When it comes to machining deep part features, the long milling cutters used to reach them often need a bit more cooling capability beyond just standard flood type. In these situations, shops can give their flood coolant an extra boost with REGO-FIX CoolBore and Coolant Flush collets that direct coolant down along the sides of milling cutters for the increased volume needed to more effectively evacuate chips.
External flood cooling – where coolant is sprayed at the cutting area through a nozzle positioned three to six inches away from the cutting point – is inherently inefficient. At best, coolant is splashing around the cutting zone, providing less than optimal results. Unless the operator’s aim is excellent, the coolant stream could miss the mark entirely, resulting in poor chip evacuation, high tool temperature, an overheated cutting zone and work hardening of some materials. With flood cooling, even the best setup results in coolant spray and splatter.
Proper chip evacuation in deep milling applications is essential to efficient machining. Failure to remove chips can result in “birdnesting” that results in recutting chips, excessive tool wear and poor surface finishes.
Through-spindle internal coolant systems stream through the tool tip directly at the cutting point, but these coolant systems are expensive to buy and maintain. Coolant-through tool machines cost approximately twice as much as an external flood machine. Not to mention, through-spindle cooling systems come with a hefty annual maintenance bill – somewhere near 20% to 30% of the original purchase price – to open, regrease and inspect seals in the tool head.
The REGO-FIX CoolBore and Coolant Flush collets are excellent additions to the company’s exclusive powRgrip (PG) toolholding system that put coolant directly in the cutting zone for optimal chip removal and cooling while using the industry’s most precise and easy-to-use toolsetting system.
Complementing the REGO-FIX standard internal coolant PG collet for deep drilling and tapping, the Coolant Flush collet provides a curtain of coolant along the tool shank and into the pocket or feature being machined. Coolant Flush collets are ideally suited for high-rpm light to medium applications. For medium to high-performance applications and optimized chip removal, the new REGO-FIX CoolBore collet provides high output pressure through the collet at the periphery of the tool shank. As a result, the CoolBore collet provides the highest clamping force of the company’s collet coolant options.
For shops looking to convert to coolant-through tooling on turning machines, the REGO-FIX reCool system converts an external flood coolant machine into an internal cooling system for about half the price of an original through-spindle coolant option and eliminates the annual maintenance requirement. A reCool retrofit can be accomplished in a matter of minutes and is suitable emulsion and oil coolants on live, static and Swiss Automatic machines.
With these extra coolant boosts, tool life is increased, surface finishes are improved, and the overall machining process is streamlined. Non-cutting cycles for chip evacuation and tool cooling are eliminated, thereby reducing heat buildup in workpieces, and setups are made more efficient by removing the necessity for aiming and/or constantly readjusting external coolant nozzles.