Floyd Hexalobe is a star for the medical industry

The Mikron Tool CrazyMill Hexalobe from Floyd Automatic

With star-shaped hexalobular bone screws (Torx) being the design of choice in the medical industry, Baldock-based Floyd Automatic Tooling has introduced the new CrazyDrill Hexalobe drilling series and the CrazyMill Hexalobe end mill series from Mikron Tool.

Medical screws for orthopaedic procedures are predominantly manufactured from titanium, stainless steel and cobalt-chrome. Machining these precision screws to impeccable surface finishes is a challenging task that has been simplified by the arrival of the Mikron Hexalobe series. Machining Hexalobe screws 50% faster with precision burr-free results is what makes this next-generation series an ideal choice for manufacturers in the medical industry.

The high-performance drills for generating pre-holes in Torx sockets are available in two variants, the pre-hole CrazyDrill Hexalobe Torx drill with a tip angle of 140deg, and the flat drill — the CrazyDrill Hexalobe Flat with a tip angle of 180deg. Both drills are available from 0.9 to 3.8mm in diameter for producing T4 to T30 Torx sockets. Upon request, Floyd Automatic can provide the drills as a customised combination drill for streamlining operations. The CrazyDrill Hexalobe series combines two operations in one, as it simultaneously machines a flat pre-hole and a 120deg chamfer.

No ordinary drill, the Mikron CrazyDrill Hexalobe from Floyd Automatic generates exceptional chamfer surface quality to a finish of Ra<0.3µm while guaranteeing high-profile accuracy and perpendicularity. For manufacturers processing screws made from challenging CoCr alloys, Floyd Automatic recommends the CrazyDrill SST-Inox range for creating pre-holes.

Remarkable stiffness
Completing the process is the CrazyMill Hexalobe micro end mill. Available from 0.2 to 1mm dia for T4 to T30 socket variants, the CrazyMill Hexalobe presents three or four-flute variants with milling depths of 3.5xD and 5xD. The CrazyMill Hexalobe milling cutter demonstrates remarkable stiffness that allows machining with high feeds and massive stepover rates while still guaranteeing the necessary hex lobular profile accuracy. The surface quality is the result of the special geometry that also permits a high stepover rate, so the operation can be completed with the fewest possible steps.

Machining medical screws from titanium (GradeTiAl6V4), stainless steel (316LM or X2CrNiMo18-15-3) or cobalt chrome (CrCoMo28) is an unforgiving task that requires the perfect machining strategy, tool and adapted machining parameters. This is where the expertise of Floyd Automatic and Mikron Tool can deliver perfect results with 50% improved productivity rates — regardless of whether it is a small number of bone screw sockets or production runs.

As part of the Mikron Tool Hexalobe-programme, customers can choose a turnkey solution for machining medical screws. This expert service is not only based on cutting tools, it strives to deliver a package with the best machining strategy and the parameters for your machine tools. The most efficient approach to machining ‘Torx’ screws is the process that uses the fewest tools. With the Mikron process from Floyd Automatic, the four operations of pre-hole drilling, chamfering, milling and deburring are completed in three operations with two tools.

Both the CrazyDrill Hexalobe and CrazyMill Hexalobe are manufactured from a micro-grain carbide substrate that demonstrates astounding rigidity and stiffness while the high-performance eXedur SNP coating technology is heat and wear resistant. This prevents built-up edges and promotes uniform chip removal that extends tool life. Furthermore, as the coating technology is chrome-free, cross-contamination on the medical part is avoided.