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Application Report

MOLDINO optimizes autonomous graphite milling

For many years, fischer Werkzeugbau has utilized a production cell for electrode milling, in which both measuring and eroding are also processed. To further optimize graphite milling, the company has tested all processes with MOLDINO and achieved significant improvements, yielding three times higher feed rates, lower production costs, and greater dimensional accuracy.

fischer Werkzeug- und Formenbau GmbH was awarded the coveted ‘Toolmaker of the Year’ award. It was awarded the prize in November 2020 in the category ‘Internal toolmaking over 50 employees’. Founded in 1954, the toolmaking company has been operating as an independent GmbH since 2015 but sees itself as part of the fischer Group of companies, which also includes the world-renowned fastening systems. The headquarters of the division, which employs a total of 120 staff members, is located in Horb am Neckar, with 58 employees, and there are also three additional locations.

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Johannes Zimmermann process optimizer from MOLDINO (left), Thomas Brezing, milling machine team leader (center), and CAM programmer Helmut Spieß (right). The production cell, designed by Swiss automation specialist Wick with a round tower magazine, can be seen in the background.

The toolmaking division serves both the Group and external customers by producing new pilot and series tools, as well as performing repairs. In Horb, mainly injection molding tools for fastening technology and the automotive sector are made, as well as silicone cartridge tools for chemical fastening technology.

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fischer DuoPower 2-component anchor

Just like a large part of the hard machining, electrode milling at fischer takes place in the 16-meter-long production cell. Two 5-axis machining centers for graphite milling (Makino V33i Graphite) and steel hard machining (Makino D 500) are interlinked here with the two die-sinking EDM machines (Makino EDAF 3), the parts washing system, the coordinate measuring station (Zeiss Contura) and the storage locations via an articulated robot (Kuka) guided on linear rails.

The primary processes employed are single- and multi-component technology, up to 3K, as well as Indumold (inductive mold heating) or internal gas pressure. "But also sometimes mold labeling, thermoset processing, or one or the other surface process. In addition, stamping and bending tools for heavy-duty fastening technology are manufactured in Horb, "reports Thomas Brezing, Team Leader Milling Machines at fischer Werkzeug- und Formenbau GmbH, adding:" We had already reached a very high level of autonomous electrode milling in the production cell. Nevertheless, there is still room for improvement - and that's where we wanted to go."

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More trochoidal side machining, less Z-constant: Rough machining of the example electrode with the MOLDINO torus milling cutter D-EPDR-4060-20-10.

All the electrodes required at the Horb site, including those for the external EDM systems, are produced in this cell. fischer was not dissatisfied with the current situation at the time and did not have any immediate problems, but saw a need for improvement. Then, there was the desire for shorter processing times. One particularly tricky point was dimensional accuracy, as tolerances were repeatedly exceeded within a series.

Although these were detected during the process-internal coordinate measurement of the contour, this entailed reworking, including the expense of the correction programs. Incidentally, fischer relies on solutions from Siemens NX for the milling programming, whose parametric 3D system is also used to design the tools.

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To ensure process proximity, all tests were done on the 5-axis Makino V33i Graphite, which is part of the production cell. The integrated coordinate measuring station (Zeiss Contura) is located next to the machines.

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Higher dimensional accuracy, better surfaces, and therefore virtually no more reworking: The sample electrode with holder on the zero-point clamping station of the coordinate measuring machine (Zeiss Contura).

Johannes Zimmermann again used the Production50 method developed by MOLDINO specifically for the milling sector, as he had previously done for hard machining.

"This involves analyzing the existing milling processes together with the customer to use these insights to gain a new perspective on the entire production process," explains the process optimizer. "This holistic approach allows us to identify potential for improvement. These can be sustainably improved and recorded in detailed profitability calculations, showing companies the added value of this changeover."

The first step in process optimization is the status quo analysis: Brezing provided Zimmermann with four different electrodes for identifying optimization potential. He not only examined the previous milling parameters such as machining strategies, tool selection or cutting values, but also what influence the NC programs have on the behavior of the machine. It is precisely these parameters that influence the dynamics and runtime of the processes.

It was noticed that the strategies and the allowance values were not in harmony during roughing.

The finishing tool had to remove a large amount of material, which led to problems with dimensional accuracy. In order to achieve this after all, the feed rate in the small areas was reduced further and further, resulting in longer machining times.

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Feed rate tripled: The example electrode after roughing and after finishing the two left ‘dowel halves’ to the final dimension with the MOLDINO ball nose end mill D-EPDB-2004-4.

