The customized design of complex tool solutions is one of LMT Tools' greatest strengths. The engineers in the “Advanced Tools” division support their customers as a strategic technology partner and use their decades of experience and high level of technological and application expertise to create high-performance tool systems that are 100 per cent tailored to the respective customer requirements. The latest development stage: four-edged automatically adjustable tools with maximum performance, precision, flexibility and process reliability.

Automatically adjustable tools are tool systems with movable cutting edges that can be controlled via a drawbar in the tool and slides. They enable the machining of complex component geometries in a single clamping operation and are primarily used in the automotive industry. With four-edged automatically adjustable tools, LMT Tools offers customized high-performance tools for a productive machining process with short cycle and non-productive times, high component quality and maximum process reliability.

The tool system has four cutting edges, a stable, centrifugal force-resistant design and high-precision, complex tool/insert components, allowing high cutting speeds with impressive precision and first-class surface quality. This leads to a significant reduction in cycle times resulting in cost savings. The four cutting edges can be adjusted continuously, highly accurately and evenly in the micrometer range (transmission ratio 1:4) and ensure µm-precise machining of a wide range of contours and diameters in one component with just one tool. The controllable cutting edges also allow any tool wear to be compensated for quickly and easily via the machining center control system. Manual adjustment is no longer necessary, which reduces downtime and increases productivity.

Depending on the application conditions and the material to be machined, indexable inserts with different cutting materials and geometries are used. For example, inserts with wiper geometry ensure the best surfaces and PCD-tipped inserts guarantee maximum performance when machining engine components and aluminum housings. Three levels can be set on the clamping holder - diameter, length and angle. This contributes to an excellent surface finish. The four-edged automatically adjustable tools are equipped with a central coolant supply that directs the coolant specifically to each cutting edge. The effective cooling and optimized chip removal increase productivity and maximize process reliability.

“Automatically adjustable tools offer a high degree of flexibility and cost-effectiveness and are an ideal choice for complex machining processes with tight manufacturing tolerances, for example in the automotive industry,” says Rene Seger, project engineer, advanced engineering at LMT Tools, adding “Our actuating tools with four cutting edges fulfill the highest demands in terms of precision and surface quality and guarantee short cycle times with the greatest possible process reliability. Together with the customer, we develop the optimum tool solution for their application-specific requirements. In doing so, we keep an eye on the entire production process.”

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