Launched in 1993, EcoCut tools from Sheffield-based WNT (UK) Ltd (www.wnt.de/en-en) were designed to carry out four different machining processes with a single tool and thereby eliminate unnecessary tool changes, reducing set-up times and increasing machine utilisation.

For 2014, WNT has announced a range of further developments to the EcoCut concept, including the addition of new Dragonskin coatings and carbide grades for the range of indexable inserts, the use of WNT’s Highlight (nickel-based) coating on the tool body, and increased process security through the use of Torx Plus screws to secure the inserts.

EcoCut tools can drill flat-bottom holes from solid (with either the tool or workpiece rotating), machine external and internal diameters, profile and groove.

Moreover, they are available in three formats: EcoCut Mini, a solid-carbide variant of the tool that can machine bores down to 4mm in diameter; EcoCut Classic, which is the smaller indexable-insert version that can machine internal diameters as small as 8mm; and the EcoCut Profile Master range, which starts at 10mm minimum internal diameter and adds the ability to groove.

For general steel and cast-iron machining, WNT recommends the Dragonskin HCR1425 grade, which features an Al2O3-TiN CVD coating that provides excellent wear resistance at elevated cutting speeds.

For general steel machining, the choice is the Al2O3-TiN CVD-coated Dragonskin HCR1435 grade, which is also good for very tough materials with interrupted cut or where the machining conditions are not ideal.

Finally, there is the Dragonskin HCN2430, a universal grade for steel, stainless steel, heat-resistant materials and cast iron; it features a TiAlN PVD coating.

These new coatings and grades allow productivity increases of 30%. For example, when machining steel with an HCR1425 grade insert, the cutting parameters are: 100-150m/min cutting speed, 0.1-0.17mm/rev feed rate; and 1-3.5mm depth of cut with a tool life of 87min — some 40% more than the previous inserts.