TRAM Conference 2009 – Sheffield

Invited Keynote lecture at TRAM 2009 worldwide Conference

Wednesday, 9, September, 2009

 New methodologies for development of high efficient Machining of difficult to cut materials

Authors:

Sergio Durante, Mauro Comoglio

1D4S Motorsport, Mar Adriatico 2, 38612 Granadilla de Abona, Spain, 

2DIAD , Str. Della Praia 12/C, I-10090 Buttigliera Alta (TO) Italy, 

In Sheffield at the AMRC with Boeing facilities, Dr. Eng. Sergio Durante presented a paper on high efficient machining.

The article and the keynote focuses on the automotive and aerospace industries. In these industries the need for enhanced materials performance is necessary if they are to remain competitive in global terms. Unfortunately the material properties, which make them so attractive to the aerospace and automotive industry can also make them difficult to machine. This paper will discuss integrated developments in machining techniques and cutting tools, which are emerging to cope with difficult to cut materials.

Introduction

Due to the increasingly competitive nature of the commercial aircraft and automotive markets, environmental issues and affordability are the prime market drivers.

In the aerospace sector, the implication of this is a market requirement for faster, cheaper, quieter aircraft. There is also a need to reduce operational costs by producing, more economical and reliable aircraft with an increased operating life. To meet these requirements the aircraft designers are producing larger, thinner complex (monolithic) parts, which can be assembled more easily without the recourse to jigs and fixtures. This is forcing manufacturers to consider using more exotic alloys, composites and mixed metal matrices, with a large impact on machining technology. Similar trends are occurring in the military aircraft sector where, in addition to affordability, stealth technology is forcing the use of new materials and design techniques.

In addition to the technological issues the aerospace industry is now moving towards the model of the automotive with the large OEMs concentrating on large system integration with component manufacture moving into the supply chain. This is having an impact as the companies now machining difficult to cut materials are unaware of the materials research being carried out at the OEM level and they can be faced with a machining problem on a material where they have little previous experience.

In the automotive sector new products now face stringent economic and environmental demands. In Europe emission legislation and the demands for higher performance from smaller engines have together driven the development of diesel engine technology over the past 10 years.