For manufacturers struggling to manage metal-working chips and optimise tool life on tough turning operations, Alcester-based Seco Tools (UK) Ltd has introduced the new RR93 and R3 geometries as part of its RCMx range of turning inserts (www.secotools.com).

Designed for extreme applications such as turning railway wheels, these additions combine new roughing and medium-finishing chip-breakers with the company’s Duratomic grade.

The RR93 chip-breaker has been designed to boost tool life and productivity, while improving both chip control and
surface finish. This new design replaces the RR94 geometry.

Meanwhile, the R3 geometry has been optimised for medium- finishing applications in steels, stainless steels and super-alloys, and to control chips even when applying depths of cut as small as 1.5mm at high feed rates (in the range 0.6mm/rev to 1.2mm/rev) and cutting speeds of 90m/min to 160m/min. R3 replaces the previous R2 geometry.

Throughout the RCMx range of inserts, the RCMT20-R2 positive screw-clamped types significantly reduce machining vibration to give better finishes, making them particularly suitable for railway wheel finishing and the medium roughing of difficult materials.

Specific insert edge treatments and toughness stop ‘comb cracks’ and increase edge security.

Furthermore, the Duratomic CVD aluminium-oxide coating process “manipulates coating components at the atomic level” for improved mechanical and thermal properties that enhance overall insert performance.

The new RR93 and R3 geometries, as well as the Duratomic grades, have been tested in most common railway wheel materials, including R7, R8, R9, M1, Class B and Class C.