With the new Tiger·tec Gold PVD grade WSP45G, Walter AG has introduced a cutting tool material designed to ‘push the boundaries of these coatings, both in their application and with respect to the materials that machinists can work with them’.

Furthermore, as well as being compatible with the company’s Xtra·tec XT, Walter BLAXX and M4000 milling cutters, the new Tiger·tec Gold PVD indexable inserts can also be used in Walter indexable insert drills such as the D4120 — not only for ISO P steels but also for difficult-to-cut materials from the ISO S and M material groups.

The TiAlN-Al2O3 multi-layer coating has been configured to make the WSP45G grade both hard and tough — and therefore extremely resistant to abrasive wear and high temperatures. Furthermore, a special mechanical post-treatment ‘improves hairline crack performance’ and protects the cutting edge from micro-spalling.

The light gold-coloured top coat of the multilayer system also makes it easier to detect wear and thereby improve process reliability; and because unused cutting edges are readily identified, it is easy to ensure the full potential of the indexable insert is achieved.

Potential fields of application for the new Tiger·tec Gold PVD grade include demanding machining tasks, such as materials with difficult cutting properties, ‘tricky conditions’ and interrupted cuts. In the case of milling, these challenges could include long overhangs or ‘delicate’ clamping arrangements; with drilling, challenges include inclined entries and exits.

“Walter says that for turbochargers in cast steel, fasteners and chassis parts in titanium or components in nickel-based alloys as encountered in the automotive, energy and aerospace industries, the WSP45G grade is ‘an ideal problem solver’.