With the Seco Jabro^®-Mini JM500 line of more than 180 micro end mill products, production facilities effectively and reliably machine small and nano-sized parts that are often too small for the machining operation to be easy to see. The end mills ensure process control along with predictable cutting-tool performance for these challenging micro applications, typically found in demanding industries such as aerospace, medical and 3C (computers, consumer electronics, communications).

Seco Tools expands its long-reach turning and boring capabilities with additions to its well-known series of Steadyline^® vibration-damping turning/boring bars and their respective heads. These new products include 25 mm (1.00") diameter Steadyline^® bars, GL25 turning heads, 100 mm (4.00") diameter Steadyline^® bars, and additions to the range of rough and fine boring heads for Steadyline^® bars.

Seco Tools added a new grade format and several new geometries to its already expansive line of PCBN (polycrystalline cubic boron nitride) inserts. These additions enhance hard turning operations, broaden the extremely tough Seco CH3515 insert grade and introduce a new solid CBN150 insert grade, special long and short wiper geometries and laser-etched chipbreakers.

Seco Tools introduces new larger LP09 inserts designed to boost productivity and process security with the company's High Feed 2™ cutter bodies. The new inserts are designed for high-feed milling operations including face, helical interpolation, slotting, side milling, pocketing and plunging, in challenging workpieces such as the sticky materials often found in the mould and die, aerospace, and oil and gas industries.

New Jabro^®-Solid2 JS750 end mills from Seco boost tool life by 25 percent to 40 percent compared to previous tool technology. As counterparts to the company’s industry-leading JS500 series, the new JS754 and JS755 tools provide cost-effective high performance designed specifically for processing challenging materials typically found in the aerospace sector, including ISO M (stainless steel) and S (heat-resistant super alloys and titanium).

Seco Tools has introduced the industry’s first product line specifically dedicated to knee implant machining. The new Jabro^® medical range of solid-carbide cutting tools combines different machining strategies such as high-speed machining to shorten part cycle times when machining knee implants by as much as 50 percent.

Seco Tools now offers the MP2050 insert grade with an optimized balance of toughness and wear resistance to efficiently machine high-strength, heat-resistant materials. Originally developed specifically for turbine blade machining in the power generation industry segment, the grade also excels in aerospace applications and makes easy work of milling materials such as austenitic and martensitic stainless steels, as well as titanium.

Seco Tools has introduced its R217/220.28 cutters with completely new body designs that incorporate double-sided round inserts to deliver cost-effective performance as well as boost productivity. The new insert grade also complements the existing R217/220.29I range. Double-negative-positioning pocket seats of the R217/R220.28 cutters allow for an extra insert per diameter for enhanced cutting capability and significant gains in productivity when compared to the R217/R220.29I. These pocket seats also enable safe and user-friendly indexing to save time and provide trouble-free operation.

Manufacturers continually seek ways to maximise productivity and efficiency. Today, those efforts frequently involve high-level programs that employ buzzwords that include cloud computing, data-driven manufacturing, cyber-physical systems and Industry4.0. These advanced initiatives are excellent concepts and can produce impressive results. However, manufacturing realities often interfere with the implementation of such ambitious plans, and a critical reality is the presence of uncontrolled waste in the manufacturing process. Before discussing digitisation and optimisation, it is necessary for a manufacturer to examine its operations, determine where waste occurs, and develop methods to reduce or eliminate it. Controlling waste is the first step in preparing a manufacturing company for the adoption of sophisticated smart manufacturing strategies. Figure 1 – Total image of all elements and how they relate and interact, in a manufacturing plant (NEXT STEP model and concept).

Seco Tools recently adapted its line of reliable, accurate thread chaser holders to support Steadyline^® vibration damping bars and Capto tooling. With special carbide-pin locating systems, patented pocket seat surface patterns and high-pressure coolant delivery, these holders guarantee consistent insert positioning, superior rigidity and effective chip evacuation Adapted for tooling with Capto C6, Capto C8 or Steadyline GL50 connections, these new holders accommodate a wide selection of multi-tooth chasers or single-tooth inserts that efficiently perform external and internal threading operations, providing increased options and added flexibility for push or pull configurations. Previously available in a square shank design, Seco’s thread chaser holders produce API and common licensed thread profiles across the full range of OCTG materials.