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CAM programmer Helmut Spieß at his Siemens NX workstation, where one of the dowel electrodes used in the tests is currently open.

Together with Helmut Spieß, CAM programmer and expert in automatic graphite milling at fischer Werkzeugbau, Johannes Zimmermann fine-tuned the CAM strategies and tested various torus and ball end mill combinations from MOLDINO's diamond-coated D-EPDR and D-EPDB series. To ensure process proximity, all tests were run on the 5-axis Makino V33i.

"We then greatly reduced the oversizes during roughing compared to before and are getting closer to the final dimension. This enabled us to triple the feed rate and reduce wear, "explains Helmut Spieß, referring to the feed rates Vf for the ball tools with 10 mm effective length for finishing:" We used to run at 733 mm/min, but now we do this with the MOLDINO D-EPDB-2010-10 at 2,200 mm/min - even in the narrowest and smallest areas."

In addition to the newly developed machining strategies, the quality of the MOLDINO cutting tools used was also crucial to the project's success. "The diamond-coated torus and ball end mills in the D-EPD series are specially designed for machining graphite and cover a wide range of diameters from 0.1 mm to 10 mm. The portfolio includes effective lengths of up to 30xD," summarizes Johannes Zimmermann. "A unique selling point is the tapered, drop-shaped side cutting edge (DC < 4 mm), also known as backdraft. This means that the side cutting edge has less contact, which reduces the side cutting pressure and therefore the deflection and ultimately ensures greater dimensional accuracy." As a result, significantly better surfaces are achieved as the backdraft reduces vibrations (natural frequency).

Some of the optimizations also include checking the cutting tool database and scaling the tools. As shorter effective lengths are now used for finishing, there is less deflection, resulting in greater accuracy and improved final dimensions. This guarantees dimensional accuracy in the long term, which was also a goal of the project. A homogeneous allowance is also essential, meaning that the exact value is consistently used for graphite milling, ensuring reproducible quality is achieved in series production.

The improved approach strategies for finishing also help to increase the processing speed. The correct interaction of all parameters is significant.

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The diamond-coated torus milling cutters are available in 119 different specifications.

fischer is also particularly proud of the enormous time savings that have been achieved: it used to take 265 minutes to mill the project electrode, but now it only takes 185 minutes. This has a positive effect on production costs, as more material can be machined simultaneously, and fewer tools are required.

"Previously, seven tools were used for this project electrode, now, we use four. This has reduced the procurement costs for the tools - fewer tools also means less set-up work," says Thomas Brezing, drawing a positive conclusion.

"The staffing we need for set-up, i.e., presetting and changing the tools, has also been reduced. This is an advantage when preparing for the unmanned weekend operation and therefore significantly increases the profitability of the fischer company."

The cutting tools from MOLDINO have proven themselves in Horb. One of the highlights of this project at fischer is that high feed rates can be achieved with small ball end mills when machining graphite. Upon finishing, the toolmakers have increased the feed rate by a factor of three, and the parts remain dimensionally accurate. With the same tool life as before, fischer processes three times as much with the MOLDINO diamond tools. The specialists in Horb have brought the small tools up to speed. But they are also very positive about the support provided by MOLDINO.

With more than 200 items in the diameter range from 0.1 - 12 mm and an effective length of up to 30 x DC, the diamond-coated torus and ball tools cover the entire range of applications.

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Cooperation as the key to success

Roughing strategies

The roughing strategies were also analyzed during the graphite project; for example, trochoidal side machining was implemented. The advantage of this method is that the cutting edges of the torus milling cutter are better utilized. This is also important to Johannes Zimmermann: “We have permanently stored all the newly set parameters in the tool database so that fischer can mill to the tolerance limit easily and with absolute process reliability in day-to-day business. The visual appearance of the electrode has also improved significantly compared to before.” This is also noticeable in the values in the measurement report.

Optimization model for hard machining

Fischer consistently relies on automation, although autonomous milling remains the greater challenge compared to erosion. This is why processes are continuously being refined in Horb. Two years ago, MOLDINO Tool Engineering Europe GmbH (formerly MMC Hitachi Tool Engineering Europe GmbH) optimized the milling processes in hard machining for fischer. “We were so impressed by the jointly developed improvements in hard milling that we asked MOLDINO shortly afterward to take a close look at graphite milling too,” recalls Thomas Brezing. “We wanted to see what the process could look like with MOLDINO tools.” Until then, cutting tools from other manufacturers had been used for graphite machining.

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