The EXOCARB® WDO-SUS Drill Video: Meet the Game-Changer for Stainless Steels & Titanium Alloys

What are the common issues you encounter while machining stainless steels and titanium alloys? You name it and OSG’s new EXOCARB® WDO-SUS drills will tackle it!

 

The WDO-SUS drills are specifically developed to combat work hardening, elongated chips, low thermal conductivity and welding on the tool. Watch the video below to learn more about the premium features of the WDO-SUS drills including the newly designed MEGA COOLER™ coolant holes.



The EXOTAP VA-3® Now Available with Coolant-Through!


For any manufacturer, time is money, and an increasing number of companies are looking for ways to improve efficiency in their manufacturing process. In order to support such demand, OSG improved its popular tap series, the EXOTAP VA-3®.  The EXOTAP VA-3® already excelled in both stainless and carbon steels, but now you can tap at even faster speeds with our newly expanded VA-3® offerings!


What makes it possible to tap faster is the new VA-3® coolant-through capability. It prevents overheating and improves chip removal rates. As a result, you can achieve faster cutting speeds and smoother chip evacuation! In addition to the coolant-through capability, the new VA-3 taps offer DIN overall length for longer reach applications. The EXOTAP VA-3® series has become even more versatile to address your challenging needs.

 

 

In addition to these new features, the VA-3® taps feature optimized geometry specifically designed for stainless and carbon steels. OSG’s patented V coating provides excellent wear resistance and extended tool life. If cost savings and efficiency are in your To-Improve-List, give OSG’s EXOTAP VA-3® taps a try!

 

 

Spiral Flute      

List 307 - Inch  

List 347 - Metric  

 

Spiral Point

List 306 - Inch 

List 346 - Metric 

 

Faster Production with the WXS® High Feed Corner Radius End Mill

Jacob Van Oost, District Manager


The die and mold industry is a very competitive sector. Shops are constantly ?striving to? outperform? competitors by ?quoting shorter ?delivery time, better finish, and lower cost per? unit. At OSG, we go beyond the quote to demonstrate our abilities in action. With our EXOCARB® WXS® High Feed Corner Radius End Mill, shops are able to achieve faster feed rates, superior surface finishes, and better overall cycle times.

Working with a shop specializing in automotive work in Muskegon, MI, the engineer there wanted a tool that could speed up a process for adding a groove in a P-20 with a 0.25” wide gasket track going around the whole part. The customer originally had it programmed with a 0.25” end mill, but it was taking 3.25 hours to put in the groove. After evaluating the application, we recommended OSG’s EXOCARB® WXS® High Feed Corner Radius End Mill to get the job done.


This corner radius cutter is extremely rigid with a long reach capability. The reverse taper on the cutting edge prevents chattering and eliminates dwell marks on sidewalls. With a new WXS® coating, this end mill oxidizes at around 1300° C, allowing it to withstand much greater heat than competitor tools that are treated with TiAlN.


Initially, we wanted to start the tool at 1,300 RPM and 715 IPM. However, after getting a more detailed look into the program, we realized that the machine for this job could not handle such an aggressive feed rate. To resolve this issue, we decided to cut everything in half, bringing it down to 650 RPM and 357 IPM. Using the EXOCARB® WXS® High Feed Corner Radius End Mill with a light depth of cut, this part of job was completed two hours faster than the original method, and the program time was reduced to merely 35 minutes. The customer was thrilled with the result, and they now use this corner radius end mill to reduce production time overall.


Beyond the automotive industry, this dynamic tool can be applied? to many applications in die/mold shops. For detailed, 3D contoured parts, it can be used in conjunction with the true 4-flute ball mill. It leaves smaller scallops and has faster metal removal rates than that of ball nosed end mills, making it ideal for roughing. Smaller scallops also makes finishing with the true 4-flute easier and faster, allowing customers to go from roughing straight to finishing, bypassing semi-roughing altogether.


To stay ahead of the competition with faster production, OSG’s EXOCARB® WXS® High Feed Corner Radius End Mill will bypass extra processes along the way.



EXOPRO® UVX-Ni End Mill Video

Heat resistant super alloys like Inconel 718 have low thermal conductivity, causing rapid and extreme wear of the cutting tool due to concentrated heat on the cutting zone. To combat against this issue, OSG developed the EXOPRO® UVX-Ni End Mill. This high performance end mill has a five-flute variable helix design to facilitate excellent chip shape and evacuation, while the tapered core and special edge prep rigidity protects against wear. These features allow for consistent, stable machining in side milling, pocketing and slotting operations.


Check it out in action to see the difference!


EXOPRO® WHR-Ni Tap Video

Tap heat resistant super alloys like Inconel 718 without the risk of breakage using OSG’s EXOPRO® WHR-Ni Taps. The unique rake angle combined with OSG’s powdered metal substrate improves cutting edge rigidity, while the addition of OSG’s proprietary HR coating offers superior wear resistance for significantly longer tool life.


 



VGx - More Than Just Variable

Jerry Von Bokel, District Manager


To stay competitive, companies need to keep overhead under control to reduce unnecessary cost. To do this, customers often want to eliminate sub-contracting and choose the most efficient tool for in-house production. This is where OSG’s HY-PRO® CARB VGx variable geometry end mill series comes into play.  


