Chip Control

I’m still learning every day about the technology in the metalworking industry—I’m “green,” as our editor-in-chief Chris Koepfer would say. So when I first heard the term “chip control,” the one thing that came to mind was the process of what happens to chips after they exit a machine. Chris was quick to inform me of my misunderstanding.

Not to be discouraged, I read up on the technology in articles previously published in Production Machining that are available at ProductionMachining.com. I discovered that chip control actually means controlling chips as they are being cut off of a workpiece. This can be done with high-pressure coolant cutting tool technology, which takes the place of traditional flooding coolant measures. The importance of chip removal comes down to improved chip control and tool life by about 50 percent.

For multitasking machines in particular, inefficient chip removal can hinder the ability to make effective tool changes. Accurately directing a high-velocity jet of coolant is key. Sandvik Coromant has developed systems, such as its Coroturn HP, that outfit each toolholder with two to three replaceable stainless steel nozzles from which coolant is dispersed at high pressures. The nozzles are mounted close to the cutting edge to lower the temperature in the heat-affected zone. The nozzles create a hydraulic wedge between the top surface of the insert and underside of the chip being cut from the workpiece, helping to reduce insert wear. This also breaks the chips into smaller pieces for quicker evacuation from the cutting zone.

To read more about high-pressure coolant tooling systems and chip control, visit “Beat the Heat with High-Pressure Coolant” and “Chip Control with Coolant.”