Kennametal makes hard turning more profitable

New KBH10B and KBH20B pcb grades deliver higher productivity and lower cost per part

Kennametal today announced its latest innovation in hard turning KBH10B and KBH20B PcBN grades, double-sided changeover plates for materials up to 65 HRC. The new grades are specifically designed to offer higher productivity and longer tool life when turning tool steels and other hardened materials.

"Kennametal's new KBH10B and KBH20B grade inserts are an excellent choice for high-volume production of hardened gears, shafts, bearings, housings and other drive components where tooling cost per part is an important measure," said Robert Keilmann, product manager, Turning.

Mini-tip inserts with polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PcBN) have long been recognized as a great option for reducing part costs when turning hardened steel parts. Kennametal's new grades of PcBN inserts enhance that value proposition by delivering increased productivity with a lower cost per part.

Features include:

-Patented ceramic binder structure and TiN / TiAlN / TiN coating providing extreme wear resistance even at higher cutting speeds.

-A gold PVD coating makes it easy to identify when a change plate needs to be indexed, while numbered corners ensure that a machine operator does not inadvertently switch to a used cutting edge.

-Two cutting preparations in a "trumpet"-style grind for heavier and intermittent cuts and a light grind for continuous turning. Both are free-cutting, extend tool life and generate surface finishes up to 0.2 Ra.

-The PcBN mini tips are offered in four insert shapes - three diamond-shaped and one triangular - which means up to six cutting edges per insert.