT

Seco Jetstream Tooling System

If you’re turning parts out of materials that are poor conductors of heat, such as titanium or superalloys, ask yourself this: Is your method for removing high temperatures from the cutting zone generating increased productivity and profitability?

Flood-type coolant systems that drench the cutting tool and part help minimize temperatures, but do little to maximize operational efficiencies. To make your process as effective as possible, you need to get your coolant exactly where it needs to be as quickly as possible, which is achievable via a direct high-pressure coolant delivery tooling system.

Such a tooling system hits closer to the cutting zone and directs itself towards the workpiece/cutting tool interference, achieving both cooling and optimized chip control. As a result, you can eliminate downtime and gain problem-free, lights-out machining capabilities. But just as beneficial, you can increase turning speeds and feeds, extend cutting tool life and improve part surface finishes – all because of advanced chip control. In some cases, you can double, even triple, your speeds and feeds, while still extending your tool life by 25%.

When choosing a direct high-pressure coolant delivery tooling system, it’s important to understand the differences between those that are available. The most common differences involve distance from the cutting zone, or how far away a system’s coolant outlet is from the workpiece/cutting tool interface. Some system outlets may not be close enough to effectively and accurately reach the optimum point within the cutting zone for the most benefit. Systems that have coolant outlets situated further away from the cutting zone must use higher pressures to compensate for the increased distance.

Seco Jetstream Tooling System

Plus, if a system’s coolant outlets are too far from the cutting zone, you may need additional pumps. Comparatively, this results in higher costs to achieve the same level of results provided by a system that has outlets closer to the cutting zone. When coolant is channeled through holders then through inducers, as with our Jetstream Tooling® System, coolant outlets can be arranged in very close proximity to the cutting zone, achieving better results with pressure generated from a machine’s standard coolant pump. The need for a second high-pressure pump is thus eliminated.

Solutions such as our Jetstream Tooling System incorporate strategically placed coolant exit holes machined into swiveling top clamps (inducers) on insert holders. The small diameter apertures of the inducers are what generate the acute, high-velocity stream of coolant that easily penetrates and lubricates the high friction zone between the workpiece and tool’s cutting edge.

Additionally, before you consider a high-pressure coolant delivery tooling system, you should evaluate the system not only based on its performance, but also its versatility and simplicity covering whole ranges of available coolant pressure levels in your machine. Systems should be easy to assemble and install into your machine.

Ideal systems will also offer you the choice of coolant being fed to a turning or grooving toolholder externally or internally. For feeding externally, systems such as our Jetstream Tooling System use hoses attached at the sides or underneath holders. For feeding internally, the system has channels within holders, as is the case for Capto-style holders.

You can obtain different hose lengths to connect the coolant supply at almost any position on a machine turret or tool block. If you no longer wish to run the system, it can easily be removed and the machine restored back to its original coolant setup.

In the end, no matter what type of coolant system you incorporate, the key to effective chip control, tool life optimization and increased productivity is first getting the coolant jetstream as close to the cutting zone as possible, then directing it to the right place within the cutting zone.

About the Author

As Product manager for Threading & Grooving, Don is responsible for threading, threadmilling, cut-off, grooving and oil field chasers. In his spare time, he enjoys restoring old motorcycles. Contact Don at dhalas@secotools.com.