Tooling manufacturer Horn, represented in the UK by Rignwood-based
Horn Cutting Tools Ltd, has introduced a new carbide insert grade, SG66, for turning components from steel that has been case hardened to 58 HRC. Due to the high flexural strength of the carbide substrate, the insert is also suitable for interrupted cutting.
For such applications, the grade is said to outperform CBN (cubic boron nitride), although the latter remains the preferred choice when machining through-hardened materials, achieving twice the cutting speed and more.
In addition, the carbide grade is effective when processing highly temperature resistant and other difficult-to-machine steel alloys. In combination with the fine-grain carbide, an aluminium-titanium-silicon-chromium nitride layer delivers high performance up to the maximum allowable temperature at the cutting zone, which is 1,200°C.
The SG66 grade is available for all standard Horn insert systems and in-house coating enables rapid delivery of special tools.