Ceramic milling in super alloy materials The use of super alloy materials is increasing in the future. The need to manufacture parts quicker and more reliable is critical. Because of this cost reductions and productivity improvements need to be implemented. As a metal removal and cost reduction technique ceramic milling is an exceptional solution. The most common application for ceramic milling is in engine casings. Due to the high stock removal required between the bosses. In this episode we will focus on key points to consider when applying ceramic milling A common way to machine super alloy materials is to use carbide. The problem is, these materials generate very high temperatures. This cause’s rapid wear in conventional carbide inserts. To avoid this you need to use low cutting speeds. However this of course results in long cycle times and poor productivity. The solution is to apply ceramic milling. Key to successful ceramic milling is first of all to run with optimized cutting speed. Typical cutting speed for carbide milling is 30m/min or 90 surface feet. With ceramic milling the cutting speed needs to be elevated to 1000m/min or 3300 surface feet. This is more than 30 times higher then carbide. When using carbide inserts in super alloy machining, coolant should always be applied. However, the opposite can be said when milling using ceramics. You should never apply coolant when ceramic milling. This creates thermal shock and has a negative effect on tool life. It is also important to apply the optimized chip thickness. Round inserts are by far the most common in ceramic milling. Remember to compensate your feed rate according to the cutting depth to achieve the maximum productivity. A good starting value to use is around 0.1mm/tooth or 0,004 per tooth. In summary, ceramic milling can provide dramatic cost savings when applied the correct way. But we really need to remember the key points to be successful. Cutting speed of 1000m/min or 3300 surface feet. No coolant to help reduce thermal shock. Chip thickness of 0.1mm or 0,004 per tooth. For more SMART tips contact one of our specialists or visit us at the Sandvik Coromant web site.