Innovative cooling for ceramic tools in machining Inconel 718

Ceramic cutting materials, such as sialon and whisker ceramics, offer the most productive solution for machining Inconel alloys. Thanks to their high thermal resistance, they allow cutting speeds of up to 200 m/min when used with coolant. During roughing operations, round indexable inserts are typically employed; however, standard tools often lack adequate coolant delivery.

To address this issue, we developed a 3D-printed support pad and clamp designed for the RNGN 12 insert. These innovative components ensure precise and uniform cooling from close proximity to the cutting zone along the entire active cutting edge. The result is not only a longer tool life but also a significant improvement in chip shape and form. Although ceramic inserts do not have an integrated chipbreaker, precisely targeted rake cooling allows for substantial chip-shape optimization even at a coolant pressure of 20 bar.

Successful implementation at Doosan Škoda Power

This innovative tool was implemented at Doosan Škoda Power for the production of M100 studs made from Inconel 718. Precise coolant delivery on both the rake and flank faces of the insert resulted in saving one cutting edge per produced part. In a batch of 54 pieces, the consumption of inserts was reduced by 7 units, while even greater savings came from the reduction of non-productive time during insert changes and chip handling – a total of more than 7 hours for the entire production batch.

This optimization then not only cut tooling costs but also boosted overall manufacturing efficiency.

Standard cooling	ECHO Tools