Developing a range of Through Coolant toolholder adapters

In the machine tool manufacturing sector, which deals with shaping metal & other rigid
materials, an integral part of the manufacturing process is high precision cutting. The
conventional method of removing heat from the cutting tool area is spraying coolant from an
external nozzle onto the cutting zone . This is an ineffective method as the coolant is unable to
penetrate deep into the cutting site. The speed of the cutting equipment & hence feed rate is
ltd to prevent heat related damage to the cutting tool, and the metallic waste product that is
produced is hot & malleable, resulting in a long swarfe that curls in on itself. Poor
management of this waste product can result in damage to the machinery, so the machine
must be regularly switched off to dispose of it, resulting in decreased productivity.
To tackle this problem, SECO Tools, owned by Sandvik, have developed Jetstream
tooling, a range of cutting tools where the coolant comes directly out of the tool itself,
delivering a concentrated, high pressure stream straight to the cutting edge, resulting in a
>50% improvement in productivity at a coolant pressure of 70 bar. Currently, Jetstream
technology is a bespoke solution, involving the removal, refitting and sealing of an external
pipe to the back of the cutting tool each time a tool is moved to a different turret station, a
process that takes ~45 mins.
In order to overcome this problem Sandvik have proposed a new range of ‘Through Coolant’
cutting tools that can fit directly onto a range of different manufacturers’ machines without
the need for bespoke piping. Sandvik have asked Craftsman Tools to develop a range of
Through Coolant Toolholder Adaptors whereby the coolant can pass directly from the
machine tool through to the cutting tool, allowing it to be directed at high pressure into the
cutting area. This adapter will enable a 2 min tool changeover, leading to decreased costs &
increased productivity.