Ray's Tools

Change your filters

2009-10-30T14:07:00.000-07:00

This is an important note to all of my vacuum table customers.
You need to change your vacuum filter element at least every 6 months periodically.
You change the oil filter on your car every 3000 miles with the oil change don't you?
As the Fram oil filter people say "You can pay me now or you can pay me later"
So lets pretend that your CNC router is an automobile and you go by the same scenario.
Each time you lube your CNC, change your filter.
$50.00 for a Filter Element or thousands for a new vacuum pump.
Most people underestimate the importance of this.

2009-10-07T05:04:00.000-07:00

Due to recent cutbacks at our company, I am forced to make some sacrifices myself.
As I notified many of my customers, I am only in my office twice a week. Usually Monday and Tuesday. The remainder of the time I work from my home office. I do check my voice and e-mail periodically through out the day and attempt to reply as soon as I possibly can.
I regret causing any inconvenience and still keep my customers my highest priority.

Ray Jakas
rayj331@gmail.com
rayj331@technocnc.com
516-3283970

"O" Flutes for mechanical plastics

2009-10-04T12:27:00.000-07:00

When cutting soft plastics it is good to utilize single edge "O" flute geometry which tends to curl a chip during the machining process. This tooling when properly applied within a narrow range of chipload (Typically .004" to .012") . The consequence of the improperly curled chips is visible knife marks that adversely affect the finish.
The only caution with single edge tooling is to avoid using diameters over 3/8" because of balance issues associated with the tooling. If larger diameters are needed, the double edge alleviates the balance problem while providing a much improved bottom finish for slotting applications.
The double edge tools additionally provide longer cutting edges for deeper cuts of two to four times the cutting edge diameter at fast feed rates.

Router Bit Diary

2009-09-21T13:14:00.000-07:00

After speaking with many customers regarding cutting various materials, I came upon the idea of suggesting that when starting to operate a CNC maybe a good record of all of the trial and error that one may encounter should be written down in a log.
There are many times a customer will speak to me not recalling what tool he used when he cut a particular material "way back when".
A simple way to do this is to record the following:

Material you are cutting.
Tool specifications: Diameter, Cutting edge length, Cut direction etc.
Part number of tool located on shank of tool.
Cutting depth
Feed and speed used
Time to complete project etc.
Any problems encountered
Date and time

Even though this may seem a little boring and mundane at first it will be well worth it to achieve success with your business.

Just these little steps can help both the customer and the supplier to speed up the process and to help out in organization.

Much Success!

Warm Regards,
Ray Jakas
Tooling Specialist
516-328-3970 X163
rayj331@technocnc.com
www.techno-isel.com/tooling
http://rays-tools.blogspot.com

Specials of the week

2009-07-07T13:11:00.000-07:00

Because of the current recession, I am launching a "special of the week" on my router bits. This will help out both my customers and myself. I know that this will also keep everyone aware that I am still here and available for any questions or concerns that they may have.
I also plan on updating my blogs more frequently and keeping it interesting.

Collet special

2009-05-26T07:23:00.001-07:00

SUPER TOOLINGBLOWOUT SALES!5/24/09-5/30/09
ER25 & ER 32 COLLET SALE! (Week of 5/24/09 Thru 5/30/09)Have your changed your collets within the past 4 months?
Did you know that you should replace your collets every 400-500 working hours in order to maintain maximum grip and tool life?

Take advantage of this Special Offer TODAY!

This week all ER25 & ER32 individual collets are on sale...Purchase any ER25 or ER32 Collet (1) & get (1) FREE! All Techno ER Collets provide:
Full grip, made from spring steel
Better overall balance of tool holder assembly
Protects tool holder from contaminants

Offer is not available through the online e-Store. All orders must be sent through e-Mail or Telephone only.
Visit Us Online: www.techno-isel.com/tooling
CALL TO ORDER (516) 328-3970 ext. 163
Techno CNC Cutting Tools' Super Tooling Blowout Sales - Valid Sunday, May 24, 2009 and Saturday, May 30, 2009.

Router Bit special

2009-05-19T13:32:00.000-07:00

Just kicked off my 15% discount on all my router bits and accessories. This is good only for 2 days. Today and tomorrow.
If you require any discounted tooling please feel free to call or E-mail me with your request and I will be glad to assist you with any questions or concerns you may have.
Have a great day!

