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MAPALPräzisionswerkzeugeDr. Kress KGCurrent trends in hard cutting materialsPostfach 1520D-73405 AalenAfter the crisis endured in 2009, the future prospects for PCDtools are better than ever. MAPAL expects the market volumefor PCD tools to significantly increase in the coming years. Anever increasing portion of the parts and componentsproduced by MAPAL customers are changing to aluminiumfor reasons of weight saving and ever improving and moreproductive machining processes in mass production. Also themarket for other non-ferrous materials (e.g. brass, copper,magnesium) has major growth potential, and the “newmaterials”, e.g., glass fibre reinforced plastics (GFRP) andcarbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) have massivepotential.ContactHermann SteidleTelephone +49 / 73 61 / 5 85 – 1 24Fax +49 / 73 61 / 5 85 – 1 10e-mailmarketing@de.mapal.comDate 23.05.2011Press release no. 2011-05-10MAPAL is addressing this growth: Even in the year after thecrisis, 2010, extensive investments were made and personnelrecruited at MAPAL WWS in Pforzheim and in PCDproduction in the MAPAL Group worldwide. 2011 now followswith the greatest increase in personnel capacity and largestinvestments in additional machine capacity at the PCDcompetence centre MAPAL WWS in the company’s history.Previous limits on PCD-tipped toolsThe usage of PCD tools today predominantly reaches itslimits at small cutting diameters below 6 mm in conjunctionwith more than three cutting edges. The reasons for thissituation are primarily in the manufacturing process. Themain problems are the reliable brazing of the PCD segmentsto the carbide tool body (the area brazed simply becomes toosmall) as well as the manufacture of blade geometry. Forinstance on the production of the clearance angle or thecutting edge contour the advance or leading cutting edgewould be damaged.PresseinformationPress releaseCommuniqué de pressePage(s) 1 of 4

MAPALPräzisionswerkzeugeDr. Kress KGAt large cutting diameters on the other hand, the limits of thePCD application range are primarily defined by the toolweight that, depending on the machine type, is only allowedto be max. 6 - 8 kg for automatic tool changing. In addition,moments of tilt have an unfavourable effect on the machiningresult during horizontal machining. These are caused by thetools’ own weight and the position of the centre of gravity.Postfach 1520D-73405 AalenContactHermann SteidleTelephone +49 / 73 61 / 5 85 – 1 24Fax +49 / 73 61 / 5 85 – 1 10e-mailmarketing@de.mapal.comDate 23.05.2011Specific developments at MAPAL are making largechanges to these limitsIn the meantime there are specific tool solutions for smalltools with tools for reaming and milling with cutting diametersbelow 3 mm and 6 cutting edges realised using the cuttingmaterial PCD. Solutions have also been realised in thisdiameter range for drilling tools, to some extent with rakefaces polished on both sides. For this purpose it wasnecessary, together with the PCD supplier, to develop PCDlayers up to 8.0 mm thick in excellent quality and with aparticle size matched to the machining. It has been possibleto master all the resulting challenges in production.The PCD is applied directly to the carbide tool body using aspecial brazing process. By means of special settingprocesses it is possible to accurately align cooling duct boresonly 0.3 mm in diameter through the PCD with the presinteredbore in the carbide tool body. The delicate PCDblade geometries are, if necessary, machined on a lasermachining system, the LASERPLUSS RayCutter.Press release no. 2011-05-10PresseinformationPress releaseCommuniqué de presseIn this way it has been possible to exploit new applications forPCD tools in the diameter range from below 3 mm to 6 mm.Here PCD tools are replacing carbide tools to some extent,an aspect that opens up major potential for savings for thecustomer. Also the increase in the number of cutting edges inthis diameter range signifies high potential for shortening thePage(s) 2 of 4

MAPALPräzisionswerkzeugeDr. Kress KGmachining time with simultaneous improvement in the qualityduring reaming operations.Postfach 1520D-73405 AalenTitanium tool bodies create potential for savings on largetoolsThe challenges are different on the design of large tools withthe cutting material PCD. Titanium has proven itself here asthe ideal tool body material. However, the PCD segmentscannot then be brazed into the tool body. Instead they arebonded and bolted. The screws are used here for safety, asthe bonded joint has only limited temperature resistance.With this technology and the related tool design principles, itis now possible to realise tools of previously unknowndimensions, without exceeding the weight limitationsmentioned above of 6 – 8 kg.ContactHermann SteidleTelephone +49 / 73 61 / 5 85 – 1 24Fax +49 / 73 61 / 5 85 – 1 10e-mailmarketing@de.mapal.comDate 23.05.2011Press release no. 2011-05-10In this way machining processes that today are still designedfor several tools and divided across several machiningoperations can be combined into one complete machiningtool. A finely adjustable, modular design is also possible,which particularly for very long and slender tools ensureshigh radial run-out quality and with it high accuracies,circularities and surface finishes on the part. Theimprovements in quality are supplemented by significantreductions in machining times and by the complete machiningin one “go”.Aalen, May 2011PresseinformationPress releaseCommuniqué de pressePage(s) 3 of 4

MAPALPräzisionswerkzeugeDr. Kress KGCaption:Postfach 1520D-73405 AalenContactHermann SteidleTelephone +49 / 73 61 / 5 85 – 1 24Fax +49 / 73 61 / 5 85 – 1 10e-mailmarketing@de.mapal.comDate 23.05.2011Reduction in machining time with simultaneous quality improvement– the usage of PCD tools in the diameter range from below 3 mm to6 mm.Press release no. 2011-05-10PresseinformationPress releaseCommuniqué de pressePage(s) 4 of 4