b'Productive TimesDRILLING THROUGH THE VOIDC onsistently drilling a deep holeEND USER SOLUTION PROVIDERin heat-resistant stainless steel can be challenging enough. ButMetalTek International Tungaloy America Inc.whenaworkpieceisspun-cast,262-544-7777 888-554-8394complexity increases because thewww.metaltek.com www.tungaloy.comcenter has a void of varying shape and size thats created during theExtend tool life when drilling a spun-cast, heat-resistant purification process. CHALLENGE stainless steel part with an inconsistent material Its the shape of a lightning boltcondition.is the best way I can describe it, said Tim Geyer about the spun-castAn indexable-insert drill with a double-sided insert reducer that MetalTek InternationalSOLUTION with six cutting edges to improve insert strength and machines for the petrochemical in- process reliability.dustry.The Waukesha, Wisconsin-basedpurities end up inside the casting. hardness. The clean outer metal of company is a one-stop shop forThe void created during castingthe part has a hardness of 190 HB engineered products, said Geyer,measures about 6.35 mm to 25.4while the void is somewhat softer senior process engineer for the ma- mm (0.25" to 1") wide and 152.4but more abrasive because of the chine shop and supervisor of themm to 177.8 mm (6" to 7") deep,scale that ends up there as a result toolroom and programming. In ad- Geyer said. The drilled hole mea- of the casting process.dition to providing machining ser- sures 74.93 mm (2.95") in diameterThecompanyoriginallypro-vices, MetalTek International pro- and 203.2 mm (8") deep. duced the hole with an indexable-duces workpieces using centrifugal,MetalTek International does haveinsert drill that accepted inserts with sand, investment and continuousa heat treatment facility, as well asfour cutting edges, but each insert casting processes. When the com- a full chemistry laboratory. But be- needed to be indexed two or three pany centrifugally casts a work- cause the part operates in a hot en- times to make one hole during ac-piece, liquid metal is poured into avironment that heat-treats the part,tual production operations, Geyer die, which is spun at a specific rpm. he said the stainless steel reducersaid. In addition to the time that It creates the Gs that force theisnt heat-treated. The part receivesindexing consumed, the part was pure metal alloys to form aroundan initial heat treatment to anneal it,machined on a Warner & Swasey the die, he said, and all the im- but the treatment does not increaseautomatic chucker machine from 76AUGUST 2020 ProTiimes.indd 76 7/17/20 3:52 PM'