One customer located in St. Louis, MO came to us when they were just starting to cut their own parts for the power generation industry. Previously they were sub-contracting this work to other vendors, but the customer knew that it would be less expensive to produce the parts in-house. They already had a couple machining centers in the facility to do emergency work. All they needed was to find the right tooling to perform the production of their own parts. The lead machinist found success with a competitor’s end mill, but he was open to trying? something new if ?it would benefit? the company. I? suggested OSG’s HY-PRO® CARB VGx end mills.

The VGx series features chatter-free machining of a wide range of materials and milling applications. The VGx’s variable index and eccentric relief design helps eliminate chatter by breaking up harmonics that are produced during normal milling operations. For further stability and minimal wear, the VGx’s raised land configuration and OSG’s TiAIN coating keeps the VGx end mill cutting consistently at accelerated speeds.


With its sophisticated design, the VGx excels in difficult-to-machine materials, such as carbon, alloy steels, cast irons, stainless steels, titanium and nickel alloys, while maintaining high metal removal rates. This keeps inventory cost low due to the reduced need to stock multiple cutters.


We decided to run a test with the VGx versus the competitor’s end mill. The customer was cutting 410 Stainless Steel using a 1/4” and a 3/16” with .03 corner radius. We first ran the competitor’s end mill at 75 SFM, 4,800 RPM, and 38 IPM. To compare, we then ran the 3/16” VGx end mill at 290 SFM, 5,900 RPM, and 23 IPM. By using the VGx, we reduced the cycle time by two minutes on the 3/16” and by three minutes on the 1/4” cutter. Not only did we save the customer time, but the VGx produced twice as many parts for increased overall productivity.


After all the tests had been completed, the operator was still trying to wear out the OSG cutter with no success. The VGx End Mill far surpassed his expectation and was able to run with any materials that they cut, which finally sold the customer on the VGx series. They now stock over? 40 different styles of the HY-PRO® VGx End Mills and are ready to tackle any materials that come their way, proving that the “V” in VGx not only stands for “variable” – but “versatile” as well.



EXOPRO® WHO-Ni Drill Video

The EXOPRO® WHO-Ni drill series from OSG can take the heat when processing Nickel Alloy, Inconel 718 and other hardened steels.


These high performance drills incorporate OSG’s exclusive WXS nano-coating, which has been developed specifically for high heat applications. Internal coolant holes offer further heat resistance and chip evacuation, while a slow helix angle provides ultimate rigidity with minimal wear even after hundreds of holes.




EX-SUS-GDR Drill Reduces Cost per Part on Stainless Steel Exhaust Header
Darrel McCoy, District Manager

The 41st Annual Barrett-Jackson Auction located in Scottsdale, AZ. is no ordinary auction. It is “The World’s Greatest Collector Car Events™,” which captures the essence of a passionate obsession that collectors and enthusiasts share throughout the world. I was fortunate enough to attend the auction where I saw lines of gorgeous vehicles and watched a $50,000 bid shoot up to $250,000 in 30 seconds, all for a used car!

Many of the high performance vehicles displayed in the auction had employed the exhaust manifold design, also known as the exhaust header design, for car tuning. Exhaust headers are one of the easiest ?bolt-on? accessories? for improving? engine ?performance because they make? it easier for? the engine to? push exhaust? gases out of ?the cylinders. Most headers ?for naturally aspirated? engines are ?manufactured ?in mild steel, while headers for turbo charged engines, on the other hand, are often manufactured in 304 Stainless Steel.


Recently, one of my customers from Las Vegas, NV, who is a header plate manufacturer, called regarding a drilling operation in 304 Stainless Steel. He had been using standard cobalt drills but was not able to produce a good hole and had encountered some abnormal sound during the operation. To solve the problem, the customer had to pay to water jet at $40 ?per part. Not only were they losing money, they also had to extend their lead-time by using an outside vendor.


After a careful examination of the application, I recommended OSG’s EX-SUS-GDR drill from the EX-GOLD® series. OSG’s EX-SUS-GDR drill is manufactured from premium high-speed steel, ideal for stainless steels, mild steels and aluminum alloys. The addition of OSG’s TiN or TiALN coating improves wear-resistance and prolongs tool life.

During the first test, the EX-SUS-GDR drill also encountered the abnormal sound, producing a long thick chip and breaking after the second hole. I was concerned with the chip formation while the customer was concerned with the sound, breakage and no parts. I knew that once we had the chip formation under control, the sound and tool life would increase. So, starting off slow, we increased the 10 mm EX-SUS-GDR drill to 480 RPM with 0.009 IPR. With these simple adjustments, we were able to produce 120 holes and finish the job with no trouble whatsoever.


At the end of the day, this customer was not only able to produce holes efficiently and effectively, but they also eliminated the need to utilize an outside vendor, reducing lead-time and cost per part.


The success of large auto events like the 41st Annual Barrett-Jackson Auction depend on having consistent, working parts in all of their cars. By using our EX-SUS-GDR drill combined with the right cutting tool strategy, our customer was able to produce parts more efficiently, allowing them to continue to supply cars with headers that hold up under the spotlight.



WDO Drill, XPF Tap, VGx End Mill - Total Solution Video
The versatility of the EXOCARB® WDO Drills, EXOPRO® XPF Taps and HY-PRO® VGx End Mills makes this dynamic trio an unstoppable force.

Whether drilling, tapping or milling, the unique design of these tools allows them the ability to machine a wide range of materials from cast aluminum and carbon steels to die steels and hardened materials, making them an ideal solution for job shops and manufacturers requiring flexible tooling options.