Abstract: A method for coating a substrate 11 is disclosed. The method includes at least the following steps: depositing a first base layer 22 comprising a nitride of at least Al and Cr on the substrate 11 by physical vapor deposition at a gradually increasing substrate bias voltage from a first substrate bias voltage to a second substrate bias voltage; depositing a second base layer 23 comprising a nitride of at least Al and Cr on the first base layer 22 by physical vapor deposition at a constant substrate bias voltage that is greater or equal to the second substrate bias voltage; and depositing an outermost indicator layer 24 on the second base layer 23, wherein the outermost indicator layer 24 comprises a nitride of Si and Me, wherein Me is at least one of Ti, Zr, Hf, and Cr, wherein the outermost indicator layer 24 is deposited by physical vapor deposition at a substrate bias voltage that is less than the constant substrate bias voltage applied during deposition of the second base layer 23.

Abstract: A cutting-bit holder block may include a forward mounting portion, an interior portion, a bottom mounting portion, a side portion, and a cavity. The forward mounting portion may define an aperture sized to hold a cutting-bit. The interior portion may be disposed within the cutting-bit holder block. The aperture may extend from the forward mounting portion to the interior portion. The side portion may extend from the forward mounting portion to the bottom mounting portion. The cavity may be disposed in the side portion. The cavity may extend from the interior portion to the bottom mounting portion. The cavity may be in communication with the aperture.

Abstract: Toolholders that have a movable coolant pipe are described. An example toolholder has a tool body and a coolant pipe. The tool body is rotatable around a central axis and has a coolant channel, a tool body passageway, and a chamber. The chamber extends from the tool body passageway toward the coolant channel. The coolant pipe is disposed within the chamber and has a coolant pipe first end, a coolant pipe second end, and a coolant pipe portion. The coolant pipe portion extends from the coolant pipe second end toward the coolant pipe first end. The coolant pipe is movable between a resting position and a deflected position. In the resting position, the coolant pipe portion is disposed a first distance from the central axis. In the deflected position, the coolant pipe portion is disposed a second distance from the central axis that is different than the first distance.

Abstract: Reduced noise abrasive blasting assemblies and systems are described. The new assemblies and systems are comprised of standard blast hose, accelerator hose, couplings and nozzle. The improved abrasive blasting system maintains abrasive particle velocity while decreasing the exit gas velocity and consequently decreasing sound production. This is accomplished through an acceleration section with reduced inner diameter and sufficient length to provide the necessary abrasive particle velocity. The new system maintains the productivity and efficiency of conventional abrasive blasting systems but with greatly reduced acoustic noise production and reduces operator fatigue due to the lower weight of the carried portion of the system.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring and predicting wear of a cutting tool used for machining a workpiece is disclosed. The system includes a cutting tool having a shank and a cutting head. The system also includes a split, modular and wireless wear detection system including one or more sensors mounted to the cutting tool for providing a data signal representative of a physical condition of the system, and a data recording and data transmitting device for recording the data signal from the one or more sensors and for generating and transmitting a data signal to a processor. The processor applies a machine learning data processing technique in real time to monitor and/or predict a condition of various components and/or parameters of the system during a metal cutting operation.

Abstract: Armor plate having a thickness of at least 3 mm and an edge length of at least 20 mm, wherein the armor plate consists of a material made largely of a component selected from the group hard metal, cermet and/or combinations thereof. An armor plate composite comprising at least two layers of armor plates and an armor are provided as well.

Abstract: A rotary cutting tool includes a tool body including a shank portion and a cutting portion adjoining the shank portion. The cutting portion has a plurality of blades separated by helically twisted flutes. A tunable vibration absorber is disposed within an internal cavity formed in the cutting portion and has a shape that follows the helically twisted flutes. The tunable vibration absorber includes an absorber mass and a resilient material disposed between the absorber mass and an outer wall of the internal cavity. In one aspect, the tunable vibration absorber is tuned to a desired frequency by selecting the mechanical properties of the absorber mass and the resilient material. In another aspect, the tunable vibration absorber is tuned by controlling a pressure of fluid within a main internal fluid cavity disposed within the tunable vibration absorber.

Abstract: An armor plate consists of a material comprising a cermet, and the armor plate has a density in the range from 5.0 to 6.5 g/cm3. An armor plate composite and an armor are provided as well.

Abstract: In one aspect, evaporator boats are provided which, in some embodiments, exhibit resistance to corrosion and associated performance degradation imparted by exposure to molten metals, including aluminum. An evaporator boat described herein comprises a body and an evaporator surface, the body comprising a boron nitride (BN) component and a TiB2 component including a solid solution of TiB2 and one or more elements selected from the group consisting of silicon and metallic elements of Groups IVB-VIIIB of the Periodic Table.

