Utilis AG, MIMplus and Headmade develop AM tool with 185% performance increase
November 17, 2022
ColdMetalFusion customer Utilis AG, Muellheim, Switzerland, has worked with German companies MIMplus Technologies GmbH & C KG, Ispringen, and Headmade, Unterpleichfeld, to co-develop a cutting tool holder with a reported 185% performance increase.
This multidec® tool holder was specially developed for efficient grooving and longitudinal turning on sliding headstock automatic lathes and can enable increased productivity in manufacturing. Via a new integrated cooling system, customers now have the opportunity to double the service life of their cutting edges or increase their cutting values without experiencing higher wear.
The tool holder is also said to benefit from Headmade’s newly developed M2 tool steel, which exhibits ultra-high wear resistance and hardness. The very narrow additively manufactured cooling channels will result in a tool holder with ultra-high performance and a lifetime increase of up to 185%. These channels were reportedly made possible by utilising the ColdMetalFusion standard (CMF), as the extremely small diameter of the cooling channels needed to be depowdered without damaging the green part.
The partners set up two identical machines at both MIMplus and Headmade’s locations to jointly develop and quickly transfer (or compare) results across locations. This allowed for the effective and straightforward parameter development and verification of the M2 tool steel for the tool holder across locations. The three companies eventually reached a part density of 98% and resulted in a superior mechanical performance.
Headmade Materials has launched the M2 tool steel with Utilis as its lead application. It is now available to the general public.
