06/05/2009
Meusburger gets steel into shape – with tools from CERATIZIT
Impressive figures: 30% increase in tool life, 20% higher cutting speed |
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The mould and die manufacturer Meusburger has been a CERATIZIT customer for more than three decades. And still the carbide specialist CERATIZIT never ceases to amaze, in a positive way. CERATIZIT has now made an impact with its newly developed insert CTC 5235. For the mould and die manufacturer CTC 5235 means a considerably increased tool life of 30% combined with a 20% higher cutting speed.
Meusburger, based in Vorarlberg, Austria, is the European market leader in the field of moulds and dies which are applied in plastic injection moulding. Such moulds and dies are made of steel and require maximum precision in the machining process - the final inspection checks the precision down to 0.003 mm.
The Meusburger employees only machine steel of the highest quality which is bought at the best steel mills in Europe. In the warehouse of the family-owned company thousands of tons of steel of various qualities are waiting to be converted into precision products. The material is first stress-relieved/annealed by heating to 600 degrees (Centigrade) and then slowly cooling over 15 hours. Stress relief annealing is a step in the process which is applied to all steel qualities in order to minimize internal tension.
Even ‘Playmobil’ is a Meusburger customer
The vast majority of their customers are mould and die makers or plastic producers in Germany, followed by Austria, France, Switzerland and Italy. The Geobra Brandstätter GmbH & Co (Playmobil manufacturer) also ranks among the 5000 Meusburger customers, the company being known for their quality-oriented work when producing their Playmobil figures. The firm declares that they 'select their suppliers with maximum care'. CERATIZIT on the other hand is also a customer of Meusburger, buying base plates which are further processed in the tool construction department of the company.
CTC 5235 with extended application area
Originally the HyperCoat inserts of the CTC 5235 line were developed for the machining of stainless steel and high-tech alloys for the production of turbine blades. “There are however also other materials where the application of this material is advantageous," explains Stefan Bailom, technical advisor and sales engineer at CERATIZIT. “This is shown by the stunning results achieved by Meusburger. They extend the application area immensely.”
Meusburger and CERATIZIT have been working together for more than three decades. The first successes were obtained in the field of turning tools. “We rely on several tool suppliers,“ says Hubert Weber, technical manager at Meusburger, "as we don't want to depend on one supplier." In the case of CTC 5235, CERATIZIT was a clear winner: in addition to increasing tool life by 30%, the cutting speed was boosted by 20%.
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Short interview with Hubert Weber, technical manager at Meusburger
What is important in the field of steel machining and what does that mean with reference to the carbide?
Weber: It is always decisive to achieve the best possible quality combined with optimum economy.
What are the requirements concerning the carbide?
Weber: In order to guarantee flawless production processes, the carbide and its coating must have consistent quality.
What are the trends in this industry sector?
Weber: The tools applied in the plastic industry are becoming ever more complex. In this context the European tool maker industry is still able to stand out when compared with the Asian market. The requirements in terms of quality are constantly increasing, which definitely benefit us.
Why did Meusburger decide on CERATIZIT products?
Weber: CERATIZIT is a very innovative tool manufacturer who is often able to offer us the most economic solutions.
What are CERATIZIT's strengths?
Weber: I think CERATIZIT’s strengths are their good customer support and consulting.
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(For info box) What is mould and die making?
Metal moulds and dies are used to cast large quantities of metal or plastic parts with good dimensional accuracy. Dies are also used for the pressing or forging of metal components. The simplest moulds consist of two segments, typically steel, that fit together to leave a cavity. More complex parts may include several mould-segments that move together and apart in different directions. This cavity is filled with molten plastic or metal to make the finished part. The mould must also include channels for the molten material to flow in and for gas to escape. Because the mould-segments must fit together precisely and close tightly, they include guides and bushes and must be made to precise tolerances with excellent surface finish. Ejectors push the finished part out of the mould. The mould manufacturer machines the mould-segments principally by milling, though grinding and electrical erosion are also used.
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