Collet maintenance

2009-02-27T14:01:00.000-08:00

The collet is often taken advantage of by some CNC owners. By this I mean that they are ignored quite often and this can present problems down the road for the operator. Some issues which may arise are tool breakage, poor cut quality and even worse, damage to your expensive spindle.

Collets are made of spring steel and the more often a tool change is made the more the collet expands leaving the tool to slip and shift around.

The most important portion of the collet is the mouth, which is located at the bottom end from where the tool extends. This area is important because all the lateral pressure taken by the tool must be evenly distributed on all sections of the collet for it to be true or concentric. Not colleting the tool in perfect alignment results in tool breakage.

I made of a short set of rules which can help you avoid any problems, acheive good cuts and actually extend the life of your router bits.

Rules of Proper Colleting

1. Always change and throw away your collets after machining for 400-500 hours. This is 3 months time in a normal two-shift operation.

2. You can tell if you require replacement if there are any markings or abrasions on the inside of the collet or on the tool itself. This indicates slippage of the router bit inside the collet.

3. When inserting the bit into the collet do not let the flute fadeout portion of the tool extend into the collet. Insert the shank of the bit 80% into the collet and you will have perfect concentricity.

4. Each time you make a tool change, clean the inside of the collet and the tool itself. Do not use a petroleum based lubricant as it will only act as a magnet for all the dirt and dust by the residue it leaves behind.

Rigidity and concentricity are the key elements in any routing application. The simple process of properly colleting router tools, maintaining collets, and replacing them at regular intervals will safeguard the productivity of the operation and insure that the finish of parts is not jeopardized.

Routing of Aluminum

2009-02-06T13:26:00.000-08:00

When routing aluminum there are two basic conditions. They are treated which is hard and untreated (annealed) which is soft. The harder alloys are actually routed more easily than softer materials.
Traditionally, high speed steel tools in spiral flutes were used in routing aluminum. This tool consists of a very hard material and carries a very sharp edge. These bits were originally used for hand held routing applications and could handle vibration and adversities in hand fed or hand controlled routing. At the time solid carbide tooling was too brittle to be used in these applications.
The advent of more advanced CNC routers which have excellent control and feed has created more uses for the more refined solid carbide tooling. These newer solid carbide tools have stronger sharper edges and are more shock resistant than the earlier ones.
As a rule of thumb use single edge tools for "O" condition aluminum (soft) and double edge tools for the "T" condition (Hard).
It is also very important to keep your bits as cool as possible. The chances of heat build up is very high when cutting aluminum. It is wise to have your tool lubricated using a vegetable based lubricant or at the very least compressed air.
As with all routing, good hold down, collet condition, proper tooling and feeds and speeds are important factors.
A typical feed rate example in aluminum is as follows:

1/8 cutting edge diameter- .060 depth of cut (Single sheet)

Solid carbide spiral "O" flutes: 150 IPM to 300 IPM

Solid carbide standard spiral: 60 IPM to 125 IPM

When cutting into aluminum it is a good idea the cutting depth to be 1/2 the diameter of the router bit.
Many CNC operators end up breaking bits because of the feed and speeds are off or the depth of the cut is too deep.
A conventional cut path is recommended. However, I suggest to check out the scrap pieces. If they have a cleaner edge finish than the part being cut switch over to climb cut direction.
Chip welding is a popular problem. This is caused by many different factors or a combination of them. Dull tools, poor chip loads, wrong feed direction, loss of coolant during the cut are all common errors. Chips welding back into the cut path occurs when the chip load is too light or the flute of the tool cannot eject it. This can happen when the cutting edge length is not long enough to clear the top of the deep cuts.
If you are novice to routing aluminum you may break a tool or two at the beginning stages yet if you go by the rules I described you will most certainly achieve a superior cut and the smooth finish you desire.

