Whilst vibration is ever-present during the machining process, the level of vibration can be controlled by a variety of parameters. Now, MAPAL offers unparalleled levels of damping with its latest vibration-damping tool holders.
This impact of vibration can lead to inadequate surface finishes, insufficient accuracy, high machining noises, shortened tool life and in extreme cases, broken tools. Now, MAPAL brings this dynamic instability under control with its latest innovation.
To reduce or prevent these vibrations, MAPAL has pursued different approaches and one has been the development of an innovative system for vibration damping in the tool shank. Tools for boring and milling with very long projection lengths tend to vibrate due to insufficient dynamic rigidity of the system. When designing new toolholding systems, the MAPAL product developers took into account all factors arising from the interaction of the machine tool, the cutting tool and the type of clamping as well as the part. The result is a system for vibration damping that is matched to all common types of machine stiffness that can be used for machining different types of materials with a variety of cutting tools.
The self-contained system of auxiliary mass and several steel spring packages counteracts the deflection of the tool body and minimises it. The vibration in the new MAPAL system can be up to 1,000 times lower compared to tools without the absorber system. Despite long tool projection lengths, quiet and stable running is achieved and tool performance significantly improved. This makes it possible to work at higher cutting speeds and increases the material removal rate.
In addition, improved surface finishes are achieved thanks to vibration damping. When milling case hardened steel (16MnCr5) with a 250 mm long combination of milling cutter arbor and milling cutter with five cutting edges and ISO indexable inserts (diameter 50mm), the Rz value was halved from 7.8µm to 3.9µm for material removal ae of 18mm and ap of 3mm compared to the same tool system without vibration damping.
Milling cutter arbors with vibration damping in the shank are available from MAPAL with internal coolant supply for clamping diameters of 16, 22 and 27mm with a length of 200 and 300mm. At present, these tool holing adaptors are available for SK40, SK50, HSK-A63, and HSK-A100 connections.