CeramTec SPK works as integrated process supplier

By Niraj M Wanikar, Chief Editor, CNCTimes.com, 2014-09-26 17:26:57

Sudden lapses in tool life for otherwise reliable cutting tools are often difficult to explain and threaten users with serious production issues. CeramTec GmbH’s SPK Cutting Tools Division Solution Team can help, not only with severe cases but also with any questions users may have about machining applications.

When a cutting tool does not work as expected, the machining process does not deliver the desired results in terms of tool life, quantity or quality, when production quantities are too small due to inadequate cutting parameters and existing production capacities thus reach their limits, it’s time to contact the CeramTec Solution Team. Depending on the requirements, the team may comprise field service technicians, process and design engineers. To quickly assist customers in cases such as these, the team members are located in the key economical centres around the globe. In the core European countries, in the US, Mexico, India and China, CeramTec own regional branches which are located strategically.

When it comes to solving machining tasks, the first contact is a well-trained field service technician, who assesses the situation on site. These technicians have extensive practical expertise, enabling them to resolve most machining issues on the spot. For more complex usage scenarios, technicians can request the help of one of the Solution Team’s process engineers.

Process engineers first investigate the cause of the machining problem in order to filter it out from the wide range of possible issues. They start with standard engineering tasks such as reviewing the cutting parameters, inspecting the cutting insert, checking up the clamping situation of the work piece and checking the number of cutting passes. If it is still not possible to localise the problem with the standard engineering tasks, additional tests can be performed ranging from an analysis of the component material or a detailed inspection of the cutting machine.

When it comes to machining new components, for example in OEM projects or when restructuring existing machining processes, the Solution Team can offer crucial support right from the start. As a reliable partner, the team performs many of the necessary tasks by itself or offers its expert assistance. The CeramTec Solution Team’s spectrum of tasks ranges from defining cutting materials and specifying cutting geometries to drafting machining plans, time and economical calculations all the way to designing special tools and clarifying the clamping situation of the workpiece.

In many cases, the CeramTec Solution Team’s work closes the productivity gap found in existing machining processes when their investigation began. The result is a significant reduction in processing costs per part on the one hand, while the Solution Team is able to ensure the component quality customers demand in a process-reliable way on the other. The team’s work ensures that new machining tasks and OEM projects are economical right from the very first cut. The CeramTec Solution Team specialises in delivering technologically and economically optimised cutting results in all of its projects in order to provide customers the cost and quality advantages they expect.

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