Machining Hardened Steel

The effective utilization of the.

Machining hardened steel.

Many people feel that hard metal machining is a black art but with a few basic principles it is not only profitable but also a straightforward machining process. High speed milling of hardened die steels was second choice at 49 percent. Many shops have implemented hard milling through high speed machining as a way to generate intricate die and mold forms on the machining center with less need for edm and hand finishing. Many plants that manufacture hardened steel bearings gears and axle shafts use this process.

1 the following observations from the engineering research center for net shape manufacturing erc nsm at the ohio state university may be useful to shops contemplating getting into high speed milling. First choice for external and internal machining of small and slender components. There are several components of the process which include. First choice cbn grade designed to deliver stable and predictable tool life while machining case and induction hardened steels with light to medium interrupted cuts chamfered component edges.

If a somewhat larger amount of money is available to be spent on cutting materials the evolution metal cutting saw is a fast and efficient tool that will cut through hardened steel with relative ease making clean cuts and retaining the hardness of the steel. Typical materials that are hard turned are 5120 steel 62 rc 1050 steel 62 rc 9310 60 rc and 4320 steel 60 62 rc. However machining hard steel with small tools taking fast light cuts is not the way many shops are accustomed to machining these parts.