Feeds and Speeds

2008-10-03T12:02:00.000-07:00

The Feed and Speed of the router bit is the most important factor to understand when it comes to cutting on your CNC machine. If not utilized properly you can run into serious consequences regarding tool life and finish desired.
To understand the concept of feeds and speeds, it is necessary to visualize what is happening at the cutting edge of the tool itself.
When the cutting edge of the tool makes contact with the material being cut, a chip of material is being removed from the base part. The size of the chip is controlled by the rotation speed of the spindle (RPM or speed) and the forward movement of the tool into the material (feed rate) .
Most of the energy expended during this action is released as heat (friction) .Heat is one of the major factors in tool wear.
Always remember that heat is the enemy of the tool.
The best way to get rid of the heat is to have it carried away in the form of the chip. Larger chips will both dissipate heat and will leave you a high quality edge finish due to minimization of re-cut chips.
This is especially true when dealing with plastics which tend to re weld to the router bit and can cause a multitude of complications to the tool and the material.
To achieve proper cuts and finishes you must posses a tool with the proper geometry. Once the proper tool is used you can refer to my feed and speed chart which will guide you to the proper chip load you require to get the finish you desire along with getting the max tool life to your router bit.
The feed and speed chart is broken down by the cutter diameter, number of flutes, RPM's and chip load. The chip load is essentially the thickness of the chip being created by the cutter. If the chip load is too small the cutter will heat up. This can result in burning, melting or premature wear of the cutter.
Remember to make chips not dust.

The folmula to follow is as shown:
[Chipload] x [# of flutes] x [RPM] = [feedrate]

To Increase the chipload: Increase the Feed rate, Decrease the RPM, use less flutes
To Decrease the chipload: Decrease the Feed rate, Increase the RPM, use more flutes

Another way to determine if you are using a proper feed and speed is that of the tool temperature. After running a few parts on your CNC and the spindle comes to a complete stop check the temperature of the router bit. If it is hot or warm to the touch, then the feed is too slow or the spindle RPM is too high. If the proper feed and speed is used the bit should be at or near room temperature. Heat is what breaks down the cutting edge of the tool.
If you are encountering this problem please read on.

The first change to make is to the feed rate. This is the controlling factor in productivity.If the feed rate is at its maximum due to part configuration, hold down capabilities, software limits, or machine limitations, then the RPM's should be lowered. This does two things:

It increases the chip load (thickness).

It lowers the number of times the cutting edge is presented to the material.

The second factor will give you increased tool life because the cutting edge will have less contact with the material thus increasing tool life by 15 - 20%. This also reduces the spindle bearing temperatures by reducing the heat transmitted into the spindle.

This may take a few tries, yet once the CNC operator finds his sweet spot he will be on his way to a better quality cut and desired speed and finish to increase his productivity and lengthen his router bit life.

You may view over my Feed and Speed chart in the next article.

"O" FLUTES FOR MECHANICAL PLASTICS by Van Niser

2008-09-27T05:19:00.001-07:00

"O" Flutes For Mechanical Plastics
By Van Niser.Mechanical plastics are steadily becoming the material of choice for the job shops and machine shops throughout the country. These plastics have proven to demonstrate excellent performance in gears, bearings, material-handling parts, and other machine components such as spacers and positioning mounts where reduction of vibration is essential. A few common mechanical plastics include: (ABS), Acetal, Delrin, Hydex, UHMW, nylon, polycarbonate, polyurethane, and polyethylene terephtalate (PTE). These plastics have consistently demonstrated predictable performance because of durability, machinability, and exceptional mechanical and electrical properties and are replacing metal for parts manufactured to resist wear.In terms of machining mechanicals, they can be classified as a soft plastic. Soft plastic utilizes “O” flute router type tooling that tends to curl a chip during the machining process. (Figure 1-“O” Flute Chip Action) This tooling has been designed to attack soft plastics with a high rake and low clearance geometry that actually carves the material. This tooling, when properly applied within a narrow range of chipload, typically 0.004 to 0.012, will provide an excellent finish in mechanical plastics. The consequence of improperly curled chips is visible knife marks that adversely affect the finish, which remains the most important consideration in plastic fabrication. (Figure 2-Formation of Edge Finish) “O” flute tools are manufactured from micro grain solid carbide tool material in straight and spiral configuration. The upcut, or right hand spiral is most readily utilized because of the need to evacuate chip in an upward direction in flat sheet or block applications. Upward movement of chips avoids welding, which is a common problem in the machining of plastic. The tools are available in either single or double edge cutting diameters. A single edge tool is an excellent choice for most machining applications and can accommodate those situations requiring smaller diameters. The only caution with single edge tooling is to avoid using diameters over 3/8’s because of balance issues associated with the tooling. If larger diameters are needed, the double edge alleviates the balance problem while providing a much improved bottom finish for slotting application, which are prevalent in the machining of mechanical plastics. The double edge tools additionally provide longer cutting edges for deeper cuts of two to four times the cutting edge diameter at aggressive feedrates. (Figure 3- Single Edge Spiral “O” Flute Upcut 63-750 series) and (Figure 4-Double Edge Spiral “O” Flute Upcut 52-700 series) In shops with high feed and speed CNC routers the use of router bits is common practice. The benefits of the tooling are understood, but this is not always the case in shops with CNC mills. In these environments, the tool of choice has traditionally been the endmill. These tools are intended for metal removal and do not possess the proper geometry to effectively machine mechanical plastics. Endmills have minimal rake and low clearance and were designed as robust cutting tools for heavy loads. Also, minimal flute area on these multi-edged tools interfere with the process of clearing chips, and this along with inappropriate geometry, can easily aggravate melting and rewelding problems common in mechanical plastic applications. Besides the endmill dilemma, machining methodology in many shops remains constant because of past practices associated with milling metal. The feedrates and spindle speeds tend to be slow relative to the capability of today’s CNC machining centers and climb cutting with multiple passes are commonly utilized to enhance finish. These practices adversely affect productivity, profitability, and are the antithesis of the meaning of high speed machining. In shops with high feed and speed CNC routers the use of router bits is common practice. The benefits of the tooling are understood, but this is not always the case in shops with CNC mills. In these environments, the tool of choice has traditionally been the endmill. These tools are intended for metal removal and do not possess the proper geometry to effectively machine mechanical plastics. Endmills have minimal rake and low clearance and were designed as robust cutting tools for heavy loads. Also, minimal flute area on these multi-edged tools interfere with the process of clearing chips, and this along with inappropriate geometry, can easily aggravate melting and rewelding problems common in mechanical plastic applications. Besides the endmill dilemma, machining methodology in many shops remains constant because of past practices associated with milling metal. The feedrates and spindle speeds tend to be slow relative to the capability of today’s CNC machining centers and climb cutting with multiple passes are commonly utilized to enhance finish. These practices adversely affect productivity, profitability, and are the antithesis of the meaning of high speed machining. The first step towards actual high speed machining is selecting an “O” flute router bit to machine mechanical plastics. The tool selection process is simplified by contacting a legitimate manufacturer of “O” flute router tooling with technical support capabilities. Once the proper tool is chosen, the user will be able to increase spindle speed and feedrate and boost productivity by 40 to 50 percent. In order to accommodate this process the direction of cut in almost all cases will be conventional in nature. Conventional cutting will provide a better finish by eliminating burrs associated with climb cutting and inefficient finish passes are avoided in the process. Also, the geometry associated with the “O” flute router tooling allows the user to cut without the use of coolant. This becomes particularly important in industries associated with medical devices where contamination of the mechanical plastic can become an issue. The increased feedrates associated with the heavier chiploads increases productivity and dissipates heat thus eliminating the need for coolant.The use of “O” flute router tooling represents a whole new concept in high speed machining of mechanical plastics. By selecting a tool properly designed for cutting soft plastics, and a few basic changes in machining methods, the task of producing parts from mechanical plastics can be greatly reduced, and the potential of the CNC milling machine can be fully realized.

Tooling tips

2008-09-26T20:30:00.000-07:00

1. Double edge or Multi-Edge tools provide a better finish.

2. Use shortest cutting edge length available to make necessary depth of cut.

3. Use up/down compression spiral bits to improve top and bottom finishes on veneered or laminated materials.

4. The feed direction for a router bit should be conventional for most applications.

5. Collet and bit to be cleaned after every tooling change for longer tool life.

6. Collets should be changed on a regular basis. (400-500 run time hours).

7. Part to be fed smoothly to allow router tool to cut freely.

8. For better rigidity use straight through tool with cutting edge diameter and shank diameter the same.

9. When inserting router bit in collet do not allow flute fadeout portion of tool to extend inside of collet.

10. After you are finished cutting your material run a "cool tool" test by checking the temperature of the tool. If a proper feed and speed is utilized the tool should be at or near room temperature.

11. For longer tool life, best rigidity and best finish use solid carbide router bits.

12. The normal depth of cut should not exceed 4 times cutting edge diameter.

13. Hot corrosion is frequently the leading cause of tool wear.

14. Less heat slows down hot corrosion which reduces tool wear.

15. To increase the chip load- increase the feed rate, decrease the RPM and use less flutes.

16. To avoid friction which can cause excessive heat to the tool always avoid dead stops when routing material.

17. As chips are ejected they carry the retained heat with them.

18. Larger chips carry more heat from the cut and do not allow it to be transferred to the cutter.

19. To decrease the chipload- decrease the feed rate, increase the RPM and use more flutes.

20. Always remember your cut should produce chips not dust.

21. Straight 'O' flute cutters are ideal for thin soft plastics.

22. Single flute router bits are stronger and can feed faster than two flute.

23. Use spiral 'O' flute for excellent chip evacuation.

24. Super 'O' flute cutters (65-00 Series) is a multi-purpose tool designed for plastics, aluminum and solid-surface material. This bit is an ideal for the novice CNC operator to work on different applications.

25. When holding bit by the shank facing up, the spiral going towards the right side (counter-clockwise) indicates an upcut tool.

26. When holding bit by the shank facing up, the spiral going towards the left side (clockwise) indicates a downcut tool.

27. Natural chip formation in soft plastics is a curl.

28. Natural chip formation in Hard plastic is a block or loose curl.

29. It is important to understand when hardened collets are not replaced, over tightening will eventually damage the internal spindle taper resulting in costly repairs.

30. Timely collet replacement is important but cleaning the collet, along with the collet nut, toolholder taper and inside spindle taper each time the tools are changed is equally important.

31. Do not use petroleum based lubricant for cleaning tools or collets for it will only act as a magnet for all the dirt and dust by the residue it leaves behind.

32. To prevent a dead stop in your material while doing corners, the most effective method is to do a looped corner where the tool travels beyond the corner and loops back and intersects the original path. This provides a cooling effect on the tool as it momentarily leaves the workpiece and assures a square corner.

33. When routing use the largest Diameter tool possible 3/8"-1/2" is the best bet.

34. Use 'V' flute cutters for Hard plastics and foam.

35. Chipload is an important factor in tool life because it dictates how much heat will be carried away from the cutting edge. Better heat dissipation directly relates to increased tool life.

Router bit basics

2008-09-26T16:28:00.000-07:00

When CNC shoppers look into purchasing a new CNC router, they look into every aspect and detail of the machine they are putting there hard earned money into. And rightfully so.
Yet one of the most overlooked aspects when purchasing a machine of this magnitude is the tooling. The popular phrase "A man is only as good as his tools" is very appropriate when dealing with CNC routers. You can own a Rolls Royce of a router and have a low quality bit in it's spindle and you might as well use a hand held router to achieve the same cut.

The router bit material, finish, geometry and cutting characteristics along with durability and long life are essential when choosing the right tool.

Some CNC owners choose the cheapest tools they can get their hands on
and without realizing they are making the poorest cost effective choice as far as productivity is concerned. Another phrase comes to mind "A penny wise and a pound foolish".

OK, enough with the popular phrases I promise.

The only time to choose the low cost bit if you must is at the start up phase of learning to operate the router. You may run in to some learning curves which may cause you to break one or two bits in the very beginning.

I personally believe in high quality as much as possible in all things. Having quality assurance and design experience in my background I can attest to this.

When choosing a router bit I highly recommend the following basics one should apply when purchasing router bits. Note that these are common characteristics and do not apply to the material being machined.

Use solid carbide or carbide tipped tools.

Always choose the tool with the shortest possible cutting edge length to cover the thickness of the part with a slight overlap.

Since the diameter of the tool increases rigidity, it is best to choose the largest diameter possible and again the cutting edge length should be as short as possible and not more than three times the diameter in a perfect world.

Keep the cutting edge length and shank diameter the same whenever possible

Select tools on productivity rather than cost. Choose the tool for the speed of cut and finish desired, i.e., single flute for speed and larger chip loads. Double or multi flute for better finish.

These are just the basics as far as choosing a proper router bit. There are many more factors to consider like material being routed, feeds and speeds, part fixturing, chip loads etc. Although there are many different applications involved when cutting on a CNC, don''t feel overwhelmed. Whith the proper advice and direction you will eventually find your sweet spot when cutting on your CNC router and you will reap in the benefits of good high quality production.