Abstract: A rotary cutting tool includes a tool body including a chip flute portion having a plurality of helical chip flutes separated by lobes. In one aspect, a tunable vibration absorber assembly is disposed within a cavity formed in the chip flute portion. In another aspect, the tunable vibration absorber assembly is disposed within a cavity of a replaceable cutting head. In each aspect, the tunable vibration absorber assembly includes at least two tunable absorber masses, a resilient material between the one or more absorber masses and the cavity, and one or more connecting members for preventing relative angular displacement of the one or more tunable absorber masses. The at least two tunable absorber masses are suspended only by the resilient material, thereby enabling the tunable vibration absorber assembly to be tuned to a desired frequency for suppressing torsional vibration of the rotary cutting tool during a cutting operation.

Abstract: A rotatable cutting tool includes a cutting tool body with a head portion. A bolster is at least partially received in the head portion and includes a socket, a collar portion and a shank portion. The socket is formed with a conical side wall and a radius blend. A hard tip or cutting insert is at least partially received in the socket and includes a conical head portion, a collar portion and an axially rearward frustoconical portion that generally conforms to the geometry of the socket of the bolster. The shank portion of the bolster provides a narrow bottom style geometry and the axially rearward frustoconical portion of the cutting insert provides a tapered geometry that together increases the strength of a braze joint between the bolster and the base portion, thereby reducing forces and stresses transmitted to the cutting tool during a machining operation.

Abstract: A hydraulic chuck assembly includes a tool support member having an axial bore. An expansion sleeve is received within the axial bore of the tool support member. The expansion sleeve comprises an inner surface, an outer surface and a front flange extending radially outward from the outer surface. A primary pressure chamber is formed between the axial bore of the tool support member and the outer surface of the expansion sleeve. A flexibility of the expansion sleeve is increased by removing material from the expansion sleeve in a vicinity of a front braze ring and a rear braze ring, thereby decreasing a maximum stress in the front braze ring and the rear braze ring. The material is removed by undercuts that form secondary pressure chambers in fluid communication with the primary pressure chamber.

Abstract: A cutting system includes a rotatable transport member, a plurality of tool holders, and a plurality of cutting tools. A plurality of tool holders is attached to the rotatable transport member. The plurality of tool holders is spaced apart along the rotatable transport member and configured to passively rotate relative to the rotatable transport member. The plurality of cutting tools is rotatably attached to each tool holder. Each of the cutting tools is configured to passively rotate around different axis than an axis around which the tool holder passively rotates.

Abstract: A hydraulic chuck may include an expansion sleeve, a plurality of pistons, and an actuator ring. The expansion sleeve may include a bore. The plurality of pistons may be axially mounted in at least one piston chamber of the expansion sleeve. The actuator ring may be rotatably mounted relative to the expansion sleeve. The actuator ring may be configured to actuate the plurality of pistons in the at least one piston chamber to hydraulically expand the expansion sleeve to provide a varying clamping force within the bore.

Abstract: A rotary cutting tool includes a main body, a shank portion having a rearward end, and a flute portion having a forward end with one or more flanks. One or more connecting fluid holes are in fluid communication with a central fluid hole and terminates at a flank at the forward end of the cutting tool. One or more twisted fluid holes extend through a lobe in the flute portion and terminates at a flank at the forward end of the cutting tool. A cross-sectional shape of the connecting fluid holes and the twisted fluid holes is selected to provide enhanced delivery of fluid to the cutting edge. In one aspect, the rotary cutting tool is a modular drill and the flute portion has a pocket for holding a replaceable cutting insert.

Abstract: A turning toolholder includes a shank, a club head, and a clamp and a clamp screw for clamping a cutting insert. The club head includes a clamp coolant supply hole in fluid communication, a flank coolant supply hole and an auxiliary rake coolant supply hole, all in fluid communication with the main coolant supply hole. Coolant is supplied through a rake coolant exit opening formed in the forward nose portion of the clamp to direct coolant to the top rake surface of the cutting insert, and coolant is supplied through a flank coolant exit opening located below the insert-receiving pocket to provide coolant to the side flank surfaces of the cutting insert. In addition, an auxiliary rake coolant supply housing formed on a top surface of the club head supplies additional coolant to the top rake surface of the cutting insert during high heat applications.

Abstract: A circumferential milling tool (10) for cutting metal is described, which comprises a milling cutter body (14) that can be rotated about a tool axis (12) and has at least two cutting edge groups. The arrangement of the first cutting edge group results in a first average chip thickness for the cutting edges (16) of the first cutting edge group and a second average chip thickness for the cutting edges (18, 20, 22, 24, 26) of the second cutting edge group. The first average chip thickness and the second average chip thickness are substantially equal. A method for arranging cutting edges (16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26) on a circumferential milling tool (10) that can be rotated about a tool axis (12) is presented as well.

Abstract: A cutting insert for a machining tool having a cutting edge and a flute extending along the cutting edge is described. A chip breaker element which projects into the interior of the flute is disposed in the flute. Said chip breaker element comprises a chip guiding surface and each point of the chip guiding surface has a spacing from a flute contour that is greater than zero. The chip guiding surface furthermore either extends parallel to the flute contour and/or curved along two directions. A machining tool having such a cutting insert is presented as well.