‘Someday’ has a Happy Ending
After discussing various aerospace machining issues, the Kennametal representative turned Stellar Precision Components on to a solid ceramic end mill for difficult, nickel-based alloys often found in aerospace.
This solid ceramic end mill that Stellar Precision Components uses has an impressive cutting performance on nickel-based alloys, which is often 20 times that of carbide tools.
In PM’s December 2016 issue, we published a Case in Point (case history) article that highlighted the discovery process and decision making involved in trying a new tool for a demanding job. The subject company is Stellar Precision Components, a Pennsylvania-based Tier Two supplier to the aerospace industry.
While attending a chapter meeting of the local National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA), being held at the nearby Kennametal Tech Center, Stellar staff members met one of the company’s product managers. After discussing various aerospace machining issues, the Kennametal representative turned the company on to a solid ceramic end mill for difficult, nickel-based alloys often found in aerospace.
The company didn’t really have an application at the time, but tucked the information away for “someday.” Well, “someday” came, and Stellar workers tried the cutter. It really did the trick and made a believer out of the company. Read “Ceramic End Mills Helps Shop Meet Delivery Date” to get more detail. You never know when “someday” may come knocking on your shop’s door.
