Steel Turning Grade Family Expands

Valenite introduces its tough grade, VP5635, to the 5600 series steel turning grade family. For applications such as roughing steels, stainless steels and cast iron, this grade is said to increase production cost savings and lower total production time. The series is suited for virtually all types of machining operations and workpiece materials. The tooling inserts are designed for optimal production efficiencies and tool life improvements. The turning grade is suited for heavy roughing operations in industries including automotive; die and mold; oil/gas; aerospace; power generation; off highway; medical; and marine.

The turning grade is designed for applications ranging from smooth, uninterrupted cuts to more difficult out-of-round, interrupted or surface scale conditions. The combination of substrate, coating, edge preparation and post-coating surface treatment technologies expand the operating range for roughing conditions. The grade also is said to work well under wet or dry conditions.

The top surface is “polished smooth” in a patented, post-coating process. The process also increases edge strength by relieving inherent stresses in the coating, the company says. The turning grade features an aluminum oxide layer of coating that is twice the thickness of prior levels. Another feature includes the substrate, which is tough and precisely controlled, the company says. Each grade is optimized for the correct core hardness for the application. Finally, an exclusive edge preparation process is said to provide accurate control of cutting edge from insert nose to depth-of-cut line. Edge control optimizes the insert’s strength and wear characteristics regardless of depth of cut and feed rate.