Sandvik Coromant has developed a new method for turning called Y-axis turning that helps manufacturers reduce downtime, improve process stability, and minimize tool wear. This method is especially beneficial for machining intricate shapes with a single tool, reducing cycle time and improving reliability.
Sandvik Coromant, a metal cutting expert, has developed a new method for turning called Y-axis turning. This innovative technique is designed to help manufacturers reduce downtime, improve process stability, and minimize tool wear by machining several features with a single tool. Y-axis turning is especially beneficial for machining intricate shapes with a single tool, allowing manufacturers to reduce cycle time and minimize the risk of irregularities between adjacent machined surfaces. This method also reduces the risk of chip jamming, improving reliability and allowing for unsupervised machining operations.
The development of Y-axis turning began as a challenge to solve the problem of delays and downtime in manufacturing. According to Senseye’s True Cost Of Downtime 2022 report, unplanned downtime costs manufacturers at least 50% more today than it did in 2019-2020, and will cost Fortune Global 500 industrial companies almost $1.5 trillion USD in 2023. To address this problem, Sandvik Coromant developed PrimeTurning™ in 2017, a turning concept that enables ‘all-directional turning’ for greater machining flexibility. PrimeTurning™ allows for a small entering angle, higher lead angle, and the possibility of machining with higher cutting parameters, making it an innovative feat for turning.
Per-Anders Stjernstedt, Senior Engineer at Sandvik Coromant and inventor of Y-axis turning, explains that Y-axis turning uses all three axes simultaneously when machining. The tool rotates around its own center, the insert is placed for machining in the Y-Z plane, and the milling spindle axis interpolates during turning. To develop Y-axis turning, Stjernstedt and his team went through a six-year cycle of research and development before achieving their breakthrough. This new method has already shown a 51% reduction in cycle times over competing methods.
Sandvik Coromant has also developed new tools to complement Y-axis turning, including the CoroTurn® Prime variant suitable for shafts, flanges, and components with undercuts, and the CoroPlex® YT twin-tool, which is best used at an entering angle of between 60 to 90⁰ for more productive machining. Stjernstedt encourages anyone with a big idea to start experimenting and learning, and to remember that engineering successes do not happen overnight.