Tool life up, costs down: three tools for higher parameters

Ein gutes Team: Die Mitarbeiter von Gühring und Hennecke testen gemeinsam den RF 100 Speed

Enjoy longer service lives and save money at the same time: Hennecke GmbH is managing to do just that together with Gühring. Three highlight products show why the machine and system manufacturer relies almost exclusively on Gühring for milling.

Hennecke GmbH is a global leader in the production of machines, systems and technologies for the processing of polyurethane. Whether in cars, clothing or furniture – the synthetic substance is an indispensable part of everyday life. With a broad product portfolio, Hennecke not only caters to the diverse properties of polyurethane, but can also adapt the necessary machine and system technology and process technologies to customer-specific requirements. Flexible and powerful tools are a must for the manufacturer.

But flexibility and performance are not the only criteria that Hennecke looks at when purchasing tools. With a focus on cost-effectiveness, the company based in Sankt Augustin is constantly striving to make processes more efficient while also reducing costs. And this is precisely where Gühring proves itself to be a reliable partner that doesn’t just supplies tools – it also helps to uncover hidden savings potential: “A standstill in process optimisation results in a backlog. Hennecke therefore runs continuous series of tests, whether in milling, drilling, reaming or grooving,” says Marcel Horn, sales representative. “As a result, a number of machining operations were completely changed and improved.” This applies particularly to the field of milling. Hennecke now purchases almost all of its milling tools from Gühring.

Als technologischer Partner berät Gühring Hennecke in Produktionsfragen.

Double the tool life

Inspired by the savings potential in drilling tools, Hennecke was also eager to optimise milling. And it hit the mark with the RF 100 Speed P solid carbide milling cutter. The cutter easily replaces the previous tool: “We switched to the RF 100 Speed P without adjusting the cutting values. As a result, we were able to double tool life immediately,” explains Tobias Hörger, planning engineer at Hennecke. Although the previous milling cutter from the competitor had worked, in retrospect it would not have been competitive from a cost perspective.

The RF 100 Speed P is characterised by high metal removal rates and stable process reliability. Even in materials that are difficult to machine. The uneven blade pitch of the RF 100 Speed P also improves running smoothness in HPC milling and leads to excellent surface quality. The stable cutting edge corners with corner chamfer and correction of the front offer optimum protection against wear. This results in a longer tool life, which benefits Hennecke.

Four times the cutting speed

And another application case also shows how a Gühring milling cutter reveals undiscovered potential. When sales representative Marcel Horn presented the RF 100 Diver to Hennecke, the new product quickly impressed with extreme cutting values: When manufacturing a terminal block, the RF 100 Diver outperformed a previous 16 mm end mill from a competitor by a factor of four. The Diver, which was perfectly suited to the terminal block’s heat-resistant material, can produce the component at a cutting speed of 450 m/min, whereby the previous tool could only achieve a maximum of 120 m /min.

The time saved per component is over twelve minutes. But this is just one of many examples. “With the Diver, we produce around 1,400 related components every year with a similar level of savings,” Hörger says. Switching to the Diver was also straightforward and helped to save time: “We could simply take the cutting values from the Navigator.”

The Diver impressed Hennecke not only with its excellent cutting values and tool life, but also with its versatility in ramping, drilling, slotting, roughing and finishing – and with optimum chip removal and tool stability. As such, the Diver performs particularly well as a three-flute design, even under difficult machining conditions.

“We were struggling with vibrations on a machine that we couldn’t control with other tools, even when we corrected the cutting parameters. With the RF 100 Diver, we were able to machine much faster without any vibrations,” recalls Tobias Hörger. Due to the uneven distribution of the cutting edges, hardly any vibrations are able to occur.

Half the machining time

Hennecke recently started using the high-performance RF 100 VA end mill: Another example of a tool that enables the customer to benefit from higher metal removal rates and tool lives. When manufacturing a mixing head blank, the RF 100 VA doubled the previous cutting speed from 90 m/min to 180 m/min, saving an impressive 9 minutes per component. This tool is particularly suitable for soft, ductile and stainless steels. The milling cutter impresses with its smooth running, optimum chip removal and stable cutting edge corners. “We were able to achieve good results using the RF 100 VA in high-alloy stainless steel,” says Hörger.

Uncovering potential with Gühring

Hennecke shows that the search for a better alternative does not always have to be preceded by complications. Gühring always sees itself as a technology partner for its customers. With the common goal of enhancing processes on an ongoing basis. While other manufacturers stick to established processes, Hennecke is exploiting hidden potential through foresight. And, as a result, it is able to reduce costs and machining times across several tool categories and significantly extend tool lives. In addition to milling cutters, the company now also uses numerous grooving systems as well as micro and deep hole drills, combined with the same advantages: Time and cost savings.

Gühring shows that changing tools in this way can be easy. In many places, Hennecke was able to replace the tools directly and has already noticed significant improvements. With the cutting data that Gühring provides free of charge via the Navigator, the customer also saves precious time during setup. And all this without any compromises, because the need for top quality never loses its priority.

Have we piqued your interest?

Then arrange your personal consultation appointment now:

Rolf Ehrler
Product Manager Milling and Deburring Tools

+49 172 65 705 32
rolf.ehrler@guehring.de

Technical advice and support are also available quickly and directly via our service hotline 00800 2607 2607
We can also be reached on WhatsApp: +49 172 658 53 53. Save